Molten Nutella Brownies
Jump to Recipe ↓I can tell you straight: these are the best Nutella brownies I have baked, and the reason is one trick most recipes skip. The hazelnut layer is not swirled through the batter and it is not spooned on top. It goes in frozen, as a solid slab, sealed between two layers of dark brownie. It bakes into a soft center that holds its shape until your knife finds it.
Cut one open and you get three things at once: a crackled top, a dense fudgy body, and a ribbon of chocolate hazelnut in the middle that has not quite decided whether it is solid or liquid. That center is the whole point, and it is easier to get right than it looks.
Why These Nutella Brownies Work
Most Nutella brownie recipes do one of two things. They swirl the spread into the batter, where it disappears by the time the pan comes out of the oven. Or they dollop it on top, where it sits on the surface and never really becomes part of the brownie. Both leave you wishing there was an actual layer.
Freezing the Nutella into a slab first solves that. A frozen core is firm enough to handle like a layer, so you can place it precisely and seal the batter around it. In the oven it warms from the outside in: the brownie sets while the center softens but stays put. You end up with a defined hazelnut ribbon that survives the bake.
If you like brownies with structure, you may also like the troubleshooting habits in my guide to common croissant problems and fixes, since a lot of baking comes down to reading doneness instead of trusting the clock.
Key Ingredients
- Chocolate hazelnut spread (Nutella): the heart of the recipe. You want a thick spread that holds its shape when frozen, so skip anything thin or pourable at room temperature. Nutella freezes and melts predictably, which is why I reach for it. A quality organic hazelnut spread works the same way as long as it is thick.
- Dark chocolate chips, used twice: one cup melts into the butter to carry chocolate through every bite, and another half cup folds in whole so you get pockets of intact chocolate. I love that contrast between the smooth batter and the chips that stay put. Sugar-free chips taste great here; they just bake up a touch less glossy on top.
- Unsalted butter: melted, it becomes the base that the chips dissolve into. Unsalted lets you control the seasoning, which matters if you finish with flaky salt.
- Coconut sugar: it carries a soft molasses note that pushes the chocolate and hazelnut deeper. Plain granulated sugar works and the brownies are still excellent; the difference shows up in the aftertaste. Use coconut sugar if you have it.
- Dark cocoa powder: Dutch-processed cocoa is mellower and darker than natural cocoa, which suits a brownie this rich. Natural cocoa works too, just expect a brighter, slightly more acidic edge and a lighter color.
- Eggs, at room temperature: whisked hard with the sugar, they build the air that gives you that crinkled top. Cold eggs whip slower, so pull them out ahead of time.
- Flour, only 30 grams: the amount is tiny on purpose, which keeps these fudgy rather than cakey. Because there is so little, a gluten-free 1:1 blend behaves the same as all-purpose. Cornstarch also swaps in 1:1 and gives an even denser crumb.
Find the full recipe with measurements below.
How to Make Molten Nutella Brownies
Tip 1: Freeze the core until it is truly solid. This is the one rule you cannot bend. Spread the Nutella into a parchment-lined 8-inch pan and freeze it for a full hour, longer if your freezer runs warm. Press the center with a fingertip before you use it. If it gives at all, it is not ready, and a soft core will dissolve into the batter as it bakes.
Tip 2: Whisk the eggs and sugar like you mean it. Two to three full minutes, until the mixture turns pale, thick, and trails a ribbon off the whisk. This step is load-bearing, not optional. It dissolves the sugar into the eggs and folds in air, and that is exactly what gives you the shiny, crackled crust. Skip it and the top bakes dull and flat.
Tip 3: Fold gently once the chocolate goes in. Pour the cooled chocolate-butter mix into the whipped eggs and fold with wide, easy strokes. You spent two minutes building that air, so protect it. When you add the cocoa and flour, stop while a few faint streaks remain; they vanish with the next fold, and overmixing toughens the crumb.
Tip 4: Build it in two even layers and work fast at the core. Spread exactly half the batter flat to the corners, tap out the air, then lay the frozen slab in the center. The slab softens the second it leaves the freezer, so move quickly. Cover with the rest of the batter from the center outward so the core does not shift and nothing peeks out at the edges.
Tip 5: Pull them early and trust the crumbs. Bake at 175°C (350°F) and start checking at 33 minutes. Insert a toothpick into the brownie part, never the center where the hazelnut sits. You want moist crumbs clinging to it, not wet batter and not a clean toothpick. I check at 33 and rarely let them go to 36, because a clean toothpick here means they are already overbaked.
Variations & Substitutions
- Gluten-free: the recipe already uses a 1:1 gluten-free blend in place of flour, so it is naturally gluten-free if your chocolate and spread are too. All-purpose flour works the same.
- Extra fudgy: swap the flour for the same weight of cornstarch. It gives a denser, softer crumb.
- Plain white sugar: granulated sugar replaces coconut sugar 1:1. You lose a little of the caramel note but gain nothing but convenience.
