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Home » Brownies & Bars » Guinness Brownies with Irish Cream Frosting

Guinness Brownies with Irish Cream Frosting

Published: Feb 21, 2020 by Allison · 21 Comments

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Fudgy and chewy brownies made with Guinness stout and Irish cream frosting. These rich brownies are perfect for celebrating St Patrick’s Day!Two Guinness Brownies topped with powdered sugar.

Sugar plus butter plus chocolate plus beer. The most glorious combination that we never knew existed. With St Patrick’s Day on the horizon, I’ve had Guinness Brownies and Guinness Mac and Cheese on my brain. I figured why wait? Any day is a good day for brownies!

This recipe is proof that brownies can come in all different forms and be equally delicious. These brownies are completely different than my go-to Homemade Brownies but they are just as tasty. This recipe uses melted chocolate, melted butter, and Guinness syrup to create super chewy, moist, fudgy brownies with crackly tops.

Even if you aren’t a fan of Guinness I can guarantee you that you will  like these. The Guinness intensifies the chocolate flavor and adds a hint of malt. Don’t worry, the brownies don’t actually taste like beer.

Two Guinness Brownies topped with a swirl of buttercream frosting.

How To Make Guinness Brownies

  • Start by making the Guinness syrup. Boil ⅔ cup Guinness for about 5-10 minutes, until thickened and reduced by half.
  • Melt butter and chocolate chips until smooth and combined.
  • Whisk sugar, eggs and vanilla. Then whisk in the melted chocolate and the guiness syrup.
  • Add flour and salt, stirring the batter until well combined.
  • Pour into a 9×9 baking pan and bake 35-40 minutes.

Steps to make Guinness Brownies (batter in a large white bowl).

Recipe Tips

  • Line your pan with foil or parchment AND spray with nonstick spray. These brownies are chewy and sticky, so if you skip spraying the foil/parchment they are likely to stick.
  • Do not overbake. The brownies should be removed from the oven when a toothpick comes out without raw batter on it (a few fudgy crumbs are just fine).
  • Spray your knife with nonstick spray before cutting the brownies to prevent sticking.
  • Store leftovers in the freezer. These brownies freeze beautifully. They can even be eaten straight from the freezer (they’re super cold, chewy, and delicious)!

Stack of three Guinness Brownies topped with powdered sugar.

Irish Cream Frosting

This optional frosting really helps to incorporate the “Irish” aspect to these brownies – making them perfect for St. Patrick’s Day. To make the frosting, simply beat butter, powdered sugar, Irish cream, and a touch of vanilla. I like to pipe the frosting in a small swirl on top of each individual brownie.

If you want to skip the frosting, these brownies are equally delicious with a dusting of powdered sugar on top.

If you are brownie obsessed you’ve come to the right place! You can also try my Caramel Brownies, Peanut Butter Brownies, Nutella Brownies, Coconut Brownies or Mug Brownie.

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Two Guinness Brownies topped with powdered sugar.

Guinness Brownies

Fudgy and chewy brownies made with Guinness stout and Irish cream frosting. These rich brownies are perfect for celebrating St Patrick's Day!
4.77 from 17 votes
Print Pin SaveSaved!
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Servings: 12
Calories: 466kcal
Author: Allison - Celebrating Sweets

Ingredients

Guinness brownies:

  • ⅔ cup Guinness stout
  • 1 ½ cups semisweet chocolate chips
  • ¾ cup unsalted butter, cut into pieces
  • 1 ⅓ cups granulated sugar
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • ¾ cup all purpose flour
  • ¾ teaspoon salt
  • powdered sugar, for garnish

Irish cream frosting (optional):

  • 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 ½ cups powdered sugar, sifted if lumpy
  • 2 tablespoons Irish cream, I use Bailey's
  • ¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Instructions

Brownies:

  • Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 9x9 pan* with foil and spray the foil with nonstick spray (don't skip this step or the brownies will stick). Set aside.
  • In a small saucepan, bring Guinness to a boil. Boil for 5-10 minutes, until reduced by half (you should have ⅓ cup reduced "syrup"). Set aside to cool slightly.
  • In the microwave or a double boiler, melt chocolate chips and butter until completely smooth. Set aside to cool slightly.
  • In a large bowl, whisk sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract. Add melted chocolate and Guinness syrup and whisk to combine. Stir in flour and salt.
  • Pour into prepared pan and spread into an even layer. Bake for approximately 35-40 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out without batter on it (a few fudgy crumbs are ok). Be careful not to overbake. Place on a wire rack to cool completely. Dust with powdered sugar (I use a small fine mesh sieve) and top with frosting (if desired).

Frosting:

  • Using a hand mixer or stand mixer, beat butter and powdered sugar until combined. Add Irish cream and vanilla. Beat on medium speed for a minute or two, until smooth and creamy. Adjust the consistency by adding more powdered sugar, to thicken or more Irish cream to thin. Because the tops of the brownies are so crackly I find it easiest to apply the frosting by piping it on rather than spreading it. I use a large open star tip to put a swirl of frosting on top of each individual brownie**.

Notes

*If you are using a different size pan adjust bake time up or down accordingly. Be careful not to overbake.
**Spray your knife with nonstick spray before cutting the brownies to prevent sticking.
Brownies adapted from Epicurious

Nutrition

Calories: 466kcal | Carbohydrates: 53g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Cholesterol: 85mg | Sodium: 166mg | Potassium: 154mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 43g | Vitamin A: 570IU | Calcium: 26mg | Iron: 2mg

Nutritional Information is an estimate based on third-party calculations and may vary based on products used and serving sizes.

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Comments

  1. Robin R.

    March 24, 2020 at 10:20 am

    5 stars
    In 40+ years of baking I hadn’t found a homemade brownie recipe that was consistently better than a good boxed mix until this one. It is dense and fudgey (if you prefer more of a cake-like brownie) and intensely chocolate, which the Guinness syrup must enhance. I usually don’t like frosting on brownies, either, but this Irish Cream topper is sooo good. Highly recommend!

    Reply
    • Celebrating Sweets

      March 25, 2020 at 10:18 am

      Thanks for the kind review, Robin. I’m glad you enjoyed them! 🙂

      Reply
  2. Shari Herbert

    February 21, 2021 at 12:16 pm

    5 stars
    For Christmas, my husband and I gave ourselves and our adult children with their significant others, a 23andMe DNA Ancestry kit. We agreed that we wouldn’t share our results with one another until we could all get back together. Everyone was to bring a food that represented part of their newly learned, or that already assumed was part of their Ancestry report. I made this recipe for the Guiness Brownies with the Irish Cream frosting to represent my Irish genes. Oh my!!! They were absolutely delicious and they were definitely a hit with my family! This recipes will become a part of my special family recipes. Thank you for sharing!!!

    Reply
    • Allison

      February 23, 2021 at 10:53 am

      How fun! I’m glad you enjoyed them. 🙂

      Reply
  3. Celeste

    February 27, 2022 at 3:58 pm

    1 star
    The brownies have good taste but seem to be underdone and very gooey. The frosting is fantastic. We even cooked them longer than recommended to make sure they were done. If we were to cook them longer I think they would be tough and not edible.

    Reply
    • Allison

      March 02, 2022 at 10:20 am

      Did you use a different pan size than the 9×9?

      Reply
  4. Jc

    March 03, 2023 at 1:37 am

    Think I could add walnuts?

    Reply
    • Allison

      March 06, 2023 at 9:18 am

      Sure! Just stir into the prepared batter before adding to the pan.

      Reply
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aboutHi, I'm Allison! I'm a busy wife and mom with a passion for cooking and baking. This is where you'll find my favorite homemade recipes, designed to help you make every day delicious! Read more....

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