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 coconut cheesecake brownies for another fun take on classic brownies!
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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
I made these once and they were the best brownies I’ve ever had. I am about to make them again. I have a bag of hazelnuts and I’d love to add some. Should I mix them in with the chocolate chips or sprinkle on top?
Hi Cassie, you can mix them in with the chocolate chips. Enjoy!
These brownies melt in your mouth. Every time I take them to a gathering I am asked for the recipe! Do not overbake! All of Sally’s recipes are delicious.
These are the best brownies I have ever baked! I baked a double batch and the density, richness, and texture were perfect. Is there a chocolate brownie recipe that produces a similar brownie?
Hi Lisa, we’re so glad you enjoyed them! Here are our chewy fudgy brownies. We hope you love them just as much!
Replace the 1/4 cup Nutella with Peanut butter. It looks better and provides some flavor contrast as opposed to putting chocolate-hazelnut on top of more chocolate-hazelnut.
Ooh, I will try that next time!
Your food is so good. You also combine all mixing steps into a single step in all of your recipes, which is infuriating (I choose that word because it is the accurate one) because a 12-line-paragraph step is impossible to remember while your hands are covered in eggy dough. Thanks for the great baking tips and the amazing food. I would really love to hear feedback on this comment because I think it is an important one for inexperienced bakers.
These are fantastic and I make them quite often. Has anyone made with gluten free flour substitute? I world like to make for a friend who can’t have gluten
We haven’t tried this recipe with any alternate flours. You might have the most luck with a 1:1 gluten-free all-purpose flour blend, but again, we haven’t tested it to know exact results. Let us know if you give anything a try!
In case anyone sees this, they are amazing with the 1:1 flour sub. In fact, my celiac friend said these were the best brownies she has ever had.
I have used King Arthur’s 1:1 GF flour and they’re as good as using regular AP. I use the GF when there’s someone in the group that needs it and everyone loves it and say they’re the best.
I made these with almond flour and they came out great!
This is the best tasting Nutella Brownies I have ever had. It was easy to make.
These are our go to brownies. Kids & adults love!! I am about to quadruple the recipe for my nephew’s party. Any tips? I’m nervous!
These are gorgeous, but I’m struggling with cooking times. Is the temperature you have suggested for a fan assisted oven?
Hi Catherine! All our recipes are written for conventional (not convection) settings. Are your brownies taking quite a bit longer to bake? We always recommend using an in-oven thermometer so you know the exact temp of your oven – most ovens are a bit off one way or the other!
Not a fan. I found them too cakey and dry. I prefer a chewy brownie. I usually love all your recipes.
Hi Wendy, we’re so sorry to hear that. These brownies should be quite chewy, so perhaps they were overbaked a bit of they came out on the cakey/dry side? If you do try them again, try reducing the bake time by just a few minutes and that should help.
With brownies you can’t be afraid to underbake them. I pulled mine out while the top of the batter in the very center still had slight moisture to it. As you let them cool in the pan, they continue to cook. My mother always eats brownies 10 minutes after they come out of the oven and it has been a chore to explain that this is why her brownies are overbaked: they spend too long cooking in the oven and not long enough cooking outside the oven as they cool.
Hi, loving your recipes. I sprinkled the top with halloween themed sprinkles- can’t wait to try these later! I am sure they will be terrific.
Good morning, I have been meaning to ask this question for a long time. What kind of salt is best for baking?
Hi Linda, we use regular table salt in all of our recipes unless otherwise noted (like the coarse sea salt used on top of these brownies).
What is the substitute for eggs? We are vegetarians. So can’t use eggs. But I want to try your recipe. So please, let me know about egg substitute for this brownies.
Hi Pratima, we haven’t tested this recipe with any egg substitutes, but let us know if you do any experimenting.
I needed some baking inspiration and asked my husband what he wanted for dessert. He said brownies so I turned to Sally for something different – wow! As always, you provided another amazing recipe that goes straight into my baking binder. Thank you!
This recipe is super easy to make but…the complaint was that it was too salty. I would like to say don’t sprinkle even sparingly the sea salt on top just add the amount which is incorporated into the mixture.
