Happy Mother’s Day! The mothers in your life will kiss the ground you walk on if you make these brownies.
Recently I asked for favorite brownie recipes. I had a plan with that. In addition to needing a great brownie recipe for the bake sale, I also wanted to make some sinfully delicious brownies, for myself.
I succeeded. These are sinfully delicious.
They’re likely the richest, and one of the best, desserts I’ve ever made.
And they’re fat free. Kidding.
They do have a short ingredient list, you can mix them by hand, and they’re just as easy as using a boxed-brownie mix.
But they taste way better! As in, the best brownies I’ve ever eaten. Not kidding.
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Fudgy Nutella Brownies with Cream Cheese Frosting
Makes 18 to 24 thinner and smaller brownies in a 9-by-13-inch pan, or 12 generous brownies in a 9-by-9-inch pan
6 ounces unsweetened or semi-sweet baking chocolate (I use this 73% chocolate)
3/4 cup butter (1 1/2 sticks)
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
3 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 tablespoons espresso or brewed coffee, optional
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 c to 2/3 c Nutella
Preheat oven to 350F. Line 9×13 inch pan with foil, spray with cooking spray; set aside. Alternately, use a 9-by-9-inch pan for thicker brownies, which is my preference.
Microwave chocolate and butter in large microwaveable bowl for 90 seconds or until butter is melted. Stir until chocolate is completely melted and smooth. Stir in sugars. Stir in eggs and vanilla. If adding espresso or coffee, add it now; batter will be a bit granular and that’s okay. Stir in flour until just combined, do not overmix. Pour into prepared pan.
Add the Nutella to the top of the brownie mixture and either just leave it sit on top or marble it with a knife in a zig-zag pattern.
Bake for 25 to 28 minutes, or until edges pull away from the side of the pan and top and center have just set. Keep these gooey and don’t overbake; brownies will continue to firm up as they cool.
Allow to cool before frosting them or before slicing and serving.
Cream Cheese Frosting
8 ounces cream cheese, softened (I used whipped)
1/2 cup butter, softened (1 stick)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 to 4 1/2 cups confectioners’ (powdered) sugar (I used 4+ cups because I like very thick frosting. You could use as little as 2 cups depending on desired sweetness and thickness)
Mix cream cheese and butter together. Use an electric mixer for optimal results and scape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Once the mixture is very smooth, add in the vanilla extract and mix. Add in the sugar slowly and keep adding until desired sweetness and thickness is reached.
Note: Frosting recipe makes more than what you may need for these brownies if you prefer a thin layer of frosting; either halve the recipe or store the frosting in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks or in the freezer for up to 3 months and use it for another dessert.
I find these bars taste best chilled and store them in the refrigerator in an air-tight container. They freeze well for longer-term storage for up to 3 months.
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A Visual Guide:
Get your butter and chocolate together and whip up the batter.
Pour it into a pan and drizzle with Nutella.
Before baking this is what they looked like with the Nutella swirled in.
After baking
The foil helps pop them right out of the pan. Easy cleanup is a beautiful thing.
Time to make frosting.
Brownie purists may skip frosting, but I never skip frosting.
The brownies are phenomenally fudgy. They are dense. They are rich.
A pound of butter, sugar, Nutella, and cream cheese has that effect.
They are not cakey. Nor dry. They are moist and fudgy.
They’re the kind of brownies that make you happy to be alive and with functioning tastebuds.
The kind of brownies you want to sink your teeth into them and make teeth marks first through the frosting layer, then through the brownie layer.
I store them in the fridge because something this rich is actually better chilled, in my opinion. Plus, with the cream cheese frosting, I think the fridge is a safer bet.
The frosting just makes you want to oooh and ahh.
Some may describe these brownies as better than sex. I may agree.
If frosting’s your name, this one’s your game.
The Nutella swirls just add to the overall better than sex effect.
Hope you’re hungry. These are not a “light” dessert.
Enjoy!
From my last post about Mother’s Day and Reflections, it was wonderful hearing your heartfelt stories and fond memories about your mom. Thank you so much for sharing those. Truly, I was crying (Hallmark tears) at some of the lovely things you all wrote about your moms. So touching!
And thanks for the kind things many of you told me, too! I was blushing and honored and thank you.
Questions:
1. Do you like brownies?
This is such a silly question. Duh, yes. I love brownies but I am picky.
As I explained here:
For me, a good brownie is rich, moist, not dry, more fudgy than cakey, has a gooey center with barely crisped edges.
Frosting is optional. Buttercream or cream cheese frosting is preferred over chocolate frosting.
And no nuts in the brownies. Nuts in the brownies is a 100% deal breaker. I hate nuts in baked goods!
2. Any favorite brownie recipes? Or even storebought mixes you like?
Many of you chimed in here in the comments with your fave brownie recipes but I am all ears for more recipes.
However, not to toot my own horn too much, but these are gonna be tough to beat!
3. Any Mother’s Day plans, celebrations, or nice stories you want to share about your mom?
Feel free to gush and put a smile on my face and everyone else’s who reads your comment! And read these comments from my Mother’s Day & Reflections post.
