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February 25, 2019

Fudgy Stout Brownies

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Meet the perfect brownie. With a decadent yet complex explosion of chocolate, perfectly gooey center and that beloved crinkly, crackly top, these fudgy stout brownies will be your new go-to recipe. Promise.

A stack of fudgy stout brownies on a white plate with parchment paper.

When I make brownies, I’m all about the fudgy variety. Cakey brownies? Get out of here.

Look, I love cake, but if I want cake, I’ll eat cake. I firmly believe brownies should be thick with a fudgy center that is just barely set. Every bite is dense, moist and rich with a serious jolt of chocolate. Essentially, a good fudgy brownie is perfection, and after much recipe testing and tinkering, that’s exactly what these brownies are.

*Insert chef’s kiss*

Trust me. I’ve made these fudgy stout brownies for years, and they’re always gobbled up and met with rave reviews.

Besides being wonderfully fudgy, I love how the stout adds a complexity and depth to these brownies. Stouts are brewed with roasted barley, which comes across as a coffee-like flavor, so you can imagine how well it melds with the chocolate.

You could also use a porter in place of the stout. Sure, that would mean you would have porter brownies rather than stout brownies, but I actually go between the two with great results. While porters don’t use roasted barley, they still typically have a level of roasty notes along with a touch of nuttiness and even chocolate.

The stack of fudgy stout brownies with a stout beer.

How to Make Fudgy Stout Brownies

Considering how ridiculously delicious these fudgy stout brownies are, let’s not waste time and start baking.

We begin by melting plenty of butter and chocolate with espresso powder. While we could do this in a double boiler over the stove, which I used to do, it’s unnecessary. I now melt the two in the microwave. Double boilers are great for making sure the chocolate doesn’t burn, especially if you need to melt chocolate on its own, but with all the butter coating the chocolate and short bursts in the microwave, it isn’t an issue.

Once we fully melt our chocolate and butter, we whisk in a combination of white and dark brown sugars, stir in the beer and let the mixture cool. I’ve tried these brownies using beer poured straight out of a can or bottle as well as reducing the beer over the stove. Honestly, I couldn’t differentiate between the two, so I don’t think it’s worth messing with a reduction. Straight beer is perfectly fine.

When measuring the beer, make sure the foam has mostly dissipated before pouring it into the mixture. A thin layer like you see below is fine, but we don’t want a thick head because the measurement will be off.

A measuring cup of beer ready to use for the brownie batter.

While the chocolate mixture cools, we mix together our dry ingredients, which includes flour, cocoa powder and salt. You might notice we don’t use leavening with the dry ingredients. That’s intentional. Leavening results in cakey brownies, and you already know how I feel about that.

Now that the chocolate mixture has cooled, we whisk in three eggs and vanilla extract just until incorporated and then whisk in two more eggs.

From here, we gently stir in the dry ingredients just until it’s mostly combined. If you have a few flour flakes on top like the below photo, that’s OK. Overmixing can also lead to cakey brownies.

A bowl of fudgy stout brownie batter with just a few flour flakes on top.

Once we mix our batter, we’re ready to pour it into a parchment paper-lined pan and bake for 30 minutes.

Fudgy stout brownie batter poured into a parchment paper-lined pan.

How to Tell if Fudgy Stout Brownies Are Done

Now we’re ready to test our fudgy stout brownies for doneness. Like most baked goods, we use the trusty toothpick method, but in this case, we don’t want our toothpick to come out clean. Instead, we’re looking for moist, almost-wet crumbs. No dry crumbs here.

If the toothpick comes out still gooey, the brownies need a little more time, but we don’t want to overbake our brownies because we risk losing that fudgy goodness. Just pop the brownies back into the oven for another two minutes and test again. Even if the toothpick comes out gooey, it won’t take long to get it to the proper stage. Keep any and all additional baking intervals to no longer than two minutes.

Once our brownies are ready, we let the brownies cool to allow the fudgy center to set. Cut into bars and get ready for pure chocolaty bliss.

An aerial view of a stack of fudgy stout brownies.

Perfect Pairing for Fudgy Stout Brownies

I don’t have to say it, right? Pairing these brownies with the stout used in the batter is an obvious option. That said, if you want to get fancy, you could always pop open a nice barrel-aged imperial stout. The vanilla and coconut notes from the barrel are a welcome addition to these fudgy stout brownies, and imperial stouts boast a residual sweetness from the higher alcohol content, making it delicious with desserts.

And, of course, if you want a wine option, you’ll love a ruby port with these fudgy stout brownies. Ruby ports are sweet enough to handle the richness, and they feature lots of berry notes that go well with the chocolate.

The next time you find yourself craving the perfect brownie, I hope you try these fudgy stout brownies. I have no doubt you’ll instantly fall in love. Please let me know how you enjoyed this fudgy stout brownie recipe in the comment section and don’t forget to sign up for my newsletter. You can also catch me on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook and Twitter.

