Guinness Brownies

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These Guinness brownies are the moistest brownies ever! They’re an awesome combination of cakey and fudgy with a boozy kick. Did I mention that they’re topped with a silky smooth, rich Guinness chocolate ganache? You won’t be able to stop eating them.

Why You’ll Love This Guinness Brownies Recipe

These brownies are flat out amazing and hard to resist. They are based on this brownie recipe, but modified for the carbonation and such in Guinness. I originally tested this recipe no less than 10 times. And before posting this update, I messed with them again to see if I could make them even better. But guess what? They were already perfect. I just love, love these brownies and I know you will too. Here’s my favorite things about them.

  • The best texture. These brownies are super moist and are the perfect combination of fudgy and cakey. They aren’t crazy dense, like some fudgy brownies, but they are dense enough while still maintaining a lovely cake-like quality.
  • Guiness-y, but not too Guiness-y. The Guinness in these brownies and in the ganache comes through just the right amount. It enhances the flavor of the chocolate and you can taste the beer just enough, but not too much. Not a beer lover? Me neither. I still love these.
  • Finished with a flare. The Guinness chocolate ganache is the perfect addition to these moist brownies. It adds an elegance and an extra boost of chocolate-y flavor that takes them over the top.

Looking for more brownies to try? I have lots of brownie recipes you’ll love!

A Guinness brownie with a bite taken out of it.

Do These Brownies Taste Like Guinness?

While huge Guinness fans might not think these brownies taste enough like their favorite beer, I think they have a lovely Guinness flavor to them. The truth is that Guinness acts a little bit like coffee with chocolate. It enhances and complements the taste of the chocolate. However, unlike coffee, I really do think you can taste the Guinness. Especially with the Guinness ganache topping. That said, it’s not going to taste a strongly as the beer itself.

One thing I tested with these brownies was cooking down the Guinness, much like I do with things like strawberry puree or even champagne, to give it a stronger flavor. With the Guinness, it made absolutely no difference. In fact, my taste testers thought the one without it cooked down was the one with it cooked down. The good news about that is that there is no need to spend time on an extra step like that.

Ingredients for Guinness brownies.

What You’ll Need

Time to gather your ingredients! Here’s what you’ll need to bring this Guinness brownies recipe to life. Have a look at the recipe card below for exact measurements.

For the brownies

  • Vegetable oil – The vegetable oil works to keep these brownies wonderfully moist. Delish!
  • Guinness Stout beer – You could try a different brand of stout if you’d like. It should be quite full-bodied.
  • Sugar
  • Espresso powder – The espresso powder accentuates the chocolate flavor, but it’s not necessary if you don’t have it on hand.
  • Vanilla extract
  • Salt – Adding a little salt to these brownies helps balance out the sweetness, enhancing the flavor of the dessert.
  • Unsalted butter – Using butter in addition to vegetable oil brings added moisture and a wonderful richness to the brownies that you wouldn’t get with vegetable oil alone.
  • Eggs – Be sure to use large eggs, not medium or extra large.
  • All-purpose flour – It’s always important to measure your flour correctly. Over measuring can give you dry brownies. I highly recommend a food scale or the spoon and level method.
  • Dutch-processed cocoa – Feel free to use natural unsweetened cocoa powder instead. That being said, I am partial to the rich flavor of the Dutch-processed cocoa in these.

For the ganache

  • Semi-sweet chocolate chips – To get the right consistency, you’ll want to stick with semi-sweet chocolate.
  • Unsalted butter
  • Guinness – Another full-bodied, flavorful stout would also work.
  • Powdered sugar – To give it a bit of an icing-like quality.

How to Make Guinness Brownies

Time to learn how to make some of the best brownies ever! Here’s a quick overview of how it’s done. Don’t forget to scroll to the recipe card below for more detailed instructions.

