I was going to start this post off with “It’s been a shamefully long time since I made some cookies…” but when I went to look up the exact date of my last cookie recipe I found Patriotic Fruit Pie Cookies, White Chocolate Cookies, Red Velvet Cookie Dough Bars, and Cookie Dough Dip… all posted within the past 2 months.
Okay, fine, you got me: I freaking love cookies.
I’d make them every day if could get away with it – and oh, I do try.
It’s just that I can only work the “it’s for the blog” angle for so long before an old friend of mine begins asking for “real” food.
He’s a little weird, that one.
However, I’m going to go out on a limb here and guess that you’re in the same boat at me… since, you know, you’re here. Reading this post that’s all about how to make Nutella cookies.
I can assure you that you’re in good company, because I think these cookies might be so good that they’ve stolen the top spot of my all time favorite cookie.
No joke, these cookies are like that.
But can you blame me? These Nutella cookies are like little soft and chewy pies of chocolate hazelnut goodness.
Another great thing about these cookies: I originally posted this sugar cookie recipe a year ago, shortly after Homemade Hooplah came into existence, and for the longest time it was my most popular post. Even to this day it still gets a respectable amount of traffic from Google.
However, ever since this Nutella cookie has made its debut, it has become one of the most popular on this little food blog… and for good reason. These cookies are delicious and I hope you enjoy these cookies as much as I have!
So here’s to you, delicious sugar cookie recipe. I hope I did you justice by taking it to the next level.
Do you have to chill the dough?
This particular recipe calls for chilling the cookie dough for one hour.
I know it can be frustrating to put your baking on hold, but when it comes to cookies, chilling the dough is totally worth the impact it as on your cookies.
If you’re curious about the purpose (and benefits!) of doing this, check out this article: Chilling Cookie Dough: Does it Make a Difference?
How much Nutella should each cookie have?
When making these cookies, you want enough Nutella filling to make these cookies “worth it” AND you want to use enough cookie dough to completely cover the Nutella. When I originally developed this recipe, I didn’t have a cookie scoop and measured everything by eye. This means that the ratio of cookie to Nutella I used has varied a bit over time.
To give you a general guide, the cookies in the pictures are about three inches wide and the dough balls were about one to two inches across when raw. I considered these “to be small” cookies.
The cookies in the recipe video are monstrous and measured about four to five inches wide once baked. Those dough balls were about two to three inches wide when raw.
Ultimately, use your best judgment when measuring the cookies. As long as you have enough cookie dough to completely cover the Nutella, then you should be good to go for cookie perfection!
Notes & tips for these Nutella filled cookies
- If you’re doing a lot of baking, I highly recommend having some silicone baking mats or silicone baking mats on hand. Baking cookies takes enough time without having to cut or measure parchment paper. Or if you prefer using parchment paper, you can try using pre-cut parchment paper sheets instead.
- Plus, some quality baking sheets are a must for a cookie baking extravaganza!
- For this recipe, I highly recommend using a stand mixer or a hand mixer. This recipe would be difficult to make by hand with a whisk.
- These cookies will be best 1 day after baking. When these cookies are freshly baked and cooled, the Nutella inside will be a bit dry and not very creamy. If you store the cookies in a sealed container for 24 hours, some of that creaminess will come back to the Nutella. At that point, you can warm the cookies for a few seconds in the microwave and get the creamy look as shown in these pictures.
- Looking for more Nutella? Check out these Brownie Parfaits with Nutella Syrup or Chocolate Cake Donuts with Nutella Glaze.
More fun cookie recipes
Recipe Details
Nutella Stuffed Sugar Cookies
Old fashioned soft and chewy sugar cookies stuffed with creamy chocolate and hazelnut Nutella. Trust me, this combination is as delicious as it sounds!
Ingredients
Instructions
- Line a baking sheet (that can fit in your freezer) with parchment paper. Spoon out either 1-2 teaspoon of Nutella (about the size of a quarter, for smaller cookies) or 1-2 tablespoon of Nutella (about the size of a half dollar, for larger cookies) and place it on the parchment paper. If possible, try to keep Nutella in ball or oval shapes. The amount of Nutella balls you need will depend on how big you're making the cookies (see recipe notes). Place tray with Nutella in the freezer while preparing the dough.
