This recipe for chestnut brownies is one of my favorites on the blog. I adapted an American brownie recipe and added pureed chestnuts mixed with a little cream—a delicious sweet treat for autumn weekend baking.
Fall has arrived to our corner of French-speaking Switzerland because of two unmistakable signs: vermicelles (chestnut noodles) and the roasted chestnut stand. Also, this is the time of year when restaurants and grocery stores start advertising the season of “La Chasse” or “Wild-Saison” (wild game). Chestnuts are often served as a gently sweetened side dish.
In Switzerland, you will especially find chestnuts in the cantons of Ticino and Valais. During the fall, there are several chestnut festivals you can visit to sample sweet and savory versions of this local tree nut.
How to make them:
Brownies with Chestnut Puree
I adapted a Classic Brownies recipe from Cook’s Illustrated, which was reprinted by Toast Point in 2007.
Makes one 9 x 13-inch baking dish/pan of brownies
Contains: eggs, milk, tree nuts, wheat
Brownie batter:
155 grams (1 1/4 cups) all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
200 grams (6 oz) sweetened baking chocolate
170 grams (12 tablespoons) unsalted butter
200 grams (1 cup) sugar
4 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (or 1 packet of vanilla sugar, 7 grams))
Chestnut mixture:
250 grams pureed chestnuts*
3-4 tablespoons cream (light or heavy cream)
*I use a frozen chestnut puree (thawed) that has a little sugar added to it.
Instructions:
1. Optional: line the baking pan with parchment paper or aluminum foil, which makes it easier to lift the brownies out. Otherwise, just grease the pan with some butter.
2. Whisk together the dry ingredients for the brownie batter in a bowl: flour, salt and baking powder. Set aside.
3. Prepare the chestnut mixture, stirring the cream into the chestnut paste. Set aside.
4. In a heat-proof bowl, melt the chocolate and butter together until the mixture is smooth, over a pot of simmering water. Remove the bowl from the water bath. Gradually whisk in the sugar. Next, whisk in the eggs, one at a time, until thoroughly combined (make sure the mixture isn’t too hot and that you whisk quickly so the eggs don’t cook). Finally, whisk in the vanilla.
5. In three additions, gently fold the flour mixture into the chocolate mixture just until well-combined.
6. Into the prepared baking dish, pour in about two thirds of the brownie mixture. Then, add small and evenly dispersed spoonfuls of the chestnut mixture on top of the brownie mixture. Add the remaining brownie batter to the pan, leaving some of the chestnut puree exposed. After that, gently drag a fork or skewer through the chestnut mixture to create a swirled or marbled appearance.
7. Bake at 160°C / 325°F for about 30-40 minutes, until a skewer inserted into the center of the brownies comes out with a few moist crumbs attached.
Please note: The original recipe says to let the brownies cool for about 2 hours on a wire rack before lifting them neatly out of the pan with the foil. I usually can’t wait that long and eat the brownies while they’re still warm.
Updated: October 27, 2023
Categories: chocolate, Culinary events, Dessert, Recipes, Swiss food, Switzerland
Wonderful easy to make chestnut brownies! I tried many recipes with chestnuts & still I am not a fan of the flavor but my husband will love these! 🙂 So, I will make it for him!
Thanks, Sophie! I hope he likes them.
I made your recipe 2 times already & he, my husband can’t get enough of them! x
Wow! Thanks, Sophie. I need to make these again myself… I like that they’re not so sweet.
Me too! x
Wow !!!! miam miam ! 😀
Thanks so much! And, thanks for visiting my blog. 🙂
Delicious! I love Marroni and chocolate is the perfect match! Karin
Thanks, Karin! I was very happy to find your blog. Great post about the totenbeinli – very helpful! Look forward to following your adventures. Best wishes, and have a good weekend. -Heddi
Hi Heddi! The brownies look so good! Which sweetened chocolate in Switzerland would you recommend? How would you call this in French? Is it the ‘crémant chocolat’? Thanks! Gaew
Hello! Thanks for your nice message! I have tried different kinds of chocolate and there are many good options! I often use the Cailler dark chocolate bars with the whisk on the package.
The recipe looks interesting, but I need help. (1) How doe one make pureed Chestnuts, and (2) is cream, heavy cream? Thanks in advance.
Hello Joe, Thanks! And, good questions! You can purchase ready-made chestnut puree or you could cook the chestnuts and then puree them yourself (just with water). Buying frozen chestnuts instead of fresh, is also an option. I believe I usually use light cream for this recipe, but heavy should work too. Will add a note to the recipe. Thanks for the great feedback! -Heddi
Hi Heddi, which chocolate should I look for in Coop/Migros for sweetened baking chocolate? How do you call it in French? Thanks a lot! Gaew