  • Prep. Preheat the oven to 350°F, grease a 9×9 square baking pan, and line it with parchment paper.
  • Combine the wet ingredients. Whisk together the oil, Guinness, sugar, espresso powder, vanilla extract, and salt. Whisk in the butter followed by the eggs, one at a time.
  • Add the dry ingredients. Whisk the flour and cocoa into the wet ingredients.
  • Bake. Spread the batter into the pan and bake for 30-35 minutes.
  • Cool. Allow the brownies to cool in the pan.
  • Make ganache. Combine the chocolate chips, butter, and Guinness in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave until the Guinness gets hot and the butter starts to melt. Whisk until smooth and then whisk in the powdered sugar.
  • Finish it off. Spread the ganache over the brownies, lift the brownies out of the pan, and cut them into bars.

Tips for Success

Want to knock this recipe out of the park the first time? Here are some pro tips that will help you achieve the best results possible.

  • Don’t skip the parchment paper. It is not enough to grease the pan here, folks. You need to line it with parchment paper as well. The parchment paper should stick out a bit over the sides so that you can use it to lift the brownies out of the pan once they have cooled.
  • Don’t over-mix. When combining the wet and dry ingredients. Mix just until everything is incorporated. Mixing past this point can cause the glutens in the flour to overdevelop, giving you tough brownies.
  • Don’t over-bake. No one likes dry brownies so be sure not to over-bake these. If they don’t pass the toothpick test, let them bake for a bit longer. But keep an eye on them.
  • Let the ganache set. Allow the ganache-topped brownies to cool completely in the pan before removing and slicing for cleaner cuts.
A Guinness brownie of a napkin with a stack of three Guinness brownies in the background.

Proper Storage

  • Refrigerator. Arrange the brownies in a single layer in an airtight container and close the container. You can store them at room temperature for up to 2 days. Past that point, store them in the fridge (up to 5 days).
  • Freezer. Arrange the brownies on a sheet pan and pop them in the freezer for several hours until the ganache has firmed up. Wrap each brownie in plastic wrap and then load them all into a freezer bag. You can freeze them for up to 3 months. Allow the brownies to thaw in the fridge before enjoying.

More Brownie Recipes To Try

Brownies, brownies everywhere! Once you’ve gotten this recipe down, try one of these other decadent favorites. Let me know how you like ’em!

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A stack of three Guinness brownies.
Recipe

Guinness Chocolate Brownies

  • Author: Lindsay
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 30 minutes
  • Total Time: 45 minutes
  • Yield: 12-15 Brownies
  • Category: Dessert
  • Method: Oven
  • Cuisine: American

Description

These Guinness Chocolate Brownies are the moistest brownies ever, and they’re an awesome combination of cakey and fudgy. You won’t be able to stop eating them!


Ingredients

Guinness Brownies

  • 1/4 cup (60ml) vegetable oil
  • 3/4 cup Guinness Stout beer
  • 2 cups (414g) sugar
  • ½ tsp espresso powder, optional
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • 1/4 cup (56g) unsalted butter, melted
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 cup (130g) all-purpose flour
  • 2/3 cup (76g) Dutch-processed cocoa powder

Chocolate Topping

  • 5 oz (2/3 cup) semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • 2 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 2 tbsp Guinness Stout beer
  • 1/4 cup (29g) powdered sugar

