Easy Desserts Recipe for Effortless Entertaining | Chocolate Hazelnut Brownie

Chocolate Hazelnut Brownies:

If you guessed a billion, you’re not far off. Just look at these! Gooey brownies loaded with hazelnuts and swirled with Nutella. Yes, SWIRLED with NUTELLA!

They’re basically everything you could want. If you’re a Nutella fanatic or know someone who is, you need to whip up a batch of these, like, yesterday.

They’re quick, easy, rich, gooey, and guaranteed to satisfy every chocolate craving you have.

 

Why You’ll Love These Chocolate Hazelnut Brownies:

• Easy to Make: Just one bowl and a spoon—no mixer required!
• They Freeze Well: Keep a stash in the freezer for a rainy day.

 

How to Make Your Brownies:

1. Melt together butter and unsweetened chocolate.
2. Add eggs, sugar, and vanilla.
3. Mix to combine.
4. Stir in dry ingredients.
5. Add chopped hazelnuts and stir until combined.

Scrape the batter into an 8-inch square baking dish and smooth the top. Dollop Nutella over the batter, then use a butter knife to swirl it into the batter. Bake for about 25 minutes, and your chocolate hazelnut brownies are ready to be devoured!

Notes:

• If you only have salted butter, you can use it—just skip the salt in the recipe. Your brownies will be a bit saltier, but that’s not a bad thing if you ask me—I love salty sweets.
• I usually buy Baker’s unsweetened chocolate, but Ghirardelli is another good choice. If you don’t have unsweetened chocolate, you can use dark or semi-sweet, but the brownies won’t be as rich.
• You can skip the Nutella swirl, but I love the extra flavor and gooeyness it adds.

 

How to Store Chocolate Hazelnut Brownies:

If you somehow have leftover brownies, store them at room temperature (covered) for about a day, in the fridge (covered) for up to four days, or in the freezer, tightly wrapped, for up to three months.

To freeze, slice the brownies once cool, wrap each one tightly in plastic wrap and aluminum foil, and stash them in the back of the freezer where no one else can find them.

Note: Don’t wrap them while they’re still warm, or they’ll sweat, and no one wants a sweaty brownie.

These brownies keep well in the freezer as long as they’re wrapped tightly. I don’t bother defrosting them before eating because I like frozen brownies, but you can defrost them in the fridge overnight if you prefer—or pop them in the microwave for 30 seconds. Just remember to REMOVE the plastic wrap and foil first!

 

How to Toast Hazelnuts:

You can usually find toasted hazelnuts, but if you buy them raw, I recommend toasting them before adding them to your brownies. Toasting brings out their flavor, and I strongly prefer it over using raw nuts, but go with what you like best.

To Toast Hazelnuts:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Arrange the hazelnuts in a single layer on a large, rimmed baking sheet.
3. Toast for 5 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they reach your desired level of toasty-ness. You can toast them before or after chopping; if chopped, they won’t take as long.

I usually get my hazelnuts at Trader Joe’s because they have great prices on nuts. Check your grocery store’s bulk bin section for hazelnuts so you can buy just what you need if you’re not a big nut snacker.

 

What is Nutella?

Nutella is a chocolate hazelnut spread, similar to peanut butter but made with hazelnuts and cocoa. There are lots of generic brands out there, and any of them will work in these brownies—you don’t have to buy the name brand.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cut into chunks
• 3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup chopped toasted hazelnuts
• 1/2 cup Nutella

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray an 8-inch square baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.
2. Combine the chocolate and butter in a microwave-safe bowl and heat in 30-second intervals, stirring after each interval, until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth. Set aside to cool for 5 minutes.
3. Stir the eggs and sugar into the chocolate mixture, mixing well. Mix in the vanilla, baking soda, and salt until well combined.
4. Fold in the flour until just combined—mix until you no longer see streaks of flour in the batter. Fold in the hazelnuts.
5. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Dollop the Nutella over the batter and use a butter knife to swirl them together.
6. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the top of the brownies looks set. Let the pan cool completely on a wire rack before slicing and serving.

Recipe Notes:

• If using salted butter, omit the salt in the recipe, but be aware that your brownies will be a bit saltier (which I personally love).
• If you don’t have unsweetened chocolate, you can substitute dark or semi-sweet, but the brownies won’t be as rich.
• You can skip the Nutella swirl, but it adds a delicious pop of flavor and extra gooeyness.
• Store uneaten brownies at room temperature (covered) for up to a day, in the fridge (covered) for up to four days, or in the freezer, tightly wrapped, for up to three months.