My dark chocolate brownies with nuts are classic chewy, fudgy brownies with the best balance of rich chocolatey flavor and crunchy walnuts and pecans! Let me show you how to make them easily at home with step-by-step instructions and pro tips for perfect results the first time.
And if you enjoy this recipe, you'll love my elevated box-mix brownies, too!
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Featured Reader Review
★★★★★
"Legit best brownies I've ever had. Melt in your mouth, didn't know that was a thing for brownies. Finished the pan in less than two days!"
-Lo
❤️ Why You'll Love this Recipe
Simple to Make - You don't need any fancy kitchen tools or professional baking techniques to make the best brownies with nuts recipe. It's quick and easy enough for kids to help out with!
Decadent Taste and Texture - When it comes to brownies, they exist on a spectrum from gooey to cakey. I like them right in the middle--thick, fudge-like, and sweet but not too sweet. Unfortunately, some brownies are cloyingly sweet or have so much chocolate that they coat your mouth, and you can't stand to eat a whole one. Not these.
Across multiple rounds of baking from scratch, these pecan walnut brownies are honestly the best brownies I've ever tasted, whether homemade or from a store or bakery. They're rich and chocolatey and indulgent without being too dense--which is dangerous because you'll want to eat one brownie bar after another.
👉🏾 I love making sweet treats for my family (and my own GIANT sweet tooth), so I have more faves to share with you like my chocolate chip walnut cookies, oatmeal raisin walnut cookies, caramel sweet potato dessert bars, gourmet rice krispie treats, spiced peanut butter cookies, DIY snickers bars, and banana pecan bread!
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What You'll Need for this Recipe
Dark Chocolate has a touch of bitterness that subdues some of the sweetness and gives the brownies a more complex taste. Wondering what is the best dark chocolate for brownies? I recommend using a dark chocolate candy bar or unsweetened chocolate baking bar between 50 and 80% for the best flavor. I personally like a combination of 60% and 70% cacao, but you can get similar results in this range.
Dark chocolate ranges from 30 to 100% cacao, with chocolates on the lower end of the range being sweeter and more creamy and those at the higher end being more bitter and complex.
Brown Sugar and Granulated Sugar make for full-bodied flavor and a nice soft texture. Use dark or light brown sugar interchangeably.
Nuts can be controversial in brownies but I firmly believe they belong and in this recipe, I use the perfect amount of pecan and walnut pieces so that you get a little crunch in almost every bite. Are brownies better with walnuts or pecans? Why not both?!
Sea Salt helps balance out and enhance the sweetness of this recipe. I recommend using fine sea salt for the best results.
Check out the recipe card below for full ingredients list, measurements, nutrition facts, and step-by-step instructions!
Substitutions & Variations
Size - This recipe works in either an 8-inch by 8-inch square baking pan or 9-inch by 9-inch one. Brownies baked in the smaller pan will come out a little thicker than those baked in the bigger pan.
Kinds of Nuts - Pistachios, peanuts, and macadamia nuts also work here. Just make sure to chop them up a little just like I do with the pecans and walnuts per the recipe instructions. Dark chocolate almond brownies work, too but the almonds need to be chopped even more, in my experience, because they are harder than other nuts.
With No Nuts - I'm obviously partial to nuts in brownies but this is still a really solid brownie recipe even without nuts. So, if you have a nut allergy or just want to leave them out, I think you'll still be happy with the outcome!
Toppings - Go as wild as you want in adorning these walnut pecan brownies: add more nuts on top, sprinkle them with sprinkles, chocolate chips, or milk chocolate kisses. Just add these elements before baking.
How to Make Homemade Brownies with Pecans and Walnuts
- Step 1: Melt the butter and dark chocolate then stir them together.
- Step 2: Mix in the egg, sugars, and vanilla.
Pro Tip #1
It's easiest to cut up the butter and chocolate then melt them in the same bowl in the microwave. I recommend heating them for 20 to 30 seconds then stirring and checking the ingredients; then repeat until melted. Once the butter is melted and they combine smoothly, it's ready!
- Step 3: Whisk the flour, cocoa powder, and salt together then dredge the pecans and walnuts in this mixture.
