Brownies for a Crowd

One thing I can tell you about living in Utah is that there are lots of opportunities to make large-batch desserts to feed a crowd. Between the church parties, family get-togethers, and funerals, I’ll make a big dessert several times a year.

So it’s a good idea to have a solid recipe in your back pocket for these occasions. I got this one from my aunt, and modified it just a touch. She and I kind of think alike in the recipe department… keep it simple, keep it easy.

One modification I made was to give these Nutella frosting. If you’re not into this awesome chocolate hazelnet spread, I’m sorry. Because you are wrong. Nutella is freaking amazing.

If you want, you can substitute the Nutella in the recipe for about 4 tablespoons of cocoa powder. That way it can be hazlenut-free while still tasting like chocolate.

My family can eat these kinds of desserts at an alarming rate. Case in point, my daughter made a double batch of chocolate chip cookies yesterday, and today they are half gone. I think everyone has learned that they better act fast, or they won’t get any.

There’s no mercy in this house when it comes to desserts.

You can easily cut this recipe into 40 brownies, and with 5 of us in the house, these ought to last about… 2 days.

Maybe.

Let’s talk texture for a minute. These are not quite as chocolatey and gooey as the box-mix brownies. They cut into nice clean squares, but they are still soft. They are just slightly cakey, but not too much.

Which is perfect, because I would FFAAAAAAARRRR rather have brownies than cake.

(No offense, cake fans.)

This recipe is roughly equal to 2 boxed brownie mixes. So go crazy!

Print Recipe

Brownies for a Crowd

Large-batch soft chocolate brownies with Nutella frosting.

Cook Time20 mins

Servings: 40 squares

Author: Jen @ Jen's Favorite Cookies

Ingredients

Brownies

• 1 cup butter, melted
• 6 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 1/2 cups sugar
• 6 tablespoons cocoa powder
• 2 cups flour

Nutella Frosting

• 3/4 cup butter, melted
• 3 tablespoons Nutella (chocolate hazelnut spread)
• 6 tablespoons milk
• 2 - 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Instructions

For Brownies:

• In a large mixing bowl, place melted butter. (Make sure butter is slightly cooled before adding eggs.)  Add eggs, vanilla, and salt, and mix with a large wooden spoon.  *(see notes)
• Add sugar and cocoa powder and mix well.  Add flour and mix just until combined.
• Prepare a half sheet pan (about 13" x 18" pan) by greasing or coating with a non-stick spray. Pour brownie batter into pan and spread evenly.
• Bake at 350F for about 20 minutes. Let cool a little before frosting.

For Nutella Frosting:

• In a small bowl, place melted butter and Nutella. Stir until well-combined. **(see notes)  Add milk and mix.
• Add powdered sugar until frosting reaches desired consistency. It should be thin enough to pour without being runny.
• Pour frosting over brownies, and spread evenly. Let set for 10-30 minutes before cutting into about 40 squares.

Notes

*I recommend mixing these by hand rather than using a stand mixer. Stand mixers can add a lot of air into the batter, which will make the brownies more cakey. For the best texture, a large mixing bowl and wooden spoon are the best choice.

**I melted the butter about halfway, then added the Nutella and finished melting. This softened and melted the Nutella a bit, which made it easier to mix into the butter.

***If you don't want to use Nutella, substitute it for about 4 tablespoons of cocoa powder.