Intensely rich coffee brownies topped with a chocolate-coffee ganache and finished with a sprinkling of crunchy toffee bits. If you’re a fan of fudgy brownies you will love this recipe!

These Coffee Brownies represent my love for chocolate and my obsession with coffee. I mean, if I’m being honest, the two basically keep me alive and functioning most days. When we combine coffee + chocolate along with my favorite homemade brownies we have a rich, decadent, grown up dessert that will knock your socks off. Try our Brownie Bites and Brownie Pie, too!

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What makes these brownies the best
Recipe overview
What makes brownies fudgy
Ingredient spotlight: espresso powder
More brownie recipes
Recipe

Brownies topped with toffee bits in a foil-lined square pan.

What makes these brownies the best

Flavor: Coffee and chocolate in the brownies AND the ganache, along with sweet and buttery bits of toffee.
Texture: These brownies are moist and fudgy with a hint of chewiness. The ganache topping is smooth and creamy and the toffee bits add a bit of crunch.
Ease: The brownie batter comes together in one bowl in less than 15 minutes.
Fudgy: If you’re a fan of fudgy brownies this recipe is for you! These brownies bake up moist and chocolaty with a rich fudgy flavor and texture. We use a similar brownie base for our Cookie Dough Brownies. Try those, too!

Recipe overview

Brownies:

Start by combining the melted butter and sugar. Allow the mixture to sit for about 5 minutes.

Melted butter and sugar in a glass bowl.

Add eggs, water, and, vanilla, whisking until well combined.

Eggs, sugar, butter, vanilla in a glass bowl.

Add the dry ingredients: cocoa powder, powdered sugar, flour, chocolate chips, salt, and espresso powder.

Stir with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon until glossy and well combined.

Add the batter to a lined and greased 8×8 pan and bake.

Brownie batter in a foil-lined square pan.

Topping:

One the stovetop or in the microwave, combine chocolate chips, cream, and espresso powder. Heat until smooth. Pour over the cooled brownies and spread into an even layer. Top with toffee bits.

Chocolate chips, espresso powder, and cream in a glass bowl.

Brownies topped with chocolate ganache in a foil-lined pan.

What makes brownies fudgy

Several things make brownies fudgy instead of cakey. These brownies fall into the “fudgy” category, here’s why:

Fat to flour ratio: These brownies have a high fat to flour ratio. This creates a dense, fudgy texture.
No leavening: These brownies contain no baking soda or baking powder, which means there is little-to-no rise when they bake.
Chocolate chips: The batter contains ¾ cup of chocolate chips. While baking, the chocolate chips melt just slightly, creating a moist, fudgy texture. Don’t skip the chocolate chips – they add a lot to this recipe.
Chocolate-coffee ganache: This rich and creamy topping adds another layer of fudginess to the brownies. Once the ganache firms up it has a fudge-like consistency.

Ingredient spotlight: espresso powder

This recipe calls for espresso powder or instant espresso. Espresso powder/instant espresso is finely ground coffee crystals that have a strong and concentrated coffee flavor. This ingredient is sold in most well stocked grocery stores near the coffee or on the baking aisle. You can also purchase it here.