Guinness Brownies with Vanilla Bean Cream Cheese Frosting

Intensely rich and fudgy Guinness brownies with vanilla bean cream cheese frosting are easy to make with just one bowl. They're the perfect  St. Patrick's Day dessert, or a fun treat for any beer lover! 

I'm not a huge fan of beer, but when St. Patrick's Day rolls around, I can get behind some good ol' Guinness beer. Especially when it's used to make a festive dessert! Beer in dessert? It may sound strange, but I promise these Guinness brownies topped with vanilla bean cream cheese frosting are to DIE for!

Why You'll Love These Guinness Brownies

Honestly I never thought I would enjoy a brownie made with beer, but these super delicious, fudgy Guinness brownies have turned me into a believer. The stout Guinness beer with notes of coffee and a balance of bitter and sweet really intensifies the rich chocolate flavor in these brownies. Use unsweetened chocolate gives them a dense, chewy texture and a not-too-sweet flavor that is perfect when topped with a rich, creamy frosting speckled with vanilla beans. And it's all made in just one bowl! Just a couple of bites of these rich, intense brownies will definitely leave you satisfied!

The Ingredients

• Unsweetened dark chocolate (also called bittersweet chocolate)
• Brown sugar
• Oil - I like to use avocado oil. Canola or vegetable oil will also work.
• Eggs
• Vanilla
• Guinness Stout beer - the one labeled Guinness draught
• Unsweetened cocoa powder
• Flour - either all purpose or whole wheat pastry flour
• Salt
• Cream cheese - I use neaufchatel style cream cheese
• Butter
• Powdered sugar
• Vanilla bean or vanilla bean paste - I love vanilla bean paste because you don't have to mess with splitting a vanilla bean and scraping out the seeds!

How To Make Them

Make the Guinness Brownies

1. Melt the chopped chocolate in a large microwave safe bowl by microwaving in 30-second intervals until smooth.
2. Whisk in the brown sugar, oil, vanilla and Guinness.
3. Add the eggs and whisk well.
4. Add the cocoa powder, flour and salt and whisk until well blended.
5. Pour into an 8 or 9 inch square baking dish that has been lined with parchment or lightly greased. Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes or until the center is just set. Cool completely before frosting.

Make The Vanilla Bean Cream Cheese Frosting

1. Add the softened cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar and vanilla beans to a large bowl. I use the same bowl I used for the brownies after washing.
2. Beat with a hand mixer (or use your stand mixer) until smooth and fluffy. I like to stir the powdered sugar in with a spoon or spatula first to prevent a cloud of powdered sugar from covering the kitchen. Add a splash of milk if necessary to get a good spreading consistency.
3. Frost the cooled brownies. Cut into squares.

Tips and Ingredient Substitutions

• A metal pan works best for brownies as ceramic doesn't bake as evenly.
• If your oven tends to run cool, you may need to add a couple of minutes to the baking time.
• Make sure your cream cheese and butter are soft before making the frosting. If they aren't soft, you're much more likely to make a huge mess and it will be difficult to get smooth.
• To get vanilla bean seeds out, use a sharp, fine knife to cut the pod in half. Then use the tip of the knife to scrape the seeds out directly into the bowl with the frosting ingredients!
• The frosting can be made up to 3 days in advance and stored in the refrigerator.
• If you don't have Guinness, you can use use coffee. They obviously won't be Guinness brownies, but they're still delicious! The flavor will be a little more bitter and the texture more dense.
• The intensity of the brownies is offset by the sweetness in the frosting, so don't skip it!

More Delicious Brownie Recipes

• Fudgy Salted Olive Oil Brownies
• Triple Chocolate Brownie Cookies
• Peanut Butter Cup Brownie Bites
• Healthy Brownie Batter Dessert Dip

If you made this recipe, please leave a star rating in the comments!

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