If you want an ultra-decadent chocolate cookie, these Nutella-stuffed chocolate cookies are it. Thick and fudgy with a deep chocolate flavor and a molten chocolate-hazelnut center, they ooze Nutella with every bite.
I’ve developed many Nutella recipes, and these stuffed chocolate cookies may be the richest yet. The base is a chewy, fudgy double-chocolate cookie dough that produces thick cookies with balanced chocolate flavor. Each cookie is filled with a small frozen dollop of Nutella so the filling remains intact while baking and becomes molten inside the finished cookie.
The process is straightforward but requires a few extra steps: freezing the Nutella dollops and assembling individual dough balls around them. Allow time for chilling and freezing so the cookies bake up thick and hold the filling.
How These Nutella-Stuffed Cookies Are Made
Freeze the Nutella
Spoon Nutella onto a lined baking sheet (parchment or wax paper) in small dollops and freeze. Freezing prevents the Nutella from melting out during baking.
Prepare the cookie dough
Sift the dry ingredients (flour, cocoa, baking soda, salt) to remove lumps, then cream butter and sugars until light. Beat in egg and vanilla, then add the dry mix on low speed. Add 1–2 teaspoons of milk only as needed to bring the dough together. Stir in chocolate chips. Chilling the dough for about 30 minutes makes it easier to handle and reduces stickiness.
Assemble and freeze dough balls
Work with the frozen Nutella dollops one at a time to avoid melting. Flatten about 1 to 1½ tablespoons of dough into a disc, place a frozen Nutella dollop in the center, top with a small piece of dough, then pinch and roll to fully encase the Nutella. Return each assembled ball to the freezer. Freeze the dough balls at least 30 minutes (or store in the freezer for up to 3 months) and bake them from frozen so the filling stays contained.
Recipe Tip
Cool the cookies on the baking sheet for at least 20 minutes before transferring to a rack. The warm Nutella center can make the cookies fragile immediately after baking.
Freezing & Make-Ahead Tips
This recipe lends itself to make-ahead prep because the dough balls freeze well. Place frozen dough balls in a freezer bag, remove excess air, and freeze for up to 3 months. Bake from frozen following the directions below.
Baked cookies keep 3–4 days at room temperature in an airtight container, or up to 6 days refrigerated. Baked cookies can also be frozen up to 3 months; separate layers with parchment and thaw in the fridge before bringing to room temperature to serve.
More Stuffed Cookie Ideas
- Nutella Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Cheesecake-Stuffed Red Velvet Cookies
- Reese’s-Stuffed Cookies
- Cheesecake-Stuffed Gingerbread Cookies
Nutella Stuffed Chocolate Cookies
Equipment
- Cookie sheets
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup Nutella (you may need a little more or less)
- 1 cup all-purpose flour (125 g), spooned and leveled
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder (45 g), preferably Dutch-process
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter (112 g), cold and cubed
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar (105 g), dark if possible
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar (67 g)
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1–2 teaspoons milk (any)
- 2/3 cup chocolate chips (about 120 g)
Instructions
Freeze the Nutella
- Line a tray with parchment and drop spoonfuls of Nutella (about 2 teaspoons each). Freeze until solid.
Make the cookie dough
- Sift flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt into a bowl and whisk to combine.
- Cream butter and both sugars until light. Beat in the egg and vanilla.
- On low speed, add the dry ingredients. Add 1 teaspoon milk; add a second teaspoon only if the dough still seems too dry. Stir in chocolate chips.
- Cover and chill the dough about 30 minutes (or overnight) to make it easier to handle.
Assemble the dough balls
- Keep Nutella dollops frozen and work one at a time. Flatten about 1–1½ tablespoons of dough into a disc, place a frozen Nutella dollop in the center, top with a bit more dough, pinch closed, and roll into a ball.
- Return assembled dough balls to the freezer. Freeze at least 30 minutes or store in a freezer bag up to 3 months.
Bake
- Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Place frozen dough balls 2–2½ inches apart on lined cookie sheets.
- Bake one sheet at a time in the center of the oven for 10–13 minutes, or until the tops look set.
- Optionally press a few extra chocolate chips onto the tops. Cool on the baking sheet at least 20 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
Notes
- Nutella choice: Use a chocolate-hazelnut spread that does not separate (oil on top can cause oily, spreading cookies).
- Storage: Store baked, cooled cookies in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
- Yield & nutrition: Nutrition facts are estimates per cookie based on 14 cookies.
- Scaling: This recipe can be doubled—simply double all ingredients.
Nutrition
Carbohydrates: 37 g,
Protein: 3 g,
Fat: 15 g