These Chocolate Walnut Brownies with Cocoa Powder are done in 35 minutes with super simple prep and sure to satisfy all your chocolate cravings. Sweet & salty, crunchy & chewy, with a fudgy center - no wonder I've made them for 30 years!
The Exact Brownies I've Made for 30 Years
When I say this walnut brownie recipe is a good one - trust me, I've made it since I was 10. I made this recipe so often when I lived with my parents that we had the yellowed and faded recipe pasted to the inside of one of our cupboards.
Needless to say - this recipe for Walnut Brownies has been tested. Over and over. And over. It has been made in countless different ovens, with different types of nuts and multiple brands of cocoa powder. It just works.
Just keep an eye on it in the oven the first time - cooking time does differ a bit from oven to oven but 20-25 minutes seems to be the general sweet spot.
The result is always great - chewy & crispy, with a nice fudgy center. These are not cakey brownies, and not overly gooey brownies, they're just perfect.
And the finishing touch? Salt, to balance the sweetness and bring out all that incredible chocolate flavor.
"These are very good!! I had never used bread crumbs to line the pan for anything so learned something new! Delicious, simple recipe I will use again." -Sheri
Just Classic Brownie Ingredients
Salted or Unsalted Butter
I recommend unsalted butter for this recipe, so you can manage the salt level exactly. If you do use salted butter, reduce the amount of added salt to 1 teaspoon.
Should You Really Add That Much Salt?
This recipe has a distinct salty finish. If you prefer them less salty, just reduce the amount of salt and/or use unsalted butter. I recommend adding at least 1 teaspon of salt if using unsalted butter, and ¾ teaspoon of salt if using salted butter. If not, the sweetness can be a bit too much. But that's for me, if you enjoy really sweet treats then you can make do with less salt as well.
How to Make Them Without Walnuts
If you can't or don't want to add walnuts, you can swap them for a different type of nut: I've tested macadamias, pecans, hazelnuts and almonds and they all work great, my favorites being macademias and hazelnuts.
You can also make them entirely without nuts! I did this for multiple years in my teens when I had decided nuts were disgusting. I have since, thanksfully, changed my mind.
Follow This Simple Process
1. Eggs + Sugar + Butter
Start by mixing together the egg and sugar - mix well, but not too much, as you don't want too much air in the batter. Then mix in melted butter.
2. Dry Ingredients + Nuts
Combine all the dry ingredients in a separate bowl, then add them to the batter and mix until just well combined - not more! Then fold in the chopped nuts.
3. Bake
Grease a baking dish with butter, then coat with breadcrumbs. Pour in the batter and spread out evenly. Bake 20-25 minutes until a cake tester inserted into the middle comes out with just a little bit of batter on it.
Top Tips for the Best Brownies
Don't mix the batter too much. Everything should be well combined, but not more. If you mix too much you will incorporate too much air and this can cause the brownie to come out sunken in the middle.
Coat the pan with breadcrumbs. This is how we do it for almost all cakes in Sweden, and it serves two purposes: it keeps the brownie from sticking to the pan, and it adds a bit of extra crunch.
Keep an eye on it in the oven. Cook time will vary depending on your oven but will be around 20-30 minutes. Start checking at 20 minutes, then check every few minutes until done. Make a note and the next time you know just how much time it needs!
Let them cool down. For easiest cutting and serving, allow the brownie to cool down for 30 minutes before cutting into it.
Can't wait? Then don't! If you're in a hurry (or just have serious cravings!) feel free to skip the cool-down but know that the brownies might come out a bit misshapen.
Serve with ice cream. They are delicious on their own, but the saltiness makes them perfect to serve with a nice scoop of ice cream as well. Or serve them with Strawberry Whipped Cream or Peppermint Whipped Cream!
What to Do with Leftovers
Make ahead: These brownies are best on the first and second day, so plan accordingly.
Storing: Store leftovers in room temperature, covered in plastic, for up to 4 days.
Freezing: Store leftovers in the freezer in an airtight container, they are good for at least 1 month.
More Quick & Easy Chocolate Treats
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- Chocolate Chip Cookies without Brown Sugar1 Hours 5 Minutes
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- Strawberry Filled Cupcakes1 Hours
- Puff Pastry Apple Pie1 Hours 10 Minutes
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Recipe
Fudgy Walnut Brownies with Cocoa Powder
Print Pin RateIngredients
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 5 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla sugar or vanilla extract
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- 1½ teaspoon fine table salt or less, according to taste; see notes
- 3 eggs use 4 eggs if they are very small
- 1⅓ cup sugar
- ⅓ cup unsalted butter melted; see notes for using salted butter
- ½ cup walnuts roughly chopped; see notes for options
To grease your baking pan
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 2 tablespoon fine bread crumbs
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (190 C).
