Last year, I was searching for the perfect contribution to our neighborhood potluck when oliver suggested combining his two favorite things - brownies and my morning coffee. What started as a playful idea transformed into these frosted coffee brownies that became the most requested dessert at every gathering. The magic happens when espresso enhances deep chocolate flavor in the brownie base, then gets echoed in that silky coffee buttercream frosting on top. Even people who claim they don't like coffee desserts can't resist these - the coffee amplifies the chocolate without tasting like your morning latte.
Why You'll Love These Frosted Coffee Brownies
These indulgent Frosted Coffee Brownies deliver bakery-quality results without fancy equipment or complicated techniques. Ready in about an hour including cooling time, they transform simple pantry ingredients into something that looks and tastes professionally made. The beauty lies in their versatility - serve them at elegant dinner parties or casual game nights, pack them for bake sales or enjoy them with afternoon coffee, and they're always a hit. The fudgy texture satisfies chocolate cravings while the coffee frosting adds sophistication that elevates them beyond ordinary brownies. Perfect for coffee lovers and chocolate enthusiasts alike, these create that "wow, you made these yourself?" reaction every single time.
What makes these Frosted Coffee Brownies truly special is how they improve the longer they sit - if you can resist eating them all immediately. The frosting firms up slightly in the fridge while the brownie base becomes even more fudgy and dense, creating textural contrast that's absolutely addictive. Oliver loves that they're not overly sweet despite the frosting, while I appreciate how the coffee cuts through richness and prevents that overwhelming chocolate overload feeling. They're also incredibly forgiving - slightly underbaked means extra fudgy centers (not a problem!), and the thick frosting hides any imperfect cuts or cracked tops. Best of all, they freeze beautifully for make-ahead convenience.
Jump to:
- Why You'll Love These Frosted Coffee Brownies
- Ingredients For Frosted Coffee Brownies
- How To Make Frosted Coffee Brownies
- Frosted Coffee Brownies Variations
- Smart Swaps for Your Frosted Coffee Brownies
- Equipment For Frosted Coffee Brownies
- Storage Tips
- Top Tip
- FAQ
- Time to Bake Coffee-Chocolate Perfection!
- Related
- Pairing
- Frosted Coffee Brownies
Ingredients For Frosted Coffee Brownies
For the Brownie Base:
- Unsalted butter
- Semi-sweet chocolate chips or chopped chocolate
- Granulated sugar
- Brown sugar
- Eggs
- Vanilla extract
- Instant espresso powder
- Brewed coffee
- All-purpose flour
- Dutch-process cocoa powder
- Salt
- Baking powder
For the Coffee Frosting:
- Unsalted butter (room temperature)
- Powdered sugar
- Heavy cream
- Instant espresso powder
- Vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
- Optional: cocoa powder for mocha frosting
Optional Add-ins:
- Chopped walnuts or pecans
- Chocolate chips
- Espresso beans for garnish
- Chocolate shavings
See recipe card for quantities.
How To Make Frosted Coffee Brownies
Melt Chocolate and Butter Base:
- Melt butter and chocolate together in microwave or double boiler until smooth
- Stir in both granulated and brown sugar while mixture is still warm
- Let cool for 5 minutes to avoid cooking eggs in next step
- Mixture should be glossy and thoroughly combined with no sugar grains visible
Add Eggs and Coffee Components:
- Whisk in eggs one at a time until fully incorporated and glossy
- Dissolve instant espresso powder in cooled brewed coffee
- Add coffee mixture and vanilla extract to chocolate base
- Stir until completely smooth with rich brown color throughout
Fold in Dry Ingredients:
- Whisk together flour, cocoa powder, salt, and baking powder separately
- Add dry ingredients to wet mixture all at once
- Fold gently with spatula just until no flour streaks remain
- Don't overmix or brownies will be cakey instead of fudgy
Bake to Fudgy Perfection:
- Pour batter into greased and lined 9x13 inch pan
- Spread evenly and tap pan on counter to release air bubbles
- Bake at 350°F for 25-30 minutes until toothpick has moist crumbs
- Let cool completely in pan before frosting - this is crucial
Make Coffee Buttercream Frosting:
- Beat room temperature butter until fluffy and pale (3-4 minutes)
- Dissolve espresso powder in tablespoon of hot water and cool slightly
- Gradually add powdered sugar alternating with cream and dissolved espresso
