Flourless Chocolate Hazelnut Brownies

If you’re here, get ready for an endless stream of photos and praise for these flourless chocolate-hazelnut (aka nutella) brownies!

I personally think these would be perfect for a Shabbos dessert- you can’t imagine how decadent they taste, and see how nice they look with whipped cream or frosting? I wouldn’t even be mad if someone made this for me for a birthday cake!

I need to add this to my Healthier Shabbos Menu guide, where it’d fit in as a great dessert option!

About the Chocolate Hazelnut Paleo Brownies

When I say flourless nutella brownies, I really mean flourless. AKA we aren’t just subbing in a gluten-free flour, but just using hazelnuts themselves plus a couple other ingredients to bring these brownies together authentically and simply!

Now, if you’re looking for a typical paleo/gluten free brownie recipe that has the option to either include or omit a hint of coffee- here’s that recipe for you. Those original, classic brownies are actually my personal favorite dessert from my blog.

(I’d also be glad to introduce you to N’Oatmeal Cookies, Easy Breakfast Egg Bake, and Best Brands for Organic Baby Clothing– depending what you’re interested in!)

But if you’re ready to get a little more adventurous, and you like the looks of these dense, chewy nutella brownies that don’t come with a hefty side of guilt– then by all means, stay and let’s discuss THIS! –>

I’m not sure why, but I’ve been seeing a lot of chocolate-hazelnut foodstuff circulating around the internet in the past few days.

Which is funny, because I haven’t spent even a fleeting thought on Nutella since switching over to clean eating, and with that ditching Nutella’s heavily sweetened, artery-clogging creamy delight.

Then, moseying down the aisles at Trader Joe’s last week, I grabbed a bag of raw hazelnuts. I ended up grinding them up and making a hazelnut biscotti for Shabbos.

They were definitely okay, but I didn’t feel like they were good enough to post a recipe for!

Then, after Shabbos, I had more hazelnuts and started thinking about how to improve upon the biscotti I’d made, so that it would be good enough to share a recipe for.

What followed turned into a whole-day affair with my food processor.

I decided to mix in chocolate, and my old taste for Nutella came to mind. Once the cocoa powder got involved, I knew this was going to be a paleo-Nutella copycat recipe.

I tried tweaking this batter again and again and cooked it in cookie form, biscotti form, and brownie form. I tried chilling the dough versus cooking it from room temp. I tried baking sheets versus cast iron.

The photos may be a giveaway at which method emerged triumphant:

(It was the brownie method!)

Notes on the Paleo Nutella Brownies:

• This makes a super-big batch, so it was sitting out on the counter all week and I enjoyed it all week long.
• You may want to make a few trays and freeze some for a later time.
• I used a cast-iron skillet because it gives a nice crust and cooks very evenly, but any other pan will also work.
• In the photos, this is served with whipped coconut cream. Feel free to top with ice cream, coconut cream, or regular frosting.
• I used almond milk, but water should work too.