Take Your Brownies to the Next Level with Instant Espresso Powder

We’ve never met a chocolate-coffee combo we didn’t like (and we’ve tried the cookies, cocktails, and truffles to prove it). When it comes to brownies, chocolate is certainly the star, but coffee is the unsung hero. The addition of instant espresso creates a delicious depth of flavor, adding layers of bright acidity that temper the warm bitterness of the chocolate for an eat-the-whole-pan level of deliciousness. Even those that aren’t big on coffee are likely to enjoy its addition to chocolatey recipes – a small amount of espresso will go undetected, while still enhancing the chocolate’s taste. Of course, we’ve written up our favorite espresso brownie recipe for you to try at home – but beware, you’re going to want to bake a second batch.

The Science Behind Coffee and Chocolate

There’s hardly a more popular duo than coffee and chocolate, and for good reason. Both offer complex profiles that balance fruity notes with bitterness and acidity, which, when paired, can bring out the best in the other. In fact, finding the perfect coupling of chocolate and coffee is practically a science – and is an experiment we’d gladly sign up for.

Luckily, you won’t have to be quite so precise when it comes to baking. Made from 100% Colombian Arabica coffee beans, our instant espresso packs in a bright flavor that brings out the best of any chocolate it’s paired with.

Baking the Best Brownies

One of the best parts about brownies is that they’re a blank canvas. While we kept it classic, this recipe is ideal for adding nuts, caramel, peanut butter, or anything else your heart desires. Feel free to play with the amount of espresso you add for more or less coffee flavor (we, of course, opt for more!).

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter

• 5 oz unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped

• 2 cups sugar

• 1 tbsp instant espresso powder

• 1 tsp vanilla

• 1/2 tsp salt

• 4 large eggs

• 1 cup flour

• 3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 F. Line a 9x9 baking pan with foil, and grease well with 1 tablespoon butter.

2. Set a large bowl over a pan of simmering water. Melt remaining 11 tablespoons butter with unsweetened chocolate, stirring until smooth. Remove bowl from heat and whisk in sugar, espresso powder, vanilla, and salt. Add eggs 1 at a time, whisking after each addition until batter is smooth.

3. Toss together flour and chocolate chips in another bowl and add to batter, stirring until just combined.

4. Spread batter evenly in baking pan and bake in middle of oven until top is firm and edges just begin to pull away from sides of pan, about 30 minutes.

5. Cool in pan on a rack 5 minutes, then carefully lift brownies from pan and transfer to rack to cool 10 minutes more. Cut into squares to serve. Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Epicurious.