Also it took 40+ minutes to bake in my electric oven.
This recipe is super easy to make but…the complaint was that it was too salty. I would like to say don’t sprinkle even sparingly the sea salt on top just add the amount which is incorporated into the mixture.
Great recipe, and so easy to make. Can the extra nutella that is swirled on the top just be folded into the batter instead? Would I need to add extra flour? Love your site. <3
Hi Rose, since there is already Nutella in the batter, we’d recommend keeping the added 1/4 cup as swirls on top. If you do try adding more directly to the batter, yes, you’ll have to tinker with the dry ingredients as well. So glad you enjoy these!
Thank you for your wonderful recipes and videos. This was a big hit, but I was wondering whether it would be a good idea to add Frangelico and maybe some toasted hazelnuts and if so, in what quantities.
Hi Sue, You can definitely swap some hazelnuts for the chocolate chips. We haven’t tried these with Frangelico, but let us know if you do!
I wasn’t sure how much additional liquid I could add without affecting the texture and cooking time. Do I need to adjust the amounts of the other ingredients?
Hi Sue, without testing it ourselves it’s hard to determine exact quantities, but yes, you’ll likely need to adjust dry ingredients a bit to compensate for the additional liquid added. Let us know how it goes!
Hi Sally. What can I use if I don’t have parchment paper?
Hi Diana, foil will work, or you can spray the pan very well with cooking spray.
Thanks! Will the cooking times be different if I use foil? Do I need to grease it with oil and flour?
Hi Diana, same bake time, and no need to spray if using foil. Hope you enjoy the brownies!
Butter, cooking spray, Crisco, literally any neutral-tasting fat that is either solid at room temp or has a high enough viscosity to keep the sides of the pan lubricated and not run down the sides at room temp. This is also true for anything you bake, ever.
I made this recipe for years and it’s a staple in my kitchen. recently i have been playing around with it and they are to die for. I brown the butter then let it rest and add a shot of espresso. they are gone in a matter of minutes. Perfection in a bite.
Hey, thinking about making these today! I want to get into browning butter so can you explain the edited process? Do you mix everything else first and then add browned butter?
This helped me make the best brownies ever! Definitely highly recommend!!!
OMG! Fabulous! I’m a gonner on these Nutella Brownies. So easy & so delectable.
Thanks again, Sally!
What should be substitute of eggs in this recipe? I want to try this but I am pure vegetarian.
Hi Pratima, we haven’t tested this recipe with any egg substitutes, but let us know if you do. Or, here are all of our egg-free recipes if you’re interested in browsing.
This recipe is amazing! I was wondering if you had any advice if I tried to make this but put the batter into bake proof bowls for a more individual serving type! Would the baking time change?
Hi Mihaku, you could definitely make these brownies in individual serving bowls. We’re unsure of the exact bake time, since it will vary based on the exact size of your bowls, so keep a close eye on them and use a toothpick to test for doneness.
Could I use gluten free plain flour instead of the all purpose?
Hi Damaris, we haven’t tried this recipe with any alternate flours. You might have the most luck with a 1:1 gluten-free all-purpose flour blend, but again, we haven’t tested it to know exact results. Let us know if you give anything a try!
I made these with 1:1 GF flour for a friend with celiac disease today. They were fudgy and delicious. No one would know they were GF.
Thank you! I was scrolling the comments for this. I am going to try them with gluten free baking flour today!
I had 2 jars of nutella that was going to expire, so put that in my Pinterest search. Just the first few recipes that came up, I knew I was going to make yours as other of your recipes that I have made were spot on. So having 2 jars, I doubled it into a 9×13 and increased the baking time. My girlfriends at the pool party LOVED them! This recipe is a keeper! Thanks!
Amazing recipe. I’ve made this multiple times for my coworkers it’s a HUGE HIT!!
Hi, if I split the recipe in half, would the total baking time change?
Hi Cristabel, you could halve the recipe and bake it in a 8×4 or 9×4 loaf pan. We haven’t tested this, but the bake time would be similar, a little shorter. We don’t recommend halving the recipe and baking it in the same pan, as they would be quite thin.
Yum! These are so good!
These are so good. The taste and texture are divine