Name: Chocolate Walnut Brownies
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 1 h
Yield: 9
Ingredients: 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter; 8 oz (2 cups) milk chocolate; 3 large eggs, brought to room temperature; (1 cup) light brown sugar; 1 cup ap flour, scooped and leveled; 1 cup walnuts

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Made with browned butter and milk chocolate, these Brown Butter Brownies are generously studded with finely chopped walnuts, creating the ultimate combination of textures and flavors in every bite! Fudgy center, chewy, and absolutely decadent, you’ll definitely want to add this easy recipe to your brownie repertoire.

Everyone needs a few brownie recipes in their brownie recipe arsenal. These brown butter brownies are a little different from traditional brownies as there is an additional step of browning the butter.

Don’t be put off by this step as it takes just minutes to brown the butter and it adds a deep flavor to the brownies. You’ll never go back to traditional brownies again!

These brownies use milk chocolate instead of semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate giving them a slightly different flavor from regular brownies. Your homemade brownies will have a creamier, slightly milder taste but don’t worry — they’ll still satisfy those chocolate cravings.

What are Brown Butter Brownies?

Though most brownie recipes use butter, these chocolate walnut brownies use browned butter for a deeper flavor.

Browning the butter only takes a few minutes and it adds a whole new taste dimension! The browning process allows the water to cook off and the milk ingredients in the butter to caramelize.

Why You’ll Love These Chocolate Walnut Brownies

Basic ingredients: this recipe uses basic brownie ingredients you are likely to have on hand.

Deep flavor: browning the butter adds a deep, intense flavor.

Adaptable: modify the ingredients based on what you have on hand or your taste preferences.

Crowd pleaser: everyone loves a good brownie!

Walnut Brownie Recipe Simple Ingredients

These brownies use mostly pantry staples so you might have everything on hand ready to go.

Butter: use unsalted butter at room temperature.

Milk chocolate: pick up baking chocolate or use milk chocolate chips.

Eggs: use large eggs, brought to room temperature.

Light brown sugar: this also adds a sweet caramel-like flavor to the brownies.

Flour: all purpose flour, scooped and leveled.

Walnuts: chopped walnuts add some crunch, for a more intense flavor toast them.

Vanilla: use real vanilla extract for the best flavor.

You are going to need an 8×8 pan, a hand or stand Mixer, a rubber spatula, and nonstick spray/parchment paper to line the baking dish.

How To Make Chocolate Walnut Brownies

Preheat the oven to 325 and place the eggs in a bowl of warm water to bring them to room temperature.

Add the butter to a saucepan and cook it on medium-high heat for 6-8 minutes, stirring frequently until it starts to bubble, foam, and turn amber. It’s fine if there are brown specs. You can strain them out, but you don’t have to. Pour the browned butter into a bowl and allow to cool for 10-15 minutes.

Line or spray an 8*8 or 9*9 pan and set it aside.

Melt the chocolate over a double boiler or in the microwave in increments of 30 seconds, making sure not to let it burn. Once melted, set to the side and let cool.

In a large mixing bowl, beat eggs and brown sugar for 4-5 minutes until lighter in color and fluffy. Add in the brown butter and melted chocolate. Use a rubber spatula to fold and bring it together. Once fully incorporated, add in the vanilla, flour, and walnuts.

Pour the brownie batter into prepared pan and bake for 40 minutes for a fudge-like brownie or 50 minutes for a more cakey brownie.

Tips for Making Chocolate Walnut Brownies

Spray the baking pan well: Give the baking pan a good coating of nonstick cooking spray or grease it with melted coconut oil or butter. Lining with parchment paper also prevents the brownies from sticking.

Bring eggs and butter to room temperature: Pull these out of the fridge as soon as you start to prepare the brownies. The butter can always be melted slightly if it’s too hard and you can place the eggs in a bowl of warm water to bring them closer to room temperature.

Break the chocolate into bits: If you are using blocks of chocolate, they will melt quicker if you break them into small pieces or chop them up.

Make the brownies gluten-free: If you want to make these brownies gluten-free, substitute a 1-1 gluten-free flour.

Decorating These Walnut Brownies

These brownies can be decorated or frosted any way you like. Choose a basic chocolate buttercream frosting, whip up a creamy frosting using cream cheese, or just sprinkle powdered sugar on top.

You can also dress up these brownies depending on the occasion or season; orange colored frosting for Halloween, red or green for Christmas, or pink for Valentine’s Day.

Feel free to add in your favorite candies whether it be M&Ms, Skittles, or semi-sweet chocolate chips. These brownies are also perfect with ice cream!

Frequently Asked Questions

Does browning butter make a difference?

Brown butter adds a deep, nutty flavor when added to these brownies.

How to make cakey vs fudgy brownies?

Fudgy walnut brownies will have more fat, usually butter, in the recipe as opposed to flour. How long you bake them will also impact the texture.

For these brownies, you’ll need to bake them 40 minutes for a fudge-like brownie or 50 minutes for a more cake-like brownie.

Is melted or softened butter better for brownies?

Melted butter may make the brownies fudgier than using softened butter.