Home » brownies » Nutella-Salted Shortbread Brownies
August 8, 2012 (updated Jan 7, 2023) by Jennifer McHenry //
26 Comments
As is often the case, I came across this recipe while I was browsing the internet looking for something else entirely. Regardless of any focused search, spying “Nutella” in the name of a recipe will pretty much guarantee that my search will get derailed.
I’m sure I’m not the only one here who always, always keeps Nutella in the pantry. It’s a rare occasion when I run out. You never know when you’re going to require it with an unrivaled intensity.
So, my hijacked search leads us to brownies amped up with the addition of Nutella and hazelnuts. While that might be seriously rich, that gets offset by a bottom layer of salty shortbread. The combination is quite amazing.
The brownies are that magical combination of shiny, crackly top and fudgy middle. I opted to chop the hazelnuts, but you can certainly go with whole ones for a little variety.
I love the saltiness of the shortbread. It isn’t over-the-top salty, so you could opt to bump the salt up by 1/4-1/2 teaspoon if you are a big proponent of the sweet & salty thing. Or, sprinkle a little bit of coarse salt on top of the brownies before baking them.
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Get the Recipe:
Nutella-Salted Shortbread Brownies
Yield24 2-inch brownies
Prep Time25 minutes
Cook Time1 hour
Total Time1 hour 25 minutes
Nutella-Salted Shortbread Brownies are the sweet and salty combo of your dreams! The salty shortbread is the perfect complement to rich Nutella brownies!
Ingredients
For the shortbread:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 12 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold and cut into small pieces
For the brownies:
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- 8 ounces bittersweet chocolate (I used 72% cacao)
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup Nutella
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup chopped roasted hazelnuts
Instructions
To make the shortbread:
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Combine the flour, brown sugar, and salt. Mix in the butter using a pastry blender, a fork, or your hands.
- Press the mixture evenly into the bottom of an ungreased 9"x 13"x 2"baking pan. Bake for 20 minutes, or until the edges are lightly browned. Set aside.
To make the brownies:
- Place the butter and chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl. Melt at half-power in the microwave in 30-second intervals until the butter is melted and chocolate melts when stirred. Stir until smooth. Allow to cool slightly.
- Pour the chocolate/butter mixture into a large bowl. Add the sugar, and beat until combined. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Mix in the vanilla and Nutella.
- Add the flour and salt, mixing just until combined. Stir in the hazelnuts.
- Pour the brownie batter over the shortbread and spread evenly. Bake 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with moist crumbs. Cool completely in the pan on a wire rack before cutting into bars.
Notes
Recipe slightly adapted from The Yellow Table.
brownies, chocolate, sweet and salty
26 Comments »
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kelly bakes August 8, 2012 @ 12:06 pm Reply
ooh now these just sound unfair! I try *not* to keep Nutella around, because I somehow always find my way to the silverware drawer and pretty soon it’s me, the jar and a spoon hanging out having ourselves a hazelnutty good time (and then later I wind up with a tummyache :x) I recently made peanut butter bacon nutella cookies with smoked salt, so I am all about the nutella/salt combo. I’ll have to give these a try!
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robyn August 8, 2012 @ 12:06 pm Reply
oh my gosh-bookmarked! they look amazing!
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Melanie August 8, 2012 @ 12:12 pm Reply
Thank you, thank you! You had me at Nutella and brownie and shortbread and your lead photo and I didn’t even need to see the rest. Bookmarked:)
p.s. I just recently ran out of Nutella–something that seems to creep up on me quite unexpectedly–and now I have a real reason to buy more (I know, I don’t really need one…)
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sara August 8, 2012 @ 12:50 pm Reply
Wow, these look amazing! Love that little crust on the bottom, and the brownies look insanely tasty.
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Erin @ The Spiffy Cookie August 8, 2012 @ 7:27 pm Reply
Salted chocolate is one thing, but salted nutella? yum!
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FreeSpiritEater August 8, 2012 @ 7:28 pm Reply
This is unreal. Wow. I HAVE to make this. Thank you sooo much for sharing. You’ve brought the brownie to a whole new level =]
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Kimberley August 8, 2012 @ 11:34 pm Reply
Brownies and shortbread sound amazing!!!! I HAVE to try this one day!
