Espresso Brownies
A weeknight-friendly vegetarian built around dark chocolate, dutch-processed cocoa powder and instant espresso powder — roughly 65 minutes start to finish, and rated medium to make. Scroll down for the ingredient checklist, a serving scaler and unit converter, and the method broken into 7 steps.
You'll mainly reach for oven and pan. At medium difficulty across 7 steps, it's manageable with a little attention. As written, it's meat-free.
What you'll need
Shopping list (3)
Pantry staples (you likely have these)
Diet: vegetarian — no meat or fish, based on every ingredient listed below.
Contains: Gluten Dairy Egg
Allergen labels are informational and may not cover cross-contact; verify every package and consult a qualified professional for medical dietary needs. Diet labels are derived from the ingredient list on this page — how we verify diet and allergen labels.
Food-safety and allergen information is general, not medical advice. Follow current guidance from your local food-safety authority, verify product labels, and seek qualified advice for allergies or health conditions.
How to make it
- Heat the oven to 175C (350F) and line an 8-inch square baking tin with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on two sides.
- Melt the chopped dark chocolate and butter together in a heatproof bowl over a pan of barely simmering water, stirring until smooth, then remove from the heat and whisk in the cocoa powder and espresso powder.
- Whisk both sugars into the warm chocolate mixture, then beat in the eggs one at a time along with the vanilla, whisking vigorously for about a minute until the batter looks glossy and slightly thickened.
- Fold in the flour and salt with a spatula just until no dry streaks remain, taking care not to overmix.
- Scrape the batter into the prepared tin and spread it into the corners, levelling the top.
- Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the top is set with a papery crust and a skewer inserted in the centre comes out with a few moist crumbs rather than wet batter.
- Cool the brownies completely in the tin on a wire rack, then lift out using the parchment and cut into 16 squares for clean, fudgy slices.
You'll use: Oven · Pan · Saucepan · Whisk
Ingredient substitutions
- Butter
- olive oil (¾ the amount) · coconut oil · margarine
- Brown Sugar
- white sugar + 1 tbsp molasses per cup
- Eggs
- ¼ cup unsweetened applesauce (baking) · 1 tbsp ground flax + 3 tbsp water per egg
Tips & common questions
How long does Espresso Brownies take to make?
About 65 minutes from start to finish — an estimate based on the 7 steps and 10 ingredients. Times vary with your kitchen and how much prep you do ahead.
What can I use instead of butter?
Try olive oil (¾ the amount). See the substitutions section above for more swaps.
Can I scale this recipe up or down?
Yes — use the servings control above the ingredients and every quantity rescales automatically (fractions included). Cooking times stay roughly the same; very large batches may need a little longer.
Is Espresso Brownies vegetarian?
Its ingredients contain no meat, fish or shellfish, so it is suitable for vegetarians. Check any cheese for animal rennet if that matters to you.
Related recipes
Adapted recipe — rewritten in our own wording from an open-licensed community cookbook, not yet independently kitchen-tested by Consomee. How we source, test & correct recipes.
Espresso Brownies is adapted by Consomee from the Wikibooks Cookbook, rewritten in our own wording and used under CC BY-SA 4.0. Photo: Espresso caramel brownie - Black Mocha 2025-09-21.jpg (CC0) via Wikimedia Commons. We add the serving scaler, ingredient tools, timing and structure — how we source recipes.