Irresistible Coffee Chocolate Brownies Recipe You’ll Crave

Sometimes chocolate isn’t a luxury—it’s a necessity. If you recognize that craving, these brownies are the perfect answer.

My favorite flavors—chocolate, coffee, and sugar cookies—come together in one easy recipe. They’re great for a morning treat paired with coffee or as a dessert any time of day.

While I bake a lot from scratch, boxed brownie mix is a convenient and reliable shortcut for this recipe. Advantages:

• Time-saver—mix and bake quickly.
• Easy to pick a fudgy or cake-like texture by following package instructions.
• Consistent, dependable results every time.

Tips for success

• Reserve about 1/3 cup of your brewed coffee to cool for the recipe, then enjoy the rest in your mug.
• If you prefer instant coffee, keep a small jar or packets on hand; they dissolve easily and are convenient.
• Keeping a box of brownie mix and a roll of refrigerated sugar cookie dough in the pantry makes for a fast, crowd-pleasing treat.

Coffee is a natural flavor booster for chocolate. Adding just a small amount of strong brewed coffee—about 1/4 to 1/3 cup—will intensify the cocoa flavor without making the batter taste like coffee. Use brewed and cooled coffee or dissolved instant coffee for best results.

• A roll of refrigerated sugar cookie dough (such as Pillsbury)
• 1 box milk chocolate brownie mix (about 19.5 oz)
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1/3 cup strong brewed coffee, cooled
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chunks or chopped chocolate

1. Press the sugar cookie dough into the bottom of an ungreased 13x9x2-inch pan and set aside.

2. In a large bowl, mix the dry brownie mix with the eggs, oil, and cooled coffee until just combined.

3. Pour the brownie batter over the cookie dough and spread it evenly to the edges.

4. Sprinkle the top with semisweet chocolate chunks.

5. Bake about 40 minutes, or until the edges are set and a toothpick inserted near the center comes out with moist crumbs but not raw batter.

6. Cool the pan on a wire rack. Once completely cool, cut into bars and store in an airtight container for up to one week.

For baking, use brewed or dissolved coffee rather than dry coffee grounds. Grounds are coarse, bitter, and have an unpleasant texture in baked goods. Brewed coffee extracts and enhances chocolate flavors without adding grit. Used coffee grounds, however, are useful outside the kitchen as a garden amendment or as an exfoliant in homemade soaps.

If you make these Coffee Chocolate Brownies, share a photo on social media and tag your favorite bakers—these bars are great for holiday gatherings, bake sales, or an anytime sweet craving.

Coffee Chocolate Brownies

Kelly Pugliano