Did you know that you can bake with beer? Well, it’s true – and the results are often delicious as seen with this chocolate stout brownies recipe. They’re perfect for Saint Patrick’s Day!

In case you didn’t know, “The Andersons” are Irish. All you need to do is take one look at our freckly, pale faces, and our heritage is outed. It’s been that way ever since we were kids. People never looked at us and said, “Ohhhh – you cuties MUST be Norwegian!” Or, better yet, “You kiddos are the strapping vision of fine little Polish kids!” Nope – even though we are also Norwegian and Polish, we might as well not be, in terms of how we look.

It also doesn’t help that my siblings* and I look a lot alike. So much so, that if you’ve only met one of us, and bump into another one of us on the street, you’ll swear that you’ve met us before. So with our Irish heritage constantly dominating our lives, it’s no wonder that we adore Saint Patrick’s Day.

Each year, Daniele and I set aside a series of posts specifically about this fun-filled day, and this year is no different. Except, this year, I decided to focus on some beer-themed recipes instead of my traditional Irish cuisine. (Although, really? Beer and The Irish always go together, so it can’t get any more traditional than that, eh?)

A few days ago, I introduced you to my Great South Bay Snozberry Stout ice cream, but I forgot to tell you that Great South Bay only released Snozberry Stout in 22-ounce bottles. The ice cream recipe only needed 12-ounces, so what was an Irish Lass like myself supposed to do with the other 10-ounces? Obviously, I could have drunk it, but it was only 10 o’clock in the morning. Tossing it would have been blasphemy. So I decided to make this chocolate stout beer brownies recipe with it.

Why brownies? Well, they remind me of being a kid, at home, with my brother and sister, and I was feeling a bit nostalgic. But unlike the brownies that came out of Mom’s oven, these bad boys were going to be made with Snozberry Stout, a delicious milk stout from a local craft brewery.

For me, stouts don’t usually float my boat in terms of drinkability, but I do love chocolate stout beers for baking. Their dark coloring turns a lovely shade of mocha when added to other ingredients like cream, butter or flour – and the coffee undertones really meld nicely in a baked good. This milk stout is also a little on the thin side, which helped keep my wheat flour from getting too clunky in the batter.

In my attempt to make all of our meals and snacks healthier, I now use half wheat and half unbleached white flour whenever baking. But come on folks, they’re brownies – so they’re not really healthy, are they?

Chocolate Stout Brownies Recipe

Yield: 36 to 48 brownies, depending on cut size
*Modified from Guinness Stout Brownies by Peggy Trowbridge Filippone.

Stout Brownies Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup wheat flour
• 1/2 cup unbleached white flour
• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 6 Tablespoons butter, cut into cubes
• 3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
• 5 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, chopped
• 3/4 cup white chocolate chips
• 4 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 cup granulated white sugar
• 1 cup (8 ounces) Great South Bay Snozberry Stout (or any milk stout of your choosing)
• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Stout Brownies Directions:

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a 9 x 13-inch baking pan with nonstick foil.

Step 2: In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, and salt until evenly combined. Set aside.

Step 3: Melt butter, bittersweet chocolate, and white chocolate chips in a double-boiler over very low heat, stirring constantly until melted. Remove from heat.

Step 4: In a large mixing bowl, beat eggs and sugar on high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add melted chocolate mixture, beating until combined.

Step 5: Beat reserved flour mixture into the melted chocolate mixture. Whisk in milk stout beer by hand. The batter may seem a bit thin.

Step 6: Pour into prepared baking pan. Drop semisweet chocolate chips evenly on top of batter (some will sink in). Bake 25 to 30 minutes (oven temperatures vary) on center rack in the oven, until a toothpick inserted in the center, comes out clean. (Do not overcook or they will be dry.)

Step 7: Let brownies cool, uncovered, to room temperature.

Note: The stout should be at room temperature. Pour it early so the foam can settle. Do not include foam in the measurement. Either spoon off the foam or let it rest until the foam subsides.

Happy eating,

Denine

*I know we’ve mentioned it before, but there really is a 3rd Anderson sibling running around Long Island. He is the “Boy-Child” and thinks his sisters’ co-dependency issues are really weird.

Did you love this recipe for chocolate stout brownies? Make sure you check out some of our other Saint Patrick’s Day recipes before you go!

• Green and White Leprechaun Cookies
• Orange Currant Irish Soda Bread
• Chocolate Indulgence Cake
• Irish Beer Bread Recipe

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