In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set bowl aside.
Using a stand mixer (or hand mixer + large bowl) cream together the butter and 1 1/2 cups sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3-5 minutes.
Drop mixer speed to low and add the vanilla extract and egg to the creamed butter, mixing thoroughly.
Remove bowl from mixer. Using a spatula, slowly add the dry ingredients in with the butter mixture until fully incorporated. Dough should be soft and slightly dewy when ready.
Cover bowl and place dough in the refrigerator to chill for 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Add the remaining 1/2 cup granulated sugar to a small mixing bowl and set nearby.
Remove dough from refrigerator and frozen Nutella from freezer. For smaller cookies, scoop out about 1-2 teaspoons of cookie dough and flatten into a circle about 1-2 inches wide. For larger cookies, scoop out about 1-2 tablespoons of cookie dough and flatten into a circle about 2 inches wide. Repeat this step so you have two flat pieces of cookie dough. Put a piece of frozen Nutella between the two dough pieces and pinch the sides closed (see above video for example). Roll cookie into a ball shape, then toss in the bowl of sugar, coating the outside. Place finished cookie ball on prepared baking sheet. Repeat this step until all dough and Nutella is used, placing cookies about 2 inches apart on the baking sheet. Note: as you work, you may need to pause to freeze the Nutella again so that it keeps it's shape.
For smaller cookies, bake cookies for 10-12 minutes or until the top of the cookie begins to crinkle and the bottom sides turn a light golden brown. For larger cookies, bake 14-16 minutes or until top of the cookie beings to crinkle and bottom sides turn a light golden brown.
Let cookies rest on the baking sheet for 5-10 minutes, then transfer to a wire cooling rack to cool completely. Cookies can be stored in a sealed container on the counter for up to 4 days. Cookies are best after "resting" for one day after baking.
Recipe Notes
For smaller cookies, this recipe should yield about 14-16 cookies. For larger cookies, it should yield about 10-12.
Amanda says
How exactly did you freeze the nutella? Did you put the entire container in the freezer or make small balls and freeze them?
Chrisy says
Hey Amanda! To freeze the Nutella, you scoop it out and freeze the individual pieces that will be added to the cookie. Check out the recipe video above, it shows you how to do it 😀
Madison Diaz says
Hello. Thank you for making this recipe. I don’t know what went wrong with mine, but the dough stayed crumbly the whole time. Please let me know if you know what happened.
Alice says
Oh man, these cookies turned out AMAZING, and they were a hit when I brought them to work. Perfectly delicious, the sugar cookie was soft and with the nutella surprise, so so good. I had also frozen the dollops of nutella a bit first (maybe just ~30min in the freezer) because I was afraid it would all just spread/melt together. It also helped with assembling the balls before baking because I could easily just pick them up and stick them in the dough. Thank you so much for the recipe!! Going to make these again for this weekend’s holiday party! Cannot wait!
Sakshi says
What does 2 & 2/3 cup flour mean?
Dr. Shweta kirti gupta says
I made the cookies today and on my god they were delicious. Too good. Thanks for sharing such an amazing recipe.
Laila Berit says
I tried these yesterday and brought them to school with me today. They turned out great and all my class mates loved them! Not one thing went wrong when I made them (although in the end it took five damn hours for me to make them, including freezing and refrigerating). I’m going to make these again in the future! Thanks for this delicious and easy recipe!
Geetings from Germany
Sabrina Elliott says
Hey there can you freeze these ? I just made them they look incredible but I’m serving them for Xmas which is a week away.
Alicia says
These cookies are amazing! I followed the recipe exactly and it made 16 amazing cookies! The sugar cookie itself has an amazing flavor and add in that pocket of Nutella and oh my! This recipe is definitely going to be in the mix for my family get togethers now! Thanks so much for posting!