The five-month stretch between New Year’s and Memorial Day can be grueling. I’d even go so far as to call it unbearable, if it weren’t for one critical date in between: ST. PATRICK’S DAY. Steel yourselves for bad limericks and be prepared for blarney, because my lucky lads and lasses, I adore this pseudo-holiday more than I can express. I might not be able to convince you to share my fervor, but I hope I can persuade you to try these Guinness Brownies.
Email Me the Recipe!
From time to time, we'll send you the best of Well Plated. Already registered? Log in here.
Ultra moist and densely chocolatey, these Guinness brownies are one of those exceptional desserts that, despite their decadence, are mysteriously easy to eat en masse.
I blame the Guinness, which adds a malty depth to the brownies.
The Guinness keeps the brownies from being overly sweet, and thus makes second (and third) helpings dangerously easy to enjoy.
And if it’s not the Guinness in the brownies that is to blame for their irresistibility, then surely it must be the Guinness frosting that’s spread on top.
I am partly Irish, and even though I have been told endlessly that St. Patrick’s Day is a much larger celebration in the U.S. than it is in Ireland, I do not see that inconsistency as any reason not to honor it.
In college, I enjoyed my first pint of Guinness in Dublin at a bar bearing my Irish maiden name.
Eleven years later (#OLD), I enjoyed my second and third and fourth Guinness Brownies in my Milwaukee kitchen.
Going forward, I plan to enjoy many more Irish-inspired recipes, the best of which I’ve saved to share with you.
While working on this Guinness brownie recipe, I found many other stout brownie recipes online, but nearly all of them called for reducing the Guinness to a syrup on the stove before adding it to the brownie batter.
This seemed too fussy and time consuming.
I don’t know about you, but when I am craving a brownie, I want need it ASAP. I decided to see if I could make the Guinness Brownies by adding the beer directly from the bottle, skipping the reduction step completely.
Overall, I was pleased with the results, as were my guests who fought over the leftovers.
The Guinness flavor is quite subtle, but I was still able to detect it.
I served these brownies at a party where both Guinness lovers and Guinness haters were present, and both groups approved.
If you do want a bolder Guinness flavor, I’d recommend reducing 1 1/2 or even 2 cups of beer down to the 1 cup called for in the recipe.
Let the reduction cool to room temperature, then follow the directions as stated.
Unfortunately, I don’t have a good beer substitution, so if you prefer not to cook with alcohol, I’d recommend these Mint Brownies, which are every bit as fudgy and festive, instead.
How to Store and Freeze
- To Store. Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- To Freeze. Place in an airtight freezer-safe storage container and freeze for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
More St. Patrick’s Day Recipes
- Green Whiskey Smash
- Flourless Whiskey Cake
- Irish Whiskey Ice Cream with Salted Caramel
- Mint Smoothie
Recommended Tools to Make This Recipe
- Favorite 8×8 inch baking pan
- Parchment paper (I love these pre-cut sheets)
Guinness Brownies
email me the recipe!
From time to time, we’ll send you the best of Well Plated. Already registered? Log in here.
Ingredients
FOR THE GUINNESS BROWNIES:
- 8 ounces semisweet chocolate cut into pieces
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature
- ½ cup whole wheat pastry flour or substitute white whole wheat flour or all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder plus 1 tablespoon
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ¾ cup Irish stout beer plus 2 tablespoons, such as Guinness, at room temperature with any foam skimmed off
- ¾ cup semisweet chocolate chips
FOR THE GUINNESS FROSTING:
- ½ cup unsalted butter (1 stick) at room temperature
- 2 ½ cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2-3 tablespoons Irish stout such as Guinness
Instructions
- Place the oven rack in the center position and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray an 8×8-inch baking dish with nonstick spray. Line with parchment paper, leaving some hanging out opposite sides like handles. Spray again, then set aside.
- In a large heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water (do not let the bottom of the bowl touch the water), melt together the chopped chocolate and butter. When the chocolate is almost melted, remove from the heat and stir until the mixture is completely melted together and smooth. Let cool 5 minutes.
