Use Instant Espresso Powder to Take Your Brownies from Good to Great

Instant espresso powder is a brownie baker’s secret weapon. Just a pinch amplifies chocolate flavor considerably, making it more intense and complex. In addition to brownies, we also use it as a background ingredient in chocolate cakes and cookies.

So what exactly is instant espresso powder? There’s regular instant coffee and then there’s instant espresso. It’s made by brewing espresso-style coffee, dehydrating it, and grinding the solids into a fine powder. (And no, it won’t make your baked goods taste like a cup of joe; in side-by-side tests, we’ve found that a small amount pumps up the chocolate flavor without imparting a noticeable coffee presence.)

We also found that the specific espresso powder you use actually makes a difference. When our expert taste testers reviewed espresso powder, the product from Civilized performed best.

Next time you make a batch of brownies—whether it’s homemade or boxed mix, vegan, or triple-chocolate—try mixing just a small amount into the batter to pump up the chocolate flavor. All it takes is 1½ teaspoons per 9-by-13 batch.

If you want to try this but don’t have instant espresso powder, you can replace it with the same amount of instant coffee or ground espresso beans. But don’t try using regular ground coffee; it’ll leave a clear taste of coffee and gritty grounds that you’ll be picking out of your teeth.