Vietnamese-Style Coffee Brownie Recipe • Recipe for Perfection (2024)

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By Katie Moseman 5 Comments

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Vietnamese-Style Coffee Brownie with Sweetened Condensed Milk Frosting

You can thank Anthony Bourdain for this.

After reading his excellent book, A Cook’s Tour: Global Adventures in Extreme CuisinesVietnamese-Style Coffee Brownie Recipe • Recipe for Perfection (2), I really, really wanted to try Vietnamese food. Luckily for me, a new Vietnamese restaurant had opened within driving distance and was getting great reviews. When I went there on a date with my husband, I think I ordered just about everything on the menu.

Thankfully, my husband is used to this.

Given that I never pass up dessert, at the end of the meal I ordered the flan and a glass of the Vietnamese-style iced coffee that Bourdain haddescribed so sensuously in his book. Swirled through with sweetened condensed milk, the coffee wasa joy to the eyes and the palate.

Ever since then, I’ve had the idea kicking around in the back of my head: “How can I get that flavor into a brownie?” Well, last week I started making attempts- and let me tell you, they weren’t all successes. First, I tried swirling together a coffee-flavored brownie batter and a sweetened condensed milk-flavored batter. The milk made it dense and cakey. Next, I tried a fudge brownie filled with a layer of coffee caramel and sweetened condensed milk. It looked neat with a contrast of drizzled milk on top, but it was so sweet and candy-textured that it made my teeth hurt. Plus, the sweetened condensed milk didn’t have the right flavor after being cooked.

After one cakey and one fudgy brownie attempt, I decided that the best texture for the brownie would befudgy and soft, yet not candy-like. An earlier experience with Alice Medrich’s Best Cocoa Brownies came to mind. I decided to tweak that recipe with coffee, and create a sweetened condensed milk frosting to go on top. If you’d like to learn more about how to brew your own Vietnamese-style coffee- perhaps to drink it with this brownie- thencheck out my tutorial on how to make Vietnamese coffee..

Vietnamese-Style Coffee Brownie Recipe

A coffee-flavored brownie with sweetened condensed milk frosting, reminiscent of Vietnamese-style coffee.

CourseDessert

CuisineVietnamese

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes

Total Time 40 minutes

Author Katie Moseman

Ingredients

  • 10TBof unsalted butter
  • 1 1/4cupssugar
  • 3/4cupplus 2 TB unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1/4tspsalt
  • 2TBof brewed medium to dark roast coffee
  • 1tspvanilla extract
  • 2cold large eggs
  • 1/2cupall-purpose flour
  • For the frosting:
  • 8TBunsalted buttersoftened
  • Pinch of salt
  • 1tspvanilla extract
  • 2cupspowdered sugarsifted
  • 2TBsweetened condensed milk

Instructions

  1. Put an oven rack in the lower third of the oven. Preheat to 325. Line an 8 inch square pan with parchment paper or foil.

  2. In the top of a double boiler, or in a heatproof bowl set in a skillet, combine butter, sugar, coffee, cocoa, and salt. Heat over barely simmering water, stirring occasionally, until mixture is melted and smooth. Remove from heat and let cool until warm, not hot.

  3. Stir in the vanilla. Add the eggs one at a time, stirring vigorously after each. When batter is well-blended, add the flour and stir until it disappears, then beat vigorously for 40 strokes. Spread evenly in pan.

  4. Bake about 25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center is moist with a little batter and crumbs. Let cool completely on a rack.

  5. For the frosting: Beat butter with mixer until fluffly. Beat in vanilla and salt. Beat in powdered sugar a little at a time until smooth. Beat in sweetened condensed milk. Taste frosting and adjust as necessary. Spread on completely cooled brownies.


Baking Notes:

I typically avoid the use of coffee as a flavoring in brownies. Some people feel that it boosts the chocolate flavor, but to me, it just tastes like you’ve added coffee to a brownie. So, in this case, in which coffee is a desired flavor, I’ve used a light touch of coffee. If you prefer a stronger flavor, you can substitute 1 1/2 teaspoons of instant espresso dissolved in an equal amount of hot water. This recipe works fine with either natural or Dutch-process cocoa.

Tasting Notes:

These coffee brownies are soft and fudgy without being too dense. In each bite, the subtle coffee flavor is gently enveloped by the light, milky taste of the frosting. The combination is rich: it requires only a small portion to feel completely satisfied.

Storage Notes:

If frosted, cover and refrigerate. Unfrosted brownies may be stored at room temperature, tightly wrapped.

VERDICT:

One of the richer brownie recipes I’ve yet tried. Frosting a brownie may be gilding the lily, but I like how the frosting adds to the unique character of this coffee brownie recipe.

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Vietnamese-Style Coffee Brownie Recipe • Recipe for Perfection (4)

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Comments

  1. Marye

    Nothing beats a great brownie! These look fantastic. I love that you made it taste like Vietnamese coffee!

    Reply

  2. Faith (An Edible Mosaic)

    I am a big fan of Vietnamese, Thai, and Korean coffee and I love how you found a way to re-work those flavors into brownies! Next time a brownie craving hits, this is on my list. 😉

    Reply

  3. Kacey @ The Cookie Writer

    These look soooo good! I wish I had some now! I will have to give this a try, it seems to be difficult finding a good brownie recipe.