- In a separate bowl, sift together the whole wheat pastry flour, all-purpose flour, cocoa powder, and salt.
- Once the chocolate mixture has cooled, whisk in the granulated sugar until combined. At this point, the mixture will look grainy. Stir in the eggs, one at a time, fulling combining between each addition. Keep stirring until chocolate mixture is smooth and glossy (about 40 strokes). Stir in the vanilla extract.
- Add the dry ingredients to the chocolate mixture a few tablespoons at a time, stirring in between each addition, just until the flour disappears. Slowly stir in the beer. It will foam as it is added, but keep working in additions and stir until the foam subsides. Fold in the chocolate chips.
- Scape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Place in the oven and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of the brownies comes out with just a few moist crumbs clinging to it, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool to room temperature, then remove from the pan using the parchment-paper handles.
- Meanwhile, prepare the Guinness frosting: In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or a large mixing bowl, beat the butter until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. With the mixer running on low, slowly beat in the powdered sugar. Add the vanilla extract and 2 tablespoons of stout. Continue beating until the frosting is smooth and fluffy, about 3 additional minutes. If you’d like a thinner frosting, beat in 1 additional tablespoon stout. Spread over the cooled brownies. Slice and enjoy.
Notes
Nutrition
Join today and start saving your favorite recipes
Create an account to easily save your favorite recipes and access FREE meal plans.
Sign Me Up
This brownies look absolutely incredible. Very intrigued by the addition of Guinness. Nice work!! (:
Thanks so much!
Erin, if you keep posting recipes like this you will destroy my svelte, old body. (Truthfully, I’m not really svelte, but it’s difficult to justify the calories here). But I’m saving the recipe because it appeals to both me and my husband.
Susan, this comment made me giggle! These brownies are definitely a special treat, but when you really are craving something chocolatey, they hit the spot :-) If you do try them, I hope that both you and your husband love them!
Erin
Is there a lower carb version of these..
Im a type 2 diabetic..
It’s hard yes..
I love a dessert when I can..
Which is not often. Ugh.?
If you can guide me Or come up with a lower carb/ lower calorie/fat option .
I hate that I can’t eat what I want too..
All these recipes look so darn delish..Maybe chocolate avocado black bean?? I don’t know..
Warm regards.
Looks yummy..Thanks…
Kim?
Hi Kim! I’m afraid these Guinness Brownies are a decadent recipe, and there really isn’t a way around it. If you’re looking for ohealth-conscious desserts, I would actually suggest the healthy dessert section of my recipe index: https://www.wellplated.com/category/recipes-by-diet/healthy-sweet-treats/. You can browse through there and see if you find something better suits your diet. I hope that helps!
The cake part of these brownies turned out great, but I had a major frosting fail. Not sure where it went wrong. The frosting was too sweet and too liquidy.
Adding the Guinness to the brownies was fun though, and we got a head start on St. Patty’s day. I might just skip the frosting next time and save some calories/sugar.
Hi Amy, I’m sorry to hear the frosting turned out too liquidy for you! It could be that the butter was too soft/melty or that there wasn’t quite enough powdered sugar. If you wanted to give it a try again, I would also start with just 1 tablespoon of stout and add more from there. I’m glad you enjoyed the brownie part though, and it does taste delicious on its own!
I made these in preparation for an office bracketolgy happy hour tomorrow (Go Irish!), and after Bryan practically licked the bowl clean from the leftover frosting, I think it’s safe to say they are and will be a success. ?☘️
Hi Erin,
This looks soooo good. Will defo try it! However will the frosting turn out as good if I whisk the ingredients instead of using the stand mixer?
Hi Brenda, I haven’t tried mixing this by hand, but I’m not sure creaming the butter and sugar by hand would result in the proper consistency. I’m guessing that for the best texture you’ll need the power of a stand or hand mixer.
A friend made these brownies for my family and they were perhaps the most delicious brownies I’ve ever eaten. My husband doesn’t generally eat sweets, and even he was in love with these brownies. This recipe is the reason I found my way to your site. This is an overdue post because I had these last year and I’m still thinking about them. I am going to try making the recipe this weekend, and I’m already craving the delicious results. Thank you!
