Can we handle this right now? Here goes nothing!
I’ve always made brownies 1 of 3 ways:
- With cocoa powder
- With pure chocolate
- With both
Any of the above supply the decadent chocolate flavor as tasted in recipes like my homemade brownies, chewy fudgy frosted brownies, and mint chocolate chip cheesecake brownies. But there’s another big time chocolate player in town. It’s that wonderfully creamy, fabulously thick magic we all know as Nutella.
Today’s Nutella brownies come from my dear friend Shelly. Shelly is the brains behind Cookies & Cups, a blog focusing on what we all know and love: eating dessert first. Her cookbook, The Cookies & Cups Cookbook, is just the same—and home to 125 exclusive recipes, each with a photo. Shelly’s style of baking and cooking is quick and fuss-free and the cookbook is filled with irresistible breakfast recipes, simple family favorite dinners, and over the top desserts like S’mores Fudge Bars and Toffee Banana Cream Pie. Somehow Shelly always knows what you’re in the mood for. And you’ll LOVE it.
Shelly was kind enough to let me share a recipe with you and the moment I flipped to page 108, I was sold. And, at that very same moment staring at those little chocolate hazelnut gems, I somehow had a chocolate craving the size of Texas.
Houston, we have no problem.
(Those are swirls of Nutella on top!! Consider these the brownie version of my Nutella swirl cheesecake bars.)
About these brownies: I was so intrigued that Shelly didn’t add any chocolate or cocoa powder to the brownie batter and that all of the chocolate flavor comes from Nutella. Just like my Nutella crinkle cookies, each brownie has this incredibly concentrated and sweet chocolate hazelnut flavor. It’s all you taste! Always a fan of a little sweet and salty, I topped the brownies with sea salt. I have a feeling this brownie batter would make an unbelievable brownie pie, too. (Just swap out that brownie filling for this one!)
Another aspect I loved about the Nutella brownies is that they’re prepared in just 1 bowl, so clean up is a breeze.
You haven’t had a brownie like this. Nutella brownies are yours for the taking!
Try my coconut cheesecake brownies for another fun take on classic brownies! Or if you’re a Nutella lover, put this Nutella swirl pound cake on your to-bake list.
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Nutella Brownies
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 36 minutes
- Total Time: 3 hours, 45 minutes (includes cooling)
- Yield: 12 brownies
- Category: Brownies
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
Completely outrageous Nutella brownies!! They’re rich, fudgy, chewy, dense, and perfect!
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup (5 Tablespoons; 71g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1/2 cup (100g) packed light brown sugar
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 and 1/4 cups (370g) Nutella, divided
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup (94g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- optional: 3/4 cup (135g) semi-sweet chocolate chips; a sprinkle of sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line the bottom and sides of an 8-inch square baking pan or 9-inch square baking pan with aluminum foil or parchment, leaving an overhang on all sides to easily lift the brownies out of the pan when cool. (If using a 9-inch pan, the bake time will be a few minutes less.) Set aside.
- With a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on high speed in a large bowl until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute. Add the brown sugar and beat on high speed for 1-2 minutes until creamed. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl as needed. With the mixer running on low speed, add the eggs and vanilla extract. Beat on medium-high speed until combined, then beat in 1 cup Nutella and salt. Mix until smooth and fluffy. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl as needed. With the mixer running on low speed, add the flour, mixing just until combined. Do not overmix. If using chocolate chips, gently fold them in.
- Pour the batter into prepared baking pan. Drop teaspoonfuls of the remaining 1/4 cup Nutella on top. Using a knife, swirl the Nutella into the batter. Top with a sprinkle of sea salt.
- Bake the brownies for 32-36 minutes. Keep your eye on them and test with a toothpick to determine doneness. If the toothpick comes out with only a couple moist crumbs, the brownies are done. The brownies may take a few minutes longer; all ovens vary. Mine took 36 minutes.
- Allow the brownies to cool completely in the pan set on a wire rack. Once cool, lift the foil out of the pan using the overhang on the sides and cut into squares. You can top each with more sea salt if desired. Store in an airtight container at room temperature or in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. They won’t last that long!
Notes
- Freezing Instructions: For longer storage, freeze the brownies for up to 2-3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator then bring to room temperature before serving.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): 8-inch Square Baking Pan or 9-inch Square Baking Pan | Parchment Paper | Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Cooling Rack
- Recipe from The Cookies & Cups Cookbook with permission from author & publisher.
Reader Comments and Reviews
And the quest for the perfect brownie is finally over! Thanks Sally!
Seriously the best brownies I have ever made and I have been making brownies for a long time. I have a lot of really good brownie recipes. I may throw them all away. I love the texture and I love the height… no sunken thin brownie here. The crowd went wild… people were having 2-3 brownies each! I doubled the recipe and baked in a 9×13 pan, which was perfect.
I was craving brownies last night but didn’t have any chocolate (other than chocolate chips and cocoa powder) on hand, and was not going to go to the grocery in a downpour just for that, so I was thrilled to find this recipe – because the one thing I did have was Nutella. They turned out great! Loved that it was a one-bowl recipe for my late night baking and I was impressed by how much they tasted like traditional brownies, i.e. not overly “Nutella-ish” or hazelnutty. The flavor came through, but it wasn’t overpowering. Someone who doesn’t love Nutella would love these brownies. I call that a win! Thanks for sharing!