- Flaky salt finish: a small pinch of sea salt over the top right before serving lifts every layer of chocolate. I love this one, and it takes ten seconds.
Storage & Make-Ahead
Keep these covered at room temperature for up to three days. They freeze well too: wrap individual squares and freeze for up to a month, then thaw at room temperature for about twenty minutes before serving. You can also build the frozen Nutella core a day ahead and leave it in the freezer until the batter is ready.
More Baking Recipes
If you are in a baking mood, try the cozy berry brunch bake for something fruit-forward, or work on your pastry with perfect suet pastry at home.
Molten Core Nutella Brownies
A dark, fudgy brownie built around a frozen chocolate-hazelnut center that bakes into a molten core.
Ingredients
Frozen center
- 360 g (1½ cups) chocolate hazelnut spread (Nutella or quality alternative)
Brownie batter
- 113 g (½ cup) unsalted butter, fully melted
- 170 g (1 cup) dark chocolate chips, for melting
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 200 g (1 cup) coconut sugar (or granulated white sugar)
- 12 g (2 tbsp) dark cocoa powder
- 5 ml (1 tsp) pure vanilla extract
- 30 g (¼ cup) gluten-free 1:1 flour (or all-purpose flour)
- 85 g (½ cup) dark chocolate chips, for folding in whole
Directions
- Line an 8-inch square pan with parchment. Spread the 360 g hazelnut spread into a flat, even layer and freeze at least 1 hour, until completely solid (it should not give when pressed).
- When the slab is nearly set, preheat the oven to 175°C (350°F) and line a second 8-inch square pan for baking.
- Combine the melted butter and 170 g dark chocolate chips in a heatproof bowl. Stir until smooth and glossy. If needed, microwave in 10–15 second bursts, stirring between each. Cool to just above room temperature.
- In a large bowl, whisk the eggs and coconut sugar hard for 2–3 minutes, until pale, thick, and ribboning off the whisk.
- Fold the cooled chocolate-butter mixture into the eggs with wide, gentle strokes until glossy and uniform.
- Sift the cocoa and flour over the batter, add the vanilla, and fold until just combined. A few faint flour streaks are fine.
- Fold in the 85 g whole chocolate chips with 3–4 strokes.
- Spread exactly half the batter into the lined baking pan, level it to the corners, and tap the pan to release air.
- Peel the parchment off the frozen slab and center it on the batter, pressing gently. Work quickly.
- Pour the remaining batter over the slab, spreading from the center outward so the core stays put and is fully covered.
- Bake 33–36 minutes. Start checking at 33: a toothpick in the brownie part (not the center) should come out with moist crumbs.
- Cool completely in the pan, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Lift out by the parchment and slice into 9 squares, wiping the knife clean between cuts.
- Doneness: a clean toothpick means overbaked. Moist crumbs are the target; they keep setting as they cool.
- The core: freeze it solid (1 hour minimum, 90 minutes if your freezer runs warm). A soft slab melts into the batter.
- Slicing: do not cut warm. Cooling fully is what keeps the layers distinct and the slice clean.
- Storage: room temperature, covered, up to 3 days; or freeze wrapped squares up to 1 month.
- Serving: a pinch of flaky sea salt just before serving is optional but worth it.
Nutrition (estimated, per square, makes 9): 402 cal · 5 g protein · 68 g carbs · 35 g fat · 39 g sugar · 5 g fiber · 151 mg sodium
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I skip freezing the Nutella?
No, this is the step that makes the recipe work. A frozen slab holds its shape so it can be placed as a layer and stay defined through the bake. Spread it at room temperature and it just blends into the batter, and you lose the molten core entirely.
Can I make these Nutella brownies gluten-free?
Yes. The recipe uses only 30 grams of flour, and a gluten-free 1:1 blend behaves the same as all-purpose at that quantity. Just check that your chocolate chips and hazelnut spread are gluten-free too.
How do I know when they are done?
Test a toothpick in the brownie portion, not the center where the hazelnut sits. Moist crumbs clinging to it means done. Wet batter means more time; a completely clean toothpick means they are overbaked. They finish setting as they cool.
Can I use regular sugar instead of coconut sugar?
Yes, granulated white sugar swaps in 1:1 and the brownies are still excellent. Coconut sugar adds a subtle caramel depth in the aftertaste, so use it if you have it, but it is not essential.
Why are my layers not distinct?
Usually it is one of two things: the core was not frozen solid, or the brownies were cut while still warm. Freeze the slab until firm, and let the pan cool fully before slicing so the structure has time to set.
Can I double the recipe?
You can, but use two separate 8-inch pans rather than one large pan. A bigger pan changes the depth and bake time, and the thin, even layers are what give you a centered core in each square.
Arafat Hossain is a Head Pastry Chef, food creator, and AI-powered culinary educator with more than 12 years of professional experience in patisserie, artisan bakery, and dessert development across India, the UAE, Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia. He combines classical pastry techniques with modern food science to create recipes that are practical, visually stunning, and easy to recreate at home. He tests every recipe himself before it goes on the blog.