In case you're wondering who needs more old-fashioned brownies with walnuts recipes, let me tell you we all do. These nutty, simple chocolate brownies are great at room temperature or straight from the refrigerator. Their flavor is sweet but intense, and they also freeze well.
This is an easy recipe for chocolate lovers and a vintage classic that stands the test of time.
They're intense from the dark chocolate but sweet enough to be called brownies.
The top layer is made of broken walnut pieces that get toasted as the brownie bakes. I like it better than adding them to the batter since you get two distinct layers with a much more noticeable crunch. A bite will the best adjectives.
Yes, there are never too many brownie recipes. It's a never-ending story, and I'm glad to adhere to it. They have evolved so much over the years that you can try dozens of similar recipes and get different results each time.
If I were you, I'd go into the kitchen, pull out the good dark chocolate from the pantry, and get my hands dirty making a batch of these chewy brownies. Chocolate cravings deserve a quick chocolate treat.
- Extra chocolate: They have a larger amount of semisweet chocolate than most brownies I have made, so the flavor is intense but sweet enough.
- Chewy and fudgy: two characteristics we love. These irresistible fudgy brownies deliver big time. If you like a cakey brownie, this is not your recipe.
- Make ahead: Although these bars are out of the oven in 45 minutes, they must cool completely before eating. I firmly believe chocolate bakes are better the next day because the flavors can meld and settle. These keep well for several days at room temperature and can be frozen.
- Special dessert: This recipe is especially good for serving with ice cream and a drizzle of chocolate sauce or caramel.
Ingredient Notes
Quantities are listed on the recipe card towards the end of this post. The Ingredients page has more details and lists the brands we use.
- Chocolate: use your favorite semisweet chocolate.
- Walnuts: they will be broken into pieces or coarsely chopped, so there's no need to buy the whole, more expensive nuts.
- Baking soda: make sure it isn't expired.
- Brown sugar: light or dark.
Variations & substitutions
- Nuts: use a different nut, like pecans or hazelnuts.
- Boozy: add a tablespoon of your favorite liqueur to the chocolate batter.
- Chips: sprinkle ¼ cup of chocolate chips (semisweet, milk, or white) on top of the walnuts or add them to the batter.
- Less sweet brownie: use bittersweet chocolate and a tablespoon of unsweetened cocoa powder to reduce the sweetness.
How to make walnut brownies
- Chocolate: Make sure it's chopped so it melts well.
- Butter mixture: The sugar, water, and butter are melted on low heat to melt the chocolate and help create the fudgy texture.
- Bowl and whisk: no need for an electric mixer. This recipe only needs to be well integrated by hand.
- The hot butter mixture is poured over the chopped chocolate and stirred until completely melted.
- The mixture is cooled slightly, and then both eggs and the vanilla are added before the flour mixture.
- The final batter is smooth, shiny, and thick. Spread it evenly on the prepared pan.
- The chopped walnuts are added on top. They will toast as they bake and add a wonderful crunch.
Baking
- Lining the pan: I butter or spray it and then line the bottom and two sides with a strip of parchment paper (image below). This helps remove the whole block of brownies from the pan.
- Preheated oven: Make sure to turn it on before making the brownie batter.
- When are the brownies done? The center should still jiggle when you remove the pan. This is important for fudgy brownies (and not dry and tough). They will firm up and settle as they cool down.
Kitchen notes
- Organization: Read the recipe first and ensure you have the ingredients at the correct temperature, the equipment, and enough workspace. This will make the process so much easier.
- Baking time: keep in mind that all ovens and pans are different, even if they look similar or very similar. The baking time in my recipes is as accurate as it can be, but it might take you more or less time. You can use a thermometer (like the OXO oven thermometer) to check that your oven is at the right temperature. I recommend you keep track of how your oven works and what tiny details you might need to adjust.
- Don't overbake them! It's important that the brownies still jiggle when you take them out of the oven. This will keep them fudgy.
- Walnuts: no need to buy the more expensive whole ones, as they will be chopped. I buy chopped walnuts.
- Storing brownies: They keep well at room temperature for 2 days, refrigerated for 5-6 days, or frozen for a month. Chilling them will make the texture more compact (fudge-like).
Related recipes you might like:
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Brownies with Walnuts (crunchy and fudgy)
Ingredients
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 10.5 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped (or chocolate chips that melt)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅓ cup unsalted butter
- ⅔ cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons water
- 2 eggs, at room temperature
- ½ cup coarsely chopped walnuts
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350ºF (180ºC).
- Butter or spray an 8-inch square pan and line it with a strip of parchment paper that covers the bottom and two sides. This will help remove the baked brownies.
- Put 10.5 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract in a bowl.
- In a small saucepan, heat ⅓ cup unsalted butter, ⅔ cup brown sugar and 2 tablespoons water. When it breaks to a boil, remove from the heat and immediately add it to the chocolate. Let stand for 30 seconds and stir well with a whisk until smooth. Let stand for 5 minutes before adding the rest of the ingredients.
- Add 2 eggs at the same time and mix well.
- Add the sifted ¾ cup all-purpose flour, ¼ teaspoon baking soda and ¼ teaspoon salt. You can sift them before or have the ingredients measured and sift them directly over the butter mixture (my choice).
- Mix well until the batter is smooth and shiny, and spread evenly in the prepared pan.
- Scatter ½ cup coarsely chopped walnuts on top and bake for about 20 minutes, until the top is dry but still jiggles in the center. It might be slightly cracked in parts. Don't overbake them, or they will be dry.
- Let cool completely on a wire rack.
- Run a smooth-bladed knife around the edges to loosen up any bit that might be stuck, and lift the whole block with the help of the paper. Transfer to a flat surface and cut into squares.
- Keep covered in plastic wrap or in an airtight container.
Deb|EastofEdenCooking says
I keep my entire nut inventory in the freezer. So yes, a very good idea. So are fudgy brownies! A new-to-me cookbook. So many of the older ones have really, really good recipes. I'll be on the lookout for this one!
Paula Montenegro says
I have so many old cookbooks, many not easily available, with amazing recipes! Not good if you need a nutella idea though, haha.
Angie@Angie's Recipes says
That looks so fudgy and good!