- In small bowl, sift in flour, cocoa powder, vanilla sugar (if using vanilla extract: add it with the butter instead), baking powder, and salt. Set aside for now.½ cup all-purpose flour, 5 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder, 1 teaspoon vanilla sugar, ¾ teaspoon baking powder, 1½ teaspoon fine table salt
- In another, large, bowl, whisk together eggs and sugar. Mix well, but don't overdo it. You don't want too much air in your batter. Some bubbles on the top of the batter is OK, just not too much.3 eggs, 1⅓ cup sugar
- Add the melted butter to your batter and mix until combined.⅓ cup unsalted butter
- Add the dry ingredients and mix until well combined, but not more than that.
- Add the nuts and mix gently.½ cup walnuts
- Grease a 8x11'' (20 x 30 cm) pan with the 1 tablespoon of butter. Then pour in the breadcrumbs and hold the pan over the sink while you tilt it to ensure the bread crumbs cover all sides. Shake out the remaining bread crumbs.1 tablespoon butter, 2 tablespoon fine bread crumbs
- Bake in the middle of the oven for 20-25 minutes. Test for doneness using a cake tester or a toothpick - it's done when the toothpick comes out with just a little bit of batter on it.
- Let the brownies cool down for at least 30 minutes before cutting into squares.
Equipment (may contain affiliate links)
- 8 x 11'' (20 x 30 cm) pan
- 2 mixing bowls
- Measuring cups
Video
Notes
Make ahead: These brownies are best on the first and second day, so plan accordingly. Storing: Store leftovers in room temperature, covered in plastic, for up to 4 days. Freezing: Store leftovers in the freezer in an airtight container, they are good for at least 1 month.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is approximate and automatically calculated, and should only be viewed as an indication.
Recipe FAQ
This is a common problem when making brownies, and it's most often because you've mixed in too much air when mixing together the eggs and sugar.
For many types of cakes you want to mix eggs and sugar fluffy, but for denser cakes like brownies this will instead cause them to sink.
Just mix the eggs and sugar until well combined, and no more.
tammy
yummy
Sheri
These are very good!! I had never used bread crumbs to line the pan for anything so learned something new! Delicious, simple recipe I will use again.
Emmeline Kemperyd
So happy to hear you enjoyed them, Sheri! And thanks for coming back here to let me know.
Mim
I made this yesterday and was really impressed with this recipe. Very yummy! Also, I really appreciated the way the recipe was written. Along with the instructions of what to add when, the amount of the ingredient is also written, so we do not need to scroll up to another “page” to find out how much of the ingredient is needed for the recipe. Many yummy thank you!!
Emmeline Kemperyd
Thank you so much for your comment! It made my day! So excited it turned out well for you. And I am glad you noticed the ingredients next to the instructions - I've been annoyed for YEARS with recipes online where you have to scroll back and forth between the ingredients and instructions, so I was so excited when the people who provide my recipe card made it possible to show it like this instead. Have a great weekend! /Emmeline
Fiona Manoon
Thank you so much for sharing recipes.Great blog!!!
Natalie
These brownies look fantastic. Love the addition of walnuts. I bet they added special flavor and made this brownies even more delicious. Since I'm a huge fan of anything with chocolate, this recipe is definitely going on my list to try. Can't wait!
Kylie
I tried this over the weekend and I can't even tell you how amazing they were! I literally finished *all* of them! EKKK!
Emmeline
Aah best comment ever! Thank you!
Celeste
This recipe is simple to follow and I was very excited to try it! I think I made the mistake of adding too much salt and my brownies came out too salty to eat. I will try the recipe again without the salt and see if they are better. Thanks for the recipe!
Emmeline Kemperyd
Hi Celeste! I'm so sorry to hear that. I've never had that problem myself, but of course it will depend on how salty you like them and also how salty your butter is. I hope you give them another shot with less salt - they really are delicious! /Emmeline
S
Horribly salty ....
Emmeline Kemperyd
Hi,
I'm sorry to hear that! There is a saltiness to these brownies, which I love, but it might not be for everyone.
/Emmeline
Ellie Plummer
I am a massive fan of brownies and these sounds amazing, I'll defo try baking these at the weekend
Emmeline
Thank you Ellie!
Katherine Rose Rivera
Yay! Love brownies and how it ends a meal. I have a sweet tooth and I always look for something to eat for dessert.
Emmeline
And these are great ones too! Thanks for commenting, Katherine!
Britney
Adding walnuts to brownies adds such a great texture. They look so chewy and delicious
Emmeline
Totally agree! Thanks for commenting!
Erica ~ Erica Ever After
I love a good brownie! These look like the perfect late night snack you really shouldn't have but do anyway
Emmeline
Haha exactly like that! Or for breakfast... Thanks for commenting!
Sue-Tanya Mchorgh
These brownies look so yummy. Oh my goodness. I can't wait to try this on my own.
Emmeline
Thank you so much! I think you’ll love them!
Riana
I am not the most proficient baker; all of my brownies come from a box mix! But maybe I will try adding nuts and lining the pan with breadcrumbs. I've never heard of doing that and it seems like it would help the brownies come out of the pan easier.
Emmeline
I highly recommend trying these then! They’re soo easy - almost as easy as the mix!