P.S. If you’re just catching up on posts from the weekend, here are mine since Friday:
Happy Mother’s Day!
I have the bowls that match your plates from Target! I just can’t resist those cute and cheerful little things :D And also, I love brownies! Especially undercooked and super moist and fudgy. I use yogurt as the fat substitute in them and its absolutely delicious.
I know their seasonal stuff is irresistible!
Happy Mother’s Day Averie!! Omg those nutella brownies look amazing, how delish! :D
Question: What made you decide to switch from vegan to vegetarian? I’m seriously struggling because, while part of me thinks being vegan will be healthier, I enjoy eating yogurt/some cheese/eggs. I don’t know if I should do what I think is better for my health, or eat things that I enjoy eating.
I enjoy cooking with real butter and eggs from time to time and therefore, veggie not vegan. I really don’t overthink labels too much. I just cook and eat with what I am wanting and lately, that’s been with some eggs or butter. But I mean, if I use 3 eggs in an entire month, that’s a big month :)
Just do what you feel you’ll be happy with. Lift the self imposed rules (and chains) and just be free to make choices that make you happy is my advice :)
You are my hero.
Awesome brownie recipe, these look great! And happy Mother’s Day to you!
1. Sure, I actually like raw ones more now.
2. Chocolate mint or chocolate and nut butter.
3. Took my mom to brunch, then shopped – not a bad day. :-)
Okay, first that piece of art Skylar made you for mother’s day is SO sweet!! I loved the photo on it too. And for the record, my mom is the strongest person I know. I’ve watched her go through SO much shit, and still come out sane and strong. She’s a rock. And always full of wise advice.
But the real reason why I’m commenting on this post is because those brownies are out of this word. Chocolate fudge + nutella + cream cheese = I’ve just died and gone to heaven.
Oh my! Those looks just too good! I wish you where my mom ;)
Ooh, and happy Mother’s Day!
This might be a really stupid question… but is that your work surface the butter’s on?!
I can’t believe I looked past the amazing beauty of those brownies to notice it but it looks lovely; really different :-)
The brownies though *drool* I completely agree with your good brownie checklist; I tried a gluten-free one today that was just this side of mousselike in texture and it was amazing….
How have I never topped brownies with cream cheese icing though – I need to do something about that!
granite countertop, yes, that’s where i work
I am a brownie purist. It needs to be rich, fudgy and sweet. I am not a nuts girl or chips or anything. And as much as I love frosting, I don’t like it on my brownies.
That said – the brownies look phenomenal. And hell, if you are going to frost them, do it up. And you did; brownie layer as thick as frosting layer? That’s the way.
Also, your measurements might be off – 3/4 cup is 1 1 /2 sticks of butter, right?
i know you’re a purist but yes the frosting that’s almost as thick as the brownie, it just works.
thanks for that catch. 3/4 c IS 1.5 sticks. you’re the scientist and the one good with numbers. I need more sleep, clearly :) haha!
Dear Averie,
I must say that as a vegan and as someone with serious dairy, egg, and wheat allergies – I used to adore your blog. However, I’m quite disappointed by your recent shift away from veganism (and occasionally gluten-free) recipes. I understand that whether or not to be vegan is a personal choice – I’m not here to condemn you for your actions, to each their own I suppose. But, while I used to look forward to reading your posts and discovering whatever new recipes you dreamed up – I can no longer do so. While these brownies may be delicious, I would never make them and reading about a recipe such as this does not appeal to me. Hopefully we will see a resurgence of vegan (and gluten-free!) recipes in the future?
My dietary choices have ebbed and flowed over the course of my life and in the past two weeks I have shown chocolate kale chips, avocado smoothie, cheater’s guacamole, chocolate coconut cashew butter. All vegan and GF.
So yes, I still make tons of vegan and GF food.
I also make some desserts that are not. Not everyone has food restrictions and some people enjoy these recipes.
I hope you don’t write off my blog entirely b/c as I just mentioned, there’s still plenty of vegan/GF food featured.
Instead of criticizing her content, why not try to make a vegan or GF version of this recipe (or others)? Recipes like this are a starting point – get creative.
i love brownies! but they must be fudgy in the center and sort of flakey on the outside. i cannot stand a brownie that’s dry in the middle :( no plans for today, i took a raincheck since my mom was too busy.
oMG, these look sooooo good! And the pictures are perfect. I might have to bake something today; I am crazy about cream cheese frosting!!! Yummmm
TS rejected 2 images so far. I wish i could BRING them a brownie. And they wouldn’t reject them…haha!
MMM!! these look delicious… coincidently, April made my mom black-bean brownies yesterday.. too bad I didn’t see this sooner, I could’ve beat her to it!! JK. There’s always Fathers Day!
Happy mothers day!! Hope you and Skylar have fun :)
hope you and april are doing well. tell her i said hi and ive never made black bean brownies but have been tempted to!
My favourite brownie recipe – easily has to be Mary Berry’s from her self titles cook book. It’s a no fail recipe … honest