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Grease a 9×9 square baking pan and line it with parchment paper that sticks up over the sides. You can use the parchment paper later to help remove the brownies from the pan.
  2. Add the oil, Guinness, sugar, espresso powder, vanilla extract and salt to large mixing bowl and whisk together until well combined.
  3. Add the melted butter and whisk together until well combined.
  4. Add the eggs and whisk together until well combined.
  5. Add the flour and cocoa powder and whisk together gently just until well combined.
  6. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly.
  7. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out with a few moist, sticky crumbs. Allow to cool in the pan.
  8. To make the chocolate topping, place the chocolate chips, butter and Guinness in a microwave safe bowl and microwave until the Guinness gets hot and butter starts to melt, about 30 seconds or so. Whisk together until smooth. You can microwave it for a little longer, if needed.
  9. Add the powdered sugar and whisk until well combined and smooth.
  10. Pour the ganache over the brownies and spread into an even layer.
  11. Allow to cool completely, then use the parchment paper to remove them from the pan. Cut into bars.
  12. Store brownies in an airtight container. They can be stored at room temperature for up to 2 days, then should be refrigerated because of the topping. Best if eaten within 4-5 days.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 Brownie
  • Calories: 387
  • Sugar: 45.7 g
  • Sodium: 73.7 mg
  • Fat: 18.7 g
  • Carbohydrates: 53.7 g
  • Protein: 4.5 g
  • Cholesterol: 43 mg

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101 Comments
  1. JennyK

    Holy moly batman!! These were absolutely amazing!! I loved the super fudgey texture and the enhanced chocolate taste from the beer and espresso, neither of which you could actually pinpoint in the flavor! I made these twice in two days, cuz I wasn’t willing to share the first batch! This will now be my go to homemade brownie recipe! Thanks!!






  2. Phyllis

    Love Guinness, so I definitely loved the brownies. My ganache separates from the brownie when you eat them. Like a slice of fudge placed on top. Any suggestions?

    1. Lindsay

      Glad you enjoyed them! As for the ganache, is it possible that there was like a layer of condensation or something on top of the brownies when you added the ganache? That moisture could have made it not adhere to the surface well.

  3. b

    I made these for St. Paddy’s Day. My family all enjoyed them! The only thing I changed was that I used regular cocoa instead of dark cocoa since it was what I had in the pantry. The brownies were yummy with just a hint of an alcohol aftertaste, I thought (or maybe the aftertaste came from the ganache).






  4. Julie

    I thought these brownies were kinda bland and then realized they didn’t have any salt which surprised me so I went back to double checked the recipe… forehead slap, the recipe calls for salted butter. I only ever have unsalted so my error. I’ll try again and add salt.






  5. Skye Tandy

    I absolutely love this recipe. The only reason I ever buy alcohol is to cook, and Guiness is a staple in my house for brownies, cake, stew, etc. I have to bake for a touch longer than called for, but really, not much. Everyone I have served these to have raved and have asked for the recipe. My older son really only want these now.
    Thanks so much for the recipe!!!!






  6. Wesley

    Omg omg omg. These were AMAZING. I don’t even like beer lol. My husband loves Guinness, so I’m always trying recipes for him. I’m going to keep this one forever. After reading reviews I was a little worried about them being soupy, so I added half a cup more flour. They were rich and delicious






  7. Brian Stinson

    These turned out to be very delicious this past Saturday, with a scoop of mint chocolate chip ice cream. Served as dessert to oven-roasted Corned Beef, Potatoes, Carrots, and Cabbage. Like, your co-worker, we couldn’t really taste the Guinness, as we were washing everything down with Guinness anyway….who cared?? Thank you for sharing your recipe, Lindsay!






  8. Susan Gall

    Never have I ever had such an epic baking fail. After following the instructions to the letter and baking for 39 minutes they were crisp on the outside and raw in the middle. They collapsed when they were cooling. Fortunately just baking for us, not for guests. Won’t try this again.






    1. Lindsay

      I’m very sorry to hear you had trouble with it. There are a couple possibilities as to what went wrong. One could be that an ingredient wasn’t measured properly and you ended up with a thinner batter that would take longer to bake. Depending on what was mismeasured, the proportions may have been off and that could also cause it to sink. Also was your Guinness fresh and still very carbonated? There is no leavening in these brownies because it all comes from the carbonation in the beer. If your beer was flat or near flat, that could cause the brownies to fall as well. Also, if they were under baked when they came out of the oven, the center would collapse. My suggested time for baking is based on my oven, but ovens vary. One minute above the suggested baking range may not be enough if your oven bakes differently. I probably would’ve baked them longer. Until a toothpick came out with a few crumbs and not wet.

