Red Wine Brownies Recipe | DessArts (2024)

FAQs

Which wine goes best with brownies? ›

One of our go-to chocolate-heavy desserts is brownies! When pairing brownies with wine, I recommend sticking to dry red wines like Merlot or even a Cabernet Sauvignon. Dry red wines will accentuate the chocolatey flavors and withstand their sweetness.

So, if the brownies call for 3 tablespoons of water, use 3 tablespoons of wine instead. It's important to note that not all the alcohol in red wine will burn off during cooking. The length of time you cook your brownies, as well as the size of the pan, play a role in how much alcohol evaporates.

To make for Cabernet Sauvignon shine in a dessert pairing, go for any dessert with very dark chocolate. The bitterness of dark chocolate harmonizes with Cabernet Sauvignon's intensity. Flourless dark chocolate cake, fancy dark chocolate truffles, or even a simple dark chocolate mousse are all fantastic dessert options.

Crushed potato chips, pretzels, and salted nuts stirred in or sprinkled on before baking can add textural interest, plus a little savoriness that can make the rich chocolate flavor more pronounced. A shower of sea salt or flaky salt like Maldon over baked brownies before slicing makes for a dramatic, sparkly finish.

The beauty of pairing and tasting chocolate is in the discoveries you'll make along the way. Dark chocolate pairs well with full-bodied red wines: such as a Cabernet Sauvignon, which highlight the fruity and peppery notes in the chocolate, or a Zinfandel, which brings out the chocolate's spicy subtleties.

Pinot Grigio, Pinot Gris, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Blanc, and dry sparkling wines labeled "brut" are especially good choices. Fuller whites with strong, oaky flavors, like some Chardonnays, don't work as well for cooking because they are lower in acidity and don't provide as much punch as the crisper wines.

If you opt to add more eggs, say double the amount, something interesting happens. Even though you are adding more moisture, the air bubbles that you catch in the extra eggs add volume, which decreases the density of your final product. This makes your brownies rise and gives them a much more cake-like texture.

The science: Alcohol does partially evaporate during cooking, but not as much as you might think. Depending on the cooking method and how much alcohol is used, anywhere from 4 to 85 percent of the alcohol may remain. After 15 minutes of cooking, about 40 percent of the alcohol remains.

Add nuts – Add a handful of finely chopped pecans or walnuts if you love brownies with nuts. Add mix ins – Jazz up a basic brownie mix with chopped mini peanut butter cups, white chocolate chunks, or your favorite chopped up candy bar. Add a swirl – Swirl in spoonfuls of peanut butter or Nutella before baking.

Dessert wines are typically sweeter and have a higher sugar content than other types of wine. They also often have a higher alcohol content. They usually range from 12% to 16% but Port wines can be up to around 20%. Dessert wines can be white, red, or rosé, and they are typically served chilled.

Do you refrigerate red dessert wine? ›

Ideally, your dessert wine should be in the fridge and chilled down to 5-8°C (41–47°F) before serving. Although this can vary depending on personal preference. Domestic fridges tend to run a little colder than wine fridges, so try not to leave your dessert wine in there for too long.

As a general rule of thumb, Pinot Noir pairs best with milk chocolate and Sherry with dark chocolate. If you're looking to get more creative and drink your way through that classic box of variety chocolates, keep our chocolate and wine guide handy.

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.

Swirl It Up!

Think Nutella, peanut butter, caramel, cream cheese, or some combination of all four. Add a few dollops of your favorite spread on top of the prepared brownie batter, and use a knife to create a marbled effect before baking.

Rich brownies go well with coffee or caramel porters, or a creamy milk stout. You could also opt for a dark beer with a hint of smoke or heat to complement fudgy chocolate brownies.

Fresh and effervescent, white wines classically pair best with white and milk chocolate. Yet there's always room for experimenting. Sauvignon Blanc can be an ideal match for rich, creamy, and buttery chocolate. It refreshes the palate and provides some relief to the creaminess.

As a general rule of thumb, Pinot Noir pairs best with milk chocolate and Sherry with dark chocolate. If you're looking to get more creative and drink your way through that classic box of variety chocolates, keep our chocolate and wine guide handy.

In general, lighter dessert wines such as Sauternes, Riesling and Moscato work best with lighter chocolate desserts, and richer ones such as Tokaji and fortified wines with darker, denser ones.