Best-Ever Nut-Free Brownies

Okay friends . . . let’s talk brownies. Nut free brownies to be exact.

First of all, let me just get this out of the way . . . This is nut free recipe site–of course these brownies do not contain nuts. But, imho, brownies should NEVER contain nuts. They’re just not necessary. They don’t add anything to an already spectacular dessert. I know it’s a controversial stance (in fact there are a lot of controversial opinions about brownies), but I feel confident making that assertion here.

Okay, now that I’ve gotten that off my chest, is there anything better than an ooey-gooey brownie straight from the oven? I think not.

And if you’re thinking “no, I don’t like ooey-gooey brownies. I like my brownies cake-y,” then you can just stop reading right now. This is NOT a cake-y brownie recipe. This is an honest to goodness delicious fudge nut free brownie recipe that never quite cooks all the way through in the center. And that’s exactly the way I like it.

See, I told you lots of controversial opinions about brownies.

Why You’ll Love These Nut Free Brownies

I got my love of baking from my mom. Although, to be honest, I’m not sure she “loved” baking. She just did a lot of baking. And she was known as the “cake lady”.

She went to cake decorating school back in the eighties and was the family baker. She made cakes fro every birthday, holiday, dance recital, baptism, last day of school . . . You get the idea. She made a lot of cakes.

But she was really known for her brownies. Everyone loved my mom’s brownies. They were thick and fudge and coated in a thick layer of chocolate frosting. What cracks me up about this now is my mom’s brownies came out of a box. They were courtesy of Duncan Hines. And the frosting was too. But there was just something about how she added her own flair and a healthy does of love that made them delicious.

For a long time, I followed in her footsteps. I mean, if it ain’t broke, why fix it? And everyone loved my brownies too.

But I stopped baking out of boxes back when Kevin was diagnosed with food allergies. And to be honest, my first few attempts at making cakes from scratch were underwhelming. Boxed cake mix just tastes different.

But then I made these homemade nut free brownies. And they changed my life.

I know that sounds dramatic, but if you’ve ever had a homemade brownie you know what I am talking about. The right brownie recipe will make you fall in love. And never buy a boxed brownie mix again.

This is that recipe. It’s so simple. Takes 30 minutes tops. And comes out perfectly every time.

How to Make Best Ever Nut-Free Brownies

When it comes to homemade brownies there are two methods: melted chocolate or cocoa powder. And some recipes combine both. I have experimented with both methods and can honestly tell you that I prefer the cocoa powder method.

Not only is it infinitely easier–you will see lots of recipes on here with melted chocolate, but that can be a whole thing. I want to whip up my brownies on a Thursday afternoon or at 9 pm on a Sunday night. I don’t want to worry about melting chocolate and/or cleaning up the messy pan.

To make these nut free brownies you start by melting butter in a microwave safe bowl. You can do it on the stovetop too, but the microwave is easiest. Just be sure to cover the bowl or your microwave will be splattered in butter. I always cut my butter into chunks before I melt it. It melted faster that way and leads to less butter explosions.

Once the butter is melted, set is aside to cool for a couple of minutes. While it’s cooling, add three or four eggs, sugar and vanilla to a large bowl and whisk vigorously. You want those eggs to be light and fluffy.

A quick note about the eggs . . . the more eggs you add, the more cake-like your brownie. Eggs make the batter lighter and airier. So if you want a less dense (and less fudgey- boo) brownie, you can add an extra egg. This recipe calls for three large eggs. I usually use three large eggs. But, if my eggs are on the smaller side, I might use four. Because I want to make sure that the brownies rise a little bit. If you want to make it simple, do yourself a favor and buy large or even extra large eggs and stick to three. And you will have the perfect brownies.

Add the cocoa powder to the melted butter and mix it well. Add that whole chocolate mixture to the eggs, sugar and vanilla and stir. Then add in the flour, baking powder, and salt, and mix the just until combined. Do not over mix. Over mixing introduces more air not the batter. This results in more cake-like brownies, which you know my now is NOT what we are going for with this brownie recipe.

Finally, gently fold in 1 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips. Don’t skip this step. They chips really do give these brownies that little something extra. Pour the batter into a parchment-covered pan, (the parchment makes it so much easier to get the brownies and makes clean up a breeze), and sprinkle the remaining chocolate chips over the top.

Then bake at 350 degrees for 24 to 26 minutes. Do not overtake these brownies. Even if they don’t look quite done, trust me. The brownies will continue to firm up in the pan. And after you’ve gone to all the trouble to make homemade fudge brownies from scratch (not that it’s really any trouble, but you know what I mean), you don’t want hard, burnt brownies.

Enjoy it!

If I had to pick just one dessert to eat for the rest of my life it just might be these Best Ever Nut Free Brownies.

There are so many ways to enjoy them. Take them to a picnic. Or send them along with a take-them-a-meal to friends. If you do, you might want to bake them in a disposable pan like this. Just omit the parchment paper.

They are perfect for bake sales, for lunch boxes, and for last minute guests.

Feeling fancy? Add some frosting. Please not store bought. These brownies are too good for store bought frosting. Whip up a quick batch of chocolate buttercream (and you just might never buy store bought frosting again). Add some sprinkles. Chocolate is traditional, rainbow sprinkles are unexpected and add a touch of whimsy.

How about a brownie sundae? Start with one of these Best Ever Nut Free Brownies and add some vanilla ice-cream and hot fudge. Or shake things up with some mint chip ice-cream. Or coffee. Or even strawberry. You could also stick with the vanilla and add marshmallow topping or caramel for a fun twist.

Let mw know how you are going to enjoy this nut free brownies.

Happy Eating!