Christmas Cooking With Beer – Festive Imperial Stout Brownies

Christmas Cooking With Beer – Festive Imperial Stout Brownies

|December 24th, 2025|

A rich chocolate brownie topped with scoops of vanilla ice cream, a chocolate drizzle, and a sprig of fresh mint.

Festive foods take on new meaning when made with serious beer, (especially over the Winter holidays), like these delicious brownie bites made with a smartly crafted Imperial Stout.

Although the recipe might benefit from any high-octane stout, we went with AleSmith Speedway Stout, a delicious 12% ABV imperial Stout with rich chocolate, dark fruit, toffee, and caramel notes.

And the stout’s healthy dose of locally-roasted coffee really adds to the brownie’s dark chocolate flavors.

So, let’s do this!

AleSmith Speedway Stout Brownies

16 oz Can of AleSmith Speedway StoutIngredients:

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter

8 oz dark chocolate (70% cocoa, chopped or chips)

1 cup granulated sugar

½ cup brown sugar (packed)

3 large eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup all-purpose flour

½ cup cocoa powder (unsweetened)

½ tsp salt

½ cup Imperial Stout (room temp, reduced to ~¼ cup for richer flavor)

Optional add-ins: 1 cup chocolate chunks, walnuts, or pecans

 

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and line a 9×9-inch baking pan with parchment.

Reduce the stout: In a small saucepan, simmer ½ cup of imperial stout until it reduces to about ¼ cup. Let cool. This intensifies the malty, chocolatey flavors.

Melt butter & chocolate: In a heatproof bowl set over simmering water (or microwave in short bursts), melt the butter and chocolate together. Stir until smooth, then let cool slightly.

Mix sugars & eggs: Whisk in the granulated and brown sugar until glossy. Add eggs one at a time, then stir in vanilla.

Add stout: Mix in the reduced stout until fully incorporated.

Dry ingredients: Sift in flour, cocoa powder, and salt. Fold gently until just combined (don’t overmix).

Optional mix-ins: Fold in nuts or extra chocolate chunks if using.

Bake: Pour batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake 28–32 minutes, until the center is just set (a toothpick should come out with a few moist crumbs).

Cool & cut: Let brownies cool in the pan before slicing into squares.

 

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