The ultimate gourmet-style cookies, these Nutella stuffed cookies are made with browned butter, flecked with semisweet chocolate, lightly sprinkled with sea salt, and most importantly, bursting with a molten core of Nutella! Despite their gourmet-status and ingredients, they’re actually quite simple to make, and if you’ve never made browned butter before I’ll walk you through all of the steps in detail in the recipe!
I don’t like to think of myself as a bragger (braggart? I’ve thought about this for too long and the word is starting to lose all meaning to me).
I’m proud, sure, of many of my recipes and this little space that I’ve created, and I can get full-on impassioned when talking about egg yolks and butter and the importance of keeping a thermometer (or two) in your oven at all times.
But I don’t really like to boast about my recipes. Sure, here I talk about their best qualities, but in the real world it’s more of a “I thought this was good, and I hope you like it too”, and let the cookie/cake/etc. speak for itself.
But I have been full out bragging about these cookies. Everything short of stopping people in the halls of the hospital where I work and telling them about “these amazing Nutella stuffed cookies that I made”.
Maybe cutting drastically back on the amount of sugar that I’m consuming during Lent has sent my brain into a cookie-obsessed frenzy, but I’m full-on crazy about these Nutella-stuffed cookies, and I want everyone to try them.
They’re actually a Frankenstein of a cookie driven together by my newfound love of browned butter cookie dough (I used nearly the same exact dough in Friday’s recipe, shhh) and merged that with my love of stuffing desserts inside other desserts, and the half-empty jar of Nutella left over after making a video of these Nutella brownies. Rather than finish off the Nutella spoonful by shameful spoonful, I opted to instead stuff it inside my recent favorite cookie dough for these Nutella stuffed cookies.
Part of me wanted to wait a while before sharing this recipe since, as I mentioned, the base cookie dough was just used in my last recipe, but there was no waiting with these. I felt that it was my duty to the universe to release this recipe as soon as humanly possible, and so here we are 😉
Soft cookies flecked with real chocolate, infused with the golden browned butter in every delectable bite, and centers filled with sweet molten Nutella. There was no waiting with this recipe.
I’ve already talked here and here (and about a half dozen other places on the blog) about the joys of baking with browned butter.
If you haven’t browned butter yourself yet, that’s going to have to change because it is essential for the best possible cookie dough and flavor, and ultimate Nutella stuffed cookies. It’s amazing how such a simple technique can take a standard cookie dough and transform it into something amazing, but it can!
For those of you a little leery of toasting your butter, I include detailed notes and a photo in the recipe to make the process as smooth as possible. Just remember to not take your eyes off of it, because the second you turn your back it’s bound to burn.
Rather than use chocolate chips in this recipe, I opted for a single 4-oz bar of semisweet baking chocolate. I chopped it very finely so that there would be a bit in every bite without being overwhelming when paired with the chocolate flavor of the Nutella.
Enjoy!
And P.S.
If you live in my neighborhood you’re more than likely very aware that there’s a giant snowstorm headed our way tomorrow, and the likelihood of a snow day is strong. Do yourself a favor and skip the milk, toilet paper, and bread, and stock up on butter, Nutella and sea salt.
I can’t think of a better way to pass a snow day than with a batch of Nutella stuffed cookies (sure beats shoveling!).
Nutella Stuffed Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter
- 1 cup (280 g) Nutella
- 1 cup (200 g) brown sugar
- ⅔ cup (135 g) white sugar
- 2 eggs room temperature preferred
- 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 ¾ cups + 2 Tbsp (362 g) all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoon cornstarch cornflour in UK
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 4 oz (113 g) semisweet chocolate bar very finely chopped
- sea salt for sprinkling
Instructions
Portion the Nutella
- Prepare your Nutella filling first by lining a cookie sheet with wax paper and dropping Nutella by 2 teaspoon-sized dollops onto cookie sheet. Place in freezer to harden while you prepare your cookie dough.1 cup (280 g) Nutella
Brown the Butter:
- Cut your butter into Tablespoon-sized pieces and place in a medium-sized saucepan. Melt over medium-low heat.1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter
- Once butter has melted, increase heat to just above medium heat.
- Swirl and scrape the sides of the pan frequently with a wooden spoon or heatproof spatula - the butter will bubble and pop. Once the bubbling/popping slows, the butter will begin to turn brown, it will look like this once it's finished:
- Watch the butter very carefully at this point, and once it begins to brown and you smell the nutty aroma of browned butter, remove from heat quickly and pour into a large, heatproof bowl.
- Allow butter to cool for 25-30 minutes, until no longer warm to the touch, before proceeding with the recipe.
For the Cookie Dough
- Preheat oven to 375F (190C) and line cookie sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Add sugars into cooled browned butter, stir well.1 cup (200 g) brown sugar, ⅔ cup (135 g) white sugar
- Stir in eggs, one at a time, stirring well after each addition.2 eggs room temperature preferred
- Add vanilla extract and stir.1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- In a separate, medium-sized bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda and salt.2 ¾ cups + 2 Tbsp (362 g) all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoon cornstarch, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon baking soda, ¾ teaspoon salt
- Gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture, stirring until ingredients are completely combined.
- Add your finely chopped chocolate bar and stir well.4 oz (113 g) semisweet chocolate bar
- Chill dough in refrigerator for 15-20 minutes.
