Vietnamese Coffee Swirl Brownies
Cut this decadent, bold flavored brownie into smallish 2-inch (5cm) square pieces if you're serving them at a party. You could cut those squares into triangles to book fancy. This recipe has been adapted from Sheldon Simeon's book, Ohana Style (Ten Speed Press, 2026).
Servings: 12
Ingredients
- Cooking spray or neutral oil, for the pan
Condensed milk swirl
- ¼ cup | 60ml boiling water
- 1 teaspoon instant espresso powder
- 1 8 oz | 225g block cream cheese, at room temperature and very soft
- ¼ cup | 35g all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons sweetened condensed milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Brownie batter
- ¼ cup | 60ml boiling water
- 1 tablespoon instant espresso powder
- ½ cup | 40g Dutch-process dark cocoa powder
- 8 tablespoons 1 stick unsalted butter
- ½ cup | 100g granulated sugar
- ½ cup packed | 100g light or dark brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ½ cup | 71g all-purpose flour
Instructions
- Ready the oven and pan: Preheat the oven to 325°F with a rack in the middle position Coat an 8 × 8-inch baking pan with cooking spray or oil. Line the bottom and two sides with parchment paper with some paper extended over the edge for easy brownie removal.
- Make the condensed milk swirl: In a small bowl, whisk together the boiling water and instant espresso until dissolved. Stir in the cream cheese, flour, condensed milk, and vanilla, and continue stirring until a smooth batter forms.
- In a mug or cup, whisk together the boiling water and espresso powder until dissolved. Add the cocoa powder incrementally, stirring, until a thick paste with no lumps forms. Set aside.
- Make the brownie batter: In a microwave-safe medium bowl, microwave the butter on low power until completely melted and warm, but not hot. Scrape in the cocoa-espresso paste and whisk until combined and let cool to room temperature.
- Once the butter mixture has cooled, add both sugars, the eggs, and salt. Whisk until frothy. Add the flour incrementally, stirring, until the flour is incorporated and no dry streaks remain.
- Assemble and bake: Scrape about three-quarters of the batter into the baking pan and spread into an even layer. Dollop the condensed milk mixture all over the brownie batter. Finally, dollop the remaining brownie batter over the top. Drag the tip of a knife across the top to swirl the layers together, just enough to form a cool pattern but not so much that they mix together.
- Bake until the center is set, 25 to 30 minutes. If you are using a heavy metal pan, glass, or ceramic baking dish, bake for longer, checking every 3 to 5 minutes (see Note). The brownies will pull away from the edges of the pan and a toothpick inserted into the middle will come out slightly moist with just a few crumbs.
- Let the brownies cool completely in the pan on a wire rack before cutting and serving.
Notes
I used a heavy metal pan and baked for 35 minutes and my brownie was slightly under down in the center. I could have gone for 38 to 40 minutes. Remember to test the bake and be flexible!
