I have been making this brownie recipe since I was a child. This is my mother’s go to dessert for any special occasion. She tops them with rich chocolate frosting and various candy depending on the occasion. My favorite was around Valentine’s Day when she would top them with little red cinnamon candy hearts.

On a past trip to Kauai, we stopped for a coffee and brownie from Java Kai. This is one of our traditions when we ride along the Kapaa Bike Path. This brownie was so rich, chocolaty and paired like a dream with a hot cup of coffee. It had a layer of espresso buttercream between the brownie and a thin coat of chocolate ganache. In our quest to replicate these, we finally think we have mastered the recipe which we tested on some recent guests. Happy to report that they turned out great! Here is the brownie recipe for you if you want to try out.

Brownie Recipe with Espresso Frosting

Rich, chocolaty, gooey brownies that are super easy to make.

Course Dessert

Cuisine pastry

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 30

Total Time 50

Servings 24 squares

Calories 314kcal

Author Wary Travelers

Ingredients

Brownie Ingredients:

1 cup all-purpose flour
8 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 1/2 cup butter room temperature (I have used both salted and unsalted, if I use unsalted, I just add a pinch of salt)
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 large eggs
Optional: Nuts mini M&M’s, mini Reece’s Pieces, chocolate chips or peanut butter chips or anything else that you can imagine.

Espresso Buttercream Frosting Ingredients:

1 cup unsalted butter room temperature
2 ½ cups powdered sugar
1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons of expresso powder
2 tablespoons of cream or milk

Instructions

Brownies:

Preheat oven to 350°F.
Combine the flour and cocoa powder in a small bowl and combine.
Combine the butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla and mix well. You can definitely use a mixer for this step, but I tend to do it by hand.
Add the dry ingredients (from Step 2) to the wet ingredients (from Step 3) and add any option ingredient that you want. Don’t overmix. Stir just until the dry ingredients are incorporated.
Grease a 9×13 pan.
Spread the mixture evenly into the pan.
Bake for approximately 30 minutes. Beware not to overbake or the brownies will be hard

Frosting:

Get our hand or stand mixer ready. If using your stand mixer, you may want to use the whisk attachment.
Serve and enjoy!
In a small bowl, mix the espresso powder into the vanilla until dissolved.
Place the butter into your mixing bowl and whip on medium to high speed for 3 to 5 minutes. Don’t forget to stop to scrape the sides once in a while.
Reduce mixer speed. Start adding powdered sugar a little at a time, until done. Stop and scrape the sides as desired.
Mix the espresso and vanilla mixture into the sugar and powdered sugar mixture.
Increase mixer speed and let mix until everything appears “fluffy”, this might take 1 to 2 minutes.
Add a few drops of cream or milk if desired to achieve the desired consistency. Ensure that your brownies are cooled and with a spatula, spread the frosting on top of the brownies.
Cut brownies into the desired shape and size. Add a garnish, if desired. I added a coffee bean this time.

Notes

These brownies are fantastic on their own, especially if you have added some additional ingredients. In this case, I kept them plain and added some espresso buttercream frosting.

If you are craving sweets and are looking for other great recipes, below are a few of our favorites:

This post may contain affiliate links, which means that we may receive a small commission, at no cost to you, if you make a purchase through a link.

Useful? Spread the word!