Today, I’ve got the perfect flavour combination in these fudgy espresso brownies. They’re packed with chocolate, extra gooey and have the perfect hit of espresso. An easy treat to whip up for parties or on a Tuesday night!
I’m not going to lie, I actually can’t stand coffee. I do like to add ground espresso to my chocolate desserts though to bump up the chocolate flavour. This has actually made me like the smell of espresso.. never thought that could happen! I figured, with that espresso lying around, might as well make some recipes with it.
Having said all that, I didn’t trust just myself to taste these so I had multiple others make sure these fudgy espresso brownies had the perfect espresso flavour! So if you love coffee and/or espresso, these are the brownies for you.
If you need some more recipes to use up ground espresso, try my chocolate turtle cookies or my bananas n’ cream chocolate cake.
The Crackly Brownie Top
Through research and many trials of different brownie recipe testing, including these fudgy espresso brownies, I have discovered the easiest way to get a shiny crackly top.
The shiny, crackly top had always alluded me every time I made brownies and I was getting really frustrated. So, I decided to research different people’s ideas on how to always get that traditional brownie top and try different ways for myself.
The two keys I have found is ensuring your eggs and sugar are well combined, which is why I always whisk mine together vigorously. The second is adding the warmed butter, and chocolate if the recipe calls for it, to the egg mixture. Based off my knowledge and research, this helps basically create a meringue like top by allowing the sugar to fully melt and blend into the eggs. And VOILA! A beautiful, traditional brownie top every time!
How Many Brownies is This?
This recipe makes 9 large, 12 medium or 16 small brownies depending on how you cut them. I like cutting them in 16’s or 12’s as these are decadent and rich!
Glass vs. Metal Pans
While I prefer the look of glass, it’s really not ideal for baking brownies. Glass takes much longer to heat which can leave you with an overbaked brownie making it more cakey than fudgy. Metal pans heat much more evenly and will give you the perfect texture.
Can I Make These Brownies Gluten Free?
They are not gluten free and I haven’t tested them with a 1 to 1 flour, If you try, let me know how they turn out.
As a side note, if making anything gluten free for someone with an allergy, ensure you thoroughly wash any equipment, jars or utensils. Any contact with flour may trigger an allergy. I like to say any baking I do in my own home is gluten friendly as I am using flour often and cannot guarantee there’s been no cross contamination.
For a gluten free brownie recipe, try my fudgy coconut flour brownies which are just as decadent as any other brownie or for a healthier option, try my healthy chocolate banana brownies which are gluten free due to using almond flour.
How to Properly Measure Flour
So when it comes to measuring flour, the most accurate and easiest way is to use a kitchen scale. I always use a scale and could never go back to measuring in cups. It’s such a hassle and way more dishes!
If you don’t own a scale, there are a couple steps to properly measure flour as it becomes compacted just sitting in the bag or container. I highly recommend you follow these as just scooping flour out of the bag can potentially lead to at least an additional 1/4 cup of flour. This equals dry and dense baked goods which is not what anybody is going for.
1. Fluff the flour by giving it a mix with a whisk or fork.
2. Spoon the flour into your measuring cup.
3. Level the excess flour off using a butter knife. (With the back of the knife level to the top of the measuring cup, run it over top, pushing the excess flour back into it’s container.)
4. Repeat until you’ve measured the amount the recipe calls for.
Baking Tips
- For best results, use room temperature ingredients! They will mix together much easier creating a smoother, more well incorporated batter.
- I recommend using a metal pan when baking brownies. Glass and ceramic take much longer to heat up which leads to the edges overbaking while the centre will be underbaked. This can also lead to your brownies sinking in the middle.
- Don’t overmix your brownie batter! Overmixing leads to a denser, less fudgy brownie as you’ll start developing the gluten. Using a spatula, fold the dry and wet mixtures together until just combined.
- No matter what recipe you use for the brownies, for fudgy brownies, they’re generally done when a toothpick inserted 2/3 of the way in from the edge of the pan comes out with moist crumbs. This will ensure good fudgy brownies.
- I create my recipes based off weights so I recommend measuring by weights if you own a scale. It’s actually so much easier and makes for much less cleanup. I wish I had baked by weight from the beginning, I could never go back now.
More Brownies!
Today’s song is an absolutely beautiful and soulful cover. Here’s Changes by Charles Bradley. Happy baking!! **Disclaimer: Liv’s Little Muffins owns no rights to this song.
Don’t forget to leave a STAR REVIEW if you try my recipe! Follow me on Facebook or tag me on instagram @livslittlemuffins. Find more ideas on my Pinterest or Whisk.
Fudgy Espresso Brownies
Ingredients
- 170g/6oz semi sweet or dark chocolate
- 1/2 cup (113g) unsalted butter
- 1 1/2 tbsp ground espresso
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
- 2/3 cup (80g) all purpose flour
- 1/4 cup (25g) cocoa powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup (80g) semi sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Line or spray an 8×8 pan. Set aside. Preheat the oven to 350℉.
- In a microwave safe bowl, add the chocolate and butter. Heat in the microwave in 30 second increments until fully melted, stirring in between each time. Stir in the ground espresso and vanilla extract.
- While the chocolate mixture warms, add the eggs and sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer or large mixing bowl. Using the whisk attachment, whisk at medium-high speed for about 3 minutes until the batter is pale and ribbony.
- Gently whisk in the chocolate mixture until fully incorporated. Then add in the flour, cocoa powder and salt. Using a spatula, gently fold together until almost combined.
- Add in the chocolate chips and gently fold the batter until just combined. Pour the batter into your lined pan and bake for 20-24 minutes or until a toothpick inserted about 2/3 of the way to the centre comes out with moist crumbs.
- Let fully cool before slicing and serving. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days and enjoy!
