Nutella Chocolate Hazelnut Cookies

Description

These Nutella Chocolate Hazelnut Cookies are the kind of cookie I keep coming back to when a plain chocolate chip cookie just won’t do. They’re soft and chewy in the middle, lightly crisp around the edges, and packed with deep cocoa, toasted hazelnuts, creamy chocolate-hazelnut spread, and melty chocolate chips. The toasted nuts give every bite a little crunch and keep the cookies from tasting overly sweet.

I especially like that the dough comes together with familiar pantry ingredients and doesn’t require chilling, so you can go from mixing bowl to warm cookies in about 30 minutes. In my kitchen, these disappear especially fast when they’re still slightly warm and the chocolate chips are soft and gooey. The original recipe makes about 24 cookies; I consider 2 cookies one generous dessert serving, for 12 servings total.

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Ingredients

Cookie Dough

2 ½ cups all-purpose flour

¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature

¾ cup packed brown sugar

¾ cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs

2 tbsp vanilla extract

½ cup chocolate-hazelnut spread, such as Nutella

Mix-Ins

½ cup hazelnuts, toasted and chopped

1 cup chocolate chips

Instructions

1. Prepare the oven. Preheat the oven to 175°C / 350°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Combine the dry ingredients. Whisk the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt together until evenly blended and free of cocoa lumps.
3. Cream the butter and sugars. Using an electric mixer, beat the softened butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until creamy and smooth.
4. Add the wet ingredients. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Mix in the vanilla, followed by the chocolate-hazelnut spread, until the mixture is uniform.
5. Make the dough. Gradually add the dry mixture to the wet ingredients. Mix on low just until no dry flour remains; avoid overmixing.
6. Add the chocolate and hazelnuts. Gently fold in the toasted chopped hazelnuts and chocolate chips until evenly distributed.
7. Portion the cookies. Scoop tablespoon-size portions of dough onto the prepared baking sheet, leaving about 2 inches between cookies.
8. Bake. Bake at 175°C / 350°F for 10-12 minutes, until the edges appear set and dry while the centers remain slightly soft.
9. Cool. Leave the cookies on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes to firm up, then transfer them to a wire rack to finish cooling.

Cooking Notes

Room-temperature butter should be soft enough to indent with a finger but not melted. Melted or overly warm butter can encourage excessive spreading.

Measure flour carefully. For the best texture, spoon flour into the measuring cup and level it rather than packing it down.

Do not wait for the centers to look completely firm before removing the cookies from the oven. They continue cooking from residual heat on the baking sheet, which helps preserve that chewy center.

For stronger hazelnut flavor, toast the nuts before chopping them. Pecans or walnuts can substitute for hazelnuts, although the finished cookies will lose some of their classic Nutella-style flavor.

Nutrition

The recipe yields approximately 24 cookies, or 12 servings of 2 cookies each. For a rich dessert cookie, two cookies make a practical serving. The supplied nutrition information reports 502 calories per serving; ingredient-level estimates are also consistent with a roughly 500-calorie serving, although exact values vary with the chocolate chips, butter, and chocolate-hazelnut spread used.

Estimated Nutrition per Serving

• Calories: 502 kcal
• Fat: 27.0 g
• Carb: 63.0 g
• Protein: 6.0 g

Recipe Science

These cookies use a classic creamed-butter cookie structure enhanced with cocoa and chocolate-hazelnut spread. Flour supplies the structural proteins and starches, while eggs provide moisture and binding. Butter, Nutella, chocolate chips, and hazelnuts contribute fat, richness, and tenderness. Baking soda encourages spreading and browning during the relatively short baking period.

Creaming butter with the sugars incorporates small pockets of air, while brown sugar contributes moisture that supports a chewier interior. Cocoa absorbs some moisture, making accurate flour measurement particularly important. Removing the cookies while their centers are still somewhat soft allows residual heat to finish setting the structure without unnecessarily drying them.

The cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for several days. Brief reheating can soften the chocolate and refresh the texture. The dough can also be portioned and frozen for convenient small-batch baking.

Dietary Notes & Health Alerts: At 27 g total fat per serving, these are an energy-dense dessert. The supplied sodium value is 434 mg, about 19% of the FDA Daily Value of 2,300 mg, just below the 20% threshold for “High.” The supplied 40 g figure represents total sugars rather than added sugars, so an accurate added-sugar Daily Value comparison cannot be made from the provided data alone. Saturated fat is 13 g per serving, or about 65% of the 20 g Daily Value, making it High. For a lighter portion, serve one cookie rather than two; reducing chocolate chips or choosing a chocolate-hazelnut spread lower in saturated fat can also reduce the total.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Triple Chocolate-Hazelnut Flavor: Cocoa, chocolate chips, and chocolate-hazelnut spread create layers of rich chocolate flavor rather than a one-note sweetness.
• Chewy With Crisp Edges: A short bake keeps the centers tender while allowing the edges to set.
• No Chilling Required: The dough can be mixed, scooped, and baked immediately, making these practical for spontaneous baking.
• Crunch in Every Bite: Toasted hazelnuts add texture and reinforce the signature chocolate-hazelnut combination.
• Easy to Portion and Freeze: Scoop the dough ahead of time and freeze individual portions for fresh cookies whenever you want them.

FAQ

• Can I make these without hazelnuts? Yes. Simply omit them for a smoother cookie, or substitute toasted pecans or walnuts.
• Why did my cookies spread too much? The butter may have been overly warm, or the flour may have been undermeasured. If your dough feels unusually soft, refrigerate it for 20-30 minutes before baking.
• Can I prepare the dough ahead of time? Yes. Keep the covered dough refrigerated for up to about two days. Let it soften briefly if it becomes too firm to scoop.
• Can I freeze the cookie dough? Yes. Freeze individual dough portions until firm, then transfer them to a freezer-safe container. Bake from frozen, allowing a few additional minutes as needed.
• How do I know when the cookies are done? Look for dry, set edges with centers that still appear slightly soft. Overbaking is one of the easiest ways to lose the desired chewy texture.

Conclusion

There’s something especially comforting about pulling a tray of warm, chocolatey Nutella cookies from the oven, and this is an easy recipe to make your own with different chocolate chips or toasted nuts. Cooking and baking are always a little journey, so don’t be afraid to adjust the details until these become your family’s perfect cookie.

What would you add to your batch: extra hazelnuts, dark chocolate chips, or a sprinkle of flaky salt?

Happy baking, from my kitchen to yours.