If you're searching for brownies made with oil because you're out of butter or simply want a quick and easy recipe, this one is a great option. The batter takes only a few minutes to mix and bakes up with a shiny top and chewy texture. Unlike brownies that require melting chocolate and butter, these come together in a single bowl with pantry ingredients. Cocoa powder provides plenty of chocolate flavor, while a neutral oil such as sunflower or canola keeps the brownies moist and rich.
Easy Brownies Made With Oil
One of the things I like most about this recipe is how easy it is to customize. You can add nuts, swirl in peanut butter, scatter chocolate chips over the top, or leave them plain. This latest batch happened to become Hazelnut Brownies, and they were so good I decided to update the post.
Hazelnut Brownies Made With Oil
The inspiration for these brownies was a bottle of roasted hazelnut oil I brought home from a small gourmet shop in Paris. For years I used the oil mainly in salad dressings and on salmon, but eventually I started wondering how it would work in brownies.
The funny thing is that after all my experimenting, I realized you don't actually need hazelnut oil to make great hazelnut brownies. This batch gets its flavor from toasted hazelnuts, a splash of Frangelico, and a little Nutella. The combination adds a subtle chocolate-hazelnut flavor without making the brownies overly sweet.
If hazelnuts aren't your thing, don't worry. The base recipe works beautifully with walnuts, pecans, peanut butter, or simply a generous handful of chocolate chips.
Roasted hazelnut oil is still a wonderful ingredient and definitely worth buying if you happen to find yourself wandering through a gourmet food shop in Paris. However, if your goal is maximum hazelnut flavor in brownies, toasted hazelnuts and Frangelico will usually make a bigger impact.
Recipe
Brownies Made With Oil aka Hazelnut Brownies
Ingredients
- 2 cups sugar (400 grams)
- 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour (160 grams)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup Dutch process cocoa powder (75 grams)
- ½ cup neutral oil, sunflower is good (100 grams)
- 4 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla**
- 1 cup chocolate chips
- ¾ cup roasted nuts of choice
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9x13 inch pan with parchment paper. For thinner brownies, use two 7x11 inch brownie pans and preheat to 325F.
- Mix all ingredients except chocolate chips in a large bowl and beat until smooth. A stand mixer with the paddle attached makes the job even easier, as does strong arm muscles.
- Spread mixture evenly in the pan by tilting it back and forth. The batter should be Sprinkle the top with chocolate chips and hazelnuts.
- Bake in the 9x13 inch pan at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. If using two 7x11 inch brownie pans (or halving and using one), bake at 325 degrees F. for 25 minutes or until the internal temperature tops out at about 200F.
- Let the brownies cool at room temperature.
Swirl Option
- If you'd like to swirl Nutella or peanut butter through, mix about ¼ cup of Nutella with 1 ½ teaspoons oil. Drop dollops over the batter and very lightly swirl. The oil will help keep it from drying up.
Stephanie says
A two for one recipe!!! Thanks.
I love how you adjust recipes on the fly.
Sonya says
Mmmmm, these sound and look delicious!