These 1-bowl Espresso Brownies are what dessert dreams are made of – Spongy, fudgy and loaded with delicious and indulgent chocolate and coffee flavour!
Today I’m bringing together two of my favourite things in the world, chocolate & coffee, to make the most delicious espresso brownies I’ve ever made.
These Espresso Brownies have everything you could possibly look for, they’re gooey and dense, but still quite soft and spongy.
And they’re loaded with amazing coffee flavour!
**This post is sponsored by Pact Coffee. All opinions are my own**
The Best Coffee For Espresso Brownies
Choosing the perfect coffee is what really brings these espresso brownies to the next level.
You want a robust, premium-quality ground coffee that doesn’t overpower but indeed complements the chocolate flavour.
That’s why I partnered up with Pact Coffee for this recipe – I’ve been testing out the different coffees they offer and I’m totally in love with all of them!
For these brownies I used Pact’s Fazenda Chapada coffee which was ground finely for espresso machines.
It has a lovely milk chocolate aroma, revealing hints of lingering, creamy, toffee sweetness and flavour.
It’s simply great for a morning espresso cup, and incredibly good for baking treats such as these brownies.
Otherwise, you will be ok by choosing any other high-quality ground espresso coffee, go for 100% arabica when in doubt. Here’s a great guide on the best espresso beans!
Alternatively, you can use espresso powder. What is espresso powder?
It’s a concentrated instant coffee, made with coffee crystals that dissolve in liquid (you can read more here), and it’s not really for drinking, but more for baking treats.
You can substitute espresso powder/ground beans with instant coffee, but it will lack the amazingly rich roasted flavour of espresso.
So, I wouldn’t really recommend it if you want to go for real, incredibly good espresso brownies.
The Best Chocolate For Brownies
When making the perfect espresso brownies, the chocolate plays a fundamental role.
You will need both dark chocolate chunks and cocoa powder for this brownies recipe, so my tip is to choose the best chocolate you have available.
Go for a 65-70% organic dark chocolate, and use high-quality cocoa powder if possible.
For the dark chocolate, I like to use brands that make it with only cocoa mass, sugar, cocoa butter and a hint of vanilla.
The best cocoa powder for brownies is the dutch-processed unsweetened cocoa powder. Dutch-processed, means that the cocoa powder is treated with an alkali solution, which neutralizes some of the acidity.
It also has a deepen flavour and darker colour, and makes brownies overall more chocolatey and delicious.
How To Make Espresso Brownies
Once you’ve got the right coffee and chocolate, all you need to make these delicious fudgy Espresso Brownies is less than 10 super simple ingredients:
*Dutch-processed unsweetened cocoa powder
*dark chocolate
*free-range eggs
*flour
*sugar
*butter
*maple syrup
*a hint of vanilla extract
*a pinch of sea salt
I personally opt for all organic ingredients. But you don’t need to use organic ingredients if you don’t want to.
However, I find that most of the time, is worth investing in organic ingredients, as they taste better and thus make a better final product.
These espresso brownies come together in a blink and are totally mess-free to make. All it takes is 1 bowl, 1 baking dish and 40 mins of your time.
Place the butter and chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl, melt in the microwave for 30 seconds, then stir in the sugar and ground espresso until incorporated.
Stir in the eggs, one at a time, wait until is fully incorporated before adding the next one.
Finally, stir in cocoa powder and flour, until just combined. Make sure to not overmix the batter!
Pour the prepared brownie batter into a baking dish and place in the oven for 30-36 minutes.
If you like your brownies super fudgy, take them out of the oven after 32-33 minutes, but for regular fudgy brownies, it will be safe to take them out after 35-36 minutes.
I can’t stop talking about how good these Espresso Brownies are – Everytime I make them, the whole family loves them and devours them in less than a blink.
If you love chocolate and espresso, I’m pretty sure these will easily become a weekly staple from now on!
These melt-in-your-mouth chocolatey fudgy Espresso Brownies are incredibly soft and rich – Sure to satisfy your dessert cravings in a bite.
More Brownies Recipes For You To Try:
These melt-in-your-mouth avocado brownies are totally butter-free, gluten-free and dairy-free and taste just as good as regular brownies, if not even better!
Avocado Brownies (Gluten-free and Dairy-free)
Fall in love with this Chocolate Coffee Brownie Cake – Made with simple wholesome ingredients, this epic dessert is totally easy to make!
DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?
Please let me know how you liked it! Leave a comment below and share a picture on Instagram with the hashtag #thepetitecook! Looking at your pictures always makes me smile *and super hungry*!
Espresso Brownies
Ingredients
- 160 gr unsalted butter
- 150 gr 70% dark chocolate chopped into chunks
- 60 gr ground espresso coffee
- 210 gr caster sugar
- 3 tbsp organic maple syrup
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 large free-range eggs
- 50 gr Dutch-processed unsweetened cocoa powder
- 100 gr all-purpose flour
- a pinch of sea salt flakes
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 175C/350F and line with parchment paper a 9x13 inch pan. Set the oven rack to the middle shelf.
- In a large microwave-safe bowl, fold in the butter and dark chocolate. Cover the bowl and microwave for 30 seconds, stir the ingredients, then melt for another 30 seconds, until fully smooth and combined. Immediately stir in the sugar, vanilla extract and maple syrup, and whisk until fully combined,
- Stir in the sugar and ground espresso coffee, followed by the vanilla extract and maple syrup. Whisk to combine all the ingredients.
- Stir in the eggs, one at a time, wait until is fully incorporated before adding the next one.
- Add in the flour and a pinch of salt, and stir until all the ingredients are JUST combined. Make sure to not overmix the batter!
- Transfer the mixture into the prepared pan and spread it evenly, levelling out the top.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes (see notes), then insert a toothpick into the centre of the pan. If it comes out very wet, the brownies are not done, if it's just slightly wet, the brownies are done.
- Remove the espresso brownies from the oven and allow them to cool on a wire rack, then cut them into squares and serve.
- Store leftover brownies in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Notes