Gooey Nutella Cookies

Prepare to be enchanted by these truly delectable Nutella Cookies. Each bite offers a harmonious blend of subtle chocolate richness and the unmistakable nutty essence of hazelnut. These cookies are crafted for perfection, ensuring a wonderfully soft and delightfully chewy texture, generously studded with bittersweet chocolate chips that melt in your mouth.

Why This is the Best Nutella Cookies Recipe You’ll Ever Make

Creating the perfect cookie is an art, and these Nutella Chocolate Chip Cookies are a masterpiece. Here’s why this recipe stands out and guarantees a phenomenal baking experience:

• Achieve an Irresistibly Chewy and Thick Texture. Forget flat, crumbly cookies! This recipe is engineered for success, delivering cookies that are consistently chewy, wonderfully thick, and tender on the inside, with just the right amount of Nutella to enhance both flavor and texture. The precise baking method also contributes to a slightly crunchy exterior, providing a delightful contrast with every bite.
• Experience a Subtle Yet Nuanced Flavor Profile. Nutella is more than just a spread; it’s a flavor enhancer. Its inclusion in this recipe adds a profound richness and a unique softness to the cookies. The delicate hint of hazelnut elevates these beyond standard chocolate chip cookies, infusing them with an unexpected depth that is truly captivating and incredibly satisfying.
• Benefit from Step-by-Step Practical Guidance from a Professional Pastry Chef. Don’t leave your baking to chance! As a pastry chef, I’ve meticulously tested and refined this recipe to ensure foolproof results. I’ve broken down each step into easy-to-follow instructions, guiding you to make the softest, chewiest, and most flavor-balanced Nutella cookie possible. For visual learners, I’ve even included a helpful how-to video in the recipe card below.
• Quick and Easy to Prepare. Despite their gourmet taste and texture, these cookies are surprisingly simple to make. With a minimal prep time of just 10 minutes and a quick bake, you can enjoy freshly baked, warm Nutella cookies in under half an hour. It’s the ideal treat for spontaneous cravings or last-minute gatherings.
• A Versatile Crowd-Pleaser. Nutella cookies appeal to almost everyone! They are perfect for family desserts, bake sales, holiday platters, or simply a comforting snack with your afternoon coffee. Their universal appeal makes them a guaranteed hit, leaving everyone asking for the recipe.

These mouthwatering and simple Nutella cookies are a dynamite reason to open (or finally finish) your cupboard’s coveted jar of Nutella! In this perfectly balanced recipe, the bittersweet chocolate chips provide a welcome burst of rich chocolate flavor that beautifully complements the smooth, creamy, and nutty Nutella dough. I’ve personally tested and retested the ratio of every ingredient to ensure that each component works in harmony, resulting in an easy-to-make cookie that is simply perfection.

If you’re a true chocoholic and prefer cookies with an extra punch of cocoa, explore some of my other intense chocolate creations. My Quadruple Chocolate Pudding Cookies, Double Chocolate Chip Cookies, or Double Chocolate Biscotti are guaranteed to satisfy even the most intense chocolate craving!

Essential Ingredients for Perfect Nutella Cookies

Every ingredient plays a crucial role in achieving the signature taste and texture of these amazing Nutella cookies. Here’s a detailed look at what you’ll need and why:

