drinking a glass of wine while eating a brownie is always a smart and delicious move in my opinion. these red wine brownies bring together two of my favorite things into one irresistibly decadent treat. dark, rich, super fudgy. they need time to fully set. dust them with a generous amount of cocoa powder for a beautiful flavor and texture contrast. the cocoa fully shows off all the lovely cracks in the crust, while leaving your fingers ever so slightly caked with flavor. they are a whole mood.
in a few words, these fudgy brownies are best described as
- rich
- full of chocolate flavor
- fudge like straight out of the oven, they need time to properly set
- decadent
- “crackle” tops dusted with cocoa powder
- a whole mood. seriously.
what ingredients do I need to make these red wine brownies?
- all purpose flour
- dutch process cocoa powder
- I love this brand and use it all the time in my baking
- instant espresso powder
- baking powder
- salt
- unsalted butter
- high quality chocolate bars, minimum 70%
- granulated sugar
- eggs
- red wine of choice
- use a good quality, low price kind you enjoy drinking on its own
what baking tools to I need to make these brownies?
- 8×8 (22cm) aluminum pan
- the baking times are written for this type of pan
- if using ceramic or glass, know that the baking times will shift slightly
- parchment paper
- to line the pan
- small pot with a larger bowl
- to create a double boiler
- for evenly melting and combining a few ingredients
- large bowl with whisk and spatula or spoon
- to mix the brownie batter in
- small mesh strainer
- to evenly dust the cocoa powder
does it matter what kind of chocolate I use?
the only thing that matters here is the quality. my favorite brands for chocolate, in order of availability:
- guittard, 64, 70% chocolate bars
- ghirardelli, 60, 70% chocolate bars
- valrhona chocolate, 66% chocolate bars
tips and tricks for the best brownies:
- read through the recipe before starting
- use room temperature ingredients
- use the best quality ingredients as possible
- with just a handful making up the brownies, quality shows through
- use brands you like
- baking the brownies
- look for the signs the brownie is done more than the time listed in the recipe
- start checking on the early side of the range
- check back every 5 minutes until the edges are set and the center is slightly under baked
- the brownies will finish setting while cooling in the hot pan
- dust the cooled brownies with more dutch process cocoa powder
- this helps to cut the richness of the brownie
- highlights the beautiful cracks and texture when cutting the brownies
- highly recommended for its rich, smooth chocolate flavor
- cutting the brownies
- these will be very fudgy
- they should be chilled to fully set before slicing
- use a long knife to slice across the entire brownie if possible
- wipe with a paper towel in-between cuts for the cleanest cut
more brownie recipes to try!
- maple brownies
- raspberry swirl cheesecake brownies
- no bake brownies (vegan)
- citrus olive oil brownies
- guinness brownies with frosting
- triple chocolate lavender brownies
- tahini swirl olive oil brownies
red wine brownies
these red wine brownies are intensely rich and fudge like. made with simple ingredients and a generous pour of red wine. they're finished with a dusting of cocoa powder. the perfect contrast to the richness of the brownie.
Equipment
- 8×8 (20cm) pan
- parchment paper
- small pot with slightly larger bowl to sit on top
- 2 medium or large mixing bowls
- whisk and flexible spatula or spoon
Ingredients
- 1 c (120g) all purpose flour
- 3/4 c (75g) dutch process cocoa powder
- 1 tsp espresso powder
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2/3 c (155g, 11 tbsp) unsalted butter
- 1 1/2 c (255 g) chopped chocolate 70% or higher
- 1 3/4 c (350g) granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 1/2 c (118ml) red wine of choice
- dutch process cocoa powder for dusting
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F (177C). Line a 8×8 (20cm) pan with parchment paper along the bottom and two sides, leaving a 1-2" overhang. Set aside.
- Place a small or medium pot filled with about 1" of water on the stove. Heat over medium heat to a gentle boil. Place a heat safe bowl on top of the pot, making sure the bottom of the bowl doesn't touch the water.
- While the water heats to a boil, whisk together the flour, dutch process cocoa powder, ground espresso powder, baking powder and salt.
- Once the water has reached a boil, place the chopped chocolate and butter into the heat safe bowl. Over medium high heat, allow the chocolate and butter begin to melt. Once each has started melting, stir to ensure even melting.
- When the chocolate and butter mixture have fully melted, remove from the heat and pour in the sugar. Stir well to fully combine the ingredients.
- Whisk in each egg until well combined.
- Whisk in the red wine. The batter should be smooth and glossy.
- With a flexible spatula or spoon, stir in the dry ingredients until JUST combined.
- Pour in the brownie batter into the prepared pan. Smooth the batter into the corners and across the top.
- Bake the brownies at 350F (177C) for 25-35 minutes. The edges should be set and slightly pulling away from the edges of the pan. The center will be barely set.
- Cool brownies in the pan on a cooling rack until fully cooled.
- Generously dust the completely cooled brownies with more dutch process cocoa powder.
did you make this recipe?tag @olivesnthyme on Instagram
These look AMAZING! Do you have any recommendations for making them vegan?
Hi Kristen, I haven’t tried making a batch of vegan brownies before. I did a quick search and I would swap the butter for vegan butter, the eggs for either flax seed “eggs” or aquafaba. If you try either of these, please let me know how they turn out!