It’s baking season! These Nutella Stuffed Cookies are pretty much all I want. They are delicious and perfectly soft with a slight crisp on the outside, and filled with ooey gooey Nutella inside.
What I love about these Nutella cookies is their amazing flavor. They are made with browned butter (very easy to make!), so they have an aromatic, nutty, toffee-like taste.
Bake these cookies for the holidays! Everyone will love them.
I’m a huge Nutella lover, and I love baking with it! Today I’m sharing all you need to know to make these amazing Nutella stuffed cookies.
These are especially delicious for two reasons: 1) they are made with browned butter for that layer of amazing nutty, toffee-like flavor, and 2) the cookie dough has dark chocolate shards mixed in, so it’s extra good!
If you love Nutella, you’ll seriously fall in love with these Nutella stuffed cookies. Give them a try this holiday season!
Also, have you checked out my Nutella Banana Bread and Nutella Sandwich Cookies yet?
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Why Use Browned Butter for these Cookies
For these Nutella stuffed cookies, I used brown butter, and let me tell you…they are AMAZING! If you haven’t tried browned butter, you absolutely HAVE to! Browned butter has a toffee-like, nutty taste that enhances the flavor of baked goods.
Don’t be intimidated…browned butter is very easy to make! Butter is 80% fat, 20% water. So basically, making browned butter consists of cooking butter in a saucepan until the water is cooked down and the milk solids start to brown. Simply and easy!
Ingredient Notes
To make Nutella stuffed cookies, you only need a few ingredients. Below are a few helpful ingredient notes. As always, specific ingredient quantities can be found in the recipe card below.
- Nutella: You’ll need to freeze dollops of Nutella. This will make it very easy to stuff them into the cookie dough.
- Unsalted butter: To make the browned butter. Cut them into pieces beforehand so it melts quicker.
- Flour: I used all-purpose flour. Make sure it’s spooned and level for proper measuring.
- Baking soda: To give the cookies some lift and airiness.
- Salt: To bring out all the flavors.
- Granulated sugar: For sweetness.
- Light brown sugar: For sweetness and soft texture.
- Vanilla extract: Flavor.
- Large eggs: At room temperature. Eggs give cookies moisture and structure.
- Dark chocolate bar: I like to mix finely chopped dark chocolate into the dough. Any flavor of baking chocolate bar is fine.
Step-by-Step Instructions
1. Freeze Nutella
Drop dollops of Nutella onto a small sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Freeze for at least 30 minutes until hardened. This will make assembling the cookies mess-free.
2. Make the browned butter
Melt unsalted in a skillet, always whisking constantly. The butter will start to form bubbles and pop, meaning that the water is evaporating. After a few minutes, golden brown specks will form at the bottom and it will smell nutty and toffee-like. Transfer to a large bowl and let cool for 30 minutes.
Tip: To prevent the browned butter from burning, make sure to whisk constantly and keep an eye on it. Once the butter stops popping (meaning the water has evaporated) and the solids turn golden brown at the bottom, transfer to a large mixing bowl to let it cool.
Tip: Use a stainless steel or white ceramic pan. This will allow you to see through the butter and check when the milk solids start to turn golden brown.
3. Whisk dry ingredients
In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
3. Whisk wet ingredients
Once the browned butter has fully cooled down, mix in the granulated sugar and brown sugar to the browned butter. Then, whisk in eggs, one at a time, until evenly combined.
4. Combine wet and dry ingredients, chill dough
Gradually mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Mix until a soft and sticky dough forms.
Then, fold in finely chopped dark chocolate using a rubber spatula until evenly combined. Cover the dough with plastic wrap (plastic wrap should be touching the dough) and refrigerate for 45 minutes.
5. Assemble cookies and bake
Once the dough has chilled, assemble the cookies.
For each cookie, scoop about 3 tablespoons of cookie dough (I used a large, 3-tablespoon cookie scoop) and stick frozen Nutella in the middle by pressing it in with your thumbs. Cover with cookie dough, forming a ball. Make sure there is no Nutella sticking out from the dough so that it doesn’t melt out.
Arrange them on a large sheet pan lined with parchment paper, about 3 inches apart. Bake at 375 degrees F for about 11-13 minutes, until the edges begin to turn golden brown. Remove the Nutella stuffed cookies from oven and transfer them to a wire rack after about 5 minutes.
Tip: You may need to bake them in multiple batches. I’d recommend assembling the cookie balls and placing them in the fridge until you’re ready to bake the next batch.
How Big Should These Cookies Be?
This recipe makes about 14 large (4-inch) cookies, or about 20 medium (3-inch) cookies.
I personally prefer to make large cookies when it comes to these Nutella stuffed cookies. That way, they are much easier to stuff and assemble.
To make large cookies, use a large 3 tablespoon-sized cookie scoop. For these, the Nutella dollops should be 2 teaspoons each.
To make medium cookies, use a medium 1 ½ tablespoon- sized cookie scoop. For these, the Nutella dollops should be 1 teaspoon each.
