Espresso Brownies (Starbucks Copycat, Gluten Free Option)
The next time you have a craving for Starbucks Espresso Brownies, skip the trip and make them in the comfort of your own home! These chocolate espresso brownies are super simple to make and can be customized to be both gluten free and refined sugar free if you prefer. Ultra fudgy and delicious, these espresso brownies will cure any chocolate craving!
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter
- 1 ¼ cups chocolate chips plus more for mixing into the batter
- 150 g flour or gluten free 1:1 flour
- 50 g unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ cup espresso powder
- 1 cup white sugar or monk fruit sugar
- 1 cup brown sugar or coconut sugar
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven and prepare the brownie pan. Pre-heat your oven to 350F. Grease an 8×8 brownie pan with cooking spray and then line it with parchment paper.
- Mix dry ingredients. In a medium mixing bowl, combine sifted flour, sifted cocoa powder, espresso powder and salt. Mix together with a fork or whisk to fully incorporate.
- Heat butter & chocolate chips. In a small saucepan over medium low heat, melt butter + chocolate chips stirring gently with a silicone spatula. As the butter starts melting, turn the heat to low and continue to stir until the chocolate is melted, then transfer to a large mixing bowl. Be sure not to let the mixture boil or burn.
- Beat in vanilla, sugars & eggs. In the same large mixing bowl you just added the butter and chocolate mixture, add the vanilla extract, then the monk fruit sugar and the coconut sugar, whisking to combine. Then add each egg one by one, whisking lightly between each egg then whisking one last time a bit more vigorously once all eggs have been added to fully incorporate, about 30 more seconds.
- Mix the batter. Add flour mixture to wet ingredients, folding in gently using a silicone spatula until all dry ingredients are fully combined and no clumps or traces of flour remain. Add extra chocolate chips and fold into the brownie batter.
- Bake & chill. Bake the brownies for 30-35 minutes until a toothpick comes out of the center clean and there is no wobble in the batter if you jiggle the pan. Allow brownies to cool at room temperature, then chill for at least 2 hours before slicing. Chilling the brownies helps them set and the texture becomes extra fudgy.
Notes
Can I use instant coffee instead of espresso powder in these coffee brownies?
Instant coffee is a suitable replacement for espresso powder in baking, however note that the coffee flavor is less intense in instant coffee than it is if you were to use espresso powder, so you may not achieve the same rich chocolate flavor as you would with espresso.How do you get a super fudgy brownie texture?
The key to making the fudgiest brownies possible is in the eggs. The more eggs you use, the more you will achieve cakey, chewy brownies. I typically use 2-3 eggs for fudgy brownies. You can also use egg yolks; two yolks is equal to one whole egg and will really kick the fudginess up.What type of butter should I use for brownies?
There’s a debate in the baking world whether or not you should use salted or unsalted butter. Personally, I use unsalted butter because you can control the saltiness of a recipe better, but if you love salt then go for salted butter. You can also use vegan butter if you do not eat or tolerate real butter.What if my eggs aren't room temperature?
Using room temperature eggs is preferable because they incorporate more smoothly into the batter. If you forgot to take your eggs out of the fridge ahead of time, one of my favorite ways to hack this is to simply fill a bowl with warm water & add the eggs to the bowl. You will have room temperature eggs in less than 10 minutes.Why should you chill brownies?
One of my favorite ways to make brownies easier to slice is to chill them after baking. You can either let them come to room temperature before chilling or place them immediately in the fridge for a cleaner slice. You can chill anywhere from 30 minutes to overnight. If chilling overnight, allow the brownies to come to room temp before slicing as the chocolate will have solidified in the fridge and they will be difficult to cut.How to store espresso brownies
You can store the brownies at room temp in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Alternatively, you can freeze your brownies if you don’t want to be tempted to eat them all at once! Make sure to wrap the brownies in aluminum foil or plastic wrap and store in an airtight container or freezer bag. They will keep up to one month. Tried this recipe?Mention @prettydeliciouslife or tag #PDLrecipes!