- Step 4: Combine the wet and dry mixes then spread the batter into the parchment-lined pan, making sure to get it all the way to the edges and into the corners.
Pro Tip #2
Dredging the nuts in the flour mix is important for even baking. It helps them float in the batter so that they will be evenly dispersed instead of clustering together or sinking to the bottom of the pan and burning.
- Step 5: Bake the brownies until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with moist, fudgy crumbs clinging to it.
- Step 6: Let the brownies cool for at least 30 minutes in the pan.
Pro Tip #3
The bake times I've tested from the recipe range from 28 to 34 minutes. 28 minutes of baking yield brownies with a gooey center, and at 34 minutes they're slightly overbaked and will have crispy corners and edges. I typically pull my brownies out of the oven around 32 minutes to get the best of both worlds!
- Step 7: Remove from pan then cut into 16 equal pieces.
Frequently Asked Questions
Store the brownies in an airtight container at room temperature. They will keep for up to six days but will taste the best within the first three days.
Yes, you can freeze these brownies the same way you would brownies that don't have nuts: wrap them in aluminum foil then place in a freezer-safe airtight container or zip-seal bag before transferring to the freezer. Once frozen, they will keep for up to three months.
How to Serve
Temperature: My personal preference is a slightly warmed corner piece of dark chocolate fudgy brownie. But the beauty of these brownies is that they are so damn good, you don't have to eat them in any particular way to enjoy! Serve 'em cold, at room temperature, or warmed up.
Pairings: I like to pair mine with a small glass of almond milk or DIY strawberry milk, if I'm being extra. Or a scoop of homemade dark chocolate ice cream, if I'm being completely over the top!
Occasions: Bake these bars whenever you need a sweet treat. They're especially cozy in the fall and winter months, and if you want a festive version for the holiday season, try my peppermint bark dark chocolate brownies!
More Favorite Chocolate Recipes
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
I hope you'll enjoy this nutty dark cocoa brownie recipe soon and very soon. And sharing is caring, so be sure to pin this recipe for later and follow me over on Pinterest. Thanks for reading!
📖 Recipe
Dark Chocolate Brownies with Nuts
Equipment
- 1 8 x 8 inch baking dish or 9 x 9-inch baking dish
- 1 knife
- 1 silicone spatula or kitchen spoon
- 1 whisk
Ingredients
- 6 ounces dark chocolate 50% to 80% cacao*
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- 3 eggs room temperature
- ⅔ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar packed, light or dark
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons cocoa powder
- ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ½ cup walnuts roughly chopped
- ½ cup pecans roughly chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line the baking pan with parchment paper so that at least one inch of parchment paper hangs over the edge of the pan. Set aside.
- Roughly chop chocolate bar and cut butter into chunks then place both into a heat-safe bowl and microwave in 30-second increments until melted (typically takes between one minute and 90 seconds total). Stir together until uniform.6 ounces dark chocolate, ½ cup unsalted butter
- Mix eggs, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla extract into chocolate and butter mixture until combined.3 eggs, ⅔ cup granulated sugar, ½ cup brown sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
- In another bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, and fine sea salt then dredge the walnuts and pecans in this mixture until coated.½ cup all-purpose flour, 3 tablespoons cocoa powder, ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt, ½ cup walnuts, ½ cup pecans
- Add the flour mixture to the chocolate mixture and stir until just combined, then pour the batter into the prepared baking dish, spreading it evenly across the pan.
- Place pan into preheated oven and bake for 28-32 minutes or until baked through. *When done, a toothpick inserted into the center of the brownie will come out with moist fudgy brownie crumbs clinging to it but not wet and runny streaks of batter. If it comes out completely clean, the brownies are overbaked.
- Let brownies cool for at least 30 minutes before cutting. Use parchment paper to lift brownies out of pan then cut into 16 equal pieces.
Lo says
Legit best brownies I've ever had. Melt in your mouth, didnt know that was a thing for brownies. Finished the pan in less than 2 days.
Jazzmine Woodard says
Thanks, Lo! I'm so glad you're enjoying these.
Tina says
I made these brownies last week. OMG they were addictive. So delicious!
Jazzmine Woodard says
Thanks, Tina! So glad you enjoyed these brownies.