Cheers!

A close-up front view of a stack of fudgy stout brownies.A stack of fudgy stout brownies with a stout and bottle opener.

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A stack of fudgy stout brownies on a white plate with parchment paper.

Fudgy Stout Brownies


★★★★★

5 from 14 reviews

  • Author: Amanda McGrory-Dixon
  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Cook Time: 30 minutes
  • Total Time: 50 minutes
  • Yield: About 24 brownies 1x
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Description

With a decadent yet complex explosion of chocolate, perfectly gooey center and that beloved crinkly, crackly top, these fudgy stout brownies will be your new go-to recipe.


Scale

Ingredients

12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, chopped
1 cup butter
1 tablespoon espresso powder
1 1/4 cups white sugar
3/4 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup stout (see note)
1 1/4 cups flour
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon salt
5 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract or paste


Instructions

  1. Heat oven to 350 degrees, spray a 9-inch-by-13-inch pan with cooking spray and line it with parchment paper. The cooking spray helps the parchment stay in place.
  2. In a microwave-safe bowl, combine the semi-sweet chocolate, butter and espresso powder. Microwave in a 15-second interval and stir. Repeat until the chocolate and butter are fully melted and the mixture is smooth.
  3. Whisk in the white and dark brown sugars until combined. Stir in beer and allow the mixture to cool for a few minutes.
  4. While the chocolate mixture cools, stir together flour, cocoa powder and salt in a separate bowl.
  5. Add three eggs and vanilla extract to the chocolate mixture. Whisk just until combined and no more. Add the remaining eggs and whisk until combined. Do not overmix to avoid cakey brownies.
  6. Stir in the flour mixture with a wooden spoon. Again, do not overmix and stir just until combined. If a little bit of flour shows on top, that’s OK.
  7. Pour the brownie mixture into the parchment paper-lined pan. Bake for 30-35 minutes. Insert a toothpick in the middle of the brownies. If it comes out still gooey, put the brownies back in for two minutes and retest. The brownies are done when moist, almost-wet crumbs come out with the toothpick. We’re not looking for a dry toothpick here. Do not put back in the oven for more than two minutes at a time if you have to retest more than once.
  8. Allow to cool so the fudgy center can set. Cut into squares. Enjoy!

Notes

  • You can substitute a porter for stout. When measuring, make sure the foamy head has dissipated. Otherwise, your measurement won’t be accurate.
  • Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
  • Category: Desserts
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: American

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 brownie
  • Calories: 240
  • Sugar: 23
  • Sodium: 115
  • Fat: 12
  • Saturated Fat: 0
  • Unsaturated Fat: 0
  • Trans Fat: 0
  • Carbohydrates: 30
  • Fiber: 0
  • Protein: 3
  • Cholesterol: 59

Keywords: fudgy brownies, fudgy stout brownies

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Kelly Anthony says

    February 26, 2019 at 10:14 pm

    I don’t think I’ve ever had brownies with stout in them before and I can’t wait to make these. I’m with you on the gooey. It’s a must!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  2. Gloria says

    February 26, 2019 at 10:16 pm

    You know, I do not like drinking beer… BUT… I do like cooking with beer. These sound delicious. The perfect treat for St. Paddy’s Day!!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Amanda McGrory-Dixon says

      February 28, 2019 at 1:58 am

      For sure! I always make them for St. Paddy’s Day, and they’re always so fun and festive.

      Reply
  3. Lesli Schwartz says

    February 26, 2019 at 10:27 pm

    OMG these looks so fudgy and decadent! I would be afraid to have these in my house, I’d eat the entire batch! Ha ha!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Amanda McGrory-Dixon says

      February 28, 2019 at 2:33 am

      Haha, I totally get that! It’s hard to find self-control around these brownies. 😇

      Reply
  4. Stine Mari says

    February 28, 2019 at 3:52 pm

    I agree with you, a brownie needs to be fudgy. And this looks so darn fudgy it makes my mouth water. Adding stout is such a good idea!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Amanda McGrory-Dixon says

      March 01, 2019 at 2:49 am

      Thank you! Hope you try it! The stout definitely adds a nice depth.

      Reply
  5. Danielle Wolter says

    March 01, 2019 at 12:06 pm

    these brownies look so gooey and delicious – so perfect for a st. pattys day treat!!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Amanda McGrory-Dixon says

      March 03, 2019 at 5:13 pm

      For sure! And year-round as well. 😀

      Reply
  6. Fiona Maclean says

    March 01, 2019 at 10:51 pm

    Yes Yes Yes! Do these freeze well – my normal trick with brownies is to freeze them as soon as they cool – to stop me eating the lot in one go. It’s a neat solution because you can warm them and defrost them in seconds in a microwave…and of course they are straight from the oven fresh. I’d definitely need something like that if I made a batch of your fudgy stout brownies!!!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Amanda McGrory-Dixon says

      March 03, 2019 at 5:14 pm

      That is a good idea! I haven’t actually tried freezing them, but I imagine freezing them should work just fine. Let me know how it goes!