  9. Ky

    kind of had high hopes for these brownies. I find they don’t taste like much. everything else is right, there is just no flavor.

  10. Jane

    We made these using a home brew Chocolate Mint Stout made by a friend. It was a great use for a beer that was so unique. Brownies were moist and tasted really good. I did reduce the sugar by a 1/2 cup but I do that quite often in recipes. Will be making this again using Guinness beer. Thanks for sharing the recipe.






  11. Erin Shirley

    Hi – I’m going to def. make these for out of town guests and St Pat’s Party we’ll have this weekend. My question is this: once you’ve made them, what is the best way to store them? I have to make them on Thursday to serve not until Saturday, so need to ensure I store them the best way – thanks so much – they look delish!!!

    1. Lindsay

      With the ganache on top, you could refrigerate them and then bring them back to room temperature to serve. Enjoy!

  12. Lisa

    Only used half of the sugar(so just 1 cup) and it was plenty. Also made a chocolate Irish Cream frosting for them instead of the ganache. Everyone loved them, so good!






  13. Kathleen Tatarek-VanPeursem

    This recipe did not work for me at all. I followed the directions to a T and it just would not cook. I baked it over 65 minutes and still goopy. A sad waste of my time and money.






  14. Jarrett

    Lindsay
    Do you need the beer to be room temp? And so you pour and wait for the beer to settle before mixing with other ingredients?

    Thanks

    1. Lindsay

      You can use the beer cold or at room temperature. And you don’t need to let it settle or anything, just add it to the brownies. The carbonation in it is actually part of what helps the brownies rise.

    1. Lindsay

      Not that I know of. There may be a nonalcoholic beer out there that you can use, but I’m honestly not really a beer drinker myself and don’t know. I just like the flavor of Guinness in baked goods LOL.

  15. Becky

    Hi Lindsay,
    The recipe seems to have disappeared… Is it just me? Was hoping to make these this weekend. Thanks!

    1. Lindsay

      I’m so sorry for the trouble! There was an issue today that affected thousands of sites – mine included. It looks like it’s been resolved, so you should be able to access it here now. Sorry about that!

  16. Caroline Betlej

    I absolutely love these,but how can I cut them so perfectly like yours?? Mine were a mess but sooooo good!!!






    1. Lindsay

      I’m so glad you enjoyed them! It’s been a while since I made them, but I don’t usually do anything really when cutting. Maybe just a big, sharp knife?

  17. Leisel

    I am new to this blog, I tried this Guinness brownies and it was well appreciated by all at work. I love the ganache it was so easy and effective it complimented the brownie. I ran out of Guinness so I sub milk instead it made no change to taster I added walnuts and threw in some chocolate chips…. I then made these brownies for my sister birthday and it was delicious.

    Thanks for a well balanced recipe. I surely look forward to making more baked goods from your recipes.

  18. Leelo

    I’m going to bookmark this recipe! I just stumbled on it and it looks delicious! I think my hubby and son would love these.

  19. Nancy

    Hi there. These look great. I see you used salted butter for the brownies but that isn’t noted on the Ganache. Did you use unsalted butter for the ganache? I don’t want to assume. TY!

  20. Eve

    I don’t have a 9×9 pan, so I baked them in a 9×13 pan and doubled the ganache.  My ganache broke, but I resurrected it with a little boiling corn syrup.  Maybe I microwaved it too long?  These were very good, but after being refrigerated they were amazing!  

  21. Charles R

    I tried it and the taste was absolutely wonderful. However I found the lack of baking powder to have a detrimental effect on the brownies. Mine ended up only about 1 cm thick in a 9×9 pan.

    Next time I’m tempted to likely add 50 percent to the ingredients and baking powder.

