Fudgy Espresso Brownies

Chewy and rich espresso brownies are swirled with a homemade salted caramel sauce.  They have a fudgy and gooey brownie texture and are loaded with coffee flavor. A perfect morning or afternoon pick me up for coffee lovers!

Disclosure | This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

The inspiration for this brownies recipe came from a hot summer day and two scoops of Sweet Peaks ice cream. My choice was espresso and salty caramel and the mix of the two flavors was INCREDIBLE!! I stayed awake half the night thinking of ideas for new recipes and these espresso brownies were born.

I really wanted the espresso flavor to shine here so adding it to chocolate wasn't the flavor profile I was going for. Espresso has a rich and indulgent flavor all on it's own and that's what I want you to taste. So enter white chocolate. We get a soft and chewy base that is filled with coffee flavor and not overwhelmed with chocolate.

I know ya’ll love coffee and caramel too because my homemade caramels, coffee sugar cookies and espresso brown butter toffee cookies are three of your faves!

Reader Jill commented: "Wow, these bars were incredible. Made them for a girls night and not a crumb was left behind. Thank you for the recipe!"

This post was originally published in August of 2020 and has been updated with helpful information and new photos. The recipe remains the same.

💗 why you will love these coffee brownies

• Quick and easy ~ the homemade brownies mix up in one bowl, no mixer required.
• Taste ~ these are not chocolate brownies with espresso thrown in. They are espresso brownies; full of coffee flavor with 2 tablespoons of instant espresso powder in the brownies and made without chocolate. Then we swirl in salted caramel for the ultimate coffee and caramel, sweet and salty brownie.
• Texture ~ no cakey brownies here; the espresso brownies are dense, chewy, fudgy and gooey.

☕️ can you add espresso powder to brownies?

Absolutely!  The instant espresso powder is what gives the rich and indulgent coffee taste to this espresso brownies recipe.

If you are making traditional brownies, espresso powder can help to enhance the flavor of the chocolate.

Remember to pin this recipe to Pinterest! Use the button on the recipe card or the share buttons on the side or bottom of this page.

🛒 ingredients and substitutions

Please scroll to the printable recipe card at the end of this post for the full list of ingredients and baking directions.

• White chocolate ~ use a high quality white chocolate, such as Callebaut, Ghirardelli, Lindt or Baker’s brand.  Typically you can find white chocolate bars in the baking section.  Do not use chocolate chips.
• Butter ~ unsalted butter is my choice, but if you only have salted butter, just leave out the kosher salt. 
• Sugar ~ granulated or white sugar is used to provide sweetness and structure to the espresso brownies.
• Eggs ~ two large eggs are needed, ideally at room temperature.
• Vanilla ~ I prefer a pure vanilla extract for the best taste.
• All-purpose flour ~ A kitchen scale is the best way to measure your flour. If you don't have a scale, use the spoon and level method. {Fluff the flour in the container, then spoon it into your measuring cup and level it off with the back of a spoon}.
• Instant espresso powder ~ brings the rich coffee flavor, I use this instant espresso.
• Salt ~ kosher salt is my choice for baking.  If you only have table salt, start with half the amount.
• Salted caramel {homemade or store-bought} ~ included in the recipe card is my salted caramel recipe, but if making your own caramel sauce feels too daunting, grab a jar of your favorite salted caramel and use that instead. Trader Joe's has a very delicious one!
• Coarse sea salt {optional, but highly recommended} ~ adds a nice finishing touch.

🍯 make the homemade caramel sauce

The first step is to make the homemade salted caramel sauce. I took my whiskey vanilla caramel sauce and made just a couple tweaks. If you want step-by-step photos of how to make the caramel sauce, be sure to check out that post. 

Make the sauce first, because it needs to cool to close to room temperature before adding it to the espresso brownies. 

You can make the caramel sauce up to a couple weeks ahead, just store it in the refrigerator. It does need to be at a pourable consistency before using, so allow it to come to room temperature.

