My Nutella brownies get their flavor from Nutella only–no cocoa powder or extra chocolate needed! They are rich, fudgy, and ready in under an hour. Recipe includes a how-to video!
The BEST Nutella Brownies
I love a good chocolatey brownie recipe, but when I set out to make Nutella brownies, I knew they needed plenty of that signature chocolate hazelnut flavor. Too many versions I’d tried in the past tasted like regular, perhaps slightly hazelnut-y brownies, which was a huge let-down.
Today’s recipe is packed with authentic flavor (just like my Nutella cookies!), and I think you’re going to love it!
These Nutella brownies have shiny, crackly, Nutella-swirled tops, firm and chewy corners, and slightly gooey, Nutella-filled centers. In case you couldn’t tell, they are absolutely stuffed with that chocolatey, hazlenutty spread, and I’m just crazy about them. They leave absolutely nothing to be desired in terms of flavor or texture! Oh, and did I mention they can be made without a mixer? These are simply the best.
What You Need
For maximum chocolate/hazelnut flavor, I knew had to keep the chocolate to hazelnut ratio absolutely perfect by not adding any extra chocolate to this batter. No cocoa powder, no melted chocolate, nada. Here’s what you need:
- Nutella. We are packing these Nutella brownies to the brim with over a cup of Nutella, so make sure you grab the big jar!
- Flour. This is a pretty stiff batter, so we will add the flour in a few parts for easier mixing. And definitely be mindful to avoid over-measuring your flour, or your brownies will be dry and crumbly.
- Melted butter. Thanks to melted butter, everything can be easily stirred together by hand. I use unsalted butter, but you can just use salted and leave out the salt if that’s what you have on hand.
- Eggs + egg yolk. We’ll use two whole eggs plus an extra egg yolk. This extra yolk adds to the fudginess of these brownies and encourages a chewy texture. Make sure to mix the eggs really well; this contributes to those shiny, crackly brownie tops.
- Brown sugar. You can use either light or dark brown sugar in this recipe. Dark brown will make the brownies even richer and sweeter though, so I stick with light brown sugar.
SAM’S TIP: For easy removal and cleanup, line your pan with parchment and make sure to leave extra on the edges. This will create a “sling” that will help you pull the cooled brownies right out of the pan, making them super easy to cut too! I demonstrate this in my video below, if you’d like a visual.
Remember, this is just an overview of the ingredients I used and why. For the full recipe please scroll down to the bottom of the post!
How to Make Nutella Brownies
- Stir together the cooled butter and sugar, then stir in the Nutella.
- Add the eggs one at a time, mixing really well after each addition (this creates those crackly brownie tops!). Add the vanilla.
- Combine the dry ingredients in a separate bowl, then gradually add them to the wet ingredients. I do this in 3 parts–the batter will be very stiff!
- Spread the batter into a parchment lined pan and dollop ¼ cup of Nutella over the surface.
- Use a knife to swirl the Nutella into the brownies, then bake for 40-45 minutes at 350F.
- Let the brownies cool completely before removing and cutting.
SAM’S TIP: Let your brownies cool completely before removing them from the pan and cutting. For extra clean cuts, run a sharp knife under hot water, wipe it dry, and slice straight down into your brownies. You will have to do this for each cut, so I only take this much care when I need photo-worthy results!
Frequently Asked Questions
If they have completely cooled (sometimes they can appear oily if you try to cut into them too soon), then the most likely problem here is that your butter was too hot when you added your sugar (this can happen with cookies too!).
Take your time and make sure to let your butter cool for about 10 minutes after melting to prevent this.
You can spread this batter into a 9×13 pan, but the brownies will just be a bit thinner and the bake time will be shorter. An 8×8 pan will also work; your brownies will be thicker and the bake time will be a bit longer.
I haven’t tested either pan to know exact bake times, so just keep an eye on them and do the toothpick test (remember, you want to see moist crumbs!).
Also, note that regardless of your pan size, if you use a glass pan instead of metal, your bake time will be longer.
Sure! I typically add chocolate chips to my brownies, but I left them out here to really let that Nutella flavor shine. Feel free to add some though; I’d recommend adding no more than a cup or so.
These brownies are pretty rich, so I enjoy them most when cut into bite-sized squares. Great for popping in your mouth one after another (after another, after another…).
Enjoy!
Let’s bake together! I’ll be walking you through all the steps in my written recipe and video below! If you try this recipe, be sure to tag me on Instagram, and you can also find me on YouTube and Facebook
Nutella Brownies
Ingredients
- 1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter melted & cooled at least 10 minutes
- 1 ¼ cups (250 g) brown sugar packed
- 1 ¼ cups (355 g) Nutella chocolate hazelnut spread
- 2 large eggs + 1 egg yolk room temperature
- 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 ½ cups (285 g) all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch (cornflour in UK)
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup (70 g) additional Nutella chocolate hazelnut spread optional, for topping
Recommended Equipment
- 9×9 pan
- Kitchen Scale (optional, but recommended)
Instructions
- Line a 9×9 baking pan with parchment paper and preheat oven to 350F (177C).
