What could be better than a fudgy chocolate brownie when a chocolate-craving strikes? The answer, of course, is a fudgy chocolate brownie that has a generous swirl of Nutella running through it. These Nutella Swirl Brownies are just the ticket for chocoholics – especially if you are a chocoholic that happens to like that addictive chocolate-hazelnut spread. The brownie batter is one of my favorite brownie recipes, made with a mix of both dark chocolate and cocoa powder, and it is a perfect background for the Nutella. The cocoa powder helps ensure that the brownies remain tender without getting too heavy or dense, and gives them a rich, bittersweet note.
I generally use 60-65% dark chocolate in a brownie recipe like this one, but you can use any dark chocolate that you like and get good results. The brownies, while rich, are not overly sweet. This means that the sweeter Nutella swirl really stands out when you taste the brownies, so you get a clear Nutella flavor and a touch of extra sweetness in each bite. I don’t like to over-swirl my Nutella and I don’t mind having some brownies with slightly more of the spread than others because it makes the swirls on the top of the batch look a lot prettier and much more dramatic.
These brownies are very moist and keep very well when stored in an airtight container, so you’ll be able to enjoy them for a few days after baking. I usually cut them into pretty generous squares, but you can easily cut them down into smaller, bite-sized pieces to share with a crowd. If you want to add a little extra crunch or simply amplify the hazelnut flavor of the Nutella, you can stir 1/2 cup of finely chopped, toasted hazelnuts into the batter before baking.
Nutella Swirl Brownies
4 ounces dark or semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1/2 cups butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup Nutella
Preheat oven to 350F. Line an 8 or 9-inch square baking pan with aluminum foil or parchment paper and lightly grease.
In a small microwave-safe bowl, melt together chocolate and butter until smooth. Allow to cool slightly.
In a large bowl, whisk together chocolate mixture, sugar and salt. Whisk in eggs one at a time, followed by vanilla extract. Sift in flour and cocoa powder, stirring until the batter comes together and no streaks of dry ingredients remain.
Pour batter into prepared pan.
Drop Nutella in 2-tablespoon dollops around the brownie batter, then use a butter knife to gently swirl in the Nutella.
Bake for about 35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the brownies comes out with only a few moist crumbs attached. Allow brownies to cool completely in the pan before slicing and serving.
Store remaining brownies in an airtight container.
Makes 16.
Medeja
May 22, 2014These brownies look just beautiful! That swirl looks lovely!
Farmgirl Susan
May 24, 2014These sound fantastic. And I just saw the link to the Nutella buttercream. Oh my. 🙂
Querino de-Freitas
December 5, 2014can you make it clear about the amount of flour in your nutella brownie recipe…….is it 3 to 4 cups of flour or is it 3/4 cup of flour……..thank you