These Guinness Chocolate Brownies are dark, fudgy, and impossibly rich, with a deep chocolate flavor that’s deepened by a silky Guinness reduction. The stout adds moisture and a subtle malty note that makes every bite feel a little more sophisticated than your average brownie. I first tried brownies with beer when a friend brought some to a party, and I couldn’t stop thinking about them for weeks.
They’re surprisingly simple to make at home, and if you love decadent chocolate desserts, you might also enjoy my Easy Cream-Filled Chocolate Cupcakes Recipe or these Delicious Red Velvet Brownies Recipe. For something a bit lighter, my Healthy Funfetti Cookie Sandwiches Recipe hits the spot too.
The optional salted caramel drizzle takes these from delicious to absolutely unforgettable.
Why You’ll Love This Guinness Chocolate Brownies
These brownies check all the boxes for a show-stopping dessert. They’re deeply chocolatey, with that subtle beer flavor adding complexity without tasting boozy. The texture is perfectly fudgy in the center with slightly crispy edges.
The Guinness Chocolate Brownies is more approachable than it looks. Yes, there’s a Guinness reduction step, but it’s mostly hands-off simmering time. Everything else comes together quickly with basic mixing and folding.
They keep well, taste even better the next day, and the optional caramel drizzle makes them feel extra special without much added effort.
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Guinness Chocolate Brownies Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need to make these rich, fudgy stout-infused brownies.
See Recipe Card Below This Post For Ingredient Quantities
For the Salted Caramel Drizzle (Optional):
Caster or granulated sugar : Forms the base of the caramel, giving it that deep amber sweetness.
Butter : Adds richness and helps create a smooth, silky caramel.
Double cream : Makes the caramel creamy and pourable, with a luxurious texture.
Sea salt flakes : Balances the sweetness and adds that perfect salty contrast.
For the Brownies:
Guinness : Provides moisture and a subtle malty depth that enhances the chocolate flavor. The reduction concentrates these flavors beautifully.
Butter : Creates the rich, fudgy texture. Make sure it’s cubed so it melts evenly with the chocolate.
Dark or milk chocolate : Forms the deep chocolate base. Dark chocolate gives a more intense flavor, while milk chocolate makes them slightly sweeter.
Caster or granulated sugar : Sweetens the brownies and helps create that shiny, crackly top.
Large eggs: Bind everything together and add structure. Room temperature eggs mix more smoothly into the batter.
Salt : Enhances all the flavors and balances the sweetness.
Plain flour : Provides just enough structure to hold the brownies together while keeping them fudgy.
Cocoa powder : Intensifies the chocolate flavor and adds that deep, dark color.
How To Make Guinness Chocolate Brownies
These Guinness Chocolate Brownies come together in simple steps, with most of the time spent reducing the Guinness.
Preheat the oven: Set your oven to 175°C (160°C fan). Lightly grease your 20 cm square or round baking tin and line it with parchment paper, leaving plenty of overhang so you can lift the brownies out easily later.
Reduce the Guinness: Pour the entire can of Guinness into a small saucepan and bring it to a simmer over medium heat. Let it bubble away for 15-20 minutes until it reduces to 150 ml if you’re making the caramel, or 100 ml if you’re skipping it. The liquid will thicken slightly and smell more concentrated. Set it aside to cool while you work on the next steps.
Make the salted caramel (if using): Combine the sugar and 2 tablespoons of water in a saucepan over gentle heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves completely. Increase the heat and let it cook without stirring until it turns a beautiful amber color. Remove from heat immediately and carefully stir in the butter until it melts. Add the double cream, 50 ml of the Guinness reduction, and sea salt flakes. Return to low heat and simmer for 3-5 minutes until it thickens to a nice drizzling consistency. Set aside to cool.
Melt the chocolate and butter: Set up a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of gently simmering water. Add the butter and chocolate, stirring occasionally until everything melts together smoothly. Remove from heat and let it cool slightly.
Beat the eggs and sugar: In your mixer bowl, beat the sugar and eggs together for a full 5 minutes. You’re looking for a pale, thick, and fluffy mixture that’s almost doubled in volume. This step adds air and helps create that crackly top.
Combine everything: Fold the melted chocolate mixture into the egg mixture, then add the remaining 100 ml of cooled Guinness reduction and the salt. Sift in the flour and cocoa powder, then gently fold until just combined. Don’t overmix or the brownies might turn out cakey instead of fudgy.
Assemble and bake: If you’re not using caramel, pour all the batter into your prepared tin and bake for 28-30 minutes. If you’re adding caramel, pour half the batter in first, drizzle half the cooled caramel over it, then top with the remaining batter. Bake for the same 28-30 minutes, until the edges look set and the center still appears slightly soft when you insert a toothpick. A few moist crumbs are exactly what you want.
Cool completely: Let the brownies cool in the tin. For the best texture, refrigerate them overnight if you have time. Before slicing, drizzle with any remaining caramel and sprinkle with extra sea salt flakes.
Substitutions and Variations
You can adapt this Guinness Chocolate Brownies based on what you have on hand.
Guinness: Any dark stout works well here. You could also try a chocolate stout for even more chocolate flavor, or a coffee stout for subtle espresso notes.
Chocolate: Swap dark chocolate for milk chocolate if you prefer sweeter brownies. A mix of both gives you a nice balance.
Butter: Unsalted or salted butter both work. If using salted, you might want to reduce the added salt slightly.
Flour: All-purpose flour can replace plain flour using the same measurement.
Sugar: Light brown sugar instead of caster sugar will add a hint of molasses flavor.