- Combine melted, cooled butter and brown sugar, stir well.1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter, 1 ¼ cups (250 g) brown sugar
- Stir in Nutella until well-combined.1 ¼ cups (355 g) Nutella chocolate hazelnut spread
- Add eggs & egg yolk, one at a time, stirring very well after each addition, then stir in vanilla extract.2 large eggs + 1 egg yolk, 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- In a separate, medium-sized bowl, whisk together flour, corn starch, baking powder, and salt.2 ½ cups (285 g) all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons cornstarch, ½ teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon salt
- Gradually stir dry mixture into Nutella mixture until completely combined.
- Spread into prepared baking pan.
- With your ¼ cup Nutella, drop dollops of Nutella over the batter. Use a butterknife to swirl over the surface.¼ cup (70 g) additional Nutella chocolate hazelnut spread
- Bake on 350F (177C) for 40-45 minutes (a toothpick inserted in the center of the pan should come out mostly clean with few dry crumbs, don’t over-bake or these will be dry!). Allow to cool before cutting and enjoying.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.
I originally published this recipe for Nutella brownies 12/19/2016. Post updated and video added July 2023.
Dhannya Prakash
Hi Sam, I love your recipes and your website is my go to for most of my baking. These brownies came out beautifully all rich and fudgey..but the flavor of the Nutella was missing. I didn’t put the dollops on top…but would that have made a huge difference to the flavor?
Thanks…😊
Sam
Hi Dhannya! The extra 1/4 cup on the top definitely adds a good bit more flavor. I hope you still enjoyed them! 🙂
Dhannya Prakash
Oh yes. Still devoured by everyone. Will try with the extra dollop on top. Thanks Sam.
Dhannya Prakash
Thank u Sam…the extra dollop was everything….tried it on my teenage son’s friends…they smelled it and said Nutella Brownies 😁😁…and everything disappeared.
J
These came out BOMB using an airfryer. I am always craving Nutella, the flavor kinda resembled a Ghirardelli brownie. It was extremely hard to eat JUST one due to the calories, however… it was worth it because now I have enough for my family for the whole week!! The things I did differently: I halved the butter measurement with coconut oil. I sifted the dry ingredients, and I did the 350°f but only for 35 minutes in a 9×9 square pan. Absolutely perfect. Not oily at all, they kept their crispy outside and texture inside. These will be my go-to for brownies…. thank you mam. 🤗
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Thanks for letting us know how it went for you! Enjoy 😊
Mark
Another awesome recipe!! I doubled the batch and made a full 9×13 and a slightly thinner 8×8.They both took about 45 minutes. The hardest part was waiting for them to cool to try them. It made about 34 brownies 2 1/2 inch square. I made them for a church picnic tomorrow but of course my wife an I had to sample them and they are delicious!! I was able to get a 2.2lb jar of Nutella at Gordon’s and that was just enough for the double batch with a couple of ounces left over.Thanks for another wonderful recipe!!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We’re so glad you enjoyed the brownies, Mark! We hope they were a hit at the picnic too 😊
Brian Hammer
Another very excellent recipe! I decided to take this same recipe using cookie butter, and added chocolate chips. It came out amazing! You are awesome Sam! Keep up the good work!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Sounds delicious! Thanks for sharing this substitution, Brian 🙂
Patricia Gibson
I luv cookie butter. Did you use the same exact amount of cookie butter as is for the Nutella brownie recipe which is 355 grams? I’m gonna try these but I’m gonna leave out the chocolate chips
Amy Liu
What would I do about the egg yolk if I wanted to half this recipe?
Sam
If you have a kitchen scale you can weigh it, but the brownies would still turn out if you just used 1 egg here. 🙂
Lyn
I love to bake and I love brownies but for some reason whenever I made brownies, they never were very good. So, for a long time I stuck with Ghirardelli’s brownies mix. It’s an exceptional box mix but still you are not getting homemade brownies and there is definitely a difference. When I spotted this recipe, I thought I would try yet again to make brownies and I am so glad I did. This recipe is incredible. The brownies have always been amazing even when I used dark brown sugar instead of light brown sugar as I should have.
Thanks for a great recipe, it just might be your best.
Sam
Thank you so much! I am so glad you enjoy the brownies so much! There truly is nothing like homemade desserts. 🙂
Sylvia
I want to do this in individual molds shaped as Christmas tree. They are the size of cupcakes. How long they would need to be in the oven? Maybe half; the time?
Sam
Hi Sylvia! Unfortunately I have never tried baking them in a mold like that. I would just keep an eye on them as they bake. 🙂
Anita
Hi Sam, quick question! Could I bake these in muffin tins? How long would you suggest baking time to be.
Thanks! Sending love to fam and baby
Sam
Hi Anita! They should work in muffin tins, but I am not sure how long they would need to bake, just keep an eye on them. 🙂
Lola
Nutella Brownies came out so good🥰 I love all your recipes. Sam thank you so much I’m having fun trying out your recipes🥰🥰🥰
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
So glad you are enjoying everything, Lola! ❤️
Ahana Advani
Hi Sam,
I want to make only 12 bars instead of 24 bars so I’ll have to make half the recipe, but that would mean I would have to remove the single egg yolk. Can I do that and will it affect the brownies?
Also, I love your marble cake recipe!!
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that you enjoyed the marble cake and are back to try another recipe, Ahana! To halve this recipe you will just remove 1 egg yolk. I hope that you love the brownies. Keep me posted on how they turn out. 🙂