This Fudgy Guinness Brownies with Dark Chocolate Ganache Recipe features rich, honey-sweetened chocolate brownies to balance out the flavor of stout. They’re topped with a velvety layer of dark chocolate ganache to take them to the next level.
Guinness isn’t just for drinking, and it’s not only for savory soups and stews! Guinness is a dry Irish stout that has rich brown color and coffee and caramel flavor notes thanks to roasted barley. It pairs really beautifully with a lot of baked goods, especially chocolate cakes and brownies.
This recipe for Fudgy Guinness Brownies with Dark Chocolate Ganache is quite unique. It’s mostly sweetened with honey, which provides a lovely slightly floral contrast to the rich, roasted flavor of Guinness. Whip these brownies up as part of your St. Paddy’s Day celebration, or any time you’re in the mood for rich, fudgy, flavorful brownies!
Guinness Desserts
In addition to savory dishes, this roasty stout is a fun addition to sweet treats and baked goods.
Guinness Brownies
I find that the roasted caramel notes in Guinness are a delicious flavor accent to chocolate. Here are a few delicious looking recipes for Guinness brownies:
- Guinness Brownies from Sally’s Baking Addiction: Love the creamy espresso frosting here! Sally also says it has a maple flavor, which intrigues me.
- Triple Chocolate Guinness Brownies from Macheesmo: Triple chocolate pretty much says it all.
- Guinness Brownies with Irish Cream Frosting from Celebrating Sweets: Featuring a velvety smooth frosting with Baileys Irish Cream, yum!
Guinness Cakes
Surprisingly, Guinness can also work well in cakes with a variety of different flavor profiles. Check out these cake recipes that contain Guinness:
- Vanilla Bean Guinness Cupcakes with Salted Caramel Coffee Buttercream from An Edible Mosaic: This small-batch recipe makes just 6 cupcakes, which is perfect if you want something sweet without having to make (and then eat!) an entire cake. The cupcake flavor profile is a vanilla-Guinness pairing, and they’re frosted with a quick and easy caramel-espresso buttercream.
- Guinness Chocolate Poke Cake from Life, Love and Sugar: The moist texture of a poke cake with the chocolate + Guinness pairing is genius!
- Baileys and Guinness Cake from Liv for Cake: Layer upon glorious layer of rich chocolate cake, Baileys dark chocolate ganache, and Baileys Buttercream. Yes, please.
Chocolate Ganache FAQs
Luscious, rich, and velvety chocolate ganache is perfect to use as a frosting to adorn cakes, cupcakes, or brownies. Additionally, you can let ganache harden, scoop it into balls, and make it into truffles. Whatever you use chocolate ganache for, it’s sure to become a favorite, especially when you realize how easy it is to make!
What is Chocolate Ganache?
In its most basic form, ganache is a mixture of chocolate that’s melted with cream. Sometimes butter is added in place of some of the cream, and sometimes other flavorings, such as vanilla, espresso powder, etc. are used. Additionally, you can use different kinds of chocolate (milk, dark, or white) and switch up the flavor profile.
What is the Ratio of Chocolate to Cream to Make Ganache?
Depending on what you want to use the ganache for, there are different ratios of chocolate to cream. The ratios below are based on weight, not volume. For example, a 1:1 ratio of chocolate:cream would be 1 ounce chocolate to 1 ounce cream, as measured with a kitchen scale.
Ganache for Chocolate Truffles
Use a 2:1 ratio of chocolate to cream (2 parts chocolate to 1 part cream). Ganache for chocolate truffles is typically refrigerated until chilled (this type of ganache will harden when chilled), rolled into balls, and then each truffle is rolled in a coating, such as cocoa powder or chopped nuts.
Ganache for Frosting for Cakes, Filling for Cakes, or Whipped Ganache Frosting
Use a 1:1 ratio of chocolate:cream (the same amount by weight of chocolate and cream). At room temperature, ganache made at this ratio will thicken to the consistency of spreadable frosting. It can be used as filling or frosting for cake, or it can be whipped with a handheld electric mixer until light and fluffy. Once it’s light and fluffy, it can be piped on to cakes or cupcakes, or eaten as mousse. Once it’s chilled in the fridge, this type of ganache will harden.
