You know how there’s like the good recipes and then there’s the great ones?

I think the distinguishing factor is whether or not it gets remembered and requested again or if it quickly falls into that lonely pit of recipe oblivion and is just a one time thing. Obviously there are no hard fast rules here, and there is definitely plenty of grey area, but in general if it doesn’t make an impression then it doesn’t make the favorites list and become an instant classic.

I think you’ve probably all figured out by now that I have a problem leaving plain and simple alone. It’s pretty bad. I’m always wanting to add that one extra thing that takes food to the next level. I consider this somewhat irritating habit to be both a gift and a curse because when it comes into play it usually ends in (eh hem, if I do say so myself) works of utter and complete genius!……..or, more often, in complete failure. Wah, wah, wah….

So in thinking about all of the recipes that I actually use all the time and trying to figure out which ones I’m missing, I realized that I have somehow never come up with an “it” brownie recipe. Yeah, I’ve made a ton of different kinds of brownies in the past. I’ve tried everything from mocha brownies to healthy ones with beans and avocados in them (which considering that, were shockingly good by the way), but I’ve never created that basic brownie to top all other brownies, you know? That’s what got me started on this search to find it. I’ve been making small batches of brownies for a few weeks now as a kind of side project and testing different tweaks after each one. Luckily for me, there’s a handful of people around at all times that are willing to help me out in testing them and then make it ridiculously easy to vanish the extras. Ha, imagine that, a few extra brownies disappearing without effort.

There will always be another twist to add, or tip to follow in the baking world and it seems like so many people are out there claiming to have the “best” brownie recipe ever. That’s what I don’t want to do I don’t want to ruin a good thing with such a cliché, but at this moment this is my new go-to brownie. The “nutella” frosting and chocolate drizzle are just a bonus because I was having fun accessorising my brownies for you guys like a 6-year-old with a barbie doll. These brownies can hold their own perfectly fine as is.

If you’re here and you’ve been looking for the same thing, then let me tell you a few of the things that worked and didn’t work for me personally. [If you just came to drool over pictures of yummy chocolate then please feel free to skip the rest ’cause I’m about to go all boring-baker-stuff on you.]

Dark Chocolate Nutella Fudge Brownies

Take your favorite chocolate treat to the next level with some chocolate hazelnut goodness and lots of chocolate chips!

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings 16 brownies

Ingredients

Brownies:
1 1/4 cups sugar
1/2 cup vegan butter
3/4 cup cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon instant espresso powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons coconut cream *see note
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup chocolate hazelnut butter check ingredients if vegan
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup dairy free chocolate chunks
Frosting:
1/3 cup chocolate hazelnut butter check ingredients if vegan
2 tablespoons vegan butter melted
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons almond milk
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
Chocolate Drizzle (Optional):
1/2 about 60g vegan "milk" chocolate, roughly chopped
2 teaspoons vegan butter

Instructions

Brownies:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 C) and grease and 8x8 inch square pan with oil.
In a small saucepan set over low heat, slowly melt the butter with sugar and cocoa powder while whisking. Once melted, remove from heat and scrape into a medium bowl then stir in baking powder, espresso powder, salt, and vanilla until combined. Add the coconut cream, vinegar, and chocolate hazelnut butter and stir just until mixed, then the flour and stir in until smooth.

Pour the batter into prepared pan and sprinkle chocolate chips over the batter evenly. Bake the brownies for 18 - 24 minutes until the center doesn't jiggle when the pan is nudged (you can also check center with a toothpick and see if it comes out clean). Remove from oven and cool for about 10 minutes before adding the frosting.
Frosting:
While the brownies are cooling, whisk the melted butter, nutella, vanilla extract, and almond milk in a small mixing bowl. Add the salt and powdered sugar and stir until creamy smooth. After about 10 minutes of cooling time on the brownies, scrape the frosting out of bowl and on top of them. Allow the heat of the brownies to soften the frosting for about 5 minutes, then very gently spread it over top being careful not to tear the brownies.
If you want to add the extra chocolate, melt the butter and milk chocolate in a double boiler or microwave safe bowl in short intervals until smooth and use a small pastry bag (or just a fork) to drizzle over the top.
For perfectly squared brownies, allow them to finish cooling completely (you can put the pan in the fridge or freezer if you're in a hurry) before cutting. However, for yummiest but messy brownies, dig in while they are still warm!!!

Recipe Notes

If you have trouble finding coconut cream at your local grocery store it's completely fine to use full-fat coconut milk and scrape the cream off of the top. Just be sure that it's cold enough to separate.

ALL CONTENT IS MINE AND ORIGINAL! All of these food photos were taken with my Nikon D750 and my favorite Lens, the Nikon AF-S FX NIKKOR 50mm f/1.8G. You can find out more in my INTRO POST.

Also, a huge shoutout to @rigaronib for designing my logo!

If you're looking for more recipes check out some of my other recent posts!

1. Superbowl Snack - Southwest Egg Rolls + Ranch Sauce
2. The Fluffiest Chocolate Chip Pancakes
3. Creamy Mushrooms + Broccoli Gnocchi
4. Healthy Cocoa + Maca Bliss Balls
5. Bowl Style Sushi!

Also, check out my recap of last year

1. Recapping 2018 for Gringalicious - Part 1
2. Recapping 2018 for Gringalicious - Part 2
3. Recapping 2018 for Gringalicious - Part 3