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Rich, fudgy, and packed with deep chocolate flavor, Guinness Brownies are a must-try for any dessert lover! The stout beer enhances the cocoa, adding a subtle, malty depth of flavor that makes these brownies rich and irresistibly delicious.
Reasons You’ll Love This Recipe
- Fudgy Texture & Rich Flavor: These Guinness brownies are super moist and chewy with a deep, bold chocolate taste you’re sure to love.
- Easy to Make: With basic pantry ingredients and simple steps, you don’t need any fancy methods to whip up a batch of these brownies.
- A Unique Twist on a Classic: While we love our regular brownie recipe, the addition of Guinness gives these brownies a slightly unexpected but delicious depth of flavor, making them a next-level dessert.
- Perfect for Celebrations: Great for St. Patrick’s Day, game nights, or any chocolate lover. Planning a festive feast for St. Patrick’s Day? Explore our collection of delicious St. Patty’s Day recipes!
Ingredients Needed
- Not a Fan of Dark Chocolate? Dutched cocoa powder makes for a richer chocolate flavor, but you can swap it for regular cocoa powder if you prefer a milder taste. The brownies will be lighter in color but still delicious.
- Chocolate Lovers! I prefer chocolate chunks in my brownies! But you can use chocolate chips instead and even switch up which kind! Use mint chocolate chips or Andes Mint pieces to add a little Saint Patrick’s Day flair to your brownies!
How to Make Guinness Brownies
This recipe is the best way to upgrade your regular batch of brownies. They’re so rich and delicious that everyone will be coming back for more! Here’s how to make them:
Brownies
- Prep and Whisk Wet Ingredients: Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Spray a 9 x 9 x 2-inch metal baking pan with nonstick cooking spray and line it with parchment paper. Leave a 1-inch overhang on either side, then set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together the oil, butter, Guinness, and sugar until well combined.
- Mix in Eggs and Vanilla: Add in the eggs and vanilla and whisk until combined.
- Whisk Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder, unsweetened cocoa powder, and dark cocoa powder.
- Combine Wet and Dry Ingredients: Mix the flour mixture into the Guinness mixture until just combined.
- Add Chocolate Chunks: Gently stir in the chocolate chunks.
- Bake: Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. If you like your brownies more on the gooey side, bake for 30-35 minutes.
Ganache
- Chocolate Chips: Meanwhile, prepare the Guinness ganache by adding the chocolate chips to a large bowl.
- Make Ganache: Heat the heavy whipping cream and Guinness in the microwave for 1 minute and 30 seconds. Then, pour it over the chocolate chips.
- Whisk and Chill: Let it sit for 2-3 minutes before you whisk until the chips have melted, everything is combined, and it looks glossy. Cover and chill for 15-30 minutes.
- Beat: Use a hand mixer to beat the ganache until light and fluffy.
- Frosting: Frost over the top of the completely cooled Guinness brownies. Slice into bars and serve.
Beer in Brownies? Here’s What to Expect!
Guinness beer is the secret ingredient! You won’t believe how rich and flavorful it makes these brownies.
- Does it taste like beer? The Guinness adds a malty flavor that enhances the chocolate, but the beer taste itself isn’t overpowering. Some people notice it more than others, but it mostly deepens the richness of the chocolate.
- Do you have to use Guinness? No! While Guinness stout beer is my top recommendation, you can use another dark stout if needed. It can be hard to find sometimes, so use what you can find.
- Can kids eat Guinness brownies? Since the ganache isn’t baked, it retains its alcohol content. If serving minors, replace the Guinness in the ganache with heavy whipping cream for a kid friendly option. If you want to skip the beer altogether, follow my ultimate brownie recipe.
Guinness Brownie Baking Tips
- Use a metal pan! Metal conducts heat more evenly than glass or ceramic, so it doesn’t overbake the edges and undercook the center. While glass or ceramic can work, you may need to adjust the baking time.
- If Doubling the Recipe: If you are planning on making a larger batch, use a 9 x 13 x 2-inch pan instead of a 9 x 9 x 2-inch pan to maintain the right texture and thickness.
Storing Leftover Guinness Brownies
If you are lucky enough to have any leftover brownies, here is the best way to store them.
- Room Temperature: Store brownies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
- In the Fridge: Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 8 days.
Freezing and Thawing Guinness Brownies
Here are my instructions for how to freeze and thaw these yummy brownies.
- Take out of Pan: I would recommend removing the brownies from the pan before freezing.
- Slice or leave whole? You can freeze them as a whole or slice them into individual servings. If slicing, place parchment between layers so they don’t freeze together.
- Store properly: Use an airtight container/bag or wrap tightly in 2-3 layers of plastic wrap and then at least one layer of aluminum foil.
- How long will they last frozen? These will last in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- Thawing Instructions: Thaw Guinness brownies at room temperature for a few hours or overnight in the fridge before serving.
Love brownies? Try these recipes next!
My family goes crazy for brownies! In fact, we have a very large collection of different types of brownie recipes. Which ones do you want to try first?
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Guinness Brownies
Rich, fudgy Guinness Brownies use stout beer to enhance the cocoa, adding a subtle malty depth that makes each bite irresistibly delicious.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 6 tablespoons melted unsalted butter
- ⅔ cup Guinness beer
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ cup cocoa powder
- ¼ cup dark cocoa powder I used Hershey’s Special Dark cocoa powder
- 4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chunks or chocolate chips
Whipped Guinness Ganache
- 8 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
- ¼ cup heavy whipping cream
- ¼ cup Guinness beer
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray a 9 x 9 x 2-inch metal baking pan with nonstick cooking spray and line it with parchment paper, leaving a 1-inch overhang on either side. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, 6 tablespoons melted unsalted butter, ⅔ cup Guinness beer, and 1 ½ cups granulated sugar until well combined. Add in 2 large eggs and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and whisk until combined.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together 1 ¼ cup all-purpose flour, ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon baking powder, ½ cup cocoa powder, and ¼ cup dark cocoa powder.
- Mix the flour mixture into the Guinness mixture until just combined. Gently stir in 4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chunks.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 35-40 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean from the center. If you like your brownies more on the gooey side, bake for 30-35 minutes.
- Meanwhile, prepare the Guinness ganache by adding 8 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips to a large bowl.
- Heat ¼ cup heavy whipping cream and ¼ cup Guinness beer in the microwave for 1 minute and 30 seconds, then pour it over the chocolate chips. Let it sit for 2-3 minutes before whisking until combined and glossy. Cover the bowl and chill for 15-30 minutes.
- Use a hand mixer to beat the ganache until light and fluffy. Frost over the top of the completely cooled brownies. Slice into bars and serve.
Nutrition
Calories: 554kcalCarbohydrates: 69gProtein: 7gFat: 30gSaturated Fat: 16gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0.4gCholesterol: 66mgSodium: 152mgPotassium: 384mgFiber: 6gSugar: 48gVitamin A: 402IUVitamin C: 0.04mgCalcium: 57mgIron: 4mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Tried this recipe?Mention @alyssa_therecipecritic or tag #therecipecritic!
