These are more than just Nutella brownies! The rich hazelnut-studded brownie is baked on a salted shortbread crust for a buttery base that takes this recipe to the next level of deliciousness.
Like gianduia brownies and chocolate hazelnut brownie cups, these Nutella brownies are amped up with the addition of Nutella and hazelnuts. While that might be seriously rich, that gets offset by a bottom layer of shortbread. The result is quite amazing. The brownies are that magical combination of shiny, crackly top and fudgy middle, while the shortbread is buttery and perfectly salted. Irresistible!
Why You’ll Love These Nutella Brownies
- An unexpected combination. Baking a layer of brownies on a shortbread crust is a little unconventional, to say the least, but it makes for a delightful contrast in texture and flavor.
- Perfect balance of sweet and salty. The salted shortbread crust balances the sweetness of the chocolate and Nutella, bringing these Nutella brownies into perfect balance.
- Easy to make. The shortbread base really doesn’t add all that much time or effort to this Nutella brownie recipe. It mixes up quickly and you can bake the shortbread while you work on the brownie layer.
What You’ll Need
Scroll down to the recipe card to find the ingredient quantities and recipe instructions.
For the Shortbread:
- All-purpose flour – Here’s how to measure flour for baking.
- Light brown sugar – Learn more: Light Brown Sugar vs Dark Brown Sugar: What’s the Difference?
- Salt
- Unsalted butter – This should be very cold; cut it into small pieces.
For the Brownies:
- Unsalted butter – Learn more: Unsalted or Salted Butter: Which is Better for Baking?
- Bittersweet chocolate – Read over my guide to chocolate to understand the different chocolate options for baking.
- Granulated sugar
- Eggs – Let these come to room temperature; they’ll mix more evenly into the batter that way.
- Vanilla extract – I like to use my homemade vanilla extract.
- Nutella – Or another chocolate hazelnut spread you like or have on hand.
- All-purpose flour
- Salt
- Roasted hazelnuts – I opted to chop the hazelnuts, but you can certainly go with whole ones for a little variety.
How to Make Nutella Brownies
- Mix the shortbread. Whisk together the flour, brown sugar, and salt, then cut in the butter.
- Make the crust. Press the shortbread into a baking pan and bake at 350ºF for 20 minutes.
- Melt the butter and chocolate. Warm the butter and chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl at half power 30 seconds at a time, or until the mixture melts when stirred. Transfer to a mixing bowl.
- Add the next 4 ingredients. Beat in the sugar, followed by the eggs (one at time), vanilla, and Nutella.
- Finish the brownie batter. Mix in the flour and salt, then fold in the hazelnuts.
- Bake. Pour the brownie batter over the crust and bake 35 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out with moist crumbs. Set the pan on a wire rack to cool completely.
Tips for Success
- Don’t skimp on the chocolate. Use a good quality chocolate for the best flavor and smoothest melting. In general, chopped chocolate bars or discs will melt more smoothly and easily than chocolate chips.
- Adjust the saltiness. Although the shortbread crust is salted, it’s not overly salty. You could opt to bump the salt up by 1/4-1/2 teaspoon if you are a big proponent of the sweet & salty thing. Or, sprinkle a little bit of coarse sea salt on top of the brownies before baking them.
- Let the chocolate and butter cool. If you add the eggs to hot butter and chocolate, they’ll cook in the mixing bowl—you don’t want that!
- Make them without nuts, if desired. If you’re not a fan of nutty brownies, you can skip adding the hazelnuts.
- Know the basics. Read over my baking tips for beginners and tips for baking brownies from scratch before you get started.
How to Store
Store Nutella brownies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. You can place parchment paper between the layers to keep the tops of the brownies from getting shortbread crumbs stuck to them—not an issue if you’re making these for yourself, but they won’t look as good on a platter for a party!
Can I Freeze This Recipe?
You can freeze Nutella brownies by wrapping them individually in plastic wrap and then placing them in a freezer-safe container. They can be frozen for up to 3 months, then thawed at room temperature or unwrapped and warmed up in the microwave.
More Twists on the Classic Brownie
- Oreo Brownies
- Peanut Butter Chip Brownies
- Raspberry White Chocolate Brownies
- Double Chocolate Cinnamon Pecan Brownies
- Dark Cocoa Powder Brownies
Nutella Brownies
These Nutella brownies are baked on a salted shortbread crust for a buttery base that takes this recipe to the next level of deliciousness!
Ingredients
For the shortbread:
- 2 cups (240g) all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup (100g) firmly packed light brown sugar
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup (170g) unsalted butter, cold and cut into small pieces
For the brownies:
- 1 cup (226g) unsalted butter
- 8 ounces (226g) bittersweet chocolate (I used 72% cacao)
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup (70g) Nutella
- 3/4 cup (90g) all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup (60g) chopped roasted hazelnuts
Instructions
To make the shortbread:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Combine the flour, brown sugar, and salt. Mix in the butter using a pastry blender, a fork, or your hands.