- Remove frozen Nutella from freezer and cookie dough from refrigerator (if at any point the Nutella becomes too sticky and hard to work with, return to freezer for at least 5-10 minutes)
- Scoop dough by heaping 1 ½ Tbsp-sized spoonful and press frozen Nutella dollop into the center. Form around Nutella until it is completely concealed (add more dough as needed).
- Roll into an even ball and place on a wax-paper lined sheet. Repeat until all Nutella dollops are concealed in cookie dough, and freeze cookie dough balls for 15 minutes.
- Place cookie dough at least 2 inches apart on parchment paper-lined sheet, and bake on 375F (190C) for 12-13 minutes, or until edges are just beginning to turn golden brown.
- Sprinkle immediately with sea salt. Allow cookies to cool completely on cookie sheet before removing (they'll be quite fragile when warm, but will become more sturdy as they cool).sea salt
Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.
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Anne
Hi
Can I use salted butter instead?
(Bought the wrong butter)
I also do not have the vanilla essence and parchment paper.
Is it ok?
Thanks
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Anne! Salted butter will be fine. You will just want to omit the additional salt listed on the ingredient list. Vanilla extract adds an extra level of flavor but is not needed. As for the parchment paper, you can bake directly on the cookie sheet instead. I hope that you enjoy the cookies. 🙂
Kayla
Hi Sam! These look delicious! Lots of rain where I live so I’m definitely baking. By the way, the Reeses stuffed cookies link takes me to the cheesecake stuffed cookies. Just wanted to let you know. Thank you for the great recipe.
Sugar Spun Run
I hope that you enjoy the recipe, Kayla! Thanks for the heads up on the link, I will correct it. :)4
Shahida
Hi! Excited to try this recipe. Wondering if making medium to smaller cookies would alter the gooey effect of the Nutella in the middle? Are these best made when making them large? Also, if I choose to make smaller cookies should the cooking time be reduced? Lastly does salted butter work? Thx!
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Shaida! You can make the cookies smaller, however, you will want to make the Nutella center smaller too. You want to make sure when you assemble them that the cookie dough covers the Nutella center well so it doesn’t bake out. The larger the cookie, the more the Nutella flavor. If you make smaller cookies, the bake time will be different than what is listed so you will need to keep an eye on them. Lastly, unsalted butter will work fine, you will just omit the additional salt that is listed. I hope that you enjoy them! 🙂
Lucy
Hello dear,
I absolutely loved this recipe! The taste is amazing 😍
I just have one question, can I freeze it a day before and bake it the next day? After I’ve done all of the steps and the only step that is left is to bake them?
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Lucy! You are in luck! This dough can be made it advance! You will make the dough, allow it to rise completely, then store it in an airtight container and place it in the refrigerator. It will last for up to 3 days in the refrigerator or one month in the freezer. I hope that you enjoy it! 🙂
Lucy
Thank you so much! That’s a great news! I just want to make sure that I understood what you exactly meant: I can freeze all the dough “balls” that contains the Nutella in the freezer, and bake it the next day?
AMAZING RECIPE!
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Lucy! That is correct. You can prepare your Nutella dollops/balls in advance and store them in the freezer until you are ready to add them to your cookie dough. I am glad you are excited about this recipe. SO GOOD!
Fatima
The cookies tasted so good but it keeps breaking up after baking
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that you enjoyed the cookies, Fatima! When you say “breaking up” do you mean that they are dry and crumbly? or too soft and falling apart?
Jennifer
Hi, can I ask what if I do not melted the butter?
Sugar Spun Run
Browned butter added an extra layer of flavor to this recipe. You can use softened room temperature butter, it just won’t be as flavorful. No worries, it will still taste delicious. I hope that you enjoy the cookies, Jennifer! 🙂
Jennifer
Sure! I might be trying this weekend! May I ask how do I store this nutella cookies without the cookies turning it hard? And how long can I cook this baked cookies for?
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Jennifer. You will want to bake these cookies on 375F (190C) for 12-13 minutes, or until edges are just beginning to turn golden brown. Once the cookies have cooled, I recommend storing the cookies in an airtight container. I hope that you enjoy them! 🙂
JenLyn
Hi, I baked them today and its really taste amazing with melted butter. May I ask how to achieved that gooey Nutella in the centre? I bake them at the temperate you have recommended but didn’t achieved the gooey Nutella in the middle.
Sam
Hi JenLyn! The nutella will be gooey when warm and melty. If you pop them in the microwave for a few seconds it should make it softer again 🙂
Anthea
I absolutely love this recipe. I have been making it nearly every weekend, cause my family loves them and these cookies never last more than a day. Last week my family wanted cookies, but I had no nutella. I did half with plain choch chip and the other half with peanut butter and both we a hit!!!! I also use bigger choc chips and the cookies are still perfect 😋
Sam
I am so happy you have been enjoying, Anthea!! Thank you so much for commenting 🙂
Maj
I want to try this but I have no chocolates on hand. Can I omit this?
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Maj! You can omit the chocolate chips, however it will just have the taste of cookie dough around a Nutella center. It will still test good, just not as good with the added chocolate chips. 🙂
Katherine
These were delicious! I didn’t have any