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These espresso brownies are extra fudgy, packed with coffee flavor and just perfect for coffee lovers. You only need nine ingredients, no mixer, and one bowl to make coffee brownies!

I already love a coffee flavored dessert, like my coffee cookies, so I knew I had to try out a brownie version! These fudgy espresso brownies are based off of my dairy free brownies, and the chocolate flavors pair perfectly with the espresso!
Just like my original dairy free brownie recipe, these coffee brownies are gooey with a crinkle top! I think you're going to love them!
Why You'll Love These Espresso Brownies
- They’re made in 1 bowl which means there's minimal clean up!
- You can easily make these brownies dairy free so they’re perfect for those with allergies.
- These espresso brownies get their chocolate flavor from just cocoa powder, so you don’t have to melt any chocolate!
- These brownies are super fudgy, gooey and chewy - no cakey brownies here!
Ingredients Needed

- Butter: feel free to use vegan butter or regular butter for these brownies!
- Cocoa Powder: these espresso brownies have been tested with unsweetened dutch processed cocoa powder. You can use natural cocoa powder in a pinch though!
- Flour: I’ve only tested these brownies with all purpose flour.
- Espresso Powder: you can either use instant espresso or regular espresso powder! You can also use instant coffee powder if that’s all you have.
Step By Step Instructions
Note: Full ingredient measurements and instructions can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of this page.
Step 1: Preheat your oven to 350°Fahrenheit and line an 8x8 baking pan with parchment paper. Make sure the paper is overhanging so you can easily lift the brownies out later.
Step 2: Melt the butter in the microwave or in a small pan on the stove. Pour the melted butter into a medium bowl.
Step 3: Add in the light brown sugar and white sugar and whisk together. Whisk until it becomes very thick and paste-like, it should pull away from the sides of the bowl. This will give the espresso brownies a crinkly top!
Step 4: Add in the eggs and vanilla extract and whisk to combine.
Step 5: Pour the flour, cocoa powder, espresso powder, salt and flour into the wet ingredients and whisk until just combined. Don’t overcombine as that will give you dry brownies!
Step 6: Pour the brownie batter into the prepared baking pan.
Step 7: Bake in the preheated oven for 30-40 minutes. If you insert a toothpick in the center it should come out with a few wet crumbs. Let them cool completely before slicing!

FAQs and Expert Tips
I recommend using instant or regular espresso powder, but you could also use instant coffee powder if that’s all you have on hand!
If you want to boost that coffee flavor you can add up to half a tablespoon of instant espresso powder!
Yes, you can double all the ingredients and bake in a 9x13 pan if you need to make a larger batch of espresso brownies!

Expert Tips
- Use a kitchen scale! It is really important to measure your cocoa powder and flour properly, as if you add too much it might lead to dry and cakey brownies.
- Let the brownies cool completely before slicing! This is going to be hard to do as you’ll want to dig in, but if you slice them while they’re too hot or warm they won’t slice cleanly and might fall apart.
- Don’t overmix the brownie batter. Once you’ve added all of the dry ingredients, stop mixing together as soon as there are no more streaks of flour or cocoa powder. If you overmix the batter it will affect the texture of the brownies!
Storage and Freezing Instructions
I recommend storing the espresso brownies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days. You can freeze the sliced brownies, just wrap them in plastic wrap and then foil. Let them defrost before enjoying!
More Brownie Recipes You'll Love
If you make this recipe, let me know how it went in the comments below, I’d love to hear from you! You can also tag me on Instagram or Facebook so I can check it out!

Espresso Brownies
Video
Ingredients
- ¾ cup butter, melted regular or dairy free
- ¾ cup light brown sugar
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1½ Tablespoon espresso powder
- ⅔ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- ¾ cup + 1 Tablespoon all-purpose flour
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°Fahrenheit and line an 8x8 baking pan with parchment paper. Make sure the paper is overhanging so you can easily lift the brownies out later.
- Melt the butter in the microwave or in a small pan on the stove. Pour the melted butter into a medium bowl.
- Add in the light brown sugar and white sugar and whisk together. Whisk until it becomes very thick and paste like - this will give you a crinkly top!
- Add in the eggs and vanilla extract and whisk to combine.
- Pour the flour, cocoa powder, espresso powder, salt and flour into the wet ingredients and whisk until just combined. Don’t overcombine as that will give you dry brownies!
- Pour the brownie batter into the prepared baking pan.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 30-40 minutes. If you insert a toothpick in the center it should come out with a few wet crumbs. Let them cool completely before slicing!
Notes
Nutrition
The calorie information provided for this recipe is an estimate. The accuracy of the calories listed is not guaranteed.
Kai
How much espresso powder would I add if I were making a small batch of brownies?
Gabby
If you are using an 8x4 pan or 9x5 pan, use half the amount of all ingredients!
ileanna
Came out so fudgy and perfect, especially when warm!! ^_^ sm better than boxed brownies
Gabby
I am so happy you loved them, yay!
Jessie
these were amazing. perfect amount of coffee flavor!
Gabby
so happy you loved them Jessie!
Ann
I have made this one and it is another success attempt! Tried blondies before, and safe to say Gabby’s recipe is worth to try ?? Rich flavour and yummy!
Gabby
Hi Ann! I am so happy you loved the brownies so much! Thank you for the review!