When in doubt, add coffee. That’s a good philosophy for life in general, but it’s an even better motto when it comes to chocolate desserts like the coffee brownie. Coffee doesn’t just add its own delightful nuances but actually enhances the chocolate flavor.
This coffee and chocolate brownie recipe is the perfect example, thanks to just enough espresso powder. So what are you waiting for? If you love coffee, let’s get baking!
This homemade recipe combines chocolate and espresso for a hit of extra fudgy goodness you won’t believe. No wonder it’s one of our favorite coffee-flavored desserts! Throw in some chopped walnuts for texture, and you have a taste sensation that makes a fitting end to any meal – or a perfect accompaniment to your morning coffee.
What does adding coffee to brownies do?
There’s a good reason to put coffee or espresso in chocolate baked goods, and it’s not just because we love the taste of coffee or want a caffeine boost. The addition of coffee actually adds depth to the chocolate flavor. Even if you don’t add enough coffee to taste it, you’ll enjoy a more chocolatey chocolate!
Science has shown that consuming coffee temporarily increases our sensitivity to sweetness and decreases our perception of bitterness (1). What a good reason to enjoy one of these brownies with a cup of joe!
How To Add Coffee To Brownies
The easiest way to put coffee in brownies is to add instant coffee powder to any basic brownies recipe. It doesn’t take much to add a lot of flavor, so you don’t need to worry about throwing off the wet-dry balance of the recipe.
Alternatively, you can add brewed coffee or espresso to brownies or coffee cakes, but only if it swaps in for water in the original recipe.
How much coffee to add to brownies depends on the amount of coffee flavor you want. Adding one or two teaspoons of instant coffee will boost the chocolate without adding a ton of coffee flavor. Three or more teaspoons, and you’re on your way to mocha brownies!
Cocoa powder versus melted chocolate
There are two ways to add chocolate to your brownies: melted chocolate or cocoa powder. Or a combination of both. Each yields a slightly different final result in texture and flavor.
Unsweetened cocoa is 100% cocoa. Because it doesn’t contain any additional fats or sugars, it produces a more intense chocolate flavor. Brownies made from cocoa or chocolate powder usually rely on vegetable oil as a fat source.
Baking chocolate contains cocoa, cocoa butter, and sugar – unless you’re using unsweetened chocolate. Brownies made with baking chocolate thus tend to be sweeter, with a more mild chocolate flavor. They rely on butter as a fat source rather than oil, so they also have a lovely buttery flavor.
Texturally, cocoa or chocolate powder produces more cakey brownies, while chocolate produces a fudgy brownie.
This brownie with coffee uses chocolate rather than powder because we want the coffee and chocolate flavors to shine. The milder chocolate doesn’t completely mask the espresso, resulting in a rich coffee flavored fudge brownie.
How To Make Espresso Brownies Step-By-Step
Now that you’ve gathered your ingredients, here’s how to make this recipe, step by step. It’s super quick and easy to make; you’re less than an hour away from a gooey brownie to call your own.
Step 1: Preheat your oven
Preheat the oven to 350 ℉ (177 ℃), and make sure you have a rack in the middle of the oven. Grease a 10” round baking pan (or 9”x9” square pan) and line with parchment paper.
Pro tip: You can skip the parchment paper if you don’t plan to lift the brownies out of the pan. Just grease with butter and dust with cocoa powder to avoid sticking.
Step 2: Prepare the dry ingredients
Sift flour, baking powder, instant coffee or espresso powder, and salt into a small bowl. Set aside.
Step 3: Prepare the chocolate
In a double-boiler (also known as a bain-marie), melt together the butter and chocolate. If you don’t have a double-boiler, just put the chocolate and butter in a heatproof glass or metal bowl and set it over a pot of gently simmering water.
Stir as it melts until you have a uniform mixture.
I did this step in a microwave.
Then take it off the heat to cool while you prepare the remaining ingredients.
Pro tip: You can also melt the chocolate and butter in the microwave. Put the two ingredients in a microwave-safe bowl and nuke in 30-second increments until it begins to melt. Once it starts melting, keep stirring while the residual heat melts it completely. You don’t want to overcook the mixture.
Step 4: Prepare the wet ingredients
Prepare eggs and sugar.
In a large bowl, beat the eggs and sugar until fluffy and creamy;
Then, add vanilla and about a third of the chocolate mixture and stir until combined.
Add the rest of the chocolate and mix until combined.
Step 5: Put it all together
Fold the dry ingredients into the wet until just combined.
Fold through walnuts, if desired.
Pour the brownie batter into the prepared baking pan.
Pro tip: Not a fan of walnuts? Add ½ cup total of whatever mix-ins you like! I like ¼ cup each of chopped hazelnuts and semisweet chocolate chips. Chocolate-covered coffee beans would be another fun option.
Step 6: Bake, Cool, Slice, And Serve
Bake the brownies for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the brownies comes out clean. Start checking after 25 minutes. The center should spring back when pressed.
Once done, take the brownies out of the oven and place on a wire rack to let the brownies cool completely.
Slice into 8 wedges if using a round pan or into a 3×3 grid to make 9 brownies if using a square pan.
I suggest you serve your fudgy coffee brownies with coffee for best results.
Pro tip: Once the brownies are completely cool, store leftover brownies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days or in the fridge for up to a week. Sliced brownies can be wrapped individually and frozen for up to 2 months.
Final Thoughts
These homemade chocolate brownies are perfect for coffee lovers, whether as a mocha dessert or a treat with your morning brew. They’re rich and fudgy and loaded with coffee flavor.
Now that you know how to make these brownies, let us know what you think! If you love this recipe, leave a rating or comment. And be sure to share it with your friends who love brownies and coffee.
FAQs
How much caffeine is in espresso brownies?
The amount of caffeine in espresso brownies varies significantly depending on the brand of instant coffee you use. A tablespoon of instant coffee has between 90 and 270 mg of caffeine. So each serving of this espresso brownies recipe should contain between 11 and 33 mg of caffeine. For reference, a brewed cup of coffee has about 100 mg of caffeine, and the FDA recommends a daily limit of 400 mg.
Can I add coffee grounds to my brownies?
No, you shouldn’t substitute ground coffee for instant coffee when making brownies with coffee. You must use instant coffee because ground coffee doesn’t dissolve the same way, so the coffee flavor will be weaker and your brownies will have a gritty texture. However, you can substitute brewed coffee for water in any cake recipe that calls for water.
How did the food brownies get their name?
How brownies got their name is not known for certain, though it is surprisingly unrelated to their color. Some sources credit an early recipe developer Mildred Brown “Brownie” Schrumpf of Bangor, Maine, while others think it was inspired by the 1887 children’s book The Brownies: Their Book (2).
References
- Fjaeldstad AW, Fernandes HM. Chemosensory Sensitivity after Coffee Consumption Is Not Static: Short-Term Effects on Gustatory and Olfactory Sensitivity. Foods. 2020; 9(4):493. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods9040493
- Martin, C. (n.d.). Brownies: The History of a Classic American Dessert. Retrieved from https://ushistoryscene.com/article/brownies/