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Katrina @ Warm Vanilla Sugar August 9, 2012 @ 3:32 am Reply
Now these are just fabulous! Love that crust!
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shelly (cookies and cups) August 9, 2012 @ 6:03 am Reply
Oh yes! That crust!
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Jenny @ BAKE August 9, 2012 @ 7:10 am Reply
the combination of textures here sounds amazing!
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Lawrence August 9, 2012 @ 4:44 pm Reply
Oh wow. You’re definitely not alone with always having nutella in the pantry! Going to have my girlfriend try and bake these because she loves nutella and brownies, so it only makes sense. Awesome recipe! Thanks so much 🙂
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Meg @ Sweet Twist August 9, 2012 @ 6:39 pm Reply
These look heavenly!!
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Blair August 16, 2012 @ 3:21 am Reply
Just baked these– didn’t have hazelnuts, but they seemed to turn out pretty darn good anyway. Never thought I would bake my first ever shortcake as part of a crust for those gorgeous brownies.
Greeting my boyfriend with these when he gets back from Europe tonight… I think he’ll love them. Thanks a million
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Rebecca August 16, 2012 @ 12:30 pm Reply
CANNOT THANK YOU ENOUGH FOR THIS RECIPE.
Easily the most delicious thing I have ever baked. Will send this page to just about everyone I know… I can’t even do these justice with mere words! Mmmmm
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Tracy {Pale Yellow} August 17, 2012 @ 6:58 am Reply
These brownies look heavenly! I love the idea of a crispy, salty bottom layer to the sweet brownie!
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The Food Hunter August 17, 2012 @ 1:11 pm Reply
making these!
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Kelly September 10, 2012 @ 6:15 am Reply
OMG these are amazing, I just *HAPPENED* to double the batch and am sooo glad, the family is eating the heck out of these, Im eating the heck out of these and this morning my co-workers will get to experience the awesomeness.. THANKS FOR THE RECIPIE!
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Janet August 28, 2017 @ 5:08 pm Reply
Made these a couple of days ago. Overbaked them a minute or two but delicious anyway. I put 1/2 in the freezer for more enjoyment later.
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Jackie Sternfels October 4, 2018 @ 8:15 am Reply
The Absolute BEST brownies EVER! Salty, sweet, chocolatey, hazelnuts. What more could anyone want? Even the edges are delicious (and you know how dry they usually are).
Thank you.-
Jennifer McHenry October 4, 2018 @ 9:20 am Reply
Thanks, Jackie. I’m so glad you enjoyed them!
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Andrea Vargas March 2, 2020 @ 12:32 am Reply
Brownies were yummy and pretty simple. Changes- add more Nutella, you can barely taste 1/4 cup and bake for longer than 35-40 min. Mine took 50min to be done in the middle. And lastly I added some sea salt ontop before baking and it was delicious!
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Jennifer McHenry March 2, 2020 @ 4:20 pm Reply
I’m glad you liked them, Andrea!
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Alia June 25, 2020 @ 1:19 pm Reply
Was browsing thru some recipes n came across ur Nutella shortbread brownies made them right away n they r delicious 😋 my family has a huge chocolate/ Nutella tooth n I’m sure there won’t b any leftovers thank u for a yummy recipe 😍
Would like to send pictures but don’t know how-
Jennifer McHenry June 26, 2020 @ 4:10 pm Reply
That’s awesome to hear, Alia!
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Jeff Winett September 17, 2021 @ 11:36 am Reply
I wanted to wait until our second time having your brainchild recipe before reviewing. We had these last week and swooned. But I wanted to see how they would freeze to determine that result as well…OMG, not one bit of difference from freshly baked, and what a sophisticated treat you have shared. I found that the salt did not overwhelm in any fashion whatsoever. I think the value of the slightly elevated salt amount made for a less sweet note, hence the word “sophisticated”. LOVE these!
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Jennifer McHenry September 19, 2021 @ 11:36 am Reply
I’m so glad to hear they were a hit for you, Jeff! And thanks for sharing how well they freeze. I find I’m freezing baked goods more and more these days.
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