Skip the caramel: These are still incredible without it. Just reduce the Guinness Chocolate Brownies to 100 ml and pour all the batter into the tin.
Add mix-ins: Fold in chocolate chips, chopped nuts, or even a swirl of peanut butter for variety.
Equipment For Guinness Chocolate Brownies
Having the right tools makes this Guinness Chocolate Brownies much easier.
You’ll need a small saucepan for reducing the Guinness and making the caramel. A 20 cm (8-inch) square baking tin or round cake tin works perfectly for these brownies. Baking parchment keeps everything from sticking and makes removal simple.
A freestanding mixer or hand-held electric mixer is important for beating the eggs and sugar to the right fluffy consistency. You’ll also want a couple of mixing bowls for melting chocolate and combining ingredients.
A heatproof bowl that fits over your saucepan works well for melting the chocolate and butter gently.
Storage Your Guinness Chocolate Brownies
These Guinness Chocolate Brownies actually improve with time.
Store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days. They’ll stay fudgy and moist, with the flavors deepening slightly each day.
For longer storage, refrigerate them for up to a week. The texture becomes even more dense and fudgy when cold, which some people prefer. Let them come to room temperature for 20-30 minutes before serving if you want that soft, melt-in-your-mouth texture.
You can also freeze these brownies for up to 3 months. Wrap individual pieces in plastic wrap, then place them in a freezer bag. Thaw overnight in the fridge or at room temperature for a few hours.
If you’ve added the caramel drizzle, store the brownies in the fridge since the caramel can soften at room temperature.
Expert Tips
A few small tips make a big difference with these brownies.
Don’t overbake them. Brownies continue cooking as they cool, so taking them out when the center looks slightly underdone gives you that perfect fudgy texture.
Let the Guinness reduction cool before adding it to the batter. If it’s too hot, it can start cooking the eggs.
Room temperature eggs mix more smoothly and create better volume when beaten with the sugar.
Beat the eggs and sugar for the full 5 minutes. This step is key to getting that beautiful crackly top and the right texture.
Use good quality chocolate. Since chocolate is such a dominant flavor here, using chocolate you’d enjoy eating on its own makes a noticeable difference.
FAQ
Does Guinness Chocolate Brownies need to be refrigerated?
Not necessarily, but refrigeration helps if you’ve added the caramel drizzle since it keeps the caramel from getting too soft. Plain brownies without caramel can stay at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 4 days. We always kept ours in the fridge simply because William liked them cold and extra fudgy.
How to know when Guinness Chocolate Brownies is done?
Insert a toothpick into the center. It should come out with a few moist crumbs, not wet batter, but definitely not clean. The edges should look set and slightly pulled away from the tin, while the center might still jiggle just a tiny bit. Remember, they’ll firm up as they cool, so slightly underdone in the oven means perfectly fudgy once cooled.
Can you add Guinness to brownie mix?
Yes, you can add reduced Guinness Chocolate Brownies to a box brownie mix for extra moisture and flavor. Reduce about 200 ml of Guinness down to 50-75 ml, let it cool, then substitute it for part of the liquid called for in the box instructions. Start with replacing half the water or oil to see how you like it. The homemade version gives you better control over the texture and flavor, though.
Can children eat Guinness Chocolate Brownies?
The alcohol in Guinness Chocolate Brownies cooks off significantly during the reduction process and baking, leaving mainly the malty flavor behind. Most of the alcohol content evaporates, making these generally safe for children in small amounts. That said, some parents prefer to avoid any foods made with alcohol for their kids, so it’s really a personal choice. When William tried them, his mom was fine with it since the alcohol content is minimal after cooking.
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with Guinness Chocolate Brownies
Guinness Chocolate Brownies
Indulgent and rich, these Guinness Chocolate Brownies bring a sophisticated twist to a classic chocolate treat.
Ingredients
Method
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Preheat the oven to 175°C (160°C fan). Grease and line a 20 cm (8-inch) square baking tin with baking parchment, leaving an overhang for easy removal.
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Pour the Guinness into a small saucepan and simmer over medium heat until reduced to 150ml (for drizzle) or 100ml (if not using drizzle), about 15-20 minutes. Set aside.
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If using the salted caramel drizzle, start by making the caramel. In a small saucepan, combine the sugar and water over low heat. Stir gently until sugar dissolves, then increase heat and cook without stirring until it turns amber.
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Remove the pan from heat and stir in the butter until melted. Add the double cream and 50 ml of the reduced Guinness, then mix in the sea salt. Return to low heat and simmer for 3-5 minutes until slightly thickened. Pour into a bowl and set aside.
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In a heatproof bowl, melt the butter and chocolate over a simmering pan of water, stirring occasionally until smooth. Remove from heat and set aside.
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In a mixing bowl, beat the sugar and eggs for about 5 minutes until pale, thick, and fluffy. Slowly fold in the melted chocolate mixture and add the remaining 100 ml of Guinness reduction along with the salt.
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Sift the flour and cocoa powder into the bowl, then fold everything together until smooth.
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Pour half of the brownie batter into the prepared tin. If using caramel drizzle, drizzle half of the caramel over the batter. Pour the remaining batter over the top and, if desired, drizzle with the remaining caramel.
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Bake for 28-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs. Allow the brownies to cool completely (chill in the fridge overnight for best results), then drizzle with any leftover caramel and sprinkle with sea salt. Slice and enjoy!
Nutrition
Notes
The Guinness reduction adds depth to the flavor, while the optional salted caramel drizzle takes these brownies to the next level.
