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 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 peanut butter cup crunch brownies and coconut cheesecake brownies for more fun takes on classic brownies!
PrintNutella 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.
Made these over the weekend..so good!! I used spelt flour instead of AP and I added 1/2 teaspoon of espresso powder to heighten the chocolate flavor. This is a keeper!!
Hi these have turned out very well each time I make it …but mine are a little excessively chewy… Any way to prevent that ?
Hi Rill, these are certainly chewy brownies, but you can try baking them for slightly longer next time if desired. Feel free to tent the edges of the pan to prevent the edges from browning too much. Let us know what you try!
Can these be done in mini muffin tins?
Hi Paulina, definitely. Same oven temperature and much shorter bake time. Maybe around 10-11 minutes or so, give or take — keep a close eye on them!
The last time I made this my family had a party… thanks for the amazing recipe!
These are the best Brownies I have ever made…. and I have made them 2 more times since. I added the chocolate chips and sea salt and it is just amazing! I used a 8×8 pan I cooked for 30 mins and they come out perfect every single time …. THANK YOU for sharing 🙂
I used a 9×9 baking pan and baked it for 25min, it came out perfect! Soft and fudgy on the inside and flaky crisp on the outside. I also cut down the sugar by 50% and it was just right for me! I will definitely make these again.
Excellent
Delicious recipe!! I made them as brownie bites (stuffed with pretzels!) in a mini cupcake pan, made 24 total. They were finished in about 20-25min. I used Liz Marek’s goop recipe and they slid right out!
OH MY. These are amazing. In my grocery pickup the other week I accidentally was given 3 bags of someone else’s groceries. Among other things was an enormous jar of Nutella. Not a typical purchase for me, but it gave me an excuse to make these for my sweetie for Valentine’s Day. These are off the charts good, and other than Nutella don’t require any out-of-the-ordinary ingredients, which I love. Mine were perfect at 32 minutes, and we ate huge pieces warm from the oven. The only change I made was using a few toffee bits instead of chocolate chips because I didn’t quite have enough mini-chips. SO GOOD.
Thankyou so much for this recipe, it was delicious. My family and I really enjoyed eating them and it was quick and easy to make.
A perfect brownie, in every way. I’m popular today for having made them for the family!
Followed the recipe exactly (except the sea salt which I didn’t have!) ABSOLUTELY delicious!! Great recipe, thanks!
Oh my! These are amazing! Truly delicious!
Thank you Sally for sharing your recipes! I’m a newbie at baking but I could never go wrong as I follow your recipes. I had made my first ever brownie using this recipe and everyone loved it. Thanks a million, Sally!
These were absolutely perfect. I have never found a brownie I liked until this recipe. My husband loves brownies, and we were gifted a giant tub of Nutella, so I figured I’d give it a go. This recipe was gold! I genuinely thought this was the best brownie ever. I will definitely make it again. The only slight change I made was to add a few more shakes of the salt shaker in the batter itself, and therefore I forewent the sea salt on top (I’m not a big fan of chunk salt on my sweets). Another homerun recipe for Sally’s Baking Addiction. Thanks!
These came out perfect! I added a whole lot of cherries (from a jar) and a tiny bit of baking powder, just because of the weight of the cherries. Best brownies I ever made! And I just wanted to get rid of that old jar of Nutella!
Yet another fantastic recipe from you Sally! My kids can’t devouring them!! Your recipes have never ever failed. Thank you so much for sharing your perfect recipes ❤️
I was looking for something fairly easy to make for dessert and Nutella was on sale so I searched online for a recipe and found this one. They were a big hit! I rewarmed them on low in the toaster oven while we ate dinner, then served warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Everyone raved about them. Instead of lining the pan with parchment paper, I greased it with coconut oil. I did not include the chocolate chips as there were kids eating and I was afraid the extra chocolate would add caffeine and keep them up at night.
Could I use salted butter instead of unsalted? Will it make a difference?
Hi Kaity, If using salted butter you can try cutting the added salt in half to 1/4 tsp. Happy baking!
Sally,
I am excited by this recipe and love your blog. It is often my go-to to check if there is a recipe available for something I have dreamed up.
I’m thinking of incorporating sweet potato into this. You think 1/3 the sugar and 1/4 less nutella for 1 cup of sweet potato or will that be too dense?
All the best!
Hi Jennie, We have never tested this recipe with sweet potato. Let us know if try it!
Sally I love all of your recipes!! I made these once and they were great, I used the salt but not the chips. Hold onto your hat because this second time I used 1/2 the chips and instead of swirling in the 1/4 cup of Nutella I used cookie butter…..OMG!!!!!
These brownies were SO. AMAZING! But, would it still be as good if I switch out the all-purpose flour with a gluten-free alternative?
Delicious recipe! I made brownie bites (baked for about 12 minutes). Turned out well!
Hi Sally, is it okay to substitute the brown sugar with white sugar?
Yes, you can replace the brown sugar with the same amount of white granulated sugar.
Wow! These were out of this world! I don’t care for sweets -even brownies- but for some reason I just felt like making them! I had no chocolate, only Nutella (and flake sea salt). Well, I won’t bore you with the details, but I am DEFINITELY a brownie person now! I will be making these again soon, AND OFTEN!
P.S. My 50’s oven took 42 min, as reference for others.
Indulgent, luxurious and absolutely delicious brownies.
Probably one of the best brownies I have ever baked! Thank you for the recipe!
They are very naughty but worth every gram of sugar and nutella!
Hi Sally! Lovely recipe, I have made these twice now and they taste THE BEST. Mine sink in the middle though, like the edges remain risen but the middle kinda goes whoop! They aren’t under done, I’ve tried baking longer too. Why do you think that might be happening?
Hi Irsa! It’s completely normal. Brownies are super dense and the entire center will sink down since it’s so heavy. Same with cookie bars!
These were amazing! Perfectly gooey, sweet, and salty! Every single recipe I try from Sally is wonderful!
Thank you for such a incredible yummy dessert, also so easy to make 🙂
Making these for the second time. Hands down best brownie recipe ever! We baked it for 30 minutes as we love ours a little bit underdone.