October 28, 2021

Nutella Blondies

Name: Nutella Blondies
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 60 min
Ingredients: 2 cups (250 grams or 8.8 ounces) bleached, all-purpose flour; 1 teaspoon salt; 1/2 teaspoon baking powder; 1/2 teaspoon baking soda; 1 cup (2 "sticks" or 227 grams or 8 ounces) unsalted butter; 1 cup (192 grams or 6.6 ounces) dark brown sugar; 1/4 cup (50 grams or 1.8 ounces) granulated sugar; 2 large eggs; 1 tablespoon Frangelico or other hazelnut liqueur; 1/2 cup Nutella

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These Nutella blondies were created to celebrate National Chocolate Day. But you don’t need a national holiday to enjoy these thick, nut-scented blondies with a rich Nutella swirl.

Tips and tricks for this recipe

The base cookie for these Nutella blondies is my go-to chocolate chip cookie, with minor modifications. The first change is the use of brown butter for greater flavor.

I only use brown half of the butter in my cookies because I prefer a cookie that doesn’t spread. But spread is not an issue when making blondies or brownies in a pan. And the nutty flavor of brown butter pairs really well with Nutella.

If you’ve never browned butter before, the secret is to cook it slowly over medium-low heat, and listen for the popping to stop.

The second modification of the cookie recipe is to use mostly dark brown sugar. I’ve done this both for taste and for simplicity.

The recipe can be made by hand or with a hand or stand mixer. First the brown butter and sugars are mixed together (Panels #1 and #2).

four panels showing the steps of making the blondie batter

Then eggs get beaten in one at a time, followed by a tablespoon of hazelnut liqueur (Panel #3). The dry ingredients are folded in just until mixed (Panel #4).

Swirling in the Nutella is not difficult. First, put the cookie base into the prepared pan (Panel #1). Dollop the Nutella on top (Panel #2). Use a knife to swirl the Nutella into the batter by scooping a small amount of Nutella and batter together (Panel #3) and flip the knife over (Panel #4), being careful not to scrape the bottom of the pan.

six panels showing the steps for how to swirl the blondie batter

Don’t worry if the swirl doesn’t look perfect. Better to leave as is than to mix so much that the batter and Nutella become uniform.

If your blondies look a bit lumpy bumpy after swirling (Panel #5), just give the pan a few thwacks on the counter to settle out those peaks (Panel #6).

FAQs about these Nutella blondies

What is Nutella?

It’s a deliciously sweetened mixture of hazelnut and chocolate. If you want to control the amount of sugar, it’s easy enough to make your own for use in this recipe.

Do I have to weigh out my ingredients?

There is so much variation in how people measure that you are much more likely to get a reliable result if you weigh your ingredients. I always weigh out ingredients. I still have a deal that I’ll send a basic kitchen scale to the first ten U.S. readers who sign up for my newsletter and leave a comment to promise they will start weighing out all of their ingredients!

Is it ok to substitute light brown sugar?

Yes. That would be ok. And here’s a bit of explanation about the difference between light and dark brown sugars.

Can I add chopped hazelnuts?

Sure. That sounds tasty. I would add 1/2 cup of hazelnuts to the blondie batter. You’ll just want to remove the bitter skins. Toast the nuts for a few minutes, wrap them in a clean kitchen towel, and then rub them against each other to use the friction to remove the skins.

Can I freeze these Nutella blondies?

Yes. These blondies would freeze well. Just cut the baked blondies into individual sized pieces before freezing.

one Nutella blondie cut out from the pan

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Nutella Blondies

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes

Total Time 1 hour

Servings 16

Author uglyducklingbakery

Ingredients

2 cups (250 grams or 8.8 ounces) bleached, all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 cup (2 "sticks" or 227 grams or 8 ounces) unsalted butter
1 cup (192 grams or 6.6 ounces) dark brown sugar
¼ cup (50 grams or 1.8 ounces) granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon Frangelico or other hazelnut liqueur
½ cup Nutella

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter a 9"x9" pan or line the pan with parchment paper and lightly butter the paper.
Sift or whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a medium sized bowl.
2 cups (250 grams or 8.8 ounces) bleached, all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
Brown the butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat until it starts to darken and the "popping" sound stops.
1 cup (2 "sticks" or 227 grams or 8 ounces) unsalted butter
Add the sugars to a mixing bowl, add the brown butter without scraping the bits at the bottom of the pan, and beat until combined.
1 cup (192 grams or 6.6 ounces) dark brown sugar, 1/4 cup (50 grams or 1.8 ounces) granulated sugar
Beat in the eggs for one minute, one at a time, scraping down the side of the bowl as necessary.
2 large eggs
Beat in the hazelnut liqueur.
1 tablespoon Frangelico or other hazelnut liqueur
Mix in the dry ingredients just until uniform.
Transfer the batter to the prepared pan.
Dollop the Nutella on top of the batter. Then use a knife to swirl the Nutella into the batter, being careful not to go to the bottom of the pan.
1/2 cup Nutella
Bake for 40 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the blondies comes out clean and the blondies are just slightly firm to the touch.
If you used parchment paper, let the blondies cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then use the parchment to remove the blondies to a rack.
Store at room temperature for 1 to 2 weeks.