Coffee lovers will go crazy for these Espresso Chocolate Chunk Brownies! They’re thick, fudgy, and loaded with rich chocolate espresso flavor. One of our favorite brownie recipes and always a crowd-pleaser!
Espresso Brownies
I’m combining two of my favorite things today: espresso and CHOCOLATE. Or maybe I should say three… because BROWNIES!!!
These Espresso Chocolate Chunk Brownies are insane! They’re chewy at the edges, gooey in the middle, LOADED with chocolate chunks, and spiked with a good dash of espresso powder. These brownies are basically love in a baking pan! Especially if coffee and chocolate are your love language.
Tips and Tricks for Recipe Success:
- Don’t skip the espresso powder! It helps enhance the flavor of the chocolate without adding an intense coffee flavor. If you’re on the market for a new jar, I highly recommend King Arthur Flour Espresso Powder, which is what I use in all of my chocolate desserts.
- I recommend using high-quality chocolate for this recipe. Since there are only a few ingredients, each one really shines through. I used Lindt 70% chocolate, but use any brand you know and trust. Just be sure not to use chocolate chips, which have inferior flavor and texture for a recipe like this.
- You can buy chocolate chunks in the baking aisle at most grocery stores, or you can buy bars of chocolate and chop them into chunks for yourself.
- Be sure you don’t over bake the brownies! They should not be liquid when you pull them out of the oven, but don’t be afraid if they have a little jiggle in the middle. The brownies will firm up as they cool. Over baked brownies will not be fudgy.
- Allow your brownies to cool COMPLETELY IN THE PAN before slicing. This takes about 2 hours. Sorry for the shouting, but this step is so important. Annoying… but important!
Nothing compares to the intoxicating smell of freshly baked brownies! Give these espresso chocolate chunk brownies a try and let me know what you think 🙂
More Brownie Recipes:
- Bourbon Pecan Brownies
- The Best Cocoa Fudge Brownies
- One-Bowl Nutella Fudge Brownies
- Oreo Brownies
- Brown Butter Walnut Brownies
And if you try these Espresso Chocolate Chunk Brownies, let me know what you think! Leave a comment below, and don’t forget to snap a pic and tag it #bakerbynature on instagram! Seeing your creations makes my day ♥

Espresso Chocolate Chunk Brownies
Ingredients
- 1 and 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 and 1/2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, roughly chopped
- 1 cup unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
- 3 teaspoons instant espresso powder
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 5 eggs, at room temperature, lightly beaten
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups chocolate chunks
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F). Line a 9×13-inch baking pan with parchment paper and lightly spray the paper, and any exposed pan, with non-stick baking spray. You can also butter the paper and pan if need be. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, combine the flour, salt, and cocoa powder; whisk well and set aside.
- Place the semi-sweet chocolate, butter and instant espresso powder in a large bowl and set it over a saucepan of simmering water, stirring occasionally, until the chocolate and butter are completely melted and smooth.
- Turn off the heat, keeping the bowl over the water and add the sugar. Whisk until completely combined, then remove the bowl from the pan. The mixture should be room temperature.
- Add the beaten eggs into the batter and whisk until just combined. Add in the vanilla. Do not overbeat the batter at this stage or your brownies will be cakey. Sprinkle the flour mixture over the chocolate mixture. Using a rubber spatula (not a whisk), fold the flour mixture into the chocolate until just a bit of the flour mixture is visible. Fold in the chocolate chunks.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake in the center of the oven for 30 to 35 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through the baking time, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the brownies comes out with a few moist crumbs sticking to it.
- Let the brownies cool completely in the baking pan, then lift them out of the pan using the parchment paper. Cut into squares and serve.
Notes
your brownies are soooo perfect looking! xO!
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So, uh, since these are Espresso brownies it’s totally acceptable to eat them for breakfast, right? Because I really can’t think of a better way to start the day. Or keep it going… or end it, to be honest. What I’m trying to say here is that these things look STINKING amazing! Saving this recipe for sure!
Espresso Brownies are like crack to me – if I eat one I will most likely eat the entire pan (unless someone stops me, lol!).
BTW, I love that fork that says, mmm mmm Good – that is adorable <3
I’ve been craving brownies for days, and those chocolate chunks almost pushed me over the edge. These look amazing!
Thank you, Meredith! Chocolate chunks make everything a little better, right?!
Agreed!
i am so into brownies !!
can i use freshly ground coffee beans instead of your power.?
1 cup of butter = ? many grams
on my way to buy the “Lindt ”
Sonia
Hi Sonia! I do not recommend subbing ground coffee beans, as they do not dissolve like espresso powder does. 1 cup of butter is 16 ounces, and I believe 225 grams.
Another yummy bake. Love the fork.
Irresistible brownies 🙂
I made these for Galentine’s Day! So delicious…but I realized I forgot to add the vanilla extract! Unless I missed something, I think the vanilla extract was omitted from the instructions?
I realized same thing!! Fortunately I caught it right before I poured them into pan. Mine did come out a little saltier than I would have liked >.<
Hi Amanda. You can definitely cut the salt in half next time 😉 Otherwise, how did they turn out? I hope you enjoyed them!
Question: When you say to rotate the pan, do you mean 90 degrees or 180? LOVE everything you make, I follow you on instagram and just sigh everytime!
The brownies turned out perfect! 🙂 thanks!
Yay!
Substitute for eggs
Unfortunately, I don’t have one for this recipe.
hi. wanna ask. when we add the granulated sugar into the batter, did the sugar disolved in the batter?
