3 ingredient brownies are rich and fudgy brownies made with 3 simple ingredients. These chewy three ingredient brownies make the perfect indulgent and easy to make chocolate dessert.
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Why Should You Make This Recipe
I love creating delicious dessert with just a few ingredients. My 4 Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies, 3 Ingredient Mug Cake, 2 Ingredient Peanut Butter Fudge and 2 Ingredient Lemon Bars are my go to recipes when I want to make something sweet with just a few ingredients. I know you’ll love these three ingredient brownies because:
- You love easy desserts. These 3 ingredient cocoa brownies are so easy to assemble and bake. Simply mix the Nutella, eggs and flour together until smooth and well combined. Then bake, cool and enjoy.
- Easy to make with simple ingredients. You can’t get much more simple than 3 ingredients when it comes to making a dessert. These Nutella brownies only need 2 other ingredients to make the most delicious and fudgy brownies.
Ingredients
This 3 ingredient brownie recipe is made from a handful of pantry basics. Here’s what you’ll need.
Gather Nutella, eggs and flour.
Substitutions
These easy chocolate brownies a meant to be quick and easy, but sometimes you may not have everything on hand. If you need them, here are my recommended substitutions for this recipe.
- Eggs: This mug cake recipe has not been tested without an egg. The eggs are an important part of the brownies because there are only three ingredients.
- Nutella: Any sweet spread such as Biscoff cookie butter or granola butter works well. Just make sure that the spread has some kind of oil and sugar.
- Flour: Any flour works well in this three ingredient brownie recipe in a mug. Feel free to use oat flour or almond flour to make this grain free. Make sure to measure by weight (60 g) rather than cups. Use all purpose flour for a more traditional brownie like texture.
Variation
Banana Peanut Butter: These healthier, flourless and eggless 3 ingredient brownies can be made by mixing 3 large bananas (1 ¼ - 1 ½ cups) with ½ cup (120 ml) nut butter such as almond butter or peanut butter with ¼ - ½ cup cocoa powder until smooth and well combined. Bake in an 8 x 8 (20 cm) pan at 350 F (177 C) for about 20 - 25 minutes.
How To Make
Learn how to make 3 ingredient brownies in three easy steps.
- Preheat the oven to 350 F (177 C). Lightly grease and line the bottom and two sides of an 8 x 8 inch (20 cm) cake pan with parchment paper. Set aside for now. Pour the Nutella into a microwave safe bowl. Heat the Nutella spread for about 30 seconds or until warm and runny.
- Check the chocolate spread. If needed, allow the Nutella to cool a bit to warm. Then stir in the eggs until smooth, well combined and thickened. This takes about 1 minute of continuous stirring. Stir in the flour until just combined. Transfer the brownie batter to the prepared pan. Make sure to smooth the batter evenly into the pan.
3. Bake the brownies for 16 - 20 minutes. The brownies are finished baking when the edges of the brownie pull slightly away from the pan and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs. If the toothpick comes out with wet streaks, bake for 2 minutes and check again. Cool the brownies in the pan on top of a cooling rack for 30 minutes or until room temperature, slice and enjoy.
How To Serve, Store, freeze and Thaw
- Serve: Top these rich and fudgy brownies with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of freshly whipped cream and strawberry glaze or fresh berries. These brownies would also be delicious topped with peanut butter and bananas.
- Store: Once the brownies have cooled completely to room temperature, place them in an airtight container to store at room temperature for up to 3 - 4 days or in the fridge for a week.
- Freeze: Make sure the brownies are completely cooled to room temperature. Cut the brownie into your preferred amount of pieces. Individually wrap each fudgy brownie in plastic wrap and place in a ziplock bag. Store in the freezer for up to 2 months.
- Thaw: The easiest and tastiest way to thaw your rich brownies is to let them sit out at room temperature until thawed or overnight in the fridge. Enjoy at room temperature or microwave it for 20 -30 seconds for that “fresh from the oven” taste.
M’s Expert Tips
- Heat the oil and sugar together. Breaking down the sugar in the heat before stirring in the eggs and other ingredients helps to create a paper thin crackle top. For these three ingredient brownies, heating the Nutella heats the sugar and oil at the same time.
- Use an 8x8 pan metal pan. This recipe was created using an 8x8 aluminum pan. If you are using a glass baking dish, you may need to add a few more minutes to the baking time and decrease the baking temperature to 325 F (166 C). I recommend using a metal pan instead of a glass pan if at all possible.
- Line the baking pan with parchment paper. This helps to release the brownies from the pan more easily. You can also lightly grease the pan if you prefer not to line it with parchment paper.
- Look for the signs the brownie is done. Use the baking time as a guide rather than a strict rule. Signs a brownie is finished baking are a set center with baked edges that have slightly pulled away from the edge of the pan.
- Cut the cooled brownies with a plastic knife. One of my favorite tricks is to cut fudgy brownies with a plastic knife to get the cleanest, most perfect brownie squares.
FAQs
Yes! For small batch brownies, cut the recipe in half and bake in a 9 x 5 loaf pan. Double the recipe to bake in a 9 x 9 or 9 x 13. Note that the baking times will change depending on the size pan.
The secret is having a higher fat to dry ingredient ratio. This is achieved by using chocolate, not just cocoa powder, butter or oil and eggs. The Nutella spread is high in fat so these 3 ingredient brownies will come out super fudgy.
More Brownie Recipes to Try
If you try this 3 Ingredient Brownies recipe please rate the recipe and leave a comment below. Doing so helps other readers decide if this is a great recipe to bake. Don’t forget to tag me on Instagram using @olivesnthyme so I can see what you’re baking!
3 Ingredient Brownies Recipe
Equipment
- 1 8x8 (20 cm) metal pan
- 1 sheet parchment paper
- 1 large microwave safe mixing bowl
- 1 whisk and flexible spatula or spoon
Ingredients
- 1¼ cup (13 oz.) Nutella or chocolate hazelnut spread
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- ½ cup (60 g) all purpose flour
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 F (177 C). Lightly grease and line the bottom and two sides of an 8 x 8 inch (20 cm) cake pan with parchment paper. Set aside for now.
- Pour the Nutella into a microwave safe bowl. Heat the Nutella spread for about 30 seconds or until warm and runny.1¼ cup (13 oz.) Nutella
- Check the chocolate spread. If needed, allow the Nutella to cool a bit to warm. Then stir in the eggs until smooth, well combined and thickened. This takes about 1 minute of continuous stirring. Stir in the flour until just combined.2 large eggs, room temperature, ½ cup (60 g) all purpose flour
- Transfer the brownie batter to the prepared pan. Make sure to smooth the batter evenly into the pan.
- Bake the brownies for 16 - 20 minutes. The brownies are finished baking when the edges of the brownie pull slightly away from the pan and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs. If the toothpick comes out with wet streaks, bake for 2 minutes and check again.
- Cool the brownies in the pan on top of a cooling rack for 30 minutes or until room temperature, slice and enjoy.
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