Nutella Brownies: The Easiest 1-Bowl Recipe Ever
I made these Nutella brownies at 11pm on a Tuesday because I found a half-empty jar hiding behind the peanut butter, and the idea of eating it with a spoon felt slightly too sad even for me.
These easy Nutella brownies have become my favorite last-minute dessert. They are rich, fudgy, packed with chocolate hazelnut flavor, and require just one bowl. If you are searching for a Nutella brownies recipe that delivers bakery-style results without complicated steps, this one checks every box.
I usually manage to overbake brownies into chocolate bricks, but these homemade Nutella brownies are almost impossible to mess up. The Nutella does all the heavy lifting, creating an incredibly soft, chewy texture with very little effort. If you love fudgy Nutella brownies, grab that jar and let’s get started.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- One-bowl wonder – You only need a single mixing bowl, which means you will not spend the rest of your evening aggressively scrubbing dishes.
- Zero cocoa powder needed – All the intense chocolate flavor comes straight from the jar, saving you a trip to the grocery store.
- Dangerously fast – You can go from craving chocolate to pulling a warm pan out of the oven in under 45 minutes.
- Extremely fudgy – There is barely any flour in this batter, resulting in an incredibly dense, chewy texture that puts boxed mixes to shame.
Tools You’ll Need
Nothing fancy, I promise.
- 8×8 or 9×9 Baking Pan – I prefer the 8×8 for thicker slices, but use whatever you have hiding in your cabinet.
- Parchment Paper – Do not skip this unless you enjoy chiseling baked goods out of corners with a butter knife.
- Hand Mixer – You could technically whisk this by hand, but your arm will hate you for it.
♥ Ingredient Notes
- 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed – This mixes with water to become your egg substitute, which is the backbone of any good vegan chocolate chip cookie recipe.
- 2.5 tablespoons water – To mix with the flax. Tap water is fine, we aren’t brewing artisanal coffee here.
- 1/2 cup vegan butter – Make sure it is softened, not completely melted into a sad puddle.
- 1 1/4 cups packed light brown sugar – You can drop this to 3/4 cup if you prefer less sweet cookies, but I am fully committed to the sugar life.
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract – Measure with your heart, but two teaspoons is a safe baseline.
- 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour – Spoon and level it if you are fancy, or just shake the measuring cup like I do.
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch – The secret ingredient for extra soft cookies, do not skip it unless you enjoy hard disks.
- 1 teaspoon baking soda – Check the expiration date on your baking soda so your cookies actually rise.
- 1/4 teaspoon salt – Bump this to 3/4 teaspoon if your vegan butter is unsalted, otherwise things get weirdly bland.
- 1 cup vegan chocolate chips – Measure these generously, because a cookie without enough chips is just a tragedy.
Instructions
Throw out your boxed mix, because this is about to become your new personality.
- Prep your station: Preheat your oven to 350°F and line your pan with parchment paper, leaving a little overhang. That overhang is your handle to pull the brownies out later—if you skip it, you will be eating these straight out of the pan like an animal.
- Cream the butter and sugar: Beat the softened butter for about a minute until smooth, then add the brown sugar and beat until creamed. Scrape the bowl down, because butter loves to hide at the bottom just to mock you later.
- Add the wet ingredients: Mix in the eggs and vanilla on medium-high until combined, then beat in exactly 1 cup of the Nutella and the salt. It will look unbelievably thick and glossy, which is exactly what you want.
- Fold in the dry: Turn your mixer to low and add the flour, mixing just until you cannot see white streaks anymore. Do not overmix this, or you will bake a tough chocolate sponge instead of a fudgy brownie. Fold in the chocolate chips if you are using them.
- The swirl: Pour the batter into your lined pan. Drop little spoonfuls of the remaining 1/4 cup of Nutella all over the top, then drag a butter knife through them to make pretty swirls. It does not have to be perfect—mine usually looks like a toddler’s finger painting.