🍫 how to make easy espresso brownies

Start by preparing an 8x8 baking pan by lining it with parchment paper and preheat the oven. 

Then whisk the dry ingredients together and set aside. 

Melt the white chocolate and butter together. Once the melted butter and chocolate are combined, add the granulated sugar and whisk until combined.  The mixture can look ugly and separated at this point.

Whisk in the eggs and vanilla, which should bring the batter together. Then add in the dry ingredients and fold in with a spatula.

Spread the espresso batter into the prepared pan. Drizzle ¼ cup of salted caramel sauce over the top of the espresso brownie batter.

Using a knife, drag the caramel through the batter both vertically and horizontally to create swirls of the coffee brownies and caramel.

Finally, bake the espresso brownies. The edges will start to darken and pull away from the pan and a toothpick inserted in the center will come out with just a few moist crumbs when they are done baking. 

👩🏻‍🍳 tips for the best espresso brownies

• Don't over bake the brownies! No one likes a dry brownie. It's better to err on the side of less done than over done. The coffee brownies will firm up and continue to cook as they cool. This is the metric I use to test when brownies are done baking ~

• If the toothpick still has thick batter on it, the brownies are not done.
• When the toothpick comes out clean, it means the brownies are over baked.
• If the toothpick comes out with some moist crumbs, they are done!

• Remember your oven is different than mine and the baking time may be slightly different. I use this oven thermometer to ensure my oven is at the temperature I think it is. 
• For less dishes to wash, use a food scale and skip the measuring cups! This is the scale that I use and love. Using a scale also helps to make sure you have the correct quantities of ingredients.
• Room temperature eggs will combine better with the brownie batter.
• A metal pan is recommended for more even baking.
• Line the pan with parchment paper or aluminum foil. This makes for easier clean up and also allows you to pull the coffee brownies out of the pan to cut them.
• If you need to speed up the cooling process, once the brownies have cooled enough that you can pick up the pan with your bare hands, place the brownies in the refrigerator to cool completely.

Brownies are always a hit in the two sugar bugs household. When I need to have a gluten free version, I make my almond flour brownies. And when I want something a little different, I'll make brownie pie or raspberry brownies.

💡 variations

Espresso chip brownies ~ add up to one cup of mini or regular size chocolate chips to the brownie batter. You could also add chocolate chunks from a chopped chocolate bar.

Coffee frosting ~ add a tablespoon of instant espresso powder to the frosting from this snack cake recipe.

Mocha ganache ~ add two tablespoons of instant espresso powder to the chocolate ganache from this funfetti brownie recipe.

💬 frequently asked questions

how much caffeine is in espresso brownies?

This answer will vary based on the instant espresso powder that you use.  I use Medaglia D’Oro Espresso instant coffee, which has 60mg caffeine per teaspoon.  With two tablespoons espresso powder in the recipe it means the whole batch has 360mg.  If you cut the coffee brownies into 16 slices, it’s 23mg caffeine per brownie.

can I use instant coffee instead of espresso powder?

You could use instant coffee, but know that it tends to be less concentrated than instant espresso powder and the flavor may not be as intense. A dark roast instant coffee would be the best substitute.

can I bake in a different size pan?

You can double the recipe and bake them in a 9x13 baking pan.

how to store

Store espresso brownies in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week. 

Leftover salted caramel sauce should be stored covered in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.

Remember to snap a picture and tag me @twosugarbugs on Instagram if you make these fudgy Espresso Brownies. It warms my heart to see you bring these recipes to life! Thank you for being here and happy baking!

more recipes with coffee or caramel sauce

• Caramelitas
• Tiramisu Cookies
• Browne Butter Cupcakes with Salted Caramel Frosting
• Mini Peanut Butter Espresso Cheesecakes
• Chocolate Caramel Slice Bars

If you make this recipe {or any recipe!} from two sugar bugs please come back and leave a review and a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ star rating.  I read every comment, and I LOVE hearing from you!