Suzi, this means so much!! I am so touched to hear what an impression they made. I hope you love them as much this next time around!
Ok, I just made these again today. Delicious! These are my absolute favorite dessert ever! I also just picked up a new (at least to me) stout, Dragon’s Milk reserve stout. It is banana coconut bourbon barrel-aged stout. I think you should get some and work your magic to come up with a recipe using the stout. It has great possibilities and with your creative mind and amazing talents, I think you could come up with something spectacular.
Hi Suzi, thanks for the suggestion! I’m so glad you enjoy these brownies. Thanks too for taking the time to leave this awesome review!
Great recipe! I changed the frosting to a Bailey’s Cream Cheese frosting though! Might have to make another batch for the staff room next week!
Autaum, that frosting sounds delicious too! Thanks so much for giving the brownies a try and reporting back!
Oh my! These are delish!!! Thanks for the awesome recipe!
YAS!!! So happy to hear that Kelly, thank you!
Dear Erin
After seeing recipes for Guinness brownies posted on Facebook around St Patrick’s Day, I finally searched through many online and decided upon yours as it had less sugar and more chocolate than many. I was worried my batter was too thin and the brownies wouldn’t be fudgey as I used almost a full 1 cup of the reduced stout instead of 3/4 cup. No worries – they were so good that I will not attempt another. Coworkers raved about them as well. I’m a dark chocolate lover and used the darkest Ghirardelli chips. Next time I might try using milk chocolate chips instead. (A chocolate, chocolate chip recipe I have uses cocoa powder, bar chocolate and a combo of dark and milk chocolate chips. I think the milk chocolate gives it a little creaminess.) Next time I also might make just half the frosting. Thank you for such a great treat!
Kitty, I’m thrilled to hear the brownies were a hit! Thanks for taking the time to share this detailed review too!
So so tasty! More of a fudge like, dense brownie which I loved! A hit too with the hubs & kids!
-Bradley Jean
I’m so happy that you enjoyed them, Bradley! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
Made these for St Patrick’s day; they were delicious! And quite possibly the most beautiful brownies I have ever made.
I’m so happy that you enjoyed them, Suzette! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
These are absolutely incredible! I always bake from scratch, but these are a whole new level. I made them the day before and put in the fridge. Dense and delicious! Will be making again the whole crowd couldn’t stop talking about them!
I’m so happy that you enjoyed them, Christine! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
So rich and delicious, it was hard to not eat all the batter. My icing came out runny, I’ll have to work on that, but these are so good you don’t even need the icing.
Hi Marie! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Could these be made with Bailey’s?
Hi Sheila, I haven’t tried it myself but another readers has with great success. It will change the flavor profile. If you decide to experiment, I’d love to know how it goes!
These brownies are a hit everytime I make them. I love the density of the brownie.
Yay! Thank you Annie!
Hi Erin, my first time on your Website, going to make Guinness Brownies just have a questiondo i use a bigger pan if I’m going to 16ounces i noticed the pan size doesn’t change.
Hi Charlie, great observation. Unfortunately when using the 2x,3x button it will change the amounts of the ingredients, but they don’t get adjusted in the directions. This is a plugin issue and not something I can control on my end. Definitely use a large pan if making a double batch. Enjoy!
I’m not sure if I did something wrong but the bake time for this was nowhere near 25-30 minutes at 350°. More like 55-60 minutes as it was still just batter at the 30min mark. Followed the recipe to a tee so not sure what went wrong. Is 25-30 minutes the standard??
Hi Hannah, it doesn’t sound like you did anything wrong, it sounds like maybe your oven runs cooler than mine. Do you use an oven thermometer? Hope you were still able to enjoy them!
These brownies were a HUGE hit this weekend! Fairly easy to make. I don’t like brownies unless they are frosted, and I really liked the fudgy texture. Not dry at all. Maybe my fave recipe of yours that I have made.
Great to hear, thank you Cindy!