Nutella Brownies (Gluten-Free)

These Nutella Brownies are gluten-free and have only 4 ingredients. Over-the-top fudgy, creamy and dreamy, this treat will make everyone happy. With a special Valentine's Day version included, I think you might just fall in love with them.

Not sure if it's because my name is Valentina, or because I clearly inherited my mom's devotion to chocolate, but I've always loved Valentine's Day.

Rich and fudgy, Nutella Brownies could not be more Valentine's Day appropriate -- especially the special heart-filled version at the bottom of the post. They're a Nutella lover's dream.

The Ingredients

(I often suggest brands I love and use — these are only suggestions and this is not a sponsored post.)

• Nutella - You will need the 26.5-ounce jar, and you'll have some leftover.
• cocoa powder - I like Scharffen Berger's Unswetened Natural Cocoa Powder.
• baking powder - If you don’t bake regularly, it’s a good idea to check to be sure your baking powder is still good. To do so, pour a couple of tablespoons of boiling water over about ¼ teaspoon of the baking powder. If it starts to fizz, it’s still good. 
• eggs

(See recipe card below for quantities.)

Substitutions

• I like to keep it very Nutella-y, but if you're making them for Valentine's Day, they'd also be adorable if you filled the hearts with pink or red frosting.
• If there's a chocolate-hazelnut spread that you prefer over Nutella, with a similar consistency, you can substitute with it. The final texture of the brownies will likely vary with different brands.

Recipe Tips

• To avoid having the cocoa powder get all over your workspace, before using the electric mixer, use a large spoon to combine the ingredients.
• The longer you let the brownies cool, the easier they will be to slice, and to make the hearts (if you're adding them).
• If you want the extra Nutella, but want to save time, rather than make the hearts, you can spread a thin layer on top of the brownies, like frosting. (FYI, these are incredibly rich without the extra bit.)
• If you're making the hearts, use the top of a chopstick to help push the cut-out piece of brownie out of the cutter.
• As you can see, these brownies are not super neat squares. To make them super neat, with straight edges, once the pan has come to room temperature, place it in the freezer for about 15 minutes before slicing.
• For little round Nutella brownies,  you can use a mini muffin pan and line it with paper baking cups. Fill them about halfway to three quarters full, and you should get around 24+.

How to Make Them

- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line an 8 x 8-inch baking pan with parchment paper. Pictured below is the easiest way to do this. Imagine you’re wrapping a gift. Place pan upside down, lay a parchment paper on top and fold the it to fit tightly over the corners. Then turn the pan over and insert the folded parchment inside.

- Add the Nutella, cocoa powder, baking powder and eggs to a mixing bowl and mix until smooth.

- Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan and spread it evenly. Bake in the preheated 350°F oven until the edges begin pulling away from the sides.

- Place the pan on a cooling rack and let it sit for at least 30 minutes. Then lift it out of the pan with the parchment paper. Slice it into about 25 squares. (If you're adding the hearts, make 16 instead, so they're a bit bigger.) 



To add the hearts (optional) . . .
- Use a tiny heart-shaped cookie cutter (about ¾-inch) to cut out a small heart on top of each brownie. DO NOT push the cutter all the way to the bottom of the brownie -- about half way is perfect. Once the cutter is in the brownie, gently pull it up. This will pull out a bit of the brownie in a little heart shape.

- Add Nutella to a small zip-lock bag and cut a tiny bit off of one of its bottom corners. Then, holding the open tip close to the bottom of each hollowed out heart, squeeze gently to fill it up.

(More detailed instructions are in the recipe card below.)

Serving Suggestions

• For an excellent, fun dessert, break the Nutella Brownies into little pieces to top a scoop or two of vanilla bean ice cream.
• You can also warm the brownies and add a scoop of ice cream on top to slowly melt into a creamy vanilla sauce.
• Since the brownies are so fudgy, for guests, I like serving them in mini paper baking cups. (Tip: By gently pressing down on the top of a stack of baking cups, you can make them bigger, to fit different sizes of brownies or other treats.)

More Mouth-Watering Recipes with Nutella

• Nutella Waffles (with Gluten-Free Option)
• No-Bake Nutella Pie with Hazelnut Praline
• Nutella Chocolate Chip Cookies

Storing the Brownies

• Room temperature. Nutella Brownies will keep for about 4 days in an airtight container at room temperature. (This is when they're best.)
• Refrigerator. In an airtight container, they’ll last about a week in the refrigerator.
• Freezer. In an airtight container or freezer bag, the brownies will last up to 3 months in the freezer.
• If you’ve made the hearts, or spread Nutella over the top, and want to store them in layers, place a sheet of wax paper between each layer.

Valentine's Day or not, I hope you find my gluten-free Nutella Brownies as heavenly as I do.

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