- Press the mixture evenly into the bottom of an ungreased 9" x 13" x 2" baking pan. Bake for 20 minutes, or until the edges are lightly browned. Set aside.
To make the brownies:
- Place the butter and chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl. Melt at half-power in the microwave in 30-second intervals until the butter is melted and chocolate melts when stirred. Stir until smooth. Pour into a large mixing bowl, and allow to cool slightly.
- Add the sugar to the chocolate mixture and beat until combined. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Mix in the vanilla and Nutella.
- Add the flour and salt, mixing just until combined. Stir in the hazelnuts.
- Pour the brownie batter over the shortbread and spread evenly. Bake 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with moist crumbs. Cool completely in the pan on a wire rack before cutting into bars.
Notes
Recipe slightly adapted from The Yellow Table.
Store Nutella brownies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
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26 Comments on “Nutella Brownies”
ooh now these just sound unfair! I try *not* to keep Nutella around, because I somehow always find my way to the silverware drawer and pretty soon it’s me, the jar and a spoon hanging out having ourselves a hazelnutty good time (and then later I wind up with a tummyache :x) I recently made peanut butter bacon nutella cookies with smoked salt, so I am all about the nutella/salt combo. I’ll have to give these a try!
oh my gosh-bookmarked! they look amazing!
Thank you, thank you! You had me at Nutella and brownie and shortbread and your lead photo and I didn’t even need to see the rest. Bookmarked:)
p.s. I just recently ran out of Nutella–something that seems to creep up on me quite unexpectedly–and now I have a real reason to buy more (I know, I don’t really need one…)
Wow, these look amazing! Love that little crust on the bottom, and the brownies look insanely tasty.
Salted chocolate is one thing, but salted nutella? yum!
This is unreal. Wow. I HAVE to make this. Thank you sooo much for sharing. You’ve brought the brownie to a whole new level =]
Brownies and shortbread sound amazing!!!! I HAVE to try this one day!
Now these are just fabulous! Love that crust!
Oh yes! That crust!
the combination of textures here sounds amazing!
Oh wow. You’re definitely not alone with always having nutella in the pantry! Going to have my girlfriend try and bake these because she loves nutella and brownies, so it only makes sense. Awesome recipe! Thanks so much 🙂
These look heavenly!!
Just baked these– didn’t have hazelnuts, but they seemed to turn out pretty darn good anyway. Never thought I would bake my first ever shortcake as part of a crust for those gorgeous brownies.
Greeting my boyfriend with these when he gets back from Europe tonight… I think he’ll love them. Thanks a million
CANNOT THANK YOU ENOUGH FOR THIS RECIPE.
Easily the most delicious thing I have ever baked. Will send this page to just about everyone I know… I can’t even do these justice with mere words! Mmmmm
These brownies look heavenly! I love the idea of a crispy, salty bottom layer to the sweet brownie!
making these!
OMG these are amazing, I just *HAPPENED* to double the batch and am sooo glad, the family is eating the heck out of these, Im eating the heck out of these and this morning my co-workers will get to experience the awesomeness.. THANKS FOR THE RECIPIE!
Made these a couple of days ago. Overbaked them a minute or two but delicious anyway. I put 1/2 in the freezer for more enjoyment later.
The Absolute BEST brownies EVER! Salty, sweet, chocolatey, hazelnuts. What more could anyone want? Even the edges are delicious (and you know how dry they usually are).
Thank you.
Thanks, Jackie. I’m so glad you enjoyed them!
Brownies were yummy and pretty simple. Changes- add more Nutella, you can barely taste 1/4 cup and bake for longer than 35-40 min. Mine took 50min to be done in the middle. And lastly I added some sea salt ontop before baking and it was delicious!
I’m glad you liked them, Andrea!
Was browsing thru some recipes n came across ur Nutella shortbread brownies made them right away n they r delicious 😋 my family has a huge chocolate/ Nutella tooth n I’m sure there won’t b any leftovers thank u for a yummy recipe 😍
Would like to send pictures but don’t know how
That’s awesome to hear, Alia!
I wanted to wait until our second time having your brainchild recipe before reviewing. We had these last week and swooned. But I wanted to see how they would freeze to determine that result as well…OMG, not one bit of difference from freshly baked, and what a sophisticated treat you have shared. I found that the salt did not overwhelm in any fashion whatsoever. I think the value of the slightly elevated salt amount made for a less sweet note, hence the word “sophisticated”. LOVE these!
I’m so glad to hear they were a hit for you, Jeff! And thanks for sharing how well they freeze. I find I’m freezing baked goods more and more these days.