- Beat on high for 3-4 minutes until light, fluffy, and holds stiff peaks
Frost and Finish:
- Spread frosting evenly over completely cooled brownies with offset spatula
- Create swirls or keep smooth - both look beautiful
- Refrigerate 30 minutes to set frosting before cutting
- Cut into squares and garnish with chocolate shavings or espresso beans if desired
Frosted Coffee Brownies Variations
Double Chocolate Mocha:
- Add chocolate chips to brownie batter for pockets of melted chocolate
- Use half cocoa powder and half melted chocolate in frosting for mocha buttercream
- Top with chocolate ganache drizzle and chocolate-covered espresso beans
- Perfect for extreme chocolate lovers who want maximum richness
Salted Caramel Cappuccino:
- Swirl salted caramel sauce into brownie batter before baking
- Add pinch of sea salt to coffee frosting for sweet-salty contrast
- Drizzle finished brownies with more caramel and sprinkle with flaky salt
- Creates sophisticated flavor combination that tastes like fancy coffee shop treat
Coffee Walnut Crunch:
- Fold chopped toasted walnuts into brownie batter for nutty crunch
- Add finely chopped walnuts to frosting for texture throughout
- Top with candied walnut pieces for elegant finish
- Brings coffee walnut brownies flavor with satisfying texture contrast
White Chocolate Mocha:
- Add white chocolate chips to brownie batter for sweet pockets
- Make frosting with melted white chocolate and espresso
- Garnish with white chocolate shavings and cocoa powder dusting
- Creates beautiful visual contrast and luxurious sweet-coffee flavor
Smart Swaps for Your Frosted Coffee Brownies
Coffee Options:
- Instant espresso → Instant coffee granules (less intense)
- Brewed coffee → Strong brewed tea
- Caffeinated → Decaf versions
- Coffee → Hot water (loses coffee flavor)
Chocolate Choices:
- Semi-sweet chips → Dark chocolate (more intense)
- Chocolate chips → Chopped chocolate bar
- Standard → Mix of milk and dark chocolate
- Regular → White chocolate (different flavor)
Sugar Swaps:
- Granulated sugar → Coconut sugar
- Brown sugar → All white sugar
- Regular → Sugar substitute (texture changes)
- Standard → Honey (reduce liquid)
Butter Alternatives:
- Butter → Coconut oil (slight coconut taste)
- Dairy butter → Plant-based butter
- Regular → Vegetable oil (different texture)
Frosting Modifications:
- Buttercream → Cream cheese frosting
- Heavy cream → Half-and-half
- Standard → Ganache topping
- Regular → Whipped coffee cream
Equipment For Frosted Coffee Brownies
- 9x13 inch metal baking pan
- Parchment paper for easy removal
- Electric mixer for frosting
- Offset spatula for smooth frosting
- Sharp knife for clean cuts
Storage Tips
Best Fresh:
- Serve at room temperature within 2 days for peak texture
- Fresh brownies have the fudgiest center and firmest frosting
- Flavors are most intense right after frosting sets
- Coffee notes are brightest when recently made
Counter Storage:
- Store in airtight container at room temperature up to 2 days
- Keep in cool place away from direct sunlight or heat
- Frosting stays spreadable and brownies maintain fudgy texture
- Don't stack - place parchment between layers
Refrigerator Storage:
- Cover tightly and refrigerate up to 5 days for longer storage
- Cold storage makes brownies extra dense and fudgy
- Bring to room temperature 30 minutes before serving for best flavor
- Frosting firms up but softens as brownies warm
Freezer Friendly:
- Wrap individual brownies in plastic then foil for freezer storage
- Freeze unfrosted brownies up to 3 months, frost after thawing
- Or freeze frosted for up to 2 months - frosting may crack slightly
- Thaw overnight in refrigerator then bring to room temperature
Top Tip
- Our biggest breakthrough with these frosted coffee brownies came from what oliver calls "the wobbly test." I used to bake brownies until the toothpick came out completely clean, wondering why they always turned out cake-like instead of fudgy. Then I watched a professional pastry chef explain that you should pull brownies when the toothpick has moist crumbs and the center still jiggles slightly when you shake the pan.
- The first time I tried this, I was terrified I'd serve undercooked Frosted Coffee Brownies. But after they cooled, they had transformed into that perfect dense, fudgy texture that makes people close their eyes when they take a bite. The residual heat continues cooking them as they cool in the pan, so what looks underdone becomes perfectly done.
