Nutella Swirl Brownies with Hazelnut Spread

Set the oven to 345. Line a 9x9 pan. Spray it like you mean it. Nutella doesn’t stick the way normal chocolate does — it pools at the edges and fuses everything together if you’re not careful.

This is the easiest chocolate brownies recipe that actually tastes like something. Takes 52 minutes total. 12 minutes prep, 40 minutes bake. The swirl isn’t decoration. It’s half the brownie.

Why You’ll Love These Nutella Brownies

No mixer needed. Dump Nutella, oil, sugar, eggs in a bowl and whisk until it’s shiny. Takes maybe two minutes. The texture stays fudgy. Not cakey. Not dense. That’s the hazelnut spread working — it keeps things soft even after cooling. Swirling Nutella on top creates these gooey pockets that taste way better than mixed-through. Trust it. Cleanup is almost nothing. One bowl. One pan. Done. Homemade but tastes like you bought it. Honestly better. Way less waxy.

What You Need for Hazelnut Brownies

Two cups of Nutella. That’s the whole point. Nutella, not generic hazelnut spread.

A third cup of neutral oil. Vegetable works. Light olive oil works. Melted coconut oil works too — adds a whisper of coconut but doesn’t hurt anything.

Half cup sugar. Less than a typical brownie. The Nutella is already sweet. Trust it.

Three eggs at room temperature. Cold eggs don’t mix in as smoothly. Leave them out for ten minutes if you remember.

One cup flour. All-purpose. Nothing fancy.

One and a half teaspoons baking powder. That extra half teaspoon keeps these from being totally dense.

Fine sea salt. Just a pinch. Punches the chocolate forward.

How to Make Nutella Brownies

Preheat to 345. Not 350. Five degrees lower saves the edges from setting while the center’s still wet. Line the 9x9 with parchment or foil. Spray the whole thing generously. Edges stick otherwise.

Combine Nutella, oil, sugar, eggs in a bowl. Whisk until glossy and shiny. No streaks. This takes about two minutes of actual whisking. Use a rubber spatula to scrape the sides halfway through so everything gets incorporated.

Fold in the flour, baking powder, salt. Gently. The moment you can’t see flour patches, stop. Overmixing makes them tough and cakey. That’s the mistake.

Pour the batter into the pan. It’s thick. Spreads slowly. Smooth the top with a spatula but don’t fuss with it. Keep the touch light.

Warm a quarter cup of extra Nutella in the microwave for about 15 seconds. Watch it. It should shimmer and loosen up, not boil or get hot. Drop teaspoons of it across the batter. Then drag a knife through in swirls. Back and forth. Don’t overdo it. The less you swirl the more distinct the pockets stay.

How to Get Nutella Brownies Fudgy and Perfect

Bake 32 to 40 minutes. Check at 32. The edges should pull away from the sides slightly and feel set when you touch them gently. The center should jiggle when you nudge the pan — like, electrically jiggle — but not slosh. Press your finger near the center. It should feel fudgy. Barely set. Not runny but definitely not firm.

Too brown at 35 minutes? Your oven runs hot. Lower the rack or reduce the temp to 340 next time.

The brownies firm up significantly as they cool. Room temperature is better than fridge. Cold brownies set too tight and cutting becomes a whole thing. Wait at least 15 minutes before cutting. The crust holds together better then.

Use a sharp knife. Wipe the blade after each cut. The swirl starts to look pale if you’re not done baking — it should look dark and glossy. If the top still looks tan at 35 minutes, add another few minutes.

Nutella Brownies Tips and Common Mistakes

Edges crumbling when you cut? Lower your oven temp next time or reduce the bake time by a minute or two. It’s usually the edges setting too fast and getting brittle.

Pale swirl on top? Bake a little longer. The Nutella should turn dark chocolate brown, almost black in spots.

Brownies taste dry? You hit the center too long. They only need to be barely set in the middle. The jiggle matters.

Room temperature eggs matter less than you’d think but cold eggs take longer to whisk in. Do it if you think about it. Skip it if you don’t.

The optional handful of toasted chopped hazelnuts adds crunch. Swirl in salted caramel instead if you want something different. Neither changes the bake time.

Nutella Swirl Brownies with Hazelnut Spread

By Emma

Prep:

12 min

Cook:

40 min

Total:

52 min

Servings:

9 servings

Ingredients

• 2 cups Nutella hazelnut spread
• ⅓ cup neutral vegetable oil (can swap with light olive oil or melted coconut oil)
• ½ cup granulated sugar (reduced from ¾ cup for less sweetness)
• 3 large eggs, room temp
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1½ teaspoons baking powder (slightly increased)
• pinch of fine sea salt

Method

1. 1 Line a 9x9 inch pan with parchment or foil and spray generously. Avoid skipping this or edges and bottom stubbornly stick.
2. 2 Preheat oven to 345°F (175°C). Slightly lower than standard 350 to prevent over-baking edges. Learn to trust sight and jiggle too.
3. 3 In a large bowl, combine Nutella, oil, sugar, eggs. Whisk thoroughly into a shiny, glossy batter. No dry streaks. Use rubber spatula to scrape sides. Take your time here.
4. 4 Fold in flour, baking powder, salt just until fully integrated. No flour patches but resist urge to keep stirring. Overmix equals tough brownies.
5. 5 Pour batter into pan. Batter thick, spreads slowly. Smooth surface with spatula but keep gentle touch.
6. 6 Warm an extra ¼ cup Nutella in microwave about 15 seconds – watch it closely; it should shine not boil. Drop teaspoons across batter then drag a knife through for swirling patterns. Less swirl mixing = more visual impact and gooey pockets.
7. 7 Bake 32 to 40 minutes. Check around 32. Edges will set firmly and pull slightly away. Center jiggles electrically but is not runny when nudged. Too firm? Dry. Too loose? Underbaked.
8. 8 Cool on rack at least 15 minutes before cutting. These brownies firm better at room temp than fridge; refrigeration tightens texture and enhances Nutella aroma but makes cutting tougher.
9. 9 Tip: Use sharp knife, wipe blade after each cut. If swirls look pale — bake a few more minutes. If edges crumble, reduce oven temp or time next batch.
10. 10 Optional twist: Fold in handful of toasted chopped hazelnuts or swirl in tablespoons of salted caramel for added crunch and flavor depth.

Nutritional information

Calories

330

Protein

5g

Carbs

35g

Fat

20g

Print Recipe Save to Pinterest

Frequently Asked Questions About Easy Nutella Brownies

Can you use a different oil? Vegetable, light olive, melted coconut — any of them work. Coconut oil adds a tiny hint of coconut flavor but it’s barely noticeable. Avoid olive oil that tastes strongly. It fights the chocolate.

What if your oven temperature is off? Brownies are forgiving about oven temp. If yours runs hot, start checking at 30 minutes instead of 32. If it runs cold, you might need 42 or 43. The jiggle test matters more than the clock.

Can you make these in a bigger pan? You could but they’d be thinner and bake faster. Add maybe 5 minutes check time. Smaller pan makes them thicker and fudgier — which is better.

Do these need to chill? No. Room temperature is actually the move. They slice cleaner, taste richer, stay fudgy. Refrigerator makes them too tight and the texture changes.

Why use baking powder instead of baking soda? Baking powder gives a tiny bit of lift without the bitter aftertaste. Baking soda would work but it’s sharper. These are sweet already.

How long do homemade chocolate brownies keep? Three days in a container at room temperature. After that they start drying out. Freezer works fine for two weeks but the texture gets a little waxy when you thaw them.