Ina Garten’s 1 Secret Brownie Ingredient Will Change How You Bake Forever

Similar to how everyone has their own definition of the best chocolate chip cookie recipe, most dessert fans have strong feelings about what qualifies as the “perfect” brownie. Cakey or fudgy? Nuts or none? Made with cocoa or melted chocolate? 

No brownie recipe I’ve found has been able to top my Mom’s signature recipe, which she’s been making for more than 55 years. But that doesn’t mean I’m not willing to entertain other options to see if there just might be another brownie recipe that can top it.

Ina Garten’s Outrageous Brownies came extremely close to being as epic as Mom’s, which inspired me to dive deeper into the archives to see if Barefoot Contessa had any other brilliant brownie recipes. Tucked away in Barefoot Contessa Foolproof and Make It Ahead, I found Ina’s formulas for Skillet Brownies and Salted Caramel Brownies. While each of these three chocolate desserts vary in terms of mix-ins and baking pans, they share one unexpected secret ingredient that can be used to amplify the flavor in any brownie recipe; be it cakey, fudgy, pecan-studded, or cocoa-based. It can even be used to level-up Mom’s rendition. (Shh…this can be our little secret that I’m tinkering with her recipe!)

The 1 Secret Ingredient in All of Ina Garten’s Best Brownie Recipes

The incognito addition is the same flourish that Ina uses in her iconic Beatty’s Chocolate Cake: a mug of coffee. But all three of Ina Garten’s best brownie recipes use a type of java that packs even more flavor than a cup of joe. For the best brownies ever, add 1 ½ tablespoons of instant coffee granules per 12 servings, Ina suggests. 

If you’re not fond of coffee, don’t click away quite yet. (I never drink it either!) Adding instant coffee to chocolate dessert recipes won’t make your treats taste like a mocha. Instead, the bitterness of the beans beautifully balances the sweet sugar. The finished product tastes even more chocolatey and robust, with a pleasant roasty quality. 

There are three common ways bakers infuse coffee essence into their baked goods: brewed coffee or espresso, instant coffee granules, or espresso powder. Opt for brewed coffee and the water included tends to dilute the flavor and affect the moisture level in baked goods. This is no problem if your recipe has been created with that extra H2O in mind, but the brilliance of using powder is that you can add a spoonful or two to any chocolate recipe—brownies, cakes, muffins, cookies, and even frosting—and it won’t affect the chemistry or composition of the treat. It will simply step in as the best supporting actor role, shining a spotlight on the star: the chocolate.

Since espresso powder is made with darkly-roasted, higher-quality beans that are dried in a more intense fashion than instant coffee granules, they are even more concentrated in flavor. So if you’d like to try Ina Garten’s best brownie recipe trick and take it to the next level, our Test Kitchen pros suggest using 1 teaspoon espresso powder per 12 servings.

After giving this brownie hack a try with my family heirloom recipe, I realized that the search can stop here. I’ve found my ultimate brownie recipe; courtesy of Mom with an energetic assist from Ina Garten. Featuring the squidgy texture I’ve grown to love, and with chocolate flavor that feels like it has the volume turned all the way up, these brownies are certain to cure even the most serious of chocolate cravings.

While the instant coffee or espresso introduction doesn’t alter the consistency at all, it somehow made the brownies seem even more fudgy and decadent than ever before. Now the only thing missing is a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top. (And maybe a hug from Mom.)