- Our other discovery was about the coffee frosting temperature. Room temperature frosting spreads beautifully but doesn't set firm, while cold frosting is too stiff to spread smoothly. We found that making the frosting, then chilling it for exactly 15 minutes before spreading creates this perfect consistency - spreadable but firm enough to hold swirls and not melt into the Frosted Coffee Brownies.
FAQ
What does putting coffee in brownies do?
Coffee enhances and intensifies chocolate flavor without making brownies taste like coffee. The compounds in coffee amplify cocoa's natural richness, creating deeper, more complex chocolate taste. This is why many professional bakers add coffee or espresso to chocolate recipes - it's a flavor multiplier.
What is the secret to a good brownie?
The secret is not overbaking - remove brownies when the center still jiggles slightly and a toothpick has moist crumbs (not wet batter, but not clean). They continue cooking as they cool. Also, using both melted chocolate and cocoa powder creates superior flavor and texture over just one or the other.
What not to do when baking brownies?
Don't overbake (makes them cakey and dry), don't overmix the batter (develops gluten and creates tough texture), don't skip lining the pan (impossible to remove cleanly), and don't frost warm brownies (melts frosting into a mess). Also avoid using old baking powder or expired espresso powder.
What makes brownies fudgy vs cakey?
Higher fat-to-flour ratio creates fudgy brownies, while more flour and leavening creates cakey texture. Fudgy Frosted Coffee Brownies use more butter/chocolate and fewer eggs, are slightly underbaked, and often skip baking powder. Cakey brownies have more flour, additional eggs, baking powder, and are baked longer.
Time to Bake Coffee-Chocolate Perfection!
Now you have all the secrets to making perfect Frosted Coffee Brownies - from the wobbly underbake test to the 15-minute frosting chill trick. These mocha brownie recipe creations prove that the most impressive desserts often come from understanding simple techniques rather than complicated recipes.
Craving more chocolate treats? Try our Easy Sheet Pan Chicken Pitas Recipe for another mocha masterpiece, bake our Healthy Amish Hamburger Steak Bake Recipe for nutty richness, master our Easy Strawberry Shortcake Sushi Roll for ultimate indulgence, or make our Easy Chocolate Coffee Cream Cupcakes Recipe for classic elegance!
Share your Frosted Coffee Brownies success! We love seeing your fudgy creations!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Rate this Frosted Coffee Brownies and join our baking community!
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with Frosted Coffee Brownies
Frosted Coffee Brownies
Equipment
- 1 9x13 inch metal baking pan (Line with parchment for easy removal)
- 1 Parchment paper (Prevents sticking and aids in lifting)
- 1 Electric mixer (For beating frosting until fluffy)
- 1 Mixing bowls (For beating frosting until fluffy)
- 1 Offset spatula (For smooth, even frosting)
- 1 Sharp knife (For clean brownie squares)
Ingredients
For the Brownie Base
- 1 cup Unsalted butter - Melted
- 1 cup Semi-sweet chocolate chips - Or chopped chocolate
- ¾ cup Granulated sugar
- ¾ cup Brown sugar - Light or dark
- 3 large Eggs - Room temperature
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon Instant espresso powder - Dissolved in coffee
- ¼ cup Brewed coffee - Cooled
- 1 cup All-purpose flour
- ½ cup Dutch-process cocoa powder - For rich flavor
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- ½ teaspoon Baking powder - Optional for slight lift
For the Coffee Frosting
- 1 cup Unsalted butter - Room temperature
- 2½ cups Powdered sugar - Sifted
- 2 tablespoon Heavy cream - Adjust for consistency
- 1 teaspoon Instant espresso powder - Dissolved in 1 tablespoon hot water
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
- 1 pinch Salt - Balances sweetness
Instructions
- Melt butter and chocolate until smooth, stir in sugars, then whisk in eggs, espresso, coffee, and vanilla. Fold in dry ingredients just until combined for a glossy, fudgy batter.
- Spread batter into a prepared 9x13-inch pan and bake at 350°F (175°C) for 25-30 minutes, until the center jiggles slightly and a toothpick shows moist crumbs.
- Let brownies cool fully in the pan before frosting to ensure clean layers and prevent melting.
- Beat butter until fluffy, then gradually add powdered sugar, cream, and espresso until frosting is light and spreadable.
- Spread frosting evenly over cooled brownies, chill to set, cut into squares, and serve at room temperature with optional garnish.
Liam_P says
Very informative. I appreciate the effort.