• Unsalted Butter: For baking, I always recommend unsalted butter. This gives you precise control over the overall saltiness of your cookies. Different butter brands vary in their salt content, which can make adjusting the recipe a challenge. Ensure your butter is softened but still cool to the touch for optimal creaming.
• Nutella (or your favorite chocolate hazelnut spread): While I am partial to the classic flavor of Nutella, feel free to use your preferred chocolate hazelnut spread. The key is its creamy texture and rich, nutty flavor, which contributes immensely to the cookies’ softness and unique taste. Already have Nutella out? You’re just three ingredients away from making my wildly popular and super easy Nutella Truffles!
• Light Brown Sugar: This isn’t just for sweetness; light brown sugar is a star ingredient for moisture and chewiness. Its molasses content helps keep the cookies soft and lends a subtle, caramel-like depth of flavor that granulated sugar alone cannot provide.
• Granulated Sugar: Granulated sugar provides crispness and helps with the spread of the cookie. It balances the chewiness from the brown sugar. However, too much in proportion to the Nutella and butter can cause the cookies to spread excessively thin rather than staying thick and delightfully chewy.
• Large Whole Egg: The egg is a triple threat in baking: it adds fat (from the yolk for richness and chewiness), moisture, and acts as a leavening agent. Beating the egg just enough when creaming ensures the perfect lift and texture without making the cookies cakey.
• Cornstarch: This might seem like an unusual addition, but cornstarch is your secret weapon for creating truly chewy and thick Nutella cookies. It inhibits gluten development, resulting in a tender crumb. If you don’t have cornstarch, you can omit it, or use a substitute like tapioca starch, though results may vary slightly.
• Baking Soda: Baking soda is a leavening agent that reacts with an acid, in this case, the molasses present in the brown sugar. This reaction creates carbon dioxide bubbles, giving the cookies their rise and characteristic texture. It reacts more powerfully than baking powder, leading to a more dramatic initial lift.
• Bittersweet Chocolate Chips: I use Ghirardelli bittersweet chocolate chips. Their rich, slightly bitter flavor provides a fantastic contrast to the sweetness of the Nutella and sugars, preventing the cookies from being overly sweet and enhancing the overall complexity.
• All-Purpose Flour: The structural backbone of our cookies. Ensure it’s measured correctly – spooned and leveled – to avoid dense, tough cookies.
• Kosher Salt: Essential for balancing sweetness and enhancing all the other flavors. Don’t skip it!
• Vanilla Extract: A touch of pure vanilla extract deepens the overall flavor profile, adding a warm, aromatic note that complements both chocolate and hazelnut beautifully.

See the recipe card for full information on precise quantities and measurements.

Delicious Nutella Cookie Variations & Add-Ins

While these Nutella cookies are spectacular on their own, they are also incredibly versatile, offering endless possibilities for customization. Get creative with these delightful variations:

• Nutella Ice Cream Sandwiches: Elevate your cookie experience by transforming them into luxurious ice cream sandwiches. They are absolutely delicious with a scoop of creamy chocolate ice cream or classic vanilla bean ice cream nestled between two soft Nutella cookies. Simply let the cookies cool completely, soften your favorite ice cream slightly, scoop it onto one cookie, and top with another. Freeze for a firmer treat!
• Endless Mix-In Possibilities: The base Nutella cookie dough is perfect for incorporating a variety of additional textures and flavors.
  • Extra Hazelnut Flavor: Add 1/2 cup of finely chopped, toasted hazelnuts to the dough for an intensified nutty aroma and delightful crunch.
  • Oats: For a chewier, heartier cookie, mix in 1/2 cup of rolled oats.
  • White Chocolate or Milk Chocolate Chips: Swap out some or all of the bittersweet chips for white chocolate or milk chocolate for a different sweetness profile.
  • Candied Citrus Peel: For a sophisticated twist, try adding finely diced candied citrus peel (orange or lemon) – a surprisingly good pairing with chocolate and hazelnut.
  • Chopped Nuts: Beyond hazelnuts, pecans, walnuts, or even almonds would be fantastic additions.
  • Pretzel Bits: For a salty-sweet crunch, crush some pretzels and fold them into the dough.

  Be sure to let me know in the recipe comments which mix-ins become your favorites, so I can give them a try!

