Red Wine Brownies with Ganache

Red Wine Brownies with Ganache are an adult brownie fit for Valentine’s Day or any special occasion.

Wine in a Brownie?

Chocolate and red wine are a great combination so why not use them together in a dessert. I added a red wine reduction to both the brownie base and the ganache, for an unexpected, acidic, fruity punch of flavor.

These brownies might sound fancy, but they’re really easy to make. I just cooked down some red wine on the stove up, and added it to my regular fudgy brownie base.

You’re loved ones will assume you went through so much more trouble than you actually did!

Do you add straight red wine to these brownies?

No. To achieve a more concentrated flavor of red wine without watering down my brownies, I boiled down one cup of red wine to ¼ cup. I used half the wine in the brownies and half in the ganache. If you’re not precise, it’s better to reduce the wine more than less.

The rest of the steps are pretty straight forward. I melt together the chocolate and butter. Then I sift together the dry ingredients. I whisk together the eggs and sugar, then add everything in that bowl, and combine.

I bake these in an 8×8 inch pan, top them with ganache and cut them into squares. It’s as simple as that.

What kind of red wine do you use for brownies?

For this particular batch, I used a chianti, which is a dry Italian wine. Use a red wine you enjoy drinking that doesn’t break the bank (under $20/bottle).

Something with fruity notes would work well, but I’ve also made this recipe several times with a tawny port wine, so this recipe can be a bit versatile.

Variations

1. Add semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chunks or chips to the batter.
2. Add dried cherries to the batter. Once the wine is reduced but still warm, add cherries to 2 tablespoons of the wine in a small pot and cover for 10-20 minutes to allow the cherries to soak up some of the wine and plump up.
3. Ditch the ganache to save time.
4. Serve warm with vanilla or cherry ice cream.

More Sweets and Treats

1. Extra Dark Chocolate Chunk Brownies with Tamarind Salted Caramel
2. Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
3. Brownies with Salted Brandy Ganache
4. Double Chocolate Chip Muffins
5. Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
6. Avocado Brownies
7. Chocolate Olive Oil Ice Cream
8. Milk Chocolate Brownies with Peanut Butter Ganache

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Red Wine Brownies with Ganache

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• Author: Sabrina Russo
• Total Time: 1 hour
• Yield: 16 brownies 1x

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Description

Red Wine Brownies with Ganache are great for Valentine’s Day or any special occasion. Reduced red wine adds an acidic, fruity punch to these fudgy brownies.

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

Brownies:

• 1 cup dry red wine (I used Chianti)* 
• 1 stick cold, unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch pieces
• 5 oz semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• ²/₃ cup all purpose flour
• 2 tbsp cocoa powder (preferably Dutch processed)
• 2 tsp instant espresso powder
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt (¼ tsp fine salt)
• 2 large eggs
• ¾ cup granulated sugar

Ganache:

• ½ cup heavy cream
• 6 oz semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
• Pinch of kosher salt
• 2 tbsp reduced wine

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Instructions

1. Prepare pan: Preheat oven to 350°F. Line an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper, overhanging on the sides so you can easily lift brownies from pan. 
2. Reduce wine: Add wine to a small pot. Bring to a boil and reduce down to ¼ cup volume, about 15 minutes. 
3. Melt chocolate and butter: While wine reduces, set up a double boiler. Place chocolate and butter in a heat proof bowl over a pot filled with 1 inch of simmering water, making sure bottom of bowl does not make contact with water. Stir chocolate and butter frequently as they melt, taking off heat as needed to prevent scorching chocolate. Remove from heat, stir in vanilla and let cool at room temperature.
4. Mix dry ingredients: Sift together flour, cocoa, espresso powder and salt in a small bowl.
5. Mix wet ingredients: Using a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or a handheld mixer, beat eggs and sugar together over high speed until pale and creamy, about 1 ½-2 minutes.
6. Mix wet and dry: Stir cooled chocolate mixture and 2 tablespoons of the reduced wine into egg mixture. Fold in dry ingredients until just combined. 
7. Bake: Pour batter into prepared pan and spread evenly. Bake about 25-30 minutes or until tester inserted into the center comes out mostly clean with a few moist crumbs attached. For less fudgy brownies, cook until tester comes out clean. For a fudgier result, underbake by a couple minutes (the batter should be slightly wet, but not liquidy).
8. Cool: Cool on wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove brownies from pan, lifting by parchment, and cool directly on rack until room temperature.
9. Make ganache:  Place chopped chocolate in a bowl. Bring cream to a simmer in a small pot over medium heat. Pour hot cream over chocolate. Allow to sit for about 5 minutes. Stir until smooth. Season with pinch of salt, and whisk in remaining 2 tablespoons of reduced wine.
10. Top and Serve: Remove parchment paper from cooled brownies. Spread over ganache. There may be extra ganache leftover depending on how thick of a layer you like.* Allow to set at room temperature. Cut into 16 squares. Enjoy.

Notes

Use you can any red wine you enjoy drinking. I prefer something medium to full bodied with fruity notes. I’ve also made this recipe with a tawny port wine in the past, which worked very well.

If you have extra ganache, store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a month. Heat in the microwave when ready to use. Serve over ice cream, pound cake, pancakes or cookies, for example. 

Store brownies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two days, or up to a week in the fridge.

You can also freeze the brownies for up to 3 months, and defrost them overnight in the fridge as needed. 

• Prep Time: 30 minutes
• Cook Time: 30 minutes
• Category: Dessert
• Method: Bake
• Cuisine: American

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1 brownie
• Calories: 230
• Sugar: 10g
• Sodium: 50mg
• Fat: 14g
• Saturated Fat: 8g
• Unsaturated Fat: 6g
• Trans Fat: 0g
• Carbohydrates: 26g
• Fiber: 2g
• Protein: 2g
• Cholesterol: 46mg

This post has been updated with a slightly altered recipe and new photos. For the cherry version of this recipe, please see notes under the heading “Variations.”