If you love walnuts in brownies, you are in the right place, my friend! The rich, earthy nut provides the perfect balance to the otherwise sweet dessert, and the crunch is a welcomed addition to the super fudgy texture in these Walnut Brownies.
This homemade brownie recipe is super-simple, coming together in just one bowl and with basic pantry ingredients. Plus, they’re instantly elevated with the addition of walnuts studded throughout the batter and sprinkled on top!
And as a busy mom who loves to bake, I am so proud of this very easy yet VERY delicious recipe that gives you decadence without the stress (and mess; thank you, one bowl baking!).
But why should you trust my recipe over the thousands of other walnut brownie recipes on the internet?
Well, after my Condensed Milk Brownies went viral in 2022, I’ve crowned myself the brownie queen title and have been rigorously testing and publishing brownie recipes ever since! We’ve now perfected over 25+ brownie recipes and counting.
Brownies with Walnuts Ingredients
The walnuts should be shelled. I buy walnut halves and chop them up further, leaving some bigger chunks and some smaller chunks.
I recommend using dark cocoa powder for the richest flavor and deepest color.
I like to use unsalted butter and add my own salt, but you can easily use salted butter and leave out the added salt. Just make sure the butter is softened. For help with this, see How to Quickly and Easily Soften Butter.
Any neutral oil like canola, vegetable, or grapeseed will do. If you want to use coconut or avocado oil, you can, you may just notice a hint of that subtle flavor coming through.
The lack of baking powder or soda is not an oversight. This will yield a fudgier brownie.
Fudgy Walnut Brownies Tips and Tricks
How to Make Walnut Brownies
Start by creaming the butter, sugar, and oil together until well-combined and airy. This will aerate the dough and ultimately give you better-textured brownies. I use and hand mixer on high, but a stand mixer works, too.
Then, add the egg and vanilla extract and mix until just combined. Next, add the flour, cocoa powder, espresso powder (optional), and salt.
Mix until you start to form a batter. Finish combining with a spatula, scraping any ingredients that get stuck to the bowl into the batter.
Then, conserve a handful of chopped walnuts, adding the rest to your brownie batter and folding them in with your spatula.
Transfer the batter to a lined square pan. It’s a thick batter, so you’ll need to use a spatula to smooth out the batter, pushing it into all four corners.
Sprinkle the conserved walnuts on top and bake. It’s really best to let them cool before slicing into them. Otherwise, they’ll fall apart. If you really want them hot and fresh out of the oven, I suggest eating them with a spoon or fork.
How I Keep My Homemade Brownies Fresh
Store your chocolate walnut brownies in an airtight container or cover them to keep them fresh. At room temperature, they will stay fudgy and delish for 3-4 days.
You can also freeze them for up to 4 months in a freezer-safe bag or airtight container. I usually wrap each individual brownie with saran wrap, place them in a freezer-safe bag, and then allow them to thaw at room temperature before eating them.
Fudgy Chocolate Brownies with Chopped Walnuts
SAVE RECIPE TO COLLECTION PIN PRINT RATEIngredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter (softened)
- 1 tablespoon oil (canola, vegetable, grapeseed, or coconut in liquid form)
- 1 ¼ cups granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder (I used dark)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons espresso powder (optional)
- 1 cup chopped shelled walnut halves
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line your pan with parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl, use a hand mixer on high to combine the softened butter, oil, and sugar for 2-3 minutes to cream together.½ cup unsalted butter, 1 ¼ cups granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon oil
- Add the eggs and vanilla and use the hand mixer on low until combined.2 large eggs, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Mix in flour, cocoa powder, espresso powder (optional), and salt and combine until smooth. Your batter should be light and airy.½ cup all-purpose flour, ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder, ¼ teaspoon salt, 2 teaspoons espresso powder
- Roughly chop the walnuts and set a handful aside. Use a spatula to fold the rest of the walnuts into the batter.1 cup chopped shelled walnut halves
- Transfer the brownie batter to your prepped pan and use a spatula to spread it out in an even layer. Sprinkle the conserved handful of walnuts on top.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes on the top rack of the oven, until the middle doesn't wobble when shaken. Option to crack on sea salt or pink Himalayan salt. Allow to cool completely before removing from the pan and slicing into 9 or 16 brownies!
Pro Tips
- When the brownies first come out of the oven, they may seem slightly underdone. This is intentional as they will continue to cook until they cool. However, if you are one of those people who prefers the corner pieces and not the ooey-gooey middle bits, leave them in the oven for 5 extra minutes in order to get a crispier treat.
- I like my brownies chunkier, so I use a 9-inch by 9-inch pan or an 8-inch by 8-inch pan. If you want thinner brownies, you can easily use a 13-inch by 9-inch pan. No need to alter the cooking time or anything. I’ve made them in this size pan before and they are equally delicious.
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