    Reply

  4. Laura

    Yum! I pretty much only drink my coffee Vietnamese style, so I think these look awesome!

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Vietnamese-Style Coffee Brownie Recipe • Recipe for Perfection (2024)

FAQs

What is the ratio for Vietnamese coffee? ›

For Nguyen Coffee Supply phin filters, we recommend a fine grind size and a 2:1 ratio of water to coffee. For other phin filters, we recommend experimenting to dial in according to that specific filter.

Should I add instant coffee to brownie mix? ›

The first and easiest upgrade you can give to your boxed brownie mix is to add a tablespoon of instant coffee to the batter. Adding coffee to your brownies boosts their flavor because its bitter quality balances out sweetness, making it less overpowering. It allows that delicious chocolate flavor to really shine.

How to make Trung Nguyen Legend coffee? ›

Preparation Instruction: Empty Sachet in Cup. Add 75ml of hot water ( 80C to 100C ), Add Milk and Sugar or enjoy a cup of nice strong Black Coffee. Legend Trung Nguyen Special Edition Specialty Instant Vietnamese Premium Gourmet Coffee Made from the Best Milled Arabica Beans.

Can I add coffee instead of water to brownie mix? ›

Swapping out the ingredients is easy: match the amount of water to coffee, and match the amount of oil to butter. With coffee instead of water, the brownies will taste even more chocolatey as the coffee enhances the flavors of chocolate, while the butter will make the brownies much richer and fudgier than the oil will.

How much coffee do you put in brownie mix? ›

Almost all brownie mixes call for water, plus a handful of other ingredients. The trick: Replace the water with coffee. You don't need much, generally ¼ to ⅓ cup. We already know that adding espresso and coffee flavor to chocolate desserts supercharges chocolate flavor, and the same principle applies here.

How much coffee do you put in brownies? ›

Place 1 cup all-purpose flour, 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder, 2 tablespoons instant coffee or espresso powder, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, and 1/4 teaspoon baking powder in a small bowl and whisk to combine.

What happens if you use milk instead of water in brownie mix? ›

One change is to use milk or heavy cream instead of water. This change will make brownies more moist and gooey since milk is more fatty and flavorful than water. A second change is to use butter instead of oil. For similar reasons to using milk, butter adds a rich and more decadent quality to the batter.

What makes Vietnamese coffee so good? ›

The use of Robusta beans in Vietnamese coffee instead of Arabica gives it a higher caffeine content and a more intense flavor. These beans are typically roasted dark, which contributes to the strong taste. Additionally, the drip method used in Vietnam further enhances the richness and concentration of the final cup.

What is Vietnamese coffee with condensed milk called? ›

In the north of Vietnam, the mixture of black coffee and sweetened condensed milk is referred to as ca phe nau (brown coffee), while in the south it's called ca phe sua (milk coffee). While it is mostly served cold with ice, you can also order it hot.

What is the best coffee to use for Vietnamese coffee? ›

To get an authentic cup of coffee, you can use Robusta beans since it brews strong and bitter coffee but if you can't deal with the taste, then buy dark roasted Arabica beans here, you'd get similar results. This is the secret ingredient in Vietnamese coffee.

Is it better to use milk or water in brownie mix? ›

Use Milk Instead of Water

We've encountered mixes in which water is the only liquid. Replace it with a richer, more flavorful liquid, such as milk, buttermilk or coconut milk. The extra fat from the milk will turn a normal box of brownies into a moist and gooey treat.

Can I use almond milk instead of water in brownie mix? ›

Below is a simple brownie recipe that uses almond milk. If you use cake mix kits, you can simply replace the amount of water specified with almond milk for tastier results.

What can I add to brownie mix to make it better? ›

Vanilla extract – Pure vanilla extract adds rich flavor to brownies. Eggs – Most brownie mixes call for one whole egg. Adding one large egg plus an extra egg yolk gives brownies an ultra fudgy texture.

How much coffee do you put in a Vietnamese drip? ›

Fill chamber with about 2 tbsp of ground coffee. Give it a light shake to evenly distribute the grounds in the chamber. If included with your phin, set the filter press on top of the grounds. No need to press it down hard - as you add water, gravity will gently tamp down the coffee.

What is the perfect coffee ratio? ›

Buy dark-roasted coffee. And if you're looking for a more caffeinated cup, buy light-roasted beans. But either way, you should be brewing at a coffee to water ratio of 1:16. In the coffee world, more is more, but not the kind of more you actually want.

What is the standard coffee ratio? ›

Coffee-to-Water Ratio

A general guideline is called the "Golden Ratio" - one to two tablespoons of ground coffee for every six ounces of water.

What is the best coffee ratio? ›

Coffee's golden ratio is 1:18 (1 gram of coffee to every 18 grams of water). If you want a stronger cup, use a ratio of 1:15 or if you want a lighter cup, use 1:18. But somewhere between 15 to 18 grams of water to every gram of coffee is most common.

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