I have a small oven. Is it okay to halve (or use 3/4 of everything?) the recipe for a smaller (8″ square) pan instead of the 9×13? Thanks!
If you like coffee flavor, is it OK to add extra espresso? Or will they come out *too* intense?
Sure! But I would suggest only adding 1/2 teaspoon more, then work your way up if you want an even bolder taste next time.
Hi from Manila, Philippines! How do you ahieved that gorgeous shiny too? ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
Hi Amparo! Step 4, when you add the sugar to the still warm chocolate and butter, is the step which will create a nice and shiny top!
Hi from Manila, Philippines! How do you achieve that gorgeous shiny too? ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
Hi! If I am to use a smaller pan, say, an 8×12”, how much of the baking time should be decreased?
Hi! If I am to use a smaller pan, say, an 8×12”, how much of the baking time should be decreased? And in terms of the measurements of the ingredients, will there be changes for an 8×12″ pan? Thank you.
Hi! I haven’t tried altering this recipe, so I cannot say for sure.
Hi though you mention before the mixture of butter should be warm enough to combine with dry else the brownie won’t have the shiny crust? But the above instruction you mention to return to room temperature for the butter mixture.. I am confuse with this. If I want to bake in 8 x 8 pan I should 1/2 the recipe?
Hi Enya. I’m a bit confused by your question. Are you referencing my cocoa fudge brownies instructions vs these instructions?
Yes. So for this recipe should the bitter mixture come to room temperature before mixing with the dry? Can I bake in 8 x 8 pan with the same amount of ingredients above or do I have to cut by 1/2? Thank you
I am very anxious to make these brownies, however, I need to clarify: is the 12oz semi sweet chocolate when you used the 79% Lindt?
Also, for the chocolate chunks, could I use Guittard chocolate disks? Sorry for this question, I just need to clarify so that I don’t make an error in baking these. Thank you
Sorry, typo in first comment, I meant 70% Lindt
How do you get the shiny top?
Do you think brown sugar would make these gooeier and richer?
Can’t wait to make these! For cocoa powder, do you use dutch processed or natural?
These were delicious!!
In the step where you add the eggs, it says to add to the batter. Is the batter the dry ingredients (flour) or chocolate mixture??
I absolutely love these brownies, but I found them a bit too sweet. How much sugar do you think I should cut back on?
Hi Faith. I think 1/4 cup would be ok, any less will change the texture and structure of the brownie.
I made these brownies last weekend. They were absolutely delicious! I posted a picture of them and a friend of mine said she needed them in her life, lol. So I’ll be making another batch today to send to her.
Thank you for this amazing recipe.
These look divine! Planning to make them soon, already chopped up a giant bar of dark chocolate for the chunks. I’m curious about one thing, though — the recipe calls for 12oz semi-sweet chocolate and you recommend the Lindt (which I’ve bought and am excited to use!), but the Lindt you recommended is dark chocolate (not semi-sweet). Does that matter at all? Thanks again for the amazing recipe!
Just found your chocolate espresso brownies. A little confused when you say 2 cups of chocolate chunks . What kind of chocolate and when do you put it in because you say to cut up the chocolate .
i would like to bake this recipe but i’m confused about the “cups” measurements. Can i get the recipe in gramm? It’s not common to use cups in Germany.
Thankyou.
Best Regards
Ivie
My brownies turned out fine but it just didn’t have that shiny thin flaky crust on the top. I remembered to gently fold in the flour in the last step. What factor affects yhat top shiny texture? Taste-wise, its good tasting but just the look of it is not what I had expected. My final product Looked more like pound cake rather than a fudgy soft brownie cake. What could have improved for that shiny flaky crust?
For eggless what to do
I need to clarify: is the 12oz semi sweet chocolate when you used the 70% Lindt?
Also, for the chocolate chunks, could I use Guittard chocolate disks? Sorry for this question, I just need to clarify so that I don’t make an error in baking these. I asked this last November and guess you missed it, thanks
Hi Jk. I used Lindt, but any semi-sweet chocolate bars should work fine. The Guittard disks will work but due to their size will make the brownies extra gooey.
I have made these brownies twice now and they are the ultimate crowd pleaser! Husband called me a brownie master after the second time I made them. He took them home for a visit and now I’m getting texts from the in laws with how good they are. Thank you for such a delicious recipe!
Hello! Do you think it would work to put 1/2 cup of chocolate covered espresso beans inside the mix or would that turn out weird? So so excited to make these this week either way!
Can I use an 8*8 black non -stick glass baking pan.
Hi, can you give out the metrics measurements as well? Thank you!
I agree that would be very helpful!
I’ve tried your recipe today. But my sugar caramelized when I poured it to the chocolate mixture. What did I do wrong?
Ah-mazing recipe.
I reduced the sugar to 1 1/2 cups instead of 2 cups because I wanted some of the bitterness of the chocolate and espresso to come through and I was very happy.
These brownies are fudgy and decadent. Absolutely crave-able! I will be saving this recipe.
What is the difference between the semi sweet chocolate and chocolate chunks?
OMG! I’m not a brownie lover but my granddaughter is. We made these last week. I am NOW a brownie lover. This is the best recipe for brownies we’ve tried.
This comment made my day! So happy to hear it, Kay!
Hi. I am a newbie at baking and definitely wanna try this recipe. Can u pls elaborate as to what is the exact measurement for flour and butter? In your other recipies too sometimes you hv mentioned the measurement in cups not grams or pounds and that confuses me… Thank you so much in advance for your response!
Can these be frozen?
They’re definitely best fresh, within 48 hours of baking. But they technically can be frozen! I’d thaw at room temperature.