These Guinness brownies are rich, fudgy and loaded with chocolate flavor enhanced by some stout beer. And no it doesn't have to be St. Patrick's Day to enjoy these.
In case you haven't followed this blog long, I'm a big fan of Guinness not only baking but cooking - from Guinness chocolate cake to Guinness beef stew to Guinness chocolate donuts.
But perhaps where most people discovered the benefits of stout beer in baking is with chocolate brownies. So I figured it was time to join the bandwagon.
Before you ask, no these brownies do not taste like beer. Kind of like coffee, stout beer just enhances the chocolate flavor making them rich but moist.
These Guinness brownies are not chewy. They are more fudge-like and not overly sweet, making them hard to just have one. By reducing the beer, you get the benefits of the flavor without extra liquid.
And no you don't need to be celebrating St. Patrick's Day to enjoy these chocolate brownies. Oh and to make them even better, top them with some Baileys ice cream.
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Ingredient Notes
- Guinness beer - the beer is important as it helps with the moistness but also enhances the chocolate flavor.
- Eggs - whisking the eggs not only helps create that crinkle top that everyone loves, but it adds structure.
- Espresso powder - no it doesn't make the brownies taste like coffee. Just adds some richness to the chocolate.
Ingredient Swaps
As with any recipe, you can exchange some of the ingredients with this Guinness brownies recipe. The variations include:
- While semi-sweet chocolate is my go-to, milk or dark chocolate also works.
- I use granulated sugar for a slightly airier batter, but light or dark brown sugar is a good substitute.
- As there is already heavy chocolate flavor by adding the Guinness and espresso powder, I go with unsweetened cocoa powder but if you want it even richer, use dark cocoa powder.
Step-by-Step Photos
Bring the beer to a boil so it reduces to about ½ cup. Melt chocolate with butter until smooth and then stir in sugar/ Guinness, vanilla extract and espresso.
Whisk eggs in a small bowl until bubbly and sift the dry ingredients in another bowl.
Add the eggs to the chocolate mixture and mix in the dry ingredients. Stir in the remaining chocolate chips and then bake at 350°F for 35-40 minutes.
FAQs
Draught and Extra Stout are pretty similar but Draught has a little more coffee notes and creamy where as the Extra Stout has a slightly drier finish. You can use either in this recipe.
While these Guinness brownies are good enough on their own you are welcome to make a frosting. I recommend an Irish cream frosting. You just need 1 cup unsalted butter, 2 ½ cups powered sugar and 3 tablespoon Baileys Irish Cream.
Using the whisk attachment of a mixer, whip the butter on medium-high speed for 5 minutes, scraping the sides of the bowl after every minute. Reduce the speed to medium-low and gradually add the powdered sugar until it is all incorporated. Add the Baileys, increase the speed to medium-high and whip for another 2-3 minutes until it is light and fluffy. Spread over brownies once cool.
You will know when the brownies are done when you insert a toothpick and a few crumbs are on it. The toothpick should not come out clean, otherwise it is overbaked at that point.
To maximize the shelf life of the Guinness brownies, place it in a covered airtight container or cover with plastic wrap to prevent it from drying out.
• Brownies at room temperature will last 2-3 days
• Brownies in the fridge will last 1 week
• Brownies in the freezer will last 3 months
Pro Tips/Recipe Notes
- Grease and line your pan with parchment paper so you can easily get the brownies out.
- Use quality chocolate when making these brownies as that is where the flavor comes from. I like to use Ghirardelli Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips.
- Don’t overbeat the eggs as it introduces air and makes the brownies more cake-like and less dense. You should beat just until bubbles form on top.
- Sifting together the dry ingredients fluffs them up and allows the wet ingredients to bind more quickly and evenly.
- Let the brownies cool completely before cutting them so you can get clean cuts.
Other St. Patrick's Day Recipes
If you’ve tried this Guinness brownies recipe or any other recipe on Chisel & Fork, please let me know how it turned out in the comments below! You can also follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and YouTube to see more tasty meals and anything else I'm up to.
Guinness Brownies
Ingredients
- 1 (12 oz bottle) Guinness Extra Stout
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon instant espresso
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- In a small saucepan, bring the Guinness to a boil over medium-high heat. Once boiling, reduce to medium heat and allow to simmer until reduced down to ½ cup, about 20 minutes. Set aside to cool for at least 10 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line an 8x8 square pan with parchment paper and butter generously.
- In a microwavable bowl, melt butter and ¾ cup chocolate chips until melted and smooth. Stir in 30 second intervals. Stir in sugar, ½ cup Guinness, vanilla and espresso.
- In a small bowl, whisk the eggs until bubbly on top, about 1 minute. Add the eggs to the chocolate mixture.
- In another small bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined and then add the remaining chocolate chips.
- Spread evenly into the pan and bake for 35-40 minutes. A cake tester should come up with a couple of crumbs. Let cool and then cut into 9 squares.
Notes
- Grease and line your pan with parchment paper so you can easily get the brownies out.
- Use quality chocolate when making these brownies as that is where the flavor comes from. I like to use Ghirardelli Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips.
- Don’t overbeat the eggs as it introduces air and makes the brownies more cake-like and less dense. You should beat just until bubbles form on top.
- Sifting together the dry ingredients fluffs them up and allows the wet ingredients to bind more quickly and evenly.
- You will know when the brownies are done when you insert a toothpick and a few crumbs are on it. The toothpick should not come out clean, otherwise it is overbaked at that point.
- Let the brownies cool completely before cutting them so you can get clean cuts.
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