Gooey Nutella Brownies (Gluten-free, Dairy-free)

These brownies are a chocoholic’s dream: gooey on the inside yet flawlessly crisp on the outside, and loaded with dark chocolate chips of course. They will melt in your mouth hot out the oven, but taste equally delicious the next days after going more fudge-like in the fridge! Even before putting them in the oven, I could tell they’d be a hit as I may or may not have slipped a finger into the batter!

They’re the easiest fool-proof brownies to make – all you need is one bowl, no fancy equipment required! These freeze really well too so why not double up the ingredients to be sure to have some on hand for a while?!

I threw this recipe together one Sunday morning, when my friend had heavily hinted that he wanted me to bake him some brownies the night before. Given that he eats everything (gluten, dairy, you name it), I knew I had to make these extra special to get his stamp of approval – needless to say they were a success! I even made another batch of them this morning and I am munching on my second one right now, while planning to eat a third one while I catch up on a highly overdue snack-in-hand Netflix session later. Dreamy Sunday evening on the horizon!

All that’s left to do is make these now and thank me later…

Gooey Nutella Brownies

Makes 16 brownies

INGREDIENTS

• 1 1/2 cups (450g) Chocolate Hazelnut Butter (I use Meridian Foods – or use Nutella if not dairy-free)
• 1 cup (140g) gluten-free self-raising flour
• 3/4 cup (90g) ground almonds
• 1/4 cup (35g) coconut sugar (or brown sugar)
• 2 heaped tablespoons cocoa powder
• 4 eggs
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1/4 cup almond milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 2/3 cup (100g) dark chocolate chips, or finely chopped dark chocolate
• Optional: 1/4 cup (30g) walnuts, chopped

METHOD

1. Preheat oven to 180°C and line a brownie pan with greaseproof paper.
2. Whisk the eggs in a large mixing bowl, then add the vanilla extract, almond milk and maple syrup and whisk until fluffy. Add chocolate-hazelnut spread and beat until fully combined.
3. In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, ground almonds, coconut sugar, baking powder and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until a completely smooth batter forms. Then stir in the walnuts (if using) and chocolate chips, saving a handful to sprinkle on top.
4. Pour the mixture into the lined pan and use a spatula to smooth out the top. Sprinkle remaining chocolate chips on top and bake for 15-20 minutes.
5. Allow to cool fully before slicing, then keep refrigerated.

If you make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me in your photos on Instagram @cerealandpeanutbutter – I LOVE seeing your creations!