We’re taking the beloved classic chocolate crinkle cookie and going a little nuts—in the best possible way!—with these Nutella crinkle cookies. Chocolatey and packed with crunchy hazelnuts, they’re thick and soft-baked, and stuffed with a little extra Nutella in the middle for good measure!
I love baking with Nutella, as evidenced by recipes like Nutella chocolate chip cookies and caramel-stuffed Nutella cookies. But with these cookies, I think I may have reached Peak Nutella Cookie (PNC). These are the most Nutella-y of all the Nutella cookies. We’re making the dough with Nutella, of course, but then also stuffing each cookie dough ball with more Nutella, because, let’s be honest, why wouldn’t we??
Warm from the oven, the centers of these Nutella crinkle cookies are deliciously gooey. After about a day, the Nutella centers set into a soft and fudge-y texture, like the inside of a truffle. They are equally delicious both ways.
Why You’ll Love These Nutella Crinkle Cookies:
- Most of the chocolate flavor comes from the Nutella, just like these Nutella brownies
- Extra soft centers, crisp crackly edges
- Crunchy hazelnuts add texture
- Rolled in confectioners’ sugar, for that classic crinkle cookie look
- Double the Nutella: it’s going in both the cookie dough AND the filling
- Taste like the cookie version of a Ferrero Rocher chocolate hazelnut truffle!
Best Ingredients to Use & Why:
- Flour & Cocoa Powder: All-purpose flour makes up the base of these cookies. And make sure you use natural cocoa powder here. If you’re interested in learning why, read this post on Dutch-process vs. natural cocoa powder.
- Butter: Remember that room-temperature butter is not as warm as you think. Let it sit out for only 1 hour before starting. It will be cool to the touch.
- Egg + Egg Yolk: I adapted the base of today’s cookie based off of my caramel-stuffed Nutella cookies. When covering in sugar, and to obtain the crinkle look, I needed the dough to spread a bit more, and so I added an extra egg yolk. An extra egg yolk adds rich softness, too.
- Nutella: Can’t make these cookies without it, of course!
- Chopped Hazelnuts: If you can find pre-chopped hazelnuts, that’s great; if you can only find whole hazelnuts, I recommend chopping by hand rather than using a food processor. In recipe testing, even just short quick pulses in a food processor gave uneven results, with some pieces too big and some turning into ground hazelnuts, which changes the texture of the dough.
- Confectioners’ Sugar: For rolling the cookie dough balls in before baking, to give them that snowy crinkly exterior you know and love!
You also need brown sugar, white granulated sugar, salt, baking soda, and vanilla.
I use a stand mixer for these cookies, but an electric hand mixer works too. This Nutella cookie dough is extra soft, so chilling is necessary—2 hours is the minimum. Chilled cookie dough is not only easier to handle and roll into balls, it also bakes thicker cookies.
After refrigerating the dough, it will be quite crumbly and that’s ok. You want a thick, crumbly dough because you’re going to be handling it so much when filling and rolling it.
How to Shape & Fill Nutella Crinkle Cookies
To fill and shape the cookies, take 1 scant Tablespoon (about 17g) of crumbly cookie dough:
Roll it in your hands to make a ball. Press your thumb into the ball as if you were making a thumbprint cookie, and mold the dough into a bowl shape. Repeat steps 1 & 2 to make a second cookie “bowl.”
Add about 1/2 teaspoon of Nutella into one of your cookie “bowls.” Place the second cookie bowl over the top of the Nutella-filled one, and gently pinch the sides together to seal.
Give the filled cookie dough ball a quick re-roll in your hands, to smooth it out.
We use a similar process to stuff these peanut butter-filled brownie cookies. You may find it’s easier to roll and shape ALL the cookie dough “bowls” first, before filling half with Nutella.
Coat the Dough Balls
Now that all of the dough balls are filled and rolled, you can coat them in confectioners’ sugar. Like with these chocolate crinkle cookies, roll the cookie dough balls into granulated sugar first, then give them a heavy coating of confectioners’ sugar.
Why both sugars? These Nutella crinkle cookies are extra moist, so the confectioners’ sugar always ends up melting a bit and/or turns yellow-ish as a result from melting. Not a problem when it comes to taste, but if you want the snowy look of stark white confectioners’ sugar on top, coat the cookie dough balls in a little granulated sugar first. Just a light layer, then go heavy on that confectioners’ sugar topping.
Bake the cookies until they begin to crack/crinkle, about 11-12 minutes.
As the cookies bake, the confectioners’ sugar coating crinkles and cracks as the cookies take their shape. Hence, the cute crinkle name. I love these.
Nope! Filling the crinkle cookies with Nutella is completely optional. If you don’t want to take the time for this extra shaping step, you can make these Nutella crinkle cookies without filling. There’s still plenty of Nutella flavor in there! After chilling the dough, roll the dough into balls, about 1.5 Tablespoons (35g) of dough per cookie, and then continue with rolling the dough balls in sugar.
There needs to be an add-in in this cookie dough, or else they will spread too much. Instead of chopped hazelnuts, you can use chocolate chips.
The Cookies Absorb the Confectioners’ Sugar
Even after baking, the confectioners’ sugar tends to melt into the cookie—and I find that’s just because Nutella is so greasy and can absorb it. The cookies will be pretty sticky when warm because of this, and have a yellow tint.
- Success tip: To fix this, I like to use a sieve to sift a little more confectioners’ sugar on top once the cookies have cooled.