- Bake and wait: Bake for 32-36 minutes. A toothpick should come out with a few moist crumbs, not wet batter. Let them cool completely in the pan before lifting them out. I know waiting is torture, but hot brownies will fall apart if you try to cut them.
♥ The Misfit Tips!
- Do not overbake them – I once left a batch in for 14 minutes because they looked too soft. They turned into hockey pucks. Pull them at 10 minutes when the edges are barely golden for truly easy vegan chocolate chip cookies.
- The sugar ratio is flexible – If 1 1/4 cups of brown sugar feels too aggressive, you can genuinely drop it to 3/4 cup. I have done both, and they still turn out incredible.
- Turn them into oatmeal cookies – If you want to make vegan oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, you can swap out a little flour for rolled oats. Sometimes I just crave oatmeal chocolate chip cookies vegan style, and throwing in a handful of oats does the trick.
Troubleshooting Guide
Something went sideways? Been there. Here is how to fix it.
- Problem: Why are my brownies hard on the edges?
Why it happened: Your oven runs hot, or you left them in a few minutes too long.
Fix it: Cut the edges off and save them to crumble over ice cream. The middle pieces will still be totally fine.
- Problem: The center is completely raw and sinking.
Why it happened: They are underbaked. The edges cooked, but the middle needed more time.
Fix it: If you already cut into them, it is too late to bake. Scoop out the gooey center, microwave it in a mug for 30 seconds, and call it a molten lava cake.
- Problem: The Nutella swirl on top just looks like a messy blob.
Why it happened: You swirled too aggressively or the Nutella was too cold.
Fix it: Literally nobody cares what it looks like once it is in their mouth. Next time, microwave the 1/4 cup of Nutella for 10 seconds before swirling so it glides easier.
Perfect Pairings
These go perfectly with…
- A freezing cold glass of whole milk – obviously.
- A massive scoop of vanilla bean ice cream while the brownies are still warm enough to melt it.
- Your next desperate weeknight sugar craving when you refuse to leave the house.
- A strong cup of black coffee to cut through the intense sweetness.
How to Store
❤
Fridge: Up to a week in an airtight container. The texture gets a little denser and chewier when cold, which I honestly prefer.
Freezer: Yes! You can freeze the baked cookies for up to 3 months, or freeze the raw dough balls. Bake dough straight from frozen, just add 1-2 extra minutes.
Reheat: Microwave a baked cookie for exactly 8 seconds. Any longer and the chocolate chips turn to molten lava that will scorch your tongue.
Note: Keep them away from anything strong-smelling in the fridge, unless you want your cookies to vaguely taste like leftover garlic onions.
Nutella Brownies
Completely outrageous Nutella brownies!! They’re rich, fudgy, chewy, dense, and perfect!
Ingredients
Method
Prepare the pan
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line your baking pan with parchment paper, leaving a little overhang on the sides. Future-you will appreciate not having to excavate brownies from the corners.Cream butter and sugar
Beat the softened butter until smooth. Add the brown sugar and continue mixing until light and creamy. Scrape down the bowl because butter has a habit of hiding where it is least helpful.Add the wet ingredients
Mix in the eggs and vanilla extract. Add 1 cup of Nutella and the salt, then beat until smooth and glossy.For more information about chocolate hazelnut spread ingredients, visit Nutella Official Website.Add the flour
Mix in the flour on low speed just until combined. Avoid overmixing if you want perfectly fudgy Nutella brownies instead of cake-like brownies.Fold in the chocolate chips if using.Create the Nutella swirl
Spread the brownie batter into the prepared pan. Spoon the remaining Nutella over the surface and use a butter knife to create swirls throughout the top.Messy swirls still count as swirls.Bake
Bake for 32 to 36 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached.Cool completely
Allow the brownies to cool completely before slicing. This helps the brownies set properly and creates that dense, chewy texture everyone loves.