Other Amazing Cookies to Try
In addition to the Nutella stuffed cookies, these are my other favorite holiday cookies:
If you’re not in the mood for cookies, try my Brookies, Gingerbread Cake, Cranberry Orange Pound Cake, or Apple Crisp Cheesecake.
Recipe FAQs
Once the popping and bubbles subside and golden brown specks form at the bottom, it’s ready. It should smell nutty and toffee-like. To prevent browned butter from burning, whisk constantly the entire time and transfer to a mixing bowl once golden brown specks form at the bottom. Tip: Use a light-colored or stainless steel pan so you can see the brown specks.
I used a large 3-tablespoon cookie scoop, so they about 4 inches in diameter. You can also use a medium 1.5- tablespoon cookie scoop to make about 3 inch cookies. Adjust the amount of Nutella accordingly.
Yes! Do NOT skip this step, otherwise the dough will be too sticky to work with.
Yes. Stuffing gooey Nutella in cookie dough will make a huge mess.
Yes! You can assemble them and refrigerate overnight, and bake as directed. You can also assemble and freeze – they will just take an extra 1-2 minutes in the oven, no need to thaw beforehand.
Tips for Success
- To prevent the browned butter from burning, make sure to whisk constantly and keep an eye on it. Transfer to a large mixing bowl to cool completely.
- Use a stainless steel or light-colored ceramic pan to brown the butter. This will allow you to see clearly when the golden brown specks start to form.
- Make sure the Nutella dollops are fully frozen before using. If they start softening as you assemble the cookies, pop them in the freezer for a few minutes.
- You may need to bake the Nutella stuffed cookies in multiple batches. Assemble the cookie balls and refrigerate them until you’re ready to bake the next batch.
Nutella Stuffed Cookies
Equipment
- Stainless steel pan
- Whisks and rubber spatula
- Large cookie scoop (3-tablespoon capacity)
Ingredients
- 1 cup Nutella
- 1 cup unsalted butter - cut into pieces
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour - spooned and leveled
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup light brown sugar - packed
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs - at room temperature
- 4 ounces dark chocolate bar, finely chopped
Instructions
- Freeze the Nutella: Drop 2-teaspoon dollops of Nutella onto a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Place in the freezer until fully frozen while you prepare the cookies. Tip: Drop a few extra dollops of Nutella just in case.
- Make the browned butter: In a stainless steel or light-colored skillet, melt the butter over medium heat, stirring constantly. The butter will start to form bubbles and pop. Keep stirring constantly until golden brown specks will form at the bottom – this indicated it's ready. It will smell nutty, almost toffee-like. Transfer to a large bowl and let cool completely for 30 minutes before moving on to the next step.Tip: A stainless steel or light-colored pan allows you to see clearly when the brown specks form.
- Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- Wet ingredients: To the cooled browned butter, mix in both sugars and vanilla extract. Then, whisk in eggs, one at a time, until fully combined.
- Gradually add dry ingredients to wet ingredients, and mix until no pockets of flour remain. Do not overmix. Gently fold in the finely chopped dark chocolate into the batter using a rubber spatula.
- Cover dough with plastic wrap (the plastic wrap should be touching the dough). Chill in the refrigerator for 45 minutes. This will allow the dough to not be so sticky and be manageable.
- When ready to bake, preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line a large sheet pan with parchment paper.
- Once the dough has chilled, assemble the cookies: For each cookie, scoop about 3 tablespoons of cookie dough (I used a large 3-tablespoon cookie scoop, see note below*) and stick a frozen nutella dollop in the middle by pressing it in with your thumbs. Cover the nutella with cookie dough, forming a ball. Make sure there is no nutella sticking out so that it doesn't melt out.
- Arrange them on a large sheet pan lined with parchment paper, about 3 inches apart. Bake at 375 degrees F for 11-13 minutes or until the edges start to turn golden brown. Note: You may need to bake in batches – refrigerate the cookie dough balls until you’re ready to bake the next batch.
- Let cool in the pan for about 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to let them cool a bit more. Enjoy!
Notes
- Browned butter adds a nutty, toffee-like aroma to these cookies. Browned butter is ready when you see golden brown specks at the bottom of the pan. Be sure to always stir constantly to prevent constantly.
- Use a stainless steel or light-colored ceramic pan to brown the butter. This will allow you to see clearly when the golden brown specks start to form.
- Nutella: Make sure it’s fully frozen before using. Otherwise, it will make a mess.
- Make ahead: You can refrigerate the assembled cookie balls (through step 8) and bake the next day. Bake as directed.
- Freezing: You can freeze the assembled cookie balls for up to 3 months. Bake for an additional 1-2 minutes until the edges start to turn golden brown. No need to thaw beforehand.
- Storage: Store baked cookies in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
- After the cookies cool down completely, the Nutella won’t be as melty in the center. You can pop them in the microwave oven for a few seconds to make them melty again.
- Instead of dark chocolate, use your favorite baking chocolate baking bar.
- Nutella: Use any brand of hazelnut chocolate spread.
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