Nutella Brownies

Mmmmmm....not the most healthy option, but certainly, a delicious one!  I found this recipe online the other night on Two Peas and their Pod blog.  I have to tell you...I just adore Nutella.  Actually, I have yet to meet anyone who has ever tried it say they don't like it.  I tried to make this recipe more "point friendly" by doing the old trick of substituting most of the oil for unsweetened applesauce and reducing the amount of bittersweet chocolate in it, but I wasn't happy with the result.  Far too "cakey" of a brownie for my liking.  So I decided to put the original recipe, with a few personal tweeks, in the recipe builder and came out with a value of 4 pts per brownie, when cut into 12 pieces. Sometimes, you just have to splurge a bit.  It does use canola oil, unsweetened cocoa powder, and has hazelnuts in it, making it have some pretty good redeeming nutritional value.  Hazelnuts have good fats, protein, and fiber and dark chocolate and unsweetened cocoa have antioxidants. For the bittersweet chocolate called for in the recipe, I substituted with 2 oz. of Lindt's Grandeur dark chocolate bar with 34% hazelnuts.  The nuts were already in the bar and gave a nice extra hazelnut-y flavor to the brownies. 

Nutella Brownines  adapted from Two Peas and their Pod

3/4 cup all purpose flour

3/4 cup granulated sugar

2 oz. coarsely chopped bittersweet chocolate ( I used Lindt grandeur dark chocolate bar w/ 34% hazelnuts)

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted

1/4 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 cup canola oil

2 large eggs

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 cup nutella spread

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Spray bottom and sides of 8 inch square baking pan with cooking spray.  ( I used my misto)  

In a medium bowl, add the flour, sugar, sifted cocoa powder, baking powder and salt.  Whisk to combine.

Add in the chopped chocolate pieces.  Mix to combine. 

In a separate bowl, mix together the oil, eggs, and vanilla extract.  

Pour the liquid mixture into the bowl with the dry ingredients and mix to combine.  Mixture will be dry, but don't worry.  Add in the nutella and stir until combined.  

Press mixture into prepared pans with rubber spatula.  Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into center comes out fairly clean.  Allow to cool.  Cut into 12 even pieces.  4 points per piece.  

My boys really liked these brownies.  You can subtly taste the nutella in it.  I like the crunch the hazelnuts give it.  

* this is an older recipe...if you would like new pp values for it, please email me at the address found in the contact tab!  thanks!  to see more updated recipes, please click on the "home" tab.  

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