- Success tip: It’s also helpful to bake these cookies on dry days. Any humidity in the air will soak into the confectioners’ sugar, slightly melting it. Sometimes you can’t avoid humidity, but if you’re wondering why the sugar melts, it could be the weather. Again, go heavy on that confectioners’ sugar layer.
Sally’s Cookie Palooza
This recipe is part of my annual cookie countdown called Sally’s Cookie Palooza. It’s the biggest, most delicious event of the year! Browse dozens of cookie recipes over on the Sally’s Cookie Palooza page including:
and here’s my video tutorial & guide for how to freeze cookie dough.
Nutella Crinkle Cookies
Prep Time: 3 hours (includes dough chilling)
Cook Time: 12 minutes
Total Time: 3 hours, 30 minutes
Yield: 32 cookies
Category: Cookies
Method: Baking
Cuisine: American
Description
Chocolatey and packed with crunchy hazelnuts, these Nutella crinkle cookies are thick and soft-baked, and stuffed with a little extra Nutella in the middle for good measure! Filling the cookies is optional—see Notes.
Instructions
- Optional toast the hazelnuts: This first step is optional, but I highly recommend it for best hazelnut flavor. Spread the chopped hazelnuts on a lined baking sheet. Bake in a 300°F (149°C) oven for 5-7 minutes, or until slightly darkened. Allow to cool down for at least 5 minutes before using in the dough in step 4.
- Make the dough: In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt together until combined. Set aside.
- In a large bowl using a hand-held or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar together on medium-high speed until fluffy and light in color, about 2–3 minutes. Add the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla extract, and beat until incorporated. Add the Nutella, then beat on high speed until combined. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
- Add the dry ingredients to the bowl with the wet ingredients, and beat on low speed until combined. Add the chopped hazelnuts and beat on low until incorporated. The cookie dough will be very thick, soft, and sticky. Cover dough tightly and chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours and up to 3 days. Chilling is mandatory for this soft cookie dough.
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. (Always recommended for cookies.) Place the granulated sugar in a small bowl and the confectioners’ sugar in another bowl, for rolling. Set aside.
- Shape & fill the dough: After chilling in the refrigerator, the cookie dough will be very crumbly and that’s ok. You want a crumbly, thick dough because you will be handling it so much in this step. Scoop dough and roll into balls, a very scant Tablespoon (17g) of dough each. Make an indent with your finger or thumb in the center of each dough ball, so they resemble small “bowls.” Add a scant 1/2 teaspoon of Nutella into the indent of half of the dough “bowls.” Place the other (empty) bowl-shaped pieces of dough over the top of the Nutella-filled pieces, and gently pinch the sides together to seal. Gently roll each of the stuffed dough balls in your hands to smooth out into a nice round ball.
- Coat the dough balls: Roll the cookie dough ball first in the granulated sugar, then very generously in the confectioners’ sugar. (Altogether, each filled and sugared dough ball should weigh about 40g.) Place the dough balls 3 inches apart on the lined baking sheets.
- Bake the cookies for 11–12 minutes or until the edges appear set and the centers still look soft.
- Cool cookies for 5 minutes on the baking sheet, and then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely. You’ll notice the confectioners’ sugar coating is quite sticky while the cookies are warm, and it may absorb into the cookie a bit. The coating may take on a yellow tint because of this, and that’s ok. For a fresh coating, you can use a sieve to sift a little more confectioners’ sugar on top once the cookies have cooled.
- Cookies stay fresh covered at room temperature for up to 1 week.
Notes
- Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: You can make the cookie dough and chill it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Unbaked filled and shaped cookie dough balls (that are not coated in sugars) freeze well up to 3 months. Thaw for 30 minutes, and then proceed with step 7. See this post on how to freeze cookie dough for more information and a video tutorial. Baked and cooled cookies freeze well for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator or at room temperature.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Glass Mixing Bowls | Whisk | Baking Sheets | Silicone Baking Mats or Parchment Paper | Cooling Rack
- Why an extra egg yolk? You need 1 whole egg, plus 1 extra egg yolk. Why? When covering in sugar, and to obtain the crinkle look, I needed the dough to spread a bit more, and so I added an extra egg yolk. An extra egg yolk adds rich softness, too.
- Hazelnuts: I recommend using pre-chopped hazelnuts, but if whole hazelnuts are all you have, I strongly recommend chopping by hand rather than using a food processor. In recipe testing, using a food processor resulted in unevenly sized pieces of hazelnuts; the finer-ground hazelnuts caused the dough to become too dry. If you want to omit the nuts entirely, you will need to replace them with the same amount of mini or regular-size chocolate chips, to prevent the cookies from overspreading.
- Confectioners’ sugar melting into cookies: Be sure to coat the dough balls in granulated sugar first, and then very heavily in confectioners’ sugar. After baking, the confectioners’ sugar can still melt into the cookie a bit—and I find that’s just because Nutella is so greasy and can absorb it. The cookies will be pretty sticky when warm because of this, and have a yellow tint. To fix this, I like to use a sieve to sift a little more confectioners’ sugar on top once the cookies have cooled.
- If you don’t want to fill these cookies: My team and I tested this. Scoop and roll balls of chilled dough, about 1.5 Tablespoons (35g) of dough each (this medium cookie scoop works well), then continue with step 7. Yield is about 36 cookies.
Keywords: Nutella crinkle cookies