      Reply
  7. Linda says

    March 01, 2019 at 11:32 pm

    This is my kind of brownie! Ooey gooey chocolatey and melt in your mouth. Adding stout definitely makes it even better.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Amanda McGrory-Dixon says

      March 03, 2019 at 5:14 pm

      Thanks! Glad you’re a fan. 🤗

      Reply
  8. Kacie Morgan says

    March 02, 2019 at 4:45 pm

    I would never have thought to add stout to brownies but I bet it makes for a pleasant kick and rich flavour. These look so gooey and decadent!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Amanda McGrory-Dixon says

      March 03, 2019 at 5:15 pm

      Thank you! I hope you give it a try. The stout is definitely a delicious addition.

      Reply
  9. Jacqueline Debono says

    March 02, 2019 at 9:53 pm

    Love the idea of adding stout to brownies! They look amazing and totally mouth-watering!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Amanda McGrory-Dixon says

      March 03, 2019 at 5:16 pm

      Thank you! It really is a fun twist.

      Reply
  10. Krista Price says

    March 02, 2019 at 10:47 pm

    “Cakey brownies? Get of here.” LOL -I’m with you girl. A cakey brownie isn’t a brownie …it’s cake. These look SO fudgy and SO good. I love that you added stout. I’m over here drooling.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Amanda McGrory-Dixon says

      March 03, 2019 at 5:16 pm

      Right?! I hope you try these brownies! I bet you’ll love them.

      Reply
  11. Cheese Curd In Paradise says

    March 03, 2019 at 2:56 am

    I love a good dense fudgy brownie! I love that these are made with a stout giving them a little extra boost of richness! Yum!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Amanda McGrory-Dixon says

      March 03, 2019 at 5:17 pm

      💯 percent!

      Reply
  12. Byron Thomas says

    March 03, 2019 at 1:44 pm

    I’m totally digging these brownies. It wasn’t the beer that caught my attention with the recipe, it was the espresso! That just put these brownies into the next level of greatness!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Amanda McGrory-Dixon says

      March 03, 2019 at 5:18 pm

      Oh, totally! I’m a huge believer in using plenty of espresso with chocolate. It adds such a great depth along with the stout.

      Reply
  13. April says

    March 04, 2019 at 9:53 am

    Hello perfect brownie! So that is what you look like 🙂 Fantastic recipe and I can already see how crinkly that top is – really having great vibes about this recipe and can’t wait to try it.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Amanda McGrory-Dixon says

      March 05, 2019 at 3:38 pm

      Yes! Hope you love it.

      Reply
  14. Mimi says

    March 04, 2019 at 9:56 am

    I love everything chocolate. That is why I love chocolate brownies. And that is why I love your recipe – these brownies make my mouth water and my lips go: “Mmm”. I wish I had a never-ending source of these, so I better hurry to the kitchen and make myself some more! 🙂

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Amanda McGrory-Dixon says

      March 05, 2019 at 3:54 pm

      Thank you! And I think you should. 😉

      Reply
  15. Kari Heron says

    March 04, 2019 at 4:41 pm

    You had me at stout! I LOOOOVE this! Printing for later. Thanks Amanda!

    Reply
    • Maman de sara says

      March 04, 2019 at 7:46 pm

      You took a nice shot of these brownies, I almost tried to take a piece 😋!

      Reply
      • Amanda McGrory-Dixon says

        March 05, 2019 at 5:16 pm

        Thank you!

        Reply
    • Amanda McGrory-Dixon says

      March 05, 2019 at 3:56 pm

      Awesome! And you’re welcome.

      Reply
  16. Baguio Restaurants by Mae says

    March 26, 2019 at 7:31 am

    I already tried baking brownies for several times but the outcome is a disaster. Sometimes it is hard just like the rocks and it is dry. Good thing that I’ve read your blog. Will try to make one again following your recipe hehe, I’m so excited what would be the outcome. The photos looks delicious.

    Reply
    • Amanda McGrory-Dixon says

      March 26, 2019 at 5:31 pm

      Thank you so much! I wonder what happened with the other batches. As long as you don’t overtake these, you’ll have some delicious fudgy brownies. Let me know how it goes! 😀

      Reply

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I'm a Denver-based lady and believe life is best spent with comforting meals, tasty beverages and good company. When I'm not playing in the kitchen, I'm probably exploring new breweries with my husband, Matt, or obsessing over my adorable dog, Baylor. Read More…

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