Nutella Brownies

These Nutella brownies are rich and delicious, not too sweet with a hint of hazelnut. Easy to make with just one bowl for lazy cooks who don’t like washing up!

Easy Nutella brownies recipe 

You can make these deliciously chocolatey Nutella brownies without the need to melt chocolate, whisk eggs or any of the usual cake-making fuss, making them a treat for the cook too.

See Also

• My original one bowl cocoa brownies
• Nutella fudge has just three ingredients and is so easy to make
• With a rich chocolate custard this Nutella Bread and butter pudding is so easy to make

Everyday baking should be easy, and brownies are a great example. Easy to make with minimal mess, they are tasty and satisfying and make you look generous, whether you are feeding your friends or contributing to the school bake sale.

This recipe is based on my popular one bowl cocoa brownies but with with a generous dash of Nutella added. I’ve reduced the sugar so they are not too sweet and added some extra flour to balance the texture of the batter.

Keep them simple or add in some extra chocolate and toasted hazelnuts for a special occasion. Either way, they’ll be coming back for more!

Small batch Nutella brownies

Many recipes for traybakes are designed for parties, or so it seems to me. I generally cook for smaller numbers.

This easy Nutella brownies recipe will neatly fill a regular 8″/20 cm square pan. This amounts to 12–16 servings that will store for up to a week.

That’s generally enough to serve a few guests but you can double the recipe for a bigger gathering or bake sale, using a standard 9″ x 13″ pan.

What are brownies?

An American favourite, chocolate or cocoa brownies have a soft fudgy consistency in the middle with papery crust. They are designed to be eaten with your fingers without too much mess.

Served warm from the oven, these Nutella brownies also make a delicious dessert. Just add ice cream and a drizzle of warm chocolate sauce.

Why you will love this Nutella brownies recipe

• Nutella brownies are so easy to make.

• Minimal equipment and next to no mess.

• One bowl, and no mixer!

• Brownies store well, so make them in advance.

• Scale the recipe for a bigger group.

Ingredients 

• Nutella – or your favourite chocolate hazelnut spread

• Butter – I use salted butter. If using unsalted, add a pinch of salt too, as it rounds out the flavour.

• Flour – I use plain with a pinch of baking powder but self-raising is fine if that’s what you prefer.

Pro Tip – Why Bake with Plain Flour?

I’m often asked why I bake with plain flour and add a raising agent rather than use self raising.

First – I don’t make recipes that would use self-raising that often, and the raising agent in the flour can go off. If you use a separate baking powder it is so much easier to check that it is still fresh.

Secondly – My kitchen is small! If I keep both types of flour, it takes up more space.

• Soft brown sugar – This has more flavour than white sugar and helps to create that lovely fudgy effect. You can either use light as I did, or dark for a more intense flavour.

• Egg – One large free range egg

• Cocoa powder – Regular supermarket brand cocoa powder is fine. Use whatever you have.

• Vanilla extract – Vanilla extract is natural vanilla while vanilla essence is generally synthetic. I like vanilla paste which contains the seeds from the vanilla pod but you can use a liquid extract instead. Different brands vary in strength so get to know what you have and use it cautiously. As always, you can add but not take away.

• Baking powder – If you don’t bake that often or if your powder is past its expiry date, check your baking powder is fresh. It is usually just fine for months, even years after the expiry, but check before you bake.

• Optional extras – chocolate chips / hazelnuts – This Nutella brownies recipe doesn’t need anything else but you can add some extra chocolate and nuts if you want.

How to make easy Nutella brownies – step by step

First, preheat your oven to 180° C / 160° C Fan / 356° F /Gas 4. Line an 8″ / 20 cm square baking tray with baking parchment, and then grease with butter, light flavourless oil, or a little cake release spray.

I often use foil backed baking parchment. It is more expensive, but it is so much easier to use because it stays in place when you fold it. Alternatively with regular baking parchment you use clips to hold it in place.

Step One – Melt half the Nutella very gently with the butter to combine them. You can do this either in a saucepan on the hob or in a large bowl or jug in the microwave, warming in short bursts on a low or medium heat.

Remember that the idea is to melt it, not heat it. The Nutella will spoil very easily if you overheat it, so stir frequently and well to melt them together. Only return to the microwave if necessary.

Step Two – Add the sugar, egg and vanilla extract and stir in. (If the butter mix is quite warm, however, it is best to stir in the sugar and vanilla before you add the egg.)

Step Three – Next, sift the cocoa powder and then add the flour in. While flour rarely has lumps these days, cocoa does. So only sift the flour if you need to.

Step Four – Fold the flour and cocoa in until you have a smooth, glossy batter.

Step Five– Transfer the brownie mix to the prepared baking tray. Then smooth over with a spatula, pushing the batter into the corners of the pan.

Step Six – Take the remaining Nutella and warm it very gently in the microwave to make it softer. Use a low heat, as too high a heat can have the reverse effect!

Dollop it on the surface of the batter. Then, with the end of a spoon or a chopstick, make a swirl pattern across the surface. If you want puffed chewy edges don’t go right into them, otherwise try and swirl right across the pan.

Step Seven – Bake your Nutella brownie for 25–28 minutes until the edges have risen and are slightly wrinkled. The centre will still be soft, barely set, and will wobble a little if you shake the pan.

If you don’t have a fan oven you may need to turn the pan halfway through cooking to compensate for any hot spots. Do this as quickly and as gently as you can.

Allow your Nutella brownies to cool and firm up for at least 20 minutes on a wire rack before you cut into pieces. The centre will carry on cooking as it cools.

Step Nine – Finally, when the bake is cool, cut your Nutella brownies into squares, ready to serve. I find a 4 x 4 grid of 16 pieces is just right.

Storage

Your Nutella brownies will keep well for about 5 days. Wrap them in the baking parchment, before sealing them in an airtight tub. For a just baked experience, put them in the microwave for 10 seconds to warm. This will restore that delicious soft centre.

You can also wrap your Nutella brownies well and freeze for up to 3 months.

Variations

• Add chocolate chunks and/or toasted hazelnuts for extra texture.

• For a delicious chocolate hazelnut spread brownie dessert, microwave for ten seconds and then top with ice cream and warm chocolate sauce.

Hints and tips

• If you want to double the recipe use a 13″ x 9″ baking pan. Your one bowl Nutella brownies will be a bit deeper and take slightly longer to cook.

• All brownie recipes contain a little more fat than your average cake. It is important to take time to stir the flour in well so that the fat and flour combine properly.

• Use real butter! Real butter has a much better flavour than its substitutes.

• Good vanilla is crucial to the flavour. Vanilla extract contains real vanilla, while essence is often synthetically made and contains little or no actual vanilla.

FAQs

More easy bakes

• Easy Blondies – classic simplicity

• Pumpkin Spice Blondies – a touch of autumnal spice

• Peanut Butter Blondies – an American classic

• Mini Egg Brownies – the perfect Easter treat

• Vanilla Traybake – easy and delicious