• Nutella Stuffed Cookies: Take these cookies to the next level of indulgence! For a truly decadent treat, flatten each cookie dough ball into a disk. Place a frozen scoop of peanut butter, a soft caramel candy, or even more Nutella (frozen in small portions) in the center. Carefully wrap the cookie dough around the filling, ensuring it’s completely sealed, then bake as directed. This creates an incredible molten center.
• Salty-Sweet Finish: For an elevated touch that truly highlights the chocolate and hazelnut flavors, sprinkle the tops of the cookie dough balls with a pinch of flaky sea salt (like fleur de sel) just before baking. This adds a beautiful contrast and a gourmet finish.

Professional Tips for Baking Flawless Nutella Cookies

Achieving bakery-quality Nutella cookies is easier than you think with these expert insights. Follow these tips from a pastry chef to ensure your cookies turn out perfectly every time:

• Brown Sugar is Absolutely Essential: Do not underestimate the power of brown sugar in this recipe! You can use either light or dark brown sugar, depending on your preference and what you have on hand, but never substitute 100% granulated white sugar. Brown sugar’s molasses content is vital for providing moisture, contributing to the rich flavor, and ensuring those signature thick, chewy Nutella cookies. Using only white sugar will result in flatter, crispier cookies that spread significantly more.
• Incorporate Your Flour Slowly and Gently: For the thickest, chewiest, and most tender Nutella cookies, it’s crucial to add your dry ingredients (especially the flour) gradually to the wet mixture. Adding it all at once can overwhelm the dough and lead to overmixing. Mix on low speed, adding the flour mixture in small batches, and stop mixing as soon as the flour is barely incorporated. Overmixing develops too much gluten, which can lead to tough, dense cookies – the opposite of what we want!
• Chill Your Cookie Dough for Optimal Results: While it might be tempting to skip this step, I highly recommend refrigerating your cookie dough for at least 2 hours, or even better, overnight (up to 3 days). Chilling serves several important purposes:
  • Flavor Enhancement: It allows the ingredients to meld and develop deeper, richer flavors.
  • Improved Texture: The butter solidifies, which prevents the cookies from spreading too much in the oven, resulting in thicker, chewier cookies.
  • Easier Handling: Chilled dough is less sticky and much easier to scoop and shape into uniform balls.

  If you’re short on time, even 30 minutes in the freezer can make a difference.

• Measure Ingredients Accurately: Baking is a science, and precise measurements are key. Especially for flour, spoon it into your measuring cup and then level it off with a straight edge rather than scooping directly from the bag, which can compact the flour and lead to using too much.
• Don’t Overbake: This is perhaps the most common mistake in cookie baking! The secret to soft and chewy cookies is to remove them from the oven when the edges are just set and lightly golden, but the centers still look slightly underdone and soft. The cookies will continue to cook and set as they cool on the baking sheet. Overbaking will lead to dry, hard cookies.

What is Nutella (and Why is it So Good in Cookies)?

Nutella is a globally recognized brand of sweetened hazelnut cocoa spread, originally developed by the Italian company Ferrero. It was created in the 1940s during a cocoa shortage, leading Pietro Ferrero to combine hazelnuts, which were abundant in the Piedmont region of Italy, with a small amount of cocoa and sugar. This ingenious combination led to the birth of a product that quickly became a household favorite.

Today, Nutella is synonymous with a creamy, rich, and intensely satisfying blend of roasted hazelnuts, skim milk, and cocoa. While there are many different brands of chocolate hazelnut spread on the market, each with its own unique taste and texture, the best one is ultimately the one you enjoy the most. You can typically find Nutella and other similar cocoa hazelnut spreads in the breakfast aisle of most grocery stores or at specialty food shops.

So, why does Nutella work so wonderfully in cookies? Its unique composition adds several desirable qualities:

• Moisture and Softness: The high fat content and creamy texture of Nutella contribute significant moisture to the cookie dough, resulting in an incredibly soft and tender crumb.
• Rich Flavor: It infuses the cookies with a distinctive hazelnut-chocolate flavor that’s deeper and more complex than plain chocolate.
• Chewiness: Nutella helps create a desirable chewiness, preventing the cookies from becoming dry or crumbly.
• Unique Aroma: The toasted hazelnut notes provide a delightful aroma that makes these cookies truly special.

