Coffee Toffee Brownie Brittle Recipe

Corner slice or middle piece, nuts or no nuts, cakey or fudgy — there are so many ways to enjoy a classic brownie, so let's highlight one more: brownie brittle. If you haven't tried it yet, brownie brittle is a crispy, crunchy, flattened brownie. It has all the flavor of the classic dessert, but none of the height. This recipe for coffee toffee brownie brittle takes the flavor to another level, with the addition of espresso powder, a chocolate drizzle, and toffee pieces. 

Recipe developer Kate Shungu says, "Fans of a corner piece of brownie especially will adore this thin, crispy brownie brittle. I love how the espresso powder brings out the flavor of the chocolate even more." Shungu also notes that using an offset spatula to spread the brittle super thin is a secret weapon in this recipe, so if you have such a kitchen tool available, now's the time to put it to good use.

While this brownie brittle recipe highlights the flavor of classic chocolate, coffee, and toffee specifically, there's always room for customization. Once you master the original recipe, there's no stopping you from incorporating M&Ms, crushed Oreos, or whatever your heart desires.

Coffee toffee brownie brittle starts with a classic brownie base: chocolate chips, butter, sugar, and vanilla. Just the whites of the eggs keep the moisture to a minimum (since we want the brittle to be crispy), and a little baking soda gives the brittle a lighter texture. Flour, cocoa powder, and salt round out the dry ingredients, along with espresso powder. Chopped toffee bits go both inside and on top of the brittle. 

Preheat the oven to 350 F.

Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.

Place the butter and ½ cup chocolate chips in a small bowl. Microwave in 20-second intervals, stirring after each interval, until the chocolate chips are melted.

Let cool slightly, then whisk in the egg whites, sugar, and vanilla.

In a large bowl, whisk together the cocoa powder, flour, espresso powder, baking soda, and salt.

Pour the chocolate/sugar mixture into the dry ingredients. Fold with a spatula until just combined.

Stir in ⅓ cup of the toffee bits.

Pour the brownie batter onto the parchment paper and spread until as thin as the toffee bits will allow.

Bake for 15 to 17 minutes, or until the brownie brittle no longer looks wet.

Remove from the oven and use a pizza cutter to cut shapes into the brittle. Let cool completely.

Break the brittle along the lines you made with the pizza cutter.

In a microwave safe bowl, melt the remaining ½ cup chocolate chips in the microwave in 20-second intervals.

Pour the melted chocolate into a resealable plastic sandwich bag and snip a small hole in the corner.

Drizzle the chocolate over the brownie brittle, then sprinkle the remaining toffee bits on top. Refrigerate for 20 minutes, or until the chocolate is firm.

Serve right away or store in an airtight container.

Brittle, by definition, means "delicate and easily broken, so needless to say, these are not ultra-thin chewy brownies. Instead, they are crisp and crunchy, and indeed, could break easily. There are a few techniques to ensure that the brittle turns out perfectly crispy. 

First, we'll use only egg whites in the batter, no yolks. The egg whites make the brittle light and airy (yolks would make the recipe chewy and fudgy). Next, we'll spread the brownie batter super thin — as thin as it can go, in fact. The pieces of toffee mixed into the brittle are a very good measure of success: The batter should be as thin as the toffee pieces themselves. An offset spatula is the easiest tool for this job, or a butter knife is another option. Keep spreading the batter until it won't spread any more. 

Finally, the brittle should not look wet at all when you remove it from the oven. It'll still be a little soft, and will continue to crisp as it cools. Since it's still soft post-baking, that's when we'll run a pizza cutter through it to make the shapes. This ensures that the brittle won't crumble all over when breaking it apart. 

The inspiration for the coffee part of coffee toffee brownie brittle comes from a staple of modern day cooking, Ina Garten. While Garten adds instant coffee granules to her brownies, we'll use espresso powder for this brittle recipe. Either one is a great choice, as they add a depth of flavor and really help the chocolate pop.

You may have seen tasting notes of a bag of coffee, descriptors often describing chocolate notes as well as fruity or possibly nutty ones. Chocolate has many of the same tasting notes, often described as fruity or nutty, so we're effectively layering similar flavors on top of each other, so the coffee works to enhance the flavor of the chocolate.

Shungu notes that she chose espresso powder for this recipe because it doesn't have to be mixed with much liquid to dissolve. Since this batter is on the drier side, espresso powder is the best choice to get incorporated fully without trying to dissolve the larger chunks of instant coffee granules that Ina uses.