December 15, 2022

Baking with Beer – Koko Buni Cream Cheese Brownies

With the holidays right around the corner, we thought it’d be a perfect time to break out some beer baking recipes! Our seasonal Milk Porter, Koko Buni, immediately came to mind as the ideal complement to baked goods. It has all the elements to serve as an excellent pairing or ingredient to baked treats! It’s rich and decadent, roasty and balanced, plus it features ingredients like toasted coconut, local coffee, and artisanal cocoa nibs. Inspired by these delicious qualities, our Director of Strategy, Cole Nicholson, developed a recipe for Koko Buni Cream Cheese Brownies. Follow along with the full recipe below, and if you try it at home, be sure to tag us in your creations @creaturecomfortsbeer!

Koko Buni Cream Cheese Brownies

Koko Buni Syrup

Ingredients:

  • 12 oz of Creature Comforts Koko Buni Milk Porter
  • 1 ½ cups of granulated sugar

Directions:

  1. In a saucepan over medium heat, combine Koko Buni and sugar. Slowly stir until sugar is mostly combined. Bring to a gentle simmer.
  2. Continue to cook, skimming off foam that forms on the top, until reduced to a light syrup 35-45 minutes.
  3. Transfer syrup to a jar and cool.

Note: if you stick a spoon in your syrup, you should get a thin coating that sticks to the spoon.

Cheesecake Swirl

Ingredients:

  • 8 ounces of cream cheese softened to room temperature
  • ¼ cup sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

  1. Add softened cream cheese and sugar into a medium sized bowl. Mix thoroughly until well combined.
  2. Add egg and vanilla extract to cream cheese and sugar mixture. Stir together until fully combined and easily spreadable.

Brownie Batter

  • 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • 4 large eggs room temperature
  • 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
  • ½ packed brown sugar
  • ½ cup canola oil
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 8 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 8 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped or chips
  • ¼ cup cocoa powder

Note: You can also substitute with your favorite box brownie mix for a quick brownie base option!

  1. Preheat the oven to 350⁰ Grease a 9×12 baking pan and line with parchment paper.
  2. In a small bowl whisk together the flour, salt, and baking powder.
  3. In a large bowl whisk together the eggs, granulated and brown sugars, canola oil, and vanilla.
  4. Place the butter and chocolate in a small saucepan set over low heat and melt together, stirring frequently. Continue cooking until the mixture is smooth. Off the heat, add the cocoa powder to the chocolate and whisk until completely combined.
  5. Add the chocolate mixture to the sugar and egg mixture and whisk until smooth. Add the flour mixture and stir with a spatula until combined.
  6. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
  7. Dollop cheesecake swirl mixture in medium sized spots across the brownie batter. Take the Koko Buni Syrup and drizzle across the top of the cheesecake swirl spots.
  8. Take a butter knife and drag through the mixture to create ribbons of cheesecake and Koko Buni syrup across the batter. Bake 28 to 35 minutes.

Serve with your favorite scoop of ice cream and drizzle with extra Koko Buni syrup to taste.

Cheers!