Brown Butter Espresso Brownies That’ll Ruin All Other Brownies For You

Brown butter espresso brownies transform your standard chocolate square into something dangerously addictive—think fudgy centers, crackly tops, and that deep coffee kick that makes chocolate taste more like chocolate.

I’ve watched too many people nervously ask if the coffee flavor will be “too strong” or if they’ll taste like yesterday’s cold brew.

Let me put that worry to bed right now.

The espresso doesn’t make these taste like coffee brownies—it makes the chocolate taste richer, deeper, almost impossibly dark.

It’s the secret ingredient pastry chefs have been using for decades while the rest of us wondered why bakery brownies always tasted better than ours.

Key Info

Prep Time: 20 minutes (includes browning butter)
Cook Time: 30-35 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
Servings: 16 brownies
Difficulty Level: Beginner-friendly (seriously, if you can stir, you can make these)
Dietary Tags: Vegetarian

Equipment Needed

• Large mixing bowl (or just use the bowl from your stand mixer)
• Medium saucepan (stainless steel works best for browning butter)
• Whisk (save the mixer—you don’t actually need it)
• 9×9 inch baking pan (8×8 works too, just add 5 minutes to baking time)
• Parchment paper (don’t skip this—you’ll thank me when you’re lifting these out cleanly)
• Rubber spatula (for folding, not mixing)
• Toothpick (the only reliable doneness test)

Simple alternatives:
No parchment paper? Generously butter and flour your pan.
No whisk? A fork works fine, just takes longer.
No 9×9 pan? Use an 8×8 and bake an extra 5-7 minutes.

Ingredients

For the brownies:

• 1 cup (226g) unsalted butter (salted works if that’s what you have—just skip the added salt)
• 4 oz (113g) dark chocolate, chopped, or 2/3 cup chocolate chips (anything 60-70% cacao)
• 1½ cups (300g) granulated sugar
• 3 large eggs, room temperature if you remember
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• ¾ cup (96g) all-purpose flour (measure by spooning into cup, not scooping)
• ½ cup (50g) unsweetened cocoa powder (Dutch-processed gives you darker color, natural works fine)
• 2 tablespoons espresso powder (instant espresso powder is what you want—not ground coffee beans)
• ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
• Optional: ½ cup (85g) chocolate chips for extra pockets of melty chocolate

For finishing:

• Flaky sea salt (Maldon is the gold standard)
• Chopped chocolate-covered espresso beans if you’re feeling fancy

Method

Step 1: Brown that butter like your life depends on it

Melt butter in your saucepan over medium heat. Watch it foam up, then settle down. Keep going—you’ll hear crackling and popping (that’s the water evaporating from the milk solids).

After 8-10 minutes, you’ll smell something nutty and see golden-brown specks at the bottom. That’s your cue.

Pour everything—and I mean everything, including those brown bits—into your large mixing bowl. Those bits are liquid gold.

Step 2: Melt in the chocolate

Drop your chopped chocolate into the hot brown butter. Let it sit for exactly one minute. Now stir until it’s completely smooth and glossy. If you’ve got stubborn chunks, pop it in the microwave for 10 seconds.

Step 3: Build the base

Whisk in the sugar until the mixture looks thick and almost paste-like. This step creates that gorgeous crackly top we’re after. Add eggs one at a time, whisking after each addition until the mixture turns lighter and glossy. Stir in vanilla.

Step 4: The dry ingredients (don’t overthink this)

In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, espresso powder, and salt. Dump it all into your chocolate mixture.

Here’s where people mess up: they grab the whisk again. Don’t.

Switch to your rubber spatula and fold gently—like you’re trying not to wake someone up. Stop when you barely see any flour streaks. Some streaks are fine. Overmixing = hockey pucks, not brownies.

Fold in chocolate chips if you’re using them.

Step 5: Into the oven

Preheat to 350°F (180°C). Line your 9×9 pan with parchment paper, leaving overhang on two sides (this becomes your lifting handles later). Pour in the batter and smooth the top with your spatula.

Bake for 30-35 minutes. At 30 minutes, stick a toothpick in the center. You want moist crumbs, not wet batter, not a clean toothpick. If you pull out wet batter, give it another 3-5 minutes.

Step 6: The hardest part

Let them cool completely in the pan on a wire rack. I know. I know you want to cut into them right now. But 45 minutes of patience gives you clean cuts and the right texture. Hot brownies = crumbly mess. Cool brownies = perfect squares.

Use the parchment overhang to lift the whole slab out, then cut with a sharp knife (wipe it clean between cuts).

Crucial Tips

• The toothpick test isn’t negotiable. Ovens lie. Timers lie. Only the toothpick tells the truth.
• Room temperature eggs matter more than you think. Cold eggs = seized chocolate. If you forgot to take them out, put them in warm water for 5 minutes.
• Don’t substitute the espresso powder with brewed coffee. You’ll add too much liquid and end up with cake. If you absolutely must, use instant coffee granules instead—same measurement.
• That brown butter step is optional but transformative. Skip it if you’re in a rush and just melt the butter normally. You’ll still get great brownies, just not transcendent brownies.
• Use a digital kitchen scale if you have one. Cocoa powder especially varies wildly when measured by volume.

Storage & Make-Ahead

• Room temperature: Store in an airtight container for 4-5 days. They actually get fudgier on day two.

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