    1. Lindsay

      That seems quite strange. Was your Guinness still bubbly, not flat? The bubbles/carbonation from the Guinness actually affect the baking of the brownies, which is why there’s less baking powder. You shouldn’t need to increase it if you’re using fresh Guinness.

  22. Ruth D

    I love it! And so did the nurses, pharmacists and other support staff at my job. I made two and had two make 4 more for individual people. They are truly scrumptious!

  23. Lisa

    I made these last week for St. Patty’so day. They were delicious and beautiful!!! I wouldon’t like to make a 9×11 size pan full. Double the recipe??? 

  24. MacKenzie

    Just wanted to leave a comment and thank you for this recipe! On an absolute whim for St. Patty’s Day and because we had some Guinness, bf and I tag-teamed these little treats last night. Some of the best brownies I’ve ever personally made or eaten.

  25. Arael

    I know I’m a year or two behind in my advice, but several people seem to have asked about replacements for Guinness. Guinness is a ‘stout’, so any other stout (especially a chocolate stout) would work. I’m a pinch a porter could work as well. If you’re unsure which beers are which just ask the clerk at the liquor store for a stout.

  26. Stacey M

    As an Irish/Italian American I can say I LOVE GUINNESS. I’ve been looking for days for a recipe for St. Paddy’s Day potluck for work. They’re in the oven now to cure for two days. I CAN’T WAIT! 

  27. Sofia

    Hi dear, may i ask you, can i use another brand of beer, because here in Greece we dont have that!
    Thank you!!!

    1. Lindsay

      I haven’t tried another beer, but I think it’d be ok. Guinness is a thick, dark beer so I’d try replacing it something similar.

  28. Mallory

    I’m planning on making these for my Guinness loving boyfriend’s birthday. I was going to make the brownies ahead of time and then just do the ganache the day of. Do these need to be stored in the refrigerator or just cover and leave on the counter? They would only be resting for one day.

  29. Nancy

    These were so good. I made a batch with regular cocoa powder and another batch with Hershey’s Special Dark cocoa powder. All of them were gobbled up, but the dark one’s went first.

    1. lifeloveandsugar@gmail.com

      I’m so glad you enjoyed them! I’m a dark cocoa fan myself, glad to hear they were enjoyed. 🙂

  30. sam

    I just want to thank you for this recipe, it is very delicious! It’s fudgy, and the stout gave these an incredibly rich and interesting flavor. But, it fell apart and crumbled. So sad! We had to eat it with a spoon. But of course the texture and flavor made the crumbling not so important. But what did I do wrong? I really want to make these again, any suggestions?

    1. lifeloveandsugar@gmail.com

      Hmm, I don’t know. I made them several times during testing and didn’t have an issue with them crumbling. I’m not sure what would cause it.

    2. tami

      I had a little of that too on the first day and when cold. I suggest making sure you use parchment, let them sit for a day, then cut when cold, run a knife around the edge and pop the whole thing out. Then serve at room temp.

  31. Tami

    I just tried these last night for a work party. They were a huge hit. Very decadent. In the future, I would cut back maybe a 1/2 c of the sugar in the brownies themselves. Also, I didn’t like that the “ganache” got a little crispy on top. When I think ganache, i think creamy. I think I would cut the powdered sugar in half or eliminate altogether and add a couple of tablespoons of heavy cream to make it a real ganache and lose the crispiness. Otherwise, magnifique!

  32. Dee

    I made these this afternoon. Although I baked them an extra 6 minutes, they are still gooey in the center. The flavor is very chocolatey – no taste of the beer at all.

  33. Marushka

    Can I replace the guiness with another beer or something else?
    We don’t get guiness that easily here in India!

    1. lifeloveandsugar@gmail.com

      I haven’t tried it with another beer, so I can’t say for sure. I think it’d be ok though.

  34. Aunt J

    Oh oh. Can’t find the amounts of baking powder and salt. I am old, so stuff gets past me all the time. If it is there and I am missing it, I offer you my sincerest apology.

