Easy Nutella Brownies

Treat yourself to these divine Nutella Brownies. A super simple chocolate brownie recipe with added Nutella for the perfect gooey treat.

I love brownies. I think they are basically perfect. Super rich, but also sweet and gooey. I love them when the middles are so soft and moist, and the tops are cracked and papery. 

When you move them out of the pan and the top cracks, I get such a sense of satisfaction. It’s just so pretty. 

I also love Nutella. 

I’m one of those people that can eat it with a spoon straight out of the jar. So, at some point, I was always going to try to make an easy recipe for Nutella Brownies.

Baking with Nutella is always a big hit with the kids too!

The base for my chocolate brownies is always largely the same, but adding different flavours and textures means you need to alter things slightly to get the texture right. Plain chocolate brownies don’t need much flour, but I find the more “wet” ingredients I add, the more flour they need to set. 

Why are Brownies Called Brownies?

Fannie Farmer, an American culinary expert, first used the word “brownie” to describe a food in a cookbook in 1896. They were cakes made in individual moulds but didn’t have chocolate in. 

Things adapted and evolved, as they do, until we were left with the brownies that we know today. I’m not really sure why they were ever called brownies though to be honest, possibly due to the rich colour. Anyone able to share any light?

HOW DO YOU MAKE NUTELLA BROWNIES?

To make the best brownies, you need to whisk your eggs and sugar until they are pale, and have thickened slightly. They should leave a slight trail if you lift the spoon out. This can take 5-10 minutes, and you might think that it’s never going to happen, but it will – keep going!

I recommend using an electric whisk(affiliate link), so your arm doesn’t fall off.

I also find that melting the Nutella down with the chocolate and butter, makes it much easier than stirring in room temperature Nutella straight from the jar. Stirring Nutella into brownies mixture straight from the jar might be tricky.

HOW MUCH NUTELLA IN A NUTELLA BROWNIE?

My easy Nutella Brownies don’t have the strongest Nutella flavour. There are some recipes out there that get all of their chocolatey goodness from Nutella. 

They use a whole jar (400g), with no other cocoa or chocolate. They’re like biting into a chunk of Nutella in brownie form. I find this a bit much. It’s totally personal preference though. 

My Dark Chocolate Nutella Brownies are more of a chocolate brownie, with a hint of hazelnut. You can taste the Nutella flavour, but it’s not too much.

If you prefer more Nutella, play around with the Nutella to chocolate ratio until it’s just right for you.

Can You Use Margarine for Brownies?

Proper cooks might tell you that you need to use butter. Or that if you use butter, your brownies will be better. Unsalted butter seems to be the go-to for most foodies. 

But, I use margarine for most of my bakes, brownies with Nutella included. Butter if that’s what I’ve got. 

I’m very much a use what you’ve got, or what you can afford type baker. 

Can You Use Milk Chocolate for Brownies?

Dark chocolate gives you a richer flavour. 

But, milk chocolate will work, you’ll still have an excellent brownie. 

Dark chocolate makes the best brownies, but if you only have milk chocolate and you are desperate to make a brownie, use it!

How Do You Know When Brownies are Cooked?

Luck? The thing with brownies is, if they aren’t quite cooked, you can put them in the fridge, and they will set, or you can leave them to cool in the tin, and they’ll keep cooking for a little while. If they are slightly over baked, you have a yummy Nutella traybake cake. Win-win!

Generally, for brownies, don’t rely on the “stick a skewer in” test. It might not come out clean if they are cooked or not; there’s so much gooeyness and chocolate. It’s not a true test like with cake. 

I take my brownies out of the oven when the edges are coming away from the tin, the top is starting to crack, and they’ve still got a tiny wobble in the centre if you give the tin a little shake. Getting the timing right is What Makes Brownies Fudgy.

It can take longer than the recipe suggests, depending on your oven, so I recommend checking 5 mins before, and then every 5 minutes if they aren’t ready yet. 

How to Get a Cracked Brownie Top

That cracked top is all about getting your timing just right. The very top is cooked, but the middle is still wobbly, so it lifts away slightly. 

But, if your top isn’t cracked, don’t worry. It doesn’t mean that your brownies aren’t going to be fudgy and amazing. It could just be that things weren’t quite perfect. Mine don’t always crack even after years of baking them.

Why are my Brownies Too Fudgy?

If your easy Nutella brownies are too fudgy, they might just be slightly underbaked (I actually really like them like this!)

Leave them to cool in the tin to keep them cooking. But, if when you come to slice your cool your Nutella chocolate brownies they are too mushy, pop them back in the baking tray, and put them in the fridge for an hour. 

They almost set and firm up. 

Can You Put Nutella in the Oven?

As an ingredient in Nutella Baking, Nutella is absolutely fine in the oven. 

You can also put the jar in the oven or microwave for a few seconds if for any reason you are trying to spread it and it’s too firm. Just don’t leave it for too long. 

Is Nutella Healthy?

This Nutella Brownie Recipe isn’t the healthiest thing in the world. Lot’s of sugar! 

But, Nutella in itself isn’t terrible. 

It’s quite high in fat and sugar, but it’s also a source of iron and calcium. I try not to let the kids have it on their toast all of the time, but there are certainly more unhealthy things out there. 

Decorating Nutella Brownies

I don’t typically decorate my Nutella Brownies. 

I think they look great as they are. 

But, I do decorate some of my others with bits of chocolate or melted chocolate drizzle, so I can see why you might want to. 

You could decorate these brownies with Nutella with some melted chocolate, make Brownies with Nutella Icing, or top with a simple Nutella frosting.

If you prefer to go a little crazy, adding hazelnuts or chunks of Kinder Bueno would be amazing!

Can You Freeze Nutella Brownies?

You can! Because they are quite sticky, if for any reason you wanted to freeze brownies, I’d leave them to cool, before slicing them. 

Then, wrap each individual slice in clingfilm, before putting them all into a freezer bag or sealed tub. When you want them, defrost slowly in the fridge before unwrapping. 

Brownies make a great gift, so sometimes freezing them gives you a little more flexibility. 

How Long Do Brownies Last?

In a sealed tub on the side, these brownies are good for up to a week. They are really moist and full of sugar, so they don’t really go stale or dry.

While I sometimes put very gooey Nutella brownies into the fridge if they are a little undercooked and I want to set them more, I don’t store them in the fridge after. I find keeping brownies in the fridge, dries them out a little. 

For more Nutella Recipes try my Nutella Stuffed Cookies or my Nutella Loaf Cake and for more yummy brownies, give my Terry’s Chocolate Orange Brownies a try.

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