AMAZINGGGGGG thanks
Hi Sally,
Instead of using butter can I use coconut oil?
I don’t recommend it– butter is best in this brownie recipe.
Hi Sally,
I made these for my Nutella-loving husband for Father’s Day, and they were a huge hit. I doubled the recipe and baked in a 9×13 pan. They took ~40 min in the oven, but I think I could have underbaked them a bit for a gooier texture.
Is there any way I could hand mix these if I don’t have a mixer?
With some elbow grease, absolutely!
Wonderful recipe, whole family loves them and theyre a big hit with my friends! Thank you!!
Delicious! I made it for xmas dinner. My guests loved it(duh).
Baking time was way off for me though. At 35 min, when I shook the pan lightly, it would giggle like a molten batter. So at the end, one hr turned out to be perfect with fudgt center!! Thanks!
Made these last night and they were perfect! The Nutella really comes through and provides great texture without being too rich. Thanks for sharing!
I’ve made these several times now. I substitute with gluten free oat flour as my husband has celiac. They are fantastic. My whole family loves them. Thank you for your naturally gluten free dessert recipes, apple crisp and almond butter cookies. They are some of our favorite recipes.
Hi Sally, I am wondering if I can use dark brown sugar instead? what is the difference?
You sure can! Dark brown has a little more molasses in it, so it’s darker and richer in flavor. The two can be used interchangeably in most recipes.
I just made these with the Reese peanut butter and chocolate spread instead of Nutella, and they were amazing!
YUM, found this recipe about 2 weeks ago as I had a jar of nutella no one was eating ….New family favorite and has resulted in bulk buying of Nutella and many batches of brownies!
My husband and son can’t wait for them to cool so enjoy them still slightly warm topped with good quality vanilla ice cream.
Thank you for sharing the recipe!
I made these and got mind blown. They were absolutely irresistable! Thank you so much for such a fantastic recipe. It is truly a keeper.
This is quite literally the best recipe ever, thank you!
These are the best brownies ever! I made them for my Nutella-loving brother and ended up eating half the batch myself! The brownies look so good and taste so delicious that it’s hard to believe they’re homemade! Thanks a ton for the wonderful recipe.
Hi Sally! I can’t wait to make these! Are the brownies more cake-like or dense? If they are cake-like, what adjustments can I make for the brownies turn out dense?
They are very dense!
HUGE hit at the workplace!!! Can’t thank you enough Sally…..Mmmmmmmuah!!!
My daughter and I made these using one 13oz jar of nutella and the brownies came great. Ours baked for 35 minutes. Next time I might bake it a little less. The brownies were soft and moist but I was hoping for a more gooey center. Great recipe! Thanks!
I don’t usually leave comments but this recipe called for it – it’s totally amazing. Made it for a joint birthday/housewarming shindig on the weekend, made it again yesterday to take on holiday with the in laws. It’s downright amazing and so simple to bake. The richness of the Nutella broken by the sea salt is just heaven. They disappear so quickly!
Wonderful! Enjoyed these very much!
Hi Sally, I just made these brownies and they are delicious. Rich and moist and gooey. But I’ve got a question. Mine sunk in the middle, and idk why. Maybe I shouldn’t have beaten the mix that much?? Or is it something else?
Also, another question. I bought an individual brownie tray and I don’t know how much time they need to bake!
Thank youuuu. I love your recipes. 🙂
Sounds like they were underbaked. That’s usually the case when baked goods, especially brownies, sink. Easy fix for next time!
I can’t be 100% certain about the individual brownie tray– is it a tray that holds 12 brownies, 1/4 cup batter each? I’d say maybe about 20 minutes.
Hi Sally. The brownies were devoured in less than half an hour. My granddaughter now wants a nutella cake (so do I). I saw in one of your replies that the recipe can be doubled. I’m thinking about using two 8 in cake pans. Do you think this I’ll wind-up with a cake? Thank you.
It will be a brownie-like cake, so very very dense. But delicious as you can imagine! I think it will work just fine, though I would use 9-inch cake pans so the brownie layers are a little thinner and easier to layer. (If you plan to layer!)
These are the best brownies I have ever eaten and will be my go-to dessert from now on! I used whole wheat flour, added the chocolate chips, accidentally slightly burnt them, which gave it an amazing caramelized touch, and added fleur de sel once they were out of the oven but still warm. Everyone who tried these said they were the best brownies ever-and then ate another one! Pairs nicely with a good Bordeaux!
I have made these twice since you published this recipe!! They are delicious and so easy to make! Everyone loves them 🙂
Made these last night, so simple to make, and so delicious! My family isn’t even really into brownies, but they loved these!
Hi Sally,
I don’t own an 8 or 9-inch baking pan. Do you think it would be fine to double the recipe and use a 13×9 inch baking pan, but only filling the 13×9 inch up maybe 1/2 – 3/4 the way up if there’s more batter than I need?
Thanks!
Yep you can absolutely make a larger batch that way. I’m unsure of the exact bake time.
I made these brownies almost immediately after reading this post and they were AMAZING!!! So easy to whip up and so fudgy and chewy. I have plans to make them again for a friend who is a brownie conosour. This may be my new favorite brownie recipe, edging out Ina’s Outrageous Brownies because these are easier to make by far! Keep the delicious recipes coming Sally!!!