Fudgy Espresso Brownies are easy to make and perfect when you need a little caffeine fix. This easy one bowl brownie recipe is topped with creamy espresso frosting and chopped chocolate covered espresso beans!
Can’t find the chocolate covered beans? Use chocolate covered almonds instead!
Aimee’s Recipe Notes
Taste & Texture: Soft, fudgy chocolate brownies with a hint of espresso!
Ease: One bowl brownie recipe, easy frosting too!
Top Tip: use a plastic knife to cut brownies, for clean cuts.
Gluten Free: swap out the all-purpose flour and use King Arthur Gluten free Measure for Meaure flour!
Freezing: Wrap brownies in a gallon sized ziploc bag, with or without frosting. Freeze for up to 3 months, thaw on counter overnight.
Espresso Brownie Ingredients
The full ingredient list is in the recipe card at the bottom of the post, but here are some highlights.
- Unsalted butter – Some of the butter will need to be softened while the butter for the batter will be melted. (Learn more: How to Soften Butter)
- Semi-sweet chocolate morsels – I like to go all-in on chocolate in my brownie recipes and use melted chocolate and cocoa powder.
- Pure vanilla extract – When I have it on hand, I use my Homemade Vanilla Extract.
- Unsweetened cocoa powder – Not cocoa mix, which is sweetened!
- Espresso powder – I typically use King Arthur espresso powder, but I’ve also used Cafe Bustelo instant espresso.
- Dark chocolate covered espresso beans – These are optional, but I love the crunch they add to the topping. Plus: more espresso flavor! (And more caffeine too, if you’re looking for some extra pep in your step.)
How to Make Espresso Brownies
Make the Brownie Layer.
- Use one medium sized saucepan to melt the butter then add ingredients.
- Pour batter into a parchment paper lined square baking dish. Bake!
Frost and Serve.
- Beat the butter in a mixing bowl, then add the powdered sugar, espresso powder, and milk.
- Once the frosting is fluffy, spread it over the cooled espresso brownies. Sprinkle the espresso beans over the top if you’re using them.
Tips and Tricks
- Bake these brownies in a metal pan rather than glass or ceramic. I typically recommend using metal because it conducts heat evenly and predictably.
- For extra fudgy brownies, you can bake them to around the 40 minute mark. If you want your brownies more set, 45 minutes is perfect.
- Make sure the brownies are completely cooled before you frost them. If they’re even a little bit warm, the frosting will melt into them.
- For perfect slices, lift the parchment paper from the pan and transfer the brownies to a cutting board. This makes it easier to take a plastic knife and make straight cuts across the whole length of the brownies.
- You can store these espresso brownies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week, or freeze them for up to 3 months. Thaw them at room temperature before serving.
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