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Flavorful Beer and Pretzel Chocolate Brownies with Easy Homemade Stout Ganache

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Rich and moist brownies infused with stout beer and crunchy pretzels, topped with a creamy, glossy stout ganache. A perfect balance of sweet, salty, and bitter flavors for a crowd-pleasing dessert.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 cup (225g) unsalted butter, melted
  • 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
  • 1 cup (220g) packed light brown sugar
  • 4 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 cup (85g) unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup (125g) all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup (120ml) stout beer (Guinness or any robust stout)
  • 1 cup (120g) pretzels, roughly chopped
  • 1 cup (240ml) heavy cream
  • 8 oz (225g) dark chocolate, chopped (70% cocoa recommended)
  • 1/4 cup (60ml) stout beer
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened
  • Pinch of salt

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 9×9-inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on two sides.
  2. Melt the butter gently and transfer to a large bowl to cool slightly (about 5 minutes).
  3. Add granulated sugar and brown sugar to the melted butter and whisk until combined. Whisk in eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in vanilla extract.
  4. In a separate bowl, sift together cocoa powder, flour, and salt.
  5. Gradually fold the dry ingredients into the wet batter, alternating with the stout beer, starting and ending with dry ingredients. Stir until just combined.
  6. Fold in the chopped pretzels gently to distribute evenly.
  7. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly. Tap the pan gently to release air bubbles.
  8. Bake for 30-35 minutes. Check at 30 minutes with a toothpick; it should come out with a few moist crumbs but no wet batter.
  9. Cool completely in the pan on a wire rack, about 1 hour.
  10. To prepare the stout ganache, heat heavy cream in a saucepan over medium heat until just simmering. Remove from heat and pour over chopped dark chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Let sit for 2 minutes, then stir until smooth.
  11. Stir in stout beer, softened butter, and a pinch of salt until glossy and smooth. Warm gently if ganache firms up before spreading.
  12. Spread ganache evenly over cooled brownies. Let set at room temperature for about 30 minutes or refrigerate for quicker firming.
  13. Slice brownies using the parchment overhang to lift them out. Clean knife between cuts for clean edges.

Notes

[‘Use room temperature eggs for smoother batter.’, ‘Do not overmix after adding flour to avoid tough brownies.’, ‘Choose a stout beer with flavor you enjoy; sweeter stouts add caramel notes, dry stouts add bitterness.’, ‘Chop pretzels unevenly for texture contrast.’, ‘Watch baking time closely to avoid dry brownies.’, ‘Let ganache cool slightly before spreading to prevent soaking into brownies.’, ‘Sprinkle extra pretzel pieces on ganache before it sets for added crunch.’, ‘Ganache-topped brownies keep better when chilled; bring to room temperature before serving.’, ‘For dairy-free, substitute butter with coconut oil, eggs with flax eggs, and heavy cream with coconut cream.’]

Nutrition

Keywords: brownies, stout beer, pretzels, chocolate, ganache, dessert, easy recipe, crowd-pleaser, fudgy brownies, homemade ganache

Find it online: https://cooksyla.com/flavorful-beer-and-pretzel-chocolate-brownies-recipe-easy-homemade-stout-ganache/