Espresso Brownies with Sea Salt are the perfect, fudgy and indulgent brownie. This bakery-style brownie recipe uses coffee and is topped with sea salt flakes to strengthen the chocolate flavor.

Holding an Espresso Brownie with Sea Salt in my hand.

These are the best brownies I’ve ever had. They are fudgy, indulgent, rich and incredibly delicious.

If you’re a chocolate lover like myself, you will LOVE these!

One of my favorite parts is how easy they are to make. I’ve made this batter in under 8 minutes and it still came out perfect.

However, there is still a couple secret ingredients to making these brownies the best ever…keep reading to find out what they are!

Ingredient Notes

Espresso Brownies Ingredients measured out.

Why would I add coffee to my brownies?!

Did you know that coffee and chocolate go hand in hand?

They’re better together, it’s true! These two ingredients improve each other and therefore, improve the brownie batter as a whole.

The coffee intensifies the chocolate flavor, which is exactly what we want in a brownie. The more chocolate, the better.

You don’t need much when adding coffee to your baked goods! This recipe just uses 3 liquid tablespoons and you get the perfect hint of coffee with the rich chocolate in every bite.

Tips for Making These Bakery Style Brownies

  1. First, coffee – it brings out the chocolate flavor and richness
  2. Whisking your eggs – by whisking the eggs prior to adding them to the batter, this helps to create that crinkly top we all love and strive for.
  3. Mixing the batter – DO NOT overmix the batter, this helps give us that fudgy brownie texture and that shiny, crinkly top
  4. Measuring chocolate chips – measure with your heart, I love to fold chocolate chips in the batter and add more on top…
  5. Lastly, adding flaky sea salt – don’t question it, just add a little flaky sea salt on top after the brownies bake and you won’t regret it!
Sliced Espresso Brownies with sea salt flakes.

How to Make Espresso Brownies with Sea Salt

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F
  2. Line an 8×8 baking pan with parchment paper and spray with nonstick
  3. Add the butter, oil and sugar into a large mixing bowl. Mix together until fully combined
  4. Whisk the 2 eggs together in a small bowl before adding into the batter
  5. Once you add the eggs to the batter, also add the vanilla extract and coffee
  6. Mix until combined
  7. Add in the flour and cocoa powder
  8. Mix until JUST combined. (You don’t want to over mix the batter so that we get that perfect crinkly brownie top)
  9. Gently fold in the chocolate chips
  10. Pour into the lined 8×8 pan that’s lined with parchment paper and spread into an even layer
  11. Top with extra chocolate chips and put it into the oven
  12. Bake for 20-23 minutes, rotating the pan 180 degrees halfway through
  13. Remove from the oven when a toothpick comes out clean without any batter
  14. Top with flakey sea salt
  15. Let cool for at least an hour, slice and enjoy!
Mixing the wet ingredients to make Espresso Brownies.
Mix the wet ingredients
Folding in the dry ingredients to make the Espresso Brownies batter.
Fold in the dry ingredients
spreading brownie batter in an 8x8 baking tray
Transfer the batter to a 8×8 square baking dish lined with parchment paper
Espresso Brownies batter in a 8x8 pan and topped with chocolate chips.
Spread in an even layer and top with chocolate chips
Baked Fudgy Espresso Brownies with Sea Salt.
Bake until a toothpick comes out the center clean and top with sea salt flakes

Frequently Asked Questions

Can this brownie recipe be made gluten free?

Yes! I have used gluten free flour for this brownie recipe. However, you can also use regular all purpose flour at a 1:1 ratio.

Do I have to add espresso/coffee to these brownies?

You don’t HAVE to but it’s highly recommended as it brings out the chocolate flavor.

What are the best chocolate chips to use?

My favorite chocolate chips to use are Enjoy Life brand or Hu Kitchen chocolate. both are delicious and high quality, perfect for these brownies.

Can I add other mix-ins?

Of course you can! You can add your favorite nuts, chocolate, nut butter or anything your heart desires. The limit does not exist! Do keep in mind that different mix-ins will affect the baking time so just keep an eye on that!

How should I store any leftover brownies?

Store these brownies in an airtight container at room temperature for 3 days (if they last that long). Or store in the fridge for up to 5 days!

Holding a Fudgy Brownie in my hand.
Holding an Espresso Brownie with Sea Salt.
5 stars (8 ratings)

Espresso Brownies with Sea Salt

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Yield: 9 brownies
Espresso Brownies with Sea Salt are the perfect, fudgy and indulgent brownie. This bakery-style brownie recipe uses coffee and is topped with sea salt flakes to strengthen the chocolate flavor.
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Ingredients
 

  • 1/2 cup butter, hot and melted
  • 1 tbsp coconut or olive oil, melted if coconut oil
  • 1 1/8 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1/2 tbsp vanilla extract
  • 3 tbsp coffee, liquid
  • 1/2 cup gluten free flour
  • 1/2 cup cocao powder, unsweetened
  • 1/2 cup chocolate chips
  • flaky sea salt, for topping (optional)
  • 1/4 cup chocolate chips, for topping (optional)

Equipment

  • 8×8 baking pan
  • large mixing bowl
  • whisk

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F
  • Line an 8×8 baking pan with parchment paper and spray with nonstick
  • Add the butter, oil and sugar into a large mixing bowl. Mix together until fully combined
  • Whisk the 2 eggs together in a small bowl before adding into the batter
  • Once you add the eggs to the batter, also add the vanilla extract and coffee
  • Mix until combined
  • Add in the flour and cocoa powder
  • Mix until JUST combined. (You don't want to over mix the batter so that we get that perfect crinkly brownie top)
  • Gently fold in the chocolate chips
  • Pour into the lined 8×8 pan that's lined with parchment paper and spread into an even layer
  • Top with extra chocolate chips and put it into the oven
  • Bake for 20-23 minutes, rotating the pan 180 degrees halfway through
  • Remove from the oven when a toothpick comes out clean without any batter
  • Top with flakey sea salt
  • Let cool for at least an hour, slice and enjoy!

Nutrition

Serving: 1brownie, Calories: 302kcal, Carbohydrates: 40g, Protein: 2g, Fat: 16g, Saturated Fat: 10g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 3g, Trans Fat: 0.4g, Cholesterol: 68mg, Sodium: 97mg, Potassium: 65mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 34g, Vitamin A: 375IU, Calcium: 25mg, Iron: 0.5mg
Author: Jessica Selensky
Course: Baking, Dessert, Snack
Cuisine: American
Keywords: best brownies, brownie recipe, coffee brownies, easy brownies, fudge brownie recipe, fudgy brownies

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