Who’s in the mood for some dessert?
If you have a sweet tooth like me, you read that and thought it was a trick question.. When could I not go for dessert?!
I’m excited because today’s post is in celebration of Izzy from She Likes Food. Izzy is expecting a baby boy, and some other blogging ladies and I are throwing her a virtual baby shower to celebrate!
I’m “bringing” a chocolatey crowd pleaser to the party. I don’t think I’ve ever met a soul who doesn’t like brownies, and today’s recipe takes a twist on classic brownies.
It all started when my first Thrive Market order recently arrived. For anyone not familiar with them, Thrive Market is an online food delivery service that offers lots of organic, healthy products for cheaper than you typically see in stores. I’ve seen the CEO speak at a few events, love their mission to make healthy living easy and accessible for every American family, and I had been meaning to order through them for quite awhile.
When complimentary annual memberships kept coming my way, I finally joined and placed my first order. My box contained some of my current favorite foods, including Enjoy Life chocolate and Justin’s hazelnut butter.
I immediately became obsessed with the hazelnut butter. While I’ve loved Justin’s nut butters for quite awhile, I hadn’t bought a jar of theirs in a bit, and this purchase reminded me of my love for chocolate hazelnut butter.
I ate it every day that week before coming up with the idea that this nut butter would be awesome in brownies.
After that lightbulb went off in my head, I was on a mission to make chocolatey vegan brownies with a hazelnut twist…
…and here’s my recipe success!
Note: I haven’t tried it, but for any gluten free foodies, I think that using gluten free baking flour instead of whole wheat flour would work just fine for these brownies.
Chocolate Hazelnut Butter Brownies
Ingredients
- 1 cup whole wheat flour
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 cup chocolate hazelnut butter preferably Justin's brand
- 1/3 cup Earth Balance vegan buttery spread or regular butter for a non-vegan version
- 1/3 cup mini chocolate chips
- 2 flax eggs: 2 TBSP ground flaxseed + 1/4 cup water
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup cane sugar
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 TSP vanilla extract
- 1/2 TSP fine sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- In a small sauce pot over medium low heat, melt the chocolate hazelnut butter and Earth Balance buttery spread, stirring often. Add in the flax eggs, vanilla and sea salt, stirring to combine.
- Combine the flour, cocoa powder and sugars in a medium bowl. Pour the hazelnut butter mixture into the bowl. Add in the 1/4 cup of water, and stir batter with a wooden spoon. It should be fairly thick.
- Coat an 8x8 pan with cooking spray.
- Mix the mini chocolate chips into the batter, stirring again with a wooden spoon. Pour the batter evenly into the pan, pressing down firmly.
- Bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow to slightly cool before cutting into squares.
Notes
Nutrition
Check out the other delicious recipes that my fellow “party goers” made for the baby shower:
- Hoecakes with Blueberry Lemon Compote from Making Thyme for Health
- Mini Phyllo Strawberry Brie Bites from Flavor the Moments
- Veggie and Pesto Flatbread Pizza from Cook Nourish Bliss
- GF Blackberry Greek Yogurt Cake from Whisk & Shout
- Paleo Tres Leches Cake from The Roasted Root
- Rosemary Lemonade Popsicles from Vanilla and Bean
- Roasted Cauliflower with Yogurt Sauce (Zahra) from Fox and Briar
- Mini Berry Tarts (Paleo, Gluten Free & Vegan) from Bakerita
- Healthy Potato Nachos from NOURISHED. the blog
Sending Izzy nothing but the best in welcoming her baby boy into the world! 🙂
Tell me…What’s your go-to dish to bring to a party?
Yuuuum! These look like perfection! Brownies are my ultimate weakness, and I’m loving the addition of hazelnut butter here. These lumps of delight look so addicting!
Thanks, Julia! Brownies are a weakness of mine too! They remind me of childhood because my mom used to make them a lot 🙂
These look SO good. So fudgy!!
Thank you, Dani! Yesss they’re super chocolatey!
I’m kind of upset with you for not bringing these yesterday. Haha!
Looks incredible! I usually bring cookies… mostly because I like to eat the batter. 😉
I totally would have brought some had there been any left! 😉 I’m with you on the cookie batter eating.. Actually, I eat brownie batter too!
Thank you so much, Nicole!! It’s funny because brownies are one thing that I’ve been craving these last few months but I still haven’t gotten my hands on one! These look so fudgy and delicious and I love the hazelnut butter in them! I just ate breakfast but now I want brownies, lol! 🙂
Hope that you enjoyed your virtual shower! 🙂 Oh that’s awesome! You need to get your hands on a few brownies ASAP.
OMG yay for chocolate and hazelnuts together! These brownies look perfectly fudgey! DROOLING!!
Chocolate hazelnut and brownies make a wicked combination! I wouldn’t be able to walk away from these delicious treats, and they’re so great for Izzy’s shower! I’ve not yet tried Justin’s Chocolate Hazelnut Butter but I definitely need to. 🙂
Yea you definitely do! It’s like Nutella but healthier for you. Something about hazelnut butter is addicting! Actually, I feel like that about all nut butters! 🙂
These look so decadent! I’ve never tried Justin’s hazelnut butter but Ima have to change that very soon.
I wish we were celebrating in-person so I could have one of these! And see you again, of course. 😉
What?!! I’m surprised you’ve never tried their hazelnut butter given your love for Justin’s PB cups! I think you’d love it too.
What a super adorable idea! I absolutely love it. Did you get coconut butter in your package? Tell me how you like it. I’ve seen it around but have never tried it!
Yes I did get coconut butter – as a freebie in the package actually, but I’ve bought it a few times before. I feel like the healthy eating world is obsessed with coconut butter! I use it for baking sometimes, but am not a fan of using too much of it… It’ll give the baked goods a coconut flavor that I’m not too crazy about, unless the recipe has coconut shreds in it as well.
I can never have enough brownies, especially when they’re chocolate hazelnut brownies – oh YUM! I’ve got to try these 🙂 too bad it’s not a real baby shower!
Agreed, I would have loved to try all of the dishes from this virtual shower! Everything looks so yummy!
You are right, I can’t imagine anyone in their right mind who woundn’t love these brownies! I absolutely LOVE the addition of hazelnut butter, what a great idea! So fun to celebrate together for Izzy!
Ha, right!!! When people in general tell me that they don’t like chocolate or dessert, I’m pretty sure I just blankly stare at them 🙂
haha yup I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone who didn’t like brownies!! And with that hazelnut butter?? I need to buy some of that just to put on everything I can think of lol
Totally wish we were celebrating in person!!
I seriously have been putting the hazelnut butter on everything I can think of! Smoothie bowls are my favorite to top it with lately.
I’ve never had hazelnut butter before but I can only imagine how delicious chocolate hazelnut butter is in brownie form! Brownies are my weakness and I can’t wait to try this recipe!
Thanks, Rebecca! I feel like I could go for a brownie right at this moment actually 🙂
These are so delcious, they turned out perfect when i made them. Thanks so much for sharing.
Simon
Thanks so much for commenting, Simon! I’m glad that you liked the brownies!