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
SO. GOOD. Crispy on the outside, nice and moist on the inside, just the way brownies should be. Great recipe!
Hello! These look amazing. I was just curious – if I wanted to make these in a 13×9 pan, should I just double the recipe and increase cook time?
Thank you!
Laura
Hi Laura! Yes, you can double this recipe for a 9×13 inch pan. We are unsure of the exact bake time.
This is the only brownies recipe I can use. My nephew loves these so much that I usually have to make two batches. I followed the recipe as written with the exception of adding roasted, chopped pecans to it. Absolute perfection as long as you don’t overbake.
Best Recipe EVER!
SOOOOOO GOOD!
Thank you!!!!
🙂
These are great ! Made them a few times now including two batches today ,
I was going to post a pic but couldn’t work it out .
Thanks Sally love all your recipes
Followed this recipe exactly and baked in an 8×8 inch square pan for 34 mins. Perfection. Chewy, decadent, complete Nutella awesomeness. Sprinkled brownies sparingly with Maldon flaked sea salt prior to baking and those pieces really popped in flavor! I can’t recommend this recipe enough! Easy to bake; crowd pleaser over and over! THANK YOU AGAIN, Sally!!!!
Could I omit the 1/2 teaspoon of salt if I use salted butter?
Hi Katherine! We would cut the salt down to 1/4 tsp is using salted butter.
Hi Sally,
Ur recipes are always delicious and perfect. I’m a little confused about sea salt in the recipie. If I omit salt will it effect the taste?
Hi Afshaan, the 1/2 teaspoon of salt in the actual batter is necessary, but the sea salt topping on the finished brownie is optional. Hope this helps!
Very good recipe. I followed it exactly (minus the chocolate chips). I’d recommend adding chopped hazelnuts to the batter to give more hazelnut flavor. Note to new bakers, if you beat the egg and sugar longer you’ll end up with a shiny top layer. I would make this recipe again.
Came out delicious!
good
Hi Sally! Would it be possible to make these in advance? Perhaps I could make the batter and keep it in the fridge for 2-3 days before baking? Also – would it be possible to bake these in a 9″ cake round pan rather than a square one? Thank you and can’t wait to make!
Hi Madison, we usually don’t recommend making batter ahead of time and storing in the fridge. What you could do is get all of your dry ingredients together and cover/seal them tightly, then add your wet ingredients when you’re ready to make them. A 9 inch round pan should be fine — bake time will be a little longer as the brownies will be thicker. Enjoy!
Wow these brownies are sinfully delicious & the best part is the strong flavour of Nutella. Most recipes available online have a lot of chocolate & cocoa in them hence the flavour of Nutella doesn’t pop out. I didn’t have chocolate chips hence added some chopped milk chocolate & they were too yum. Just have a small doubt regarding the bake mode, what setting do you recommend for baking brownies? As in only bottom rod or bottom rod with fan or both the rods? As some say using fan makes the brownies dry.
Hi Sarah! We recommend using conventional settings (not the fan) for baking. We’re so glad you loved these brownies!
Hi sally! I only have a 7 inch square baking dish. Is this okay to use and how long do you think I should be baking them for?
These were gobbled up! A very easy and successful recipe. Thank you!
Family enjoyed these, but I was excited about them because they were Nutella brownies, and I feel like the Nutella flavor was completely lost somehow. They just tasted like normal brownies to me. Maybe because I put in the chocolate chips as an option? Oh well!
If I wanted to make 24 brownies, could I just double the recipe? Or do I have to make 2 separate batches
Hi Michelle, You can double the recipe!
Hi Sally,
If we double the recipe then what size of pan should be used?
I made these today and can’t believe I waited so long to try them. My adult children walked in as they were coming out of the oven and could not wait for them to cool. They are wonderful! Excellent flavor, moist and easy. I baked for 32 minutes and they were perfect.
Great flavor, and easy. So much better than a box mix or cocoa. I put a Texas pecan half on top of each brownie (guessed at location). Nuthin’ better than brownies with chocolate chips AND pecans with a littli salty taste added. WOW! Now, where in blazes did they go?
G. Foster
So glad you loved them, Glenn!
Could you give us the replacement for eggs pls
Hi Vandana, we have not tested this recipe with any egg replacements. If you’re interested, here are all of our naturally egg-free recipes.
Could I use Hershey’s Chocolate Coca for the chocolate chips?
Made then today, very tasty, but the whole thing could make only 6 pieces.
No they are not extra thick about 1cm thick.
Did I do anything wrong?
Hi Maddy, these brownies are very dense, but if you found them to be way too dense without much rise, it’s possible they just needed another minute or two in the oven. The yield depends on how big or small you cut the pieces — we typically cut out 12 pieces from a 9 inch or 8 inch square baking pan. They’re very rich so we find the smaller size to be perfect!
AMAZING! BEST BROWNIES I HAVE EVER HAD!!!!!!
I love your recipes. Complete Noob in baking I started last month for the first time ever and 2 banana bread, 1 applesauce cake and 1 Ice lemon pound cake and then today this Nutella Brownie – am a BIG fan. Everything comes out perfect and I follow every little thing you say. With some growing confidence, I made two small changes in this recipe – I browned and then chilled the butter ( like your brown butter pound cake) and I added a topping of salted caramel sauce post baking – Instead of pecans folded in, I put 12 halves of Walnuts equidistant on top of the Nutella layer before baking. Yummy!!
Can I use melted chocolate instead of Nutella? If so would the quantity remain the same. Thank you.
Hi Cini! Melted chocolate has different baking properties than Nutella and it wouldn’t be a 1:1 swap. You may enjoy these chewy fudgy homemade brownies instead!
These were SO good!!!! I’ve made so many different brownie recipes, but these were by FAR the best I’ve ever made. I feel like adding a little bit of espresso powder would make them better and also browning the butter, but they’re fine as they are.
thankyou so much they turned out too good ; )
They turned out a little more crumbly than I’m used to, but very tasty! I made these as compensation brownies for my roommate because my dog ate the Nutella brownies his grandma sent him. And what do you know, while this batch was cooling on the counter my darn dog jumped up at ate a third of them. *Sigh.*
FYI- Chocolate is toxic to dogs be careful.
They are not crumbly at all if you follow the recipe accurately as a matter of fact they are fudgy and delicious!
Hi Sally, how long do these last at room temperature can this recipe be used for shipping?
Hi Salma, these brownies are good at room temperature for about 3-4 days. You can certainly ship them. We recommend wrapping them individually and then stacking them in a well-padded box (see more on how to ship baked goods here). Enjoy!
What incredible brownies! They were polished off in just two days by just two people. Love your recipes and the tips help SO much. Thank you.
I made these as written and they were amazing!! Wonderful flavor. I would love to make it for a celiac friend though, and looking for a gluten free version– could I substitute almond flour for regular in this recipe?
Hi NS! No we don’t suggest making that swap. Almond flour has very different baking properties than all-purpose and would require additional testing. For best taste and texture (and so you don’t waste your time trying to adapt this recipe since it may not work properly), it may be more useful to find a recipe that is specifically formulated for almond flour.
Thomas Keller (of the French Laundry) has a line of gluten free flours called Cup4Cup which is readily available and you can substitute it in place of any normal flour. I’ve noticed it works great in other dessert recipes I’ve tried.