Miso Brownies

These miso brownies are incredibly fudgy with a paper-thin crackly layer on top. They're rich with dark chocolate and a subtle savoury flavour of white miso. It's the perfect balance for the perfect brownies!

Jump to:

• Why you'll love this recipe
• Tools
• Ingredients
• How to make miso brownies
• Storage
• Freezing
• Tips for success
• Frequently asked questions
• More brownie recipes to try
• Recipe

These brown butter miso brownies are some of the fudgiest brownies I've ever made. They're elevated from classic brownies by using browned butter, espresso powder, and miso paste. The result is a unique flavour profile that's subtle but so delicious.

Ever since adding white miso paste to my baked goods like my Miso Caramel Stuffed Cookies and Peanut Butter Miso Cookies, I've been hooked and trying to use it in more desserts. I used it in place of salt in this brownie recipe.

Miso paste doesn't have a very prominent flavour in desserts when you just use a little bit but it does add a certain richness that I love. You wouldn't even know it's there! I hope you give it a try!

Why you'll love this recipe

• These miso brownies are super fudgy and rich! They're everything you would want in a brownie.
• It's a great way to use up leftover miso paste and add a subtle savoury flavour to brownies.
• I give you all my tips to achieve a paper-thin shiny, crinkly top layer on top of brownies.
• This is an easy and straightforward brownie recipe that doesn't require any chilling.

Tools

• 9x9" square pan - This recipe is scaled for a 9x9" pan. You can also use a smaller 8x8" pan with no adjustments to the recipe.
• Small pan - You'll need a small pan to brown the butter on the stovetop. A light-coloured pan is ideal for browning butter because you can see the change in colour easily but any kind of pan works.
• Electric hand mixer - You'll need a hand mixer to beat the egg mixture since we're beating it for 5 full minutes to get that crackly layer on top of the brownies. A hand mixer makes this process super easy. You can still use a manual whisk but you'll just have to put in more manual work (your arm might get a little sore!).

Ingredients

• Unsalted butter - You'll be browning the butter until it becomes caramelized and fragrant. Browned butter adds a little extra something to the flavour and works well in these brownies!
• Dark chocolate - Use 70% dark chocolate or even stronger to balance out the sweetness of these brownies. Finely chop the chocolate so that it melts easily and evenly.
• Cocoa powder - I always use natural cocoa powder (the most common kind) but you can also use Dutch-processed cocoa powder for very dark, almost black brownies.
• Espresso powder - Espresso powder enhances the flavour of chocolate. I recommend adding it to most chocolate recipes!
• Eggs - Your eggs should be at room temperature. Beating the eggs with the sugars for a long time is key to getting that crackly layer on top of brownies.
• Granulated sugar
• Brown sugar
• White miso paste - Use white miso paste for its light salty and savoury taste that won't overwhelm the flavour of the chocolate or the brownies. We'll be using this in place of salt in the recipe. You can find miso paste in most Asian grocery stores in the chilled section.
• All-purpose flour

How to make miso brownies

Prepare chocolate mixture - In a medium bowl, stir together chopped chocolate, cocoa powder, and espresso powder. Set aside.

Brown the butter - In a small saucepan, heat butter until melted and the white milk solids separate out. Continue heating it on medium heat, stirring often, until the mixture bubbles, the milk solids turn brown, and it smells nutty.

Melt chocolate - Pour the hot browned butter (you'll end up with about 125g) into the bowl of chocolate. Stir until the chocolate has melted and the mixture is smooth and shiny. Set aside.

Prep - Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a 9x9" pan with parchment paper. Leave parchment paper overhangs on the edges to be able to remove the brownies from the pan later. Use metal binder clips to secure the paper to the pan. Set aside.

Whip egg mixture - In a large mixing bowl, add the eggs, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and miso paste. Use an electric hand mixer to beat this mixture on med-high speed for at least 5 minutes until it becomes thick and pale in colour.

Pour in chocolate mixture - With the mixer on low, stream in the melted chocolate mixture. Mix until combined.

Mix in flour - Finally, add the flour and fold it into the batter with a spatula until just combined.

Fill pan - Transfer the brownie batter to your lined pan. Use a spatula to push the batter into the corners and edges of the pan and smooth it into a flat layer.

Bake - Bake for about 23-25 minutes until the top is shiny and it barely jiggles when you shake the pan. Let the brownies cool in the pan for about 15 minutes before lifting the whole sheet out to cool on a wire rack. Slice the brownies into squares before serving.

Storage

These miso brownies can be stored in an airtight container or wrapped in plastic wrap at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Freezing

Leftover brownies can be frozen by placing them in an airtight container or wrapping them in plastic wrap and freezing for up to 1 month.

Thaw in the fridge overnight or at room temperature for several hours.

Tips for success

Browning butter:

• Stir the butter often to ensure it browns evenly.
• Watch the butter very closely after the milk solids sink to the bottom of the pan. The browning happens very quickly after this point! We want browned butter, not burnt butter.
• Water in the butter will evaporate during the browning process. Different kinds of butter and even batches of the same butter will have a different water content so you may end up with more or less browned butter each time. In the end, you want to use about 125g of brown butter in the recipe. If you have less than that, melt a bit of extra butter into the browned butter to make up the missing amount.

Achieving shiny and crackly tops:

• Aerating the egg and sugar mixture is key to crackly tops. In other words, whip it very well! I recommend beating it for a full 5 minutes. You can beat it for up to 8-10 minutes for fluffier brownies.
• While the brownies bake, the dissolved sugar makes its way to the surface and creates the glossy top that we're after.
• If you live in a humid climate or if your oven is humid, the crinkly top may not turn out as well.

Frequently asked questions

More brownie recipes to try

• Banana Peanut Butter Brownies
• Creme Egg Brownies

Recipe