Espresso Brownies

Rich, chocolatey espresso brownies topped with the perfect chocolate frosting and a dash of sea salt. All you need is one bowl and a whisk to make them!

These espresso brownies are rich and chocolatey on their own, but when paired with espresso and sea salt and a decadent chocolate frosting they are on a whole ‘nother chocolate level. Espresso and sea salt bring out the chocolate flavor in these brownies while balancing out the sweetness from the sugar. All you need is one bowl and a whisk to make the brownies!

Brownie and frosting ingredients for espresso brownies

First things first, lets talk about the ingredients you’ll need to make these brownies:

• Butter
• Eggs
• Dark cocoa powder – I like using Hershey’s Dark Chocolate Cocoa Powder, but regular will work fine too!
• Flour
• Powdered brown and white sugar
• Chocolate chips – optional
• Sea salt
• Vanilla
• Milk
• Espresso powder

Espresso powder for baking

I absolutely love using espresso powder in baking recipes. It is the perfect way to bring out the depth of chocolate flavor in your chocolate cakes, frostings and brownies. The King Arthur Brand has become my favorite because it has the best flavor and doesn’t clump up quickly like some other brands I’ve tried. No special preparation is needed to use it, just add it directly to the brownie batter!

Can you substitute instant coffee for espresso powder?

Yes you can! But you will want to double the amount of instant coffee used because it typically will not have as rich of a coffee flavor as espresso powder does. For the frosting, you could start with the amount the recipe calls for and add more to taste.

Making espresso brownies

I love when a baking recipe only requires one bowl! This recipe is one of those!

Start by melting butter right in the mixing bowl. Make sure the bowl is microwave safe.

Allow the butter to cool slightly so when you add the eggs they won’t curdle.

After thoroughly whisking the eggs, butter and vanilla together, in go the dry, followed by chocolate chips.

As mentioned in the ingredient list, I like using Hershey’s dark chocolate cocoa. It truly has that dark chocolate flavor and dark color that I just love ❤️

What if I don’t have dark cocoa powder?

You can still make these brownies! You can use regular cocoa and still have wonderful, rich chocolate brownies! Dark cocoa is fun to try if you can, as it has an even richer chocolate flavor, and that lovely deep chocolate color.

Perfect chocolate frosting for espresso brownies

This frosting is so easy and is basically foolproof. All you need is butter, cocoa powder, powdered sugar, espresso powder, milk and vanilla! Almost all the same ingredients you need to make the brownies. I like to sift the cocoa powder and powdered sugar to make sure it’s smooth and no lumps form. This frosting also works great on some Sourdough Chocolate Cake!

More chocolate recipes you’ll love

If you make these delicious espresso brownies, let me know how it goes in the comments below! You can also find me on instagram @thefigjar!

Espresso Brownies

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Brownies dressed up with two of chocolates very best friends: espresso and sea salt.

• Author: Becky Schmieg
• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook Time: 30 minutes
• Total Time: 50 minutes
• Yield: 9 Brownies 1x
• Category: Dessert
• Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

Brownies

• 1 cup unsalted butter (melted)
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 4 eggs
• 2 tbsp espresso powder
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 3/4 cup dark chocolate cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour

Mocha frosting

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter (softened)
• 1/4 cup dark chocolate cocoa
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 1 tbsp espresso powder
• 1 tbsp milk
• sea salt for topping

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Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 325F.
2. Combine 1 cup melted butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla in a large mixing bowl using a whisk. Whisk until the mixture resembles caramel.
3. Add the eggs and whisk until fully incorporated.
4. Add all of the dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, espresso powder (2 tbsp), cocoa powder, and salt. Whisk until fully combined.
5. Pour batter into a prepared 8 x 8 baking dish and bake for 25-30 minutes. When they are done, a toothpick inserted in the center should come out with a few crumbs.

Frosting

1. Beat remaining stick of butter, powdered sugar, cocoa, espresso powder and milk until smooth. Sifting the dry ingredients will help with lumps, but if you aren’t super concerned about appearances and just need your chocolate fix, you don’t have to sift.
2. Spread frosting onto *cooled* brownies and sprinkle with sea salt.
3. Enjoy!!

Notes

The flavor and intensity of the espresso powder may vary depending on what you have or buy, you can taste the frosting and add more espresso powder if desired. 

Disclaimer: this post may contain affiliate links, which means if you decide to purchase any of the items linked in this post, I should earn a small commission. I only recommend products that I have used and enjoyed. If you decide to purchase anything, this creates no additional cost to you and helps support the work that goes into running The Fig Jar. Thank you! -Becky