Love coffee and chocolate but hate seeing good grounds go to waste? These coffee-ground brownies are perfect for you.

They turn the grounds left over from your morning brew into a rich, fudgy traybake, so nothing goes to waste and you get a proper chocolate treat out of it.

You can add a little fresh coffee for even more of that speciality-coffee influence, but used grounds do an excellent job on their own.

Just keep them in an airtight container in the fridge until you’re ready to bake.

So roll up your sleeves, grab the ingredients below, and get ready to make something delicious to go with your next coffee.

This recipe makes 12 brownies.

Key takeaways

• Coffee-ground brownies use leftover (used) coffee grounds, so they’re a tasty way to cut down on waste.
• The recipe makes 12 fudgy brownies and takes around 45 minutes start to finish.
• Used grounds add a gentle coffee flavour and a subtle texture. Add fresh grounds too if you want a stronger coffee kick.
• Store the brownies in an airtight container for up to five days, or freeze them for up to three months.
• Used grounds keep a little caffeine, so these are a light lift rather than a strong hit. Use decaf grounds if you’d rather avoid it.

Why do coffee grounds work in brownies?

Coffee and dark chocolate are natural partners. Coffee deepens and lifts the flavour of chocolate, which is why a pinch of coffee turns up in so many chocolate bakes.

Using your leftover grounds is a clever shortcut to that flavour, and it means the grounds get a second life instead of heading straight to the bin.

The grounds also add a very fine, almost brownie-like texture that suits a fudgy bake. You’ll taste a mellow coffee note running through the chocolate rather than a sharp espresso hit, which is exactly what you want in a brownie.

Ingredients

• 350g caster sugar.
• 250g unsalted butter.
• 200g premium dark chocolate.
• 65g plain flour.
• 60g cocoa powder.
• 32g leftover coffee grounds (we recommend Zaroca).
• 4 large eggs.

Prep time: 15 minutes.

Cook time: 25 to 30 minutes.

Total time: around 45 minutes.

Makes: 12 brownies.

Method

Step 1

Preheat your oven to 180°C (160°C fan, or gas mark 4). While the oven heats up, line a medium-sized dish with baking paper.

Step 2

Melt the butter in a saucepan over a low heat. Once it’s melted, slowly mix in your chocolate. Take the pan off the heat as soon as all the chocolate has melted into a gooey mixture.

Step 3

Add the rest of your dry ingredients to a large bowl and mix in the eggs, one by one, until the batter is silky. Then slowly add your chocolate-and-butter mixture. A mixer comes in handy here, but if you don’t have one, just put some elbow grease into it.

Step 4

Pour your batter evenly into the baking dish and bake for 25 to 30 minutes. If you’re after even more of a coffee kick, sprinkle over some Bourbon Cream Espresso grounds before it goes in.

Step 5

Once it’s cool, move it onto a large chopping board and cut it into 12 equal squares. Enjoy.

Can you use used coffee grounds in brownies?

Yes, and that’s the whole point of this recipe. Used grounds still carry plenty of flavour, so they add a lovely mellow coffee note to the bake.

Save the grounds from your cafetière, filter machine, or espresso, and keep them in an airtight container in the fridge until you’re ready.

Give them a day or two at most, as they don’t keep for long once damp.

Fresh or used grounds: which should you use?

Used grounds are the sustainable choice and work brilliantly on their own. If you want a bolder, more pronounced coffee flavour, add a little fresh coffee alongside them, or sprinkle fresh grounds over the top before baking. It comes down to how strong you like your coffee flavour.

What coffee works best for coffee-ground brownies?

A rich, chocolatey coffee pairs naturally with a dark-chocolate brownie, which is why we suggest something like Bourbon Cream.

Anything with nutty or chocolatey notes will complement the bake beautifully. Brighter, fruitier coffees work too, but they give a more unusual result, so it’s worth tasting as you go.

Do coffee-ground brownies contain caffeine?

A little. Used grounds still hold a modest amount of caffeine, research puts spent grounds at roughly 3.6 to 8 milligrams per gram, which is far less than a fresh cup but not nothing.

Baking doesn’t get rid of it completely, since caffeine stands up well to oven temperatures. Spread across 12 brownies, that works out at a gentle lift rather than a strong hit.

If you’d rather skip the caffeine entirely, simply use grounds from a decaf coffee.

How do I store coffee-ground brownies?

Keep them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to five days.

They also freeze well, so you can wrap individual squares and freeze them for up to three months, then defrost at room temperature whenever a craving strikes.

FAQs

How many brownies does this recipe make?

It makes 12 squares. You can cut them smaller for a bigger batch of bite-sized pieces.

Can I make these brownies gluten-free?

Swap the plain flour for a gluten-free plain flour blend. The texture stays lovely and fudgy, and the coffee and chocolate flavours come through just the same.

Why put coffee in brownies?

Coffee intensifies the flavour of chocolate, making a chocolate bake taste richer and more rounded without adding an obvious coffee taste. Used grounds are an easy, low-waste way to get that effect.

What else can I do with used coffee grounds?

Plenty. Beyond baking, you can compost them, use them around certain plants, or scrub with them. We’ve got a whole guide to recycling coffee grounds if you want more ideas.

Fancy baking with something exceptional? Save 25% on your first two orders on a Pact subscription.