Dark Chocolate Brownies with Nuts

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Diet: Vegetarian

Prep Time: 8

Cook Time: 28

Total Time: 36

Servings: brownies

Calories: 240kcal

Author: Jazzmine Woodard

Chocolatey, fudgy homemade brownies with crunchy walnuts and pecans in every bite

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Equipment

1 8 x 8 inch baking dish or 9 x 9-inch baking dish
parchment paper
1 cutting board
1 knife
2 mixing bowls
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.

Notes

About the Dark Chocolate

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.

I recommend using chocolate with a percentage between 50 and 80% cacao for the best flavor. I personally like a combination of 60% and 70% cacao, but you can get similar results in this range.

Preparation

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!

Variations

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.

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.

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!

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.

Storage

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.

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.

Nutrition