Mocha Brownies with Cafe Latte Frosting

These Mocha Brownies have a delicious coffee flavor and coffee frosting on top. Perfectly fudgy and perfect for coffee lovers!

**This post was originally published November 3rd, 2016 and updated October 25, 2019**

These coffee brownies are brought to you by my two lifesavers: coffee & chocolate. The brownies are super fudgy with a chocolate flavor that’s not too sweet and not too rich. There’s just a hit of coffee in the batter to give them a mocha flavor. Then they’re topped with fluffy, creamy, cafe latte frosting. They’re the perfect grown-up brownie recipe. Because after all – what could be better than coffee and chocolate and brownies? 

For the Mocha Brownies

Now when it comes to making brownies, there’s 2 general categories: brownies made with cocoa and brownies made with melted chocolate. (Or ok – sometimes brownies made with both cocoa and melted chocolate for those of us that are more bipartisan).

For these coffee brownies, we’re using melted dark chocolate because it produces the fudgiest texture. I recommend using somewhere between 60% – 75% dark chocolate. However – do not use bittersweet chocolate as your brownies will be way too bitter.

Then the other rules for keeping our brownies chewy & fudgy:

1. Adding an extra egg
2. No baking soda or baking powder
3. Keep the flour to a minimum
4. Don’t over mix.

In fact, to make super chewy, fudgy brownies we’re skipping the electric mixer altogether. When you use an electric mixer, more air gets into the batter. And more air = more cake-like texture instead of dense, fudgy brownie heaven. Don’t you love it when a recipe encourages you to do fewer dishes???

The coffee flavor in our brownies comes from instant coffee powder. 1 tablespoon in fact. The smaller the granules of your instant coffee, the easier it’ll dissolve in your melted chocolate. I found Starbucks instant coffee worked best.

For the Coffee Frosting

Oh my, I could eat this by the spoonful. First we beat together the butter and icing sugar. Then dissolve our instant coffee powder in some cream. The coffee-infused cream gets whipped into the frosting for the most delicious coffee buttercream imaginable.

While you COULD substitute milk for cream, using cream gives your buttercream the smoothest, creamiest, fluffiest, most delicious flavor. Do not (I repeat, DO NOT) use regular coffee granules here. They won’t dissolve so you won’t get the coffee flavor and there will be granules in the frosting. 

So to recap…. These Coffe Brownies are:

• fudgy
• coffee-infused
• and the frosting is like the foam on the top of your latte.

And while they’re definitely dinner party approved – I also think they’re perfect for breakfast. Coffee=breakfast. So…. Mocha Brownies with Cafe Latte Frosting=Breakfast too? Right???

And if you love coffee & chocolate – don’t forget to try these mocha cupcakes or cappuccino chocolate chip muffins.

Print Recipe

5 from 4 votes

Mocha Brownies with Cafe Latte Frosting

These Mocha Brownies with Cafe Latte Frosting feature a super fudgy, coffee-infused brownie topped with smooth & fluffy coffee buttercream. 

Prep Time20 minutes mins

Cook Time22 minutes mins

Total Time45 minutes mins

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Coffee Brownies, Mocha Brownies

Servings: 9 brownies

Calories: 523kcal

Author: Fiona Dowling

Ingredients

For the Mocha Brownies

• 5.5 oz dark chocolate chopped (60% - 75% cocoa)
• ½ cup unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon instant coffee granules
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 3 large eggs
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ⅔ cup all-purpose flour spooned & leveled

For the Cafe Latte Buttercream

• 1 to 1.5 teaspoons instant coffee granules
• 2 to 3 tablespoons whipping cream
• ⅓ cup unsalted butter softened to room temperature
• 2 cups powdered sugar sifted

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

For the Mocha Brownies

• Preheat the oven to 350F degrees.
• Line an 8x8 inch pan with parchment paper so there's an overhang around the edges. Or line with aluminum foil and lightly grease.
• In a large microwave-safe bowl, add the butter and dark chocolate.
• Microwave for 45-second intervals on medium power, stirring between each interval until melted.
• Whisk in the instant coffee, sugar and vanilla extract.
• Whisk in the eggs 1 at a time until the mixture is glossy.
• Using a spatula or wooden spoon, carefully fold in the flour and salt.
• Pour/spoon the batter into your prepared pan and bake for 20-25 minutes or until the top looks set and an inserted toothpick comes out clean or with a few damp crumbs.
• Cool in the pan on a wire rack before frosting.

To Make the Cafe Latte Buttercream

• In a small cup dissolve the instant coffee granules in 2 tablespoons of the whipping cream. If you prefer a stronger coffee flavor, use 1.5 teaspoons of instant coffee granules.
• In a large bowl using a stand or hand-held electric mixer beat the butter for about 1 minute to soften. Turn the mixer down to low speed and beat in 1.5 cups of icing sugar.
• Beat in the cream. If the frosting seems too thin or not sweet enough, beat in the remaining ½ cup powdered sugar.
• Remove the brownies from the pan using the overhang of the parchment paper.
• Frost the brownies with the cafe latte buttercream using a flat-edge knife. Cut into 9 or 16 squares and enjoy.

Notes

Store brownies in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 days or in the fridge for up to 4 days. Unfrosted brownies can be wrapped tightly and frozen for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before frosting. 

Nutrition

Calories: 523kcal | Carbohydrates: 65g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 28g | Saturated Fat: 16g | Cholesterol: 121mg | Sodium: 100mg | Potassium: 183mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 53g | Vitamin A: 683IU | Calcium: 32mg | Iron: 3mg