Coffee Brownies

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These fudgy espresso coffee brownies are the perfect chocolate dessert for any coffee lover! They are easy to make for a simple weeknight treat.

These espresso brownies are fudgy and a little cakey — similar in texture to these after eight brownies. For lighter, cakier brownies, you might like these pear and hazelnut brownies.

To make these brownies even more decadent, add some frosting. In particular, these coffee brownies taste delicious with this hazelnut frosting, this pistachio buttercream or this espresso frosting.

Jump to:

• Why You’ll Love This Recipe
• Ingredients & Substitutions
• Equipment
• Step By Step Instructions
• Storage
• Expert Tips
• Recipe FAQs
• 📖 Recipe

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• The coffee & chocolate combination of flavors in this brownie recipe make an extra rich brownie and bring out a more intense chocolate flavor. 
• These brownies are not overly sweet. They have just the right balance between sweet chocolate flavor and bitter espresso.
• This is a simple and easy recipe to follow, even for beginner bakers.

Ingredients & Substitutions

• Espresso: Use high quality, freshly brewed espresso. Although these are coffee brownies, espresso is more concentrated, giving a stronger coffee flavor without too much liquid. That being said, you can substitute the espresso with very strongly brewed coffee if needed. 
• Espresso Powder: Espresso powder adds an extra coffee-flavored kick to the dry ingredients. You can substitute this with instant coffee powder. 
• Chocolate Chips: Use semi sweet chocolate chips or baking chocolate. You can also use dark chocolate chips if you like dark chocolate. 
• Flour: These brownies use regular all-purpose flour. For gluten-free brownies, you can use a 1:1 gluten free flour blend instead. 
• Butter: Use unsalted butter for this recipe. You can substitute butter for margarine if you prefer. 
• Eggs: Eggs give brownies their moist, rich texture. They can not be substituted in this recipe. 
• Brown Sugar: In brownie recipes, brown sugar gives brownies a fudgier consistency, as opposed to granulated sugar which gives them a chewier, fluffier texture. Granulated sugar will work just as well for these brownies, but will slightly change the texture.
• Hazelnut & Vanilla Extract: The combination of hazelnut and vanilla extract complements the coffee flavors in these brownies well. If you can’t find hazelnut extract, use coffee extract instead, or replace it with vanilla extract.
• Salt: A pinch of salt brings out all the other flavors.

Equipment

Here is the equipment you will need to make these espresso brownies:

• An 8x8 inch square baking dish to bake the brownies in.
• Parchment paper to line the baking dish with so the brownies don’t stick to the bottom of the pan.
• A set of mixing bowls and rubber spatulas to make the brownie batter with. 
• Toothpicks to test when the brownies are done baking. 

Step By Step Instructions

Step 1: Melt the butter and chocolate chips together in the microwave. Stir until smooth. Mix in the espresso. 

Step 2: Beat the eggs, brown sugar, hazelnut extract, vanilla extract and salt together in a mixing bowl until smooth. 

Step 3: Add the melted chocolate and butter mixture to the egg and sugar mixture. Stir until combined. 

Step 4: In a separate bowl, sift the flour and espresso powder together. 

Step 5: In a couple parts, add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Mix only until just combined. Add to a prepared 8x8 baking dish and bake at 350F for 35 minutes.

Storage

• Room Temperature: For the softest, fudgiest brownies, store these brownies in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 to 3 days. 
• Fridge: If you won’t finish all the brownies in a couple days, store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. Let them come to room temperature or warm them up in the microwave for 10 to 15 seconds before serving.
• Freezer: To freeze the brownies, first let them fully cool to room temperature. Then, wrap them well in a couple layers of plastic wrap and place them in a freezer safe Ziploc bag. Freeze for up to 1 to 2 months. Let the brownies thaw overnight in the fridge before consuming.

Expert Tips

• Let the brownies cool before cutting them. Once you take the brownies out of the oven, let them sit at room temperature for 5 to 15 minutes before cutting them. This helps prevent them from crumbling apart. 
• Don’t overbake the brownies. Once a toothpick comes out with a few crumbs on it, the brownies are done. Each oven varies slightly and as a result baking times will also vary. Keep a close eye on the brownies as they finish baking.
• Chill the brownies before frosting them. Let the brownies completely cool to room temperature, or even chill them in the fridge for 20 minutes before frosting the brownies. If the brownies are still warm while you try to frost them, the buttercream will melt.

Recipe FAQs

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📖 Recipe