Chocolate Brownies with Walnuts (Print)
Rich, fudgy chocolate brownies with crunchy walnuts delivering the perfect balance of gooey and nutty textures in every bite.
# Ingredient list:
→ Wet Ingredients
01 - 6 oz unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
02 - 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
03 - 2 large eggs
04 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
→ Dry Ingredients
05 - 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
06 - 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
07 - 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
08 - 1/4 teaspoon salt
→ Add-ins
09 - 1 cup walnut halves or pieces, roughly chopped
10 - 3.5 oz dark chocolate, chopped (optional, for extra richness)
# Directions:
01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line an 8x8 inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on two sides for easy removal after baking.
02 - In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the melted butter and granulated sugar until well combined and glossy in appearance.
03 - Add eggs one at a time to the butter mixture, whisking thoroughly after each addition. Stir in the vanilla extract until fully incorporated.
04 - In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt to remove lumps and aerate the dry mixture.
05 - Gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture using a spatula until just combined. Avoid overmixing to maintain a tender crumb structure.
06 - Fold the chopped walnuts and dark chocolate pieces into the batter until evenly distributed throughout.
07 - Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan and use a spatula to smooth the top surface into an even layer.
08 - Bake for 28 to 32 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs. Do not overbake.
09 - Remove from oven and allow brownies to cool completely in the pan. Lift out using parchment overhang and cut into 12 equal squares.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- These brownies have that perfect crackly top that shatters slightly when you bite through to the fudgy center—a textural contrast that took me years to perfect.
- The walnuts add just enough crunch without overwhelming the chocolate, creating that wonderful moment when you get a bite with everything in perfect proportion.
02 -
- The brownies will continue cooking slightly after removal from the oven, so its better to pull them out a minute early than a minute late—a lesson I learned after serving my book club brownies with the texture of chocolate cement.
- Letting the brownies cool completely before cutting produces cleaner squares, but warming individual pieces for 10 seconds in the microwave recreates that just-baked magic.
03 -
- Line your pan with parchment paper that extends up all four sides, creating a sling that lets you lift the entire batch out intact before cutting—a technique that transformed my presentation after years of serving mangled first pieces.
- For picture-perfect cuts, chill the brownies for 30 minutes, then use a knife dipped in hot water and wiped clean between each slice.