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 everyone loves these Walnut Brownies!
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 25-27 minutes seems to be the general sweet spot.
Jump to:
Why you will love this recipe
- It's easy to make with a few simple steps
- It's quick and all done in under 35 minutes
- It's been tested over and over again - and it's always a winner!
- Amazing texture - chewy & crispy, with a nice fudgy center
- Sweet & salty in perfect amounts
- Loaded with chocolate flavor for an indulgent treat
What you need to make them
Ingredient notes & substitutions
- Butter - I recommend using unsalted butter so you can manage the saltiness level exactly. If you use salted butter, reduce the amount of added salt to 1 teaspoon.
- Vanilla sugar can be swapped for vanilla extract in the same amount. Add it with the butter.
- Eggs: I use 3 pretty large eggs - if they are very small you can add a fourth
- Flour: I use all purpose flour
- Salt: These brownies have a distinct salty touch, which balances the sweetness well. 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, to avoid the sweetness taking over too much.
- Walnuts can be swapped for a different type of nut - macadamias, pecans hazelnuts and almonds all work great. You can also make them entirely without nuts.
- Unsweetened cocoa powder: Unsweetened is key for the right flavor
How to make them
- Sift all dry ingredients except sugar and breadcrumbs into a bowl
- Mix
- In another, large, bowl, add eggs and sugar
- Mix until well combined, then pour in melted butter
- Stir until combined
- Add the dry ingredients and mix until just combined
- Add chopped walnuts and mix gently again
- Now the batter is all done
- Bring out a pan that's roughly 8 x 11 inches (20 x 30 cm). Grease with butter, then coat with breadcrumbs.
- Pour in the batter and spread out evenly, then bake in the middle of the oven for 20-25 minutes at 375°F (190 C)
- Test for doneness by inserting a cake tester or tooth pick in the middle of the cake - it's done when it comes out with just a tiny bit of batter stuck to it. When done, bring out and set aside to cool for at least 30 minutes before cutting into squares.
Tips & tricks
- Don't over mix the batter or the brownie might sink in the middle
- 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!
- Don't have time for the brownies to cool down? Skip it - worst thing that happens is that your cut brownies loose their shape.
- The saltiness make these brownies perfect to serve with ice cream
- Store in room temperature, covered in plastic, for up to 4 days
- Freeze walnut brownies and they will be good for at least 1 month
- Need something even more indulgent? Serve your brownies with Strawberry Whipped Cream or Peppermint Whipped Cream.
Recipe FAQ
Fudgy brownies have more fat than a cakey brownie. These walnut brownies balance just between cakey and fudgy, with a distinct fudgy center.
This is up to you, but I don't toast mine. Toasting them will however bring out the nutty flavor more. Just be careful so you don't burn them!
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.
No, you don't need to refrigerate them. Cooked brownies will last for at least 4 days when stored in room temperature, if they are well covered in plastic.
More quick & easy chocolate desserts
Looking for more quick & easy desserts?
- Oreo Dessert Dirt
- Cocoa Powder Cookies
- Christmas Hot Chocolate
- Double Chocolate Chip Muffins
- No Bake Cookies without Peanut Butter
Did you love this recipe? Rate it five stars!
...and let me know what you loved about it in the comments.
Recipe
Chocolate 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
- 3 eggs use 4 eggs if they are very small
- 1⅓ cup sugar
- ⅓ cup unsalted butter melted
- ½ cup walnuts or other nuts, roughly chopped
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 about 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
Ingredient notes & substitutions
- Butter - I recommend using unsalted butter so you can manage the saltiness level exactly. If you use salted butter, reduce the amount of added salt to 1 teaspoon.
- Salt: These brownies have a distinct salty touch, which balances the sweetness well. 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, to avoid the sweetness taking over too much.
Tips & tricks
- Don't over mix the batter or the brownie might sink in the middle
- 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!
- Store in room temperature, covered in plastic, for up to 4 days
- Freeze walnut brownies and they will be good for at least 1 month
Nutrition
Nutritional information is approximate and automatically calculated, and should only be viewed as an indication.
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!