    1. lifeloveandsugar@gmail.com

      You didn’t miss it, they actually aren’t there. 🙂 I noted in the recipe that I used salted butter, so I didn’t add any additional salt. If you decide to use unsalted butter, you could add up to a 1/4 tsp of salt. There isn’t any baking powder because the brownies don’t need it. There’s so much bubbly in the beer that it actually does the work of the baking powder. With additional baking powder, it was more of a cake. So to achieve a nice cakey and fudgy brownie, I left the baking powder out. I hope that helps!

      1. Aunt J

        Yes, it does. Thank you so much. Step five threw me off the track; it mentions the baking powder and salt.

      2. lifeloveandsugar@gmail.com

        Oh yes, I can see how that’d be confusing. 🙂 Sorry about that! It got left in there from the first round of testing. I’ve fixed it – thanks for letting me know!

  35. Rachelle

    I happen to love beer and these brownies really float my boat! Chocolate and stout together is always a good idea. I can’t wait to try this recipe!

  36. Natalie | Paper & Birch

    Ah! Love this – I’ve had one can of Guinness (which I don’t like) in our fridge for over 2 months! Perfect way to use it! 🙂

  37. Julianne @ Beyond Frosting

    Ok y’all. I got the chance to try these and let me tell you, WOW! The ganache layer only adds to the rich and decadent brownie layer. YUM!

  38. Alice @ Hip Foodie Mom

    Lindsay, I don’t like beer either. . but it totally works in these brownies and for st. patty’s day!! totally makes sense that the beer enhances the chocolate . . like wine does when cooking or baking. . these brownies look INSANE. Like gorgeous and chocolatey and everything good! Hope you guys have fun in FL!!! Hoping I can make it to FBF next year!!

  39. heather @french press

    I do not like beer at all, but guiness does something wonderful to chocolate – and these brownies look over the top amazing!

  40. Jen @ Baked by an Introvert

    Beer is an acquired taste for sure. I’m more of a hard cider girl, myself. These brownies do look incredibly moist. I love how dark they are. The perfect brownie!

  41. Kristi

    Not a fan of beer as well, but these look amazing! My husband is going to be in hog heaven with every bite…and I’ll be trying them too! 🙂

  42. Mir

    I don’t like beer, either, unless it’s part of a cheese dip. But in these, I think I’m gonna really like it. I love the dark fudginess of it!

    1. Dorothy

      Delicious …but too gooey. Followed recipe to a “T” but added an extra 5 min of bake time. Next time will use a basic cream cheese frosting or thicker chocolate ganache as the “liquid” ganache (delicious but…)soaked in and made the bar cutting a nightmare just before the guests arrived. Ended up refrigerating it for a half hour before cutting which helped some. I may use the recipe’s ganache on a boxed cake of brownies also but the two together is a challenge.






      1. Lindsay

        Are you sure that you used heavy cream and not some other type of milk in the chocolate ganache? It sounds like yours is much thinner than it should be. Heavy cream has a higher fat content and gives you a thicker ganache. If you use another type of milk, it will not work correctly. You also want to be sure to use semi sweet chocolate, as specified in the ingredients. I know sometimes people want to use milk chocolate, but that will also give you a thinner ganache. And if you do both those things, then you will end up with a very very thin chocolate ganache. I hope that helps!

      2. Dorothy

        Hello again,
        I did use heavy cream and I also used Ghirardelli premium baking semi-sweet chocolate chips. I appreciate the advice though so am not sure what happened? I have made ganache from scratch(heavy cream & bittersweet chocolate broken into pieces) for “hot fudge” sundaes and it has been thicker so it was not a new thing for me. After the brownies sat in the fridge overnight, they were more firm so they disappeared! Thanks for your reply.

Lindsay
About Lindsay

I'm a wife and a mom to twin boys and a baby girl! And I've got a serious sweets addiction! Bring on the treats!

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“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” Matthew 11:28-29