Nutella Brownies

If you've ever searched through recipes on Pinterest, you've probably noticed the same trends I have. Slow-cooker recipes, jello shots, and Nutella or Red Velvet everything. Now, I've never been a huge fan of Red Velvet cake. To me it's a less-assertive chocolate full of food coloring. Maybe I've just never had a good one. We actually had a Red Velvet wedding cake, because at the time, it was The Geologist's favorite. Considering how much he loves dark chocolate, I never really understood that... and most of our cake ended up being given away. Now, Nutella is another matter entirely! The first time I tasted it, I think I was about 8 or 9. We lived in Las Vegas, and one of my Mom's friends was a stewardess for Delta. On one of her trips back from The Netherlands, she brought us Kinder eggs, those fabulous chocolate sprinkles that are actually chocolate, and Nutella. What a wondrous creation!! We used to eat it on toast... or between graham crackers... or with a spoon if Mom wasn't watching... The flavors of chocolate and hazelnut always remind me of those years. I don't like chocolate anymore, but The Geologist is nearly an addict, so when I saw these Nutella brownies, I just had to make them for him!

Nutella Brownies (adapted from Buns In My Oven)
Printable Recipe

1 cup (2 sticks) butter
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup Nutella
4 large eggs
1 1/4 cups cocoa powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/2 tsp hazelnut flavoring (optional)
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips (milk, dark, semisweet, mini, chunks, or mix a few!)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9x13 baking dish well.

In small saucepan over medium heat, melt butter completely. Stir in sugar and continue cooking for 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly, until butter is completely incorporated and the mixture starts sticking to the sides (instead of having a layer of butter around it) Do not allow sugar mixture to boil. Remove from the heat and stir in the Nutella until completely combined.

Pour butter mixture into a large bowl or stand mixer, and beat in cocoa powder, eggs, salt, baking powder, and vanilla extract. Mix until well combined. Stir in the flour and chocolate until just combined.

Spread into prepared pan (the batter is very thick!) and bake for about 30-35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with moist crumbs. Let cool before cutting and removing from baking dish.

Most of the time, I bake for me. Or neighbors. But I've already made these twice because they're easy as pie, and The Geologist raves! There's a catch: these don't actually taste like Nutella! They're gorgeously rich and fudgey, but the hazelnut flavor gets lost. If you'd like that flavor to be stronger, add a 1/2 tsp of hazelnut flavoring. (That's a silly phrase... pie is NOT easy...)

Even if they don't taste much like hazelnut, the Nutella noticeably adds a depth and richness to these brownies! With little melty pockets of chocolate from the chips, and the just-this-side-of gooey texture, these are definitely the brownies you want to serve warm, with some hot fudge and ice cream!

They may be chocolate overload for me, but The Geologist dubbed them "celestial" (which is his highest praise) and in the words of a friend (who received the other half of this batch), they're "panda-approved!" :)

Shared at Foodie Friday