Abby Dodge’s… “4 Ingredient” Nutella Fudge Brownie Cups (166 Calories)

A special note to my niece who likes to go by, Sonja (she’s definitely my niece… same issues)!

Happy Birthday Miss Sonja, my cute and hilarious niece!  I called you to wish you a Happy Birthday, however you were in the bathroom.  I hope you had a lovely birthday and enjoyed your birthday cake… love, your HM!

It was a dark, gloomy, and rainy day in the Tri-State, however when I returned home I was all smiles.  My husband had training today and worked from home.  As I walked into our apartment, I was welcomed home with the fragrant smell of Tilda Basmati Rice and Spinach Dal (Indian lentils), which is his specialty.  To my surprise, the dishwasher was fully emptied as well.  My initial thoughts were, “Why is he being so nice?  What did I do to deserve this?”  After much contemplation, it turns out my husband wanted to step it up a little since my demand at work has grown.  Hearing this was music to my ears and I just felt happy when he told me that.  Here’s hoping that he keeps his promise.  🙂

Lately I’ve been on this brownie kick, I’m not quite sure if it is the weather that provoked me to bake something warm, or is it just my terrible desire for something sweet.  In any case, I found an awesome 4 ingredient Nutella Fudge Brownie recipe on Vino Luci Style, which is originally owned by Abby Dodge.  This recipe is genius… 4 ingredients, no butter, no oil, no sugar, and you have amazing, gooey, delicious, fudgy Nutella brownies.  This is a great recipe for all those people who are scared of baking… you can’t go wrong with this, give these a try and you will NOT be disappointed.    

Sonja, I wish you tried these!

TELL ME: How do you find ways to get your husband to step it up around the house?  

NUTRITION: Walnuts are an excellent source of Omega 3 Fatty Acids.  Nutella is surprisingly made of Skim Milk, however it does contain a decent amount of fat, it is hazelnut chocolate after all.

MODIFICATIONS I MADE:

• I didn’t have hazelnuts on hand, so I improvised with Walnuts and they tasted really good.  I would consider increasing the walnuts by another 1 tbsp.
• In addition, if you don’t have hazelnuts on hand, it is recommended you use Cinnamon.  I found that using cinnamon was too dominating for my liking, I will omit this next time and use 1/2 tsp of vanilla extract instead.
• Lastly, I didn’t have a mini-cupcake tray on hand, so I used a regular cupcake tray.  I ended up with 6 regular size brownie cups, instead of 12 mini ones, hence my nutrition is based on 6 servings, not 12.

APPROXIMATE NUTRITION PER SERVING (yields 6 brownie cups)

• Calories: 166 cals
• Fat: 8 g
• Saturated Fat: 1.5 g
• Carbs: 20 g
• Protein: 3 g
• Fiber: 1.3 g

4 INGREDIENT NUTELLA FUDGE BROWNIE CUPS (recipe originally from Abby Dodge; adapted from Vino Luci Style)
~ yields 6 brownie cups @ 350 degrees using a cupcake tray
~ fat and calories were not reduced due to the lack of ingredients in this recipe.  

INGREDIENTS:

• Nutella – 1/2 cup
• Egg – 1 large
• All Purpose White Flour – 5 tbsp
• Cinnamon – 1/2 tsp (omit this, and use 1/2 tsp of vanilla extract instead)
• Walnuts – 2 tbsp (chopped)

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Line the cupcake tray with cupcake liners.

I’m a little crazy when it comes to Tiffany Blue, so much so I ended up purchasing a mixing bowl, measuring cups and spoons by Martha Stewart.  Aren’t they cute?  I’m such a sucker for marketing!

3. In a mixing bowl, add the Nutella and egg.  Mix.

4. Add the flour and cinnamon.  Mix until all the flour is incorporated.

5. Chop the walnuts and add to the batter.  Mix.

6. Spoon the batter into the cupcake liners.

7. Place in the oven and bake for 10-12 minutes, I baked mine for 12 minutes exactly.

8. Allow this to cool completely before serving, the center is gooey… YUM!

OVERALL RATING: 4 / 5

Based on the simplicity and taste of this recipe, I should have probably given these brownies a higher rating, however I believe the cinnamon spoiled it for me.  Next time I will omit the cinnamon and I’m sure I’d love these Nutella brownies even more.  
Texture: When it comes to brownies, I love the wrinkle-effect on top of a brownie.  Before even biting into this brownie, I knew what to expect.  I knew the brownie would be fudgy and gooey inside which I loved.
Moistness: Despite not having butter or oil in this recipe, these brownies were extremely moist.  However, the Nutella definitely helped in keeping these brownies moist, 2 tbsp of Nutella consists of 11 grams of fat and 2 grams of saturated fat.  Keep in mind that butter is much higher in saturated fat.

Definitely a keeper!  Thank you, Abby Dodge!