Ganache for Glaze or Chocolate Fondue
Use a 1:2 ratio of chocolate:cream (1 part chocolate to 2 parts cream). Ganache made using this ratio of chocolate to cream works well as a glaze or fondue. It will thicken up a bit as it cools, but it won’t harden enough to be able to use it as frosting and it won’t set hard.
How Do You Make Ganache?
Chocolate ganache is very easy to make! Here are the steps:
- Chop the chocolate and place it in a glass or other non-reactive bowl.
- Heat the cream in a saucepan over medium-low heat on the stovetop until steaming and starting to bubble along the outside.
- Carefully pour the cream onto the chocolate and let the chocolate melt (don’t stir yet).
- Once the chocolate is melted, gently stir the chocolate and cream until smooth.
- Depending on what you’re doing with the ganache and what ratio of chocolate to cream you used, you may need to let the ganache cool to room temperature or refrigerate to chill before using.
Does Chocolate Ganache Harden?
Ganache with a 2:1 ratio of chocolate to cream will harden enough to scoop and roll into chocolate truffles when refrigerated.
Chocolate ganache made using a 1:1 ratio of chocolate to cream will thicken up to a spreadable consistency when cooled to room temperature, and it will harden when refrigerated.
If made with a 1:2 ratio of chocolate to cream will thicken as it cools, but it won’t harden enough to set.
How Long Does it Take for Ganache to Set?
Ganache typically takes about an hour to set in the fridge.
What if My Ganache is Too Thin?
To fix a ganache that’s too thin for what you want to use it for, melt your ganache in a double boiler (or a microwave) with more chocolate until it reaches your desired consistency.
More Fudgy Chocolate Brownie Recipes:
- Secretly Healthy Fudgy Chocolate Sweet Potato Brownies (Paleo)
- Best Fudgy Cocoa Brownies
- The Best Fudgy Low Carb Brownies
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Fudgy Guinness Brownies with Dark Chocolate Ganache Recipe
Ingredients
Brownies:
- 3/4 cup Guinness stout
- 10 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
- 3/4 cup honey
- 4 tablespoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- 3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons unsweetened natural cocoa powder not Dutch-processed
- 1/4 teaspoon + 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
Ganache:
- 3 1/2 oz 80 to 85% dark chocolate chopped
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon honey
Instructions
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For the brownies, preheat the oven to 325F; line an 8 by 8-inch baking dish with 2 pieces of parchment paper so that it hangs over all 4 sides.
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Add the stout to a small saucepan over medium-high heat; cook until it’s reduced to about 1/3 cup. Beat together the butter, honey, sugar, reduced stout, vanilla, and eggs. Sift in the cocoa powder, salt, and flour, and stir to combine.
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Pour the batter into the prepared dish and bake until set along the outside, but a wooden pick inserted into the center comes out moist with a bit of batter, about 25 to 30 minutes. Cool to room temperature before topping with the ganache.
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For the ganache, melt the chocolate, heavy cream, butter, and honey together in a double boiler or microwave and stir together until smooth. Let the ganache cool to room temperature, and then refrigerate briefly to chill (just until it’s spreadable like frosting).
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Spread the ganache onto the cooled brownies and let it set before cutting and serving.
Disclosure: This post contains Amazon affiliate links to products I believe in, which means that even though it doesn’t cost you anything extra, I will receive a small amount of money from the sale of these items. Thank you for helping to support An Edible Mosaic!
I’m Faith Gorsky, the writer, cook, and photographer behind An Edible Mosaic. My goal is to inspire you to get in the kitchen and try something new! Feel free to 
Thank you for sharing such a mouth-watering recipe. This looks so tasty and eagerly waiting for more such recipes.
Beautiful, beautiful creation !