How to Make Nutella Cookies: Step-by-Step Guide

Creating these delightful Nutella cookies is a straightforward process. Follow these detailed steps to ensure perfectly soft, chewy, and flavorful results every time! Further details and precise measurements can be found in the recipe card below.

Make the Cookie Dough:

Step 1: Combine Dry Ingredients. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and kosher salt. Whisking ensures that the leavening agents and salt are evenly distributed throughout the flour, which is crucial for uniform cookies.

Step 2: Cream Wet Ingredients. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or using a hand mixer), cream together the softened unsalted butter, Nutella, light brown sugar, and granulated sugar on medium-high speed. Beat until the mixture is light, fluffy, and well combined, typically about 3-4 minutes. This process incorporates air into the butter and sugar, which is essential for the cookie’s texture. Stop the mixer occasionally and scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a spatula to ensure everything is thoroughly mixed.

Next, add the large egg and vanilla extract to the creamed mixture. Continue to mix on medium speed until just combined and the mixture looks smooth and emulsified. Avoid overmixing at this stage to prevent excess air from being incorporated.

Step 3: Incorporate Dry Ingredients and Chocolate Chips. Reduce your stand mixer’s speed to low. Gradually add the whisked flour mixture to the wet ingredients in small additions. I typically add it in 5-7 batches. Mix each addition only until the flour is just incorporated, and no streaks of dry flour remain. This slow and gentle approach prevents gluten overdevelopment, which can make cookies tough. Be sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl several times during this process to ensure all ingredients are fully combined. Once the flour is mostly incorporated, add the bittersweet chocolate chips and briefly mix on low speed until they are just evenly distributed throughout the dough.

Step 4: Scoop the Dough (and consider chilling). Using a 1-inch cookie scoop, portion the dough into uniform balls. This ensures even baking. If you don’t have a scoop, aim for roughly 1-tablespoon sized balls.

Optional, but Recommended: Chill Your Cookie Dough. While not strictly required if your butter was at the ideal temperature, chilling the dough significantly enhances both flavor and texture. Roll the scooped dough into smooth balls (if not already perfectly rounded) and place them on a parchment-lined cookie sheet, plate, or tray. Cover them well with plastic wrap and refrigerate for a minimum of 2 hours, or for best results, overnight (up to 3 days). Chilling helps the flavors deepen and prevents excessive spreading during baking, resulting in thicker, chewier cookies.

Bake:

Step 5: Preheat Your Oven. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). It’s important to give your oven ample time to reach and stabilize at the correct temperature for consistent baking.

Step 6: Bake the Cookies. Arrange the cookie dough balls on a parchment-paper lined baking sheet, ensuring they are spaced about 2 inches apart to allow for spreading. Bake in the preheated oven for 9-11 minutes. The cookies are ready when the edges are set and lightly golden brown, but the centers still look slightly soft and gooey. This indicates a perfectly chewy interior.

Step 7: Cool and Enjoy! Once baked, remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool on the hot cookie sheet for about 5 minutes. This crucial cooling period allows the cookies to finish setting and firm up without becoming brittle. After 5 minutes, carefully transfer the Nutella cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. Or, if you can’t resist, enjoy them warm and gooey!

Recipe FAQs and Troubleshooting

Have questions about making these Nutella cookies? Here are answers to some common inquiries and tips for troubleshooting:

Before You Go!

I hope you thoroughly enjoyed baking and, of course, tasting this professional chef-tested Nutella cookies recipe. These soft, chewy, and hazelnut-infused treats are truly a delight for any occasion. Don’t let your culinary journey end here! Be sure to explore our other delicious cookie recipes, such as my fan-favorite Peanut Butter Cup Blossoms. Or, if you’re looking to continue the wonderful hazelnut trend, you absolutely must try my elegant Flourless Chocolate Torte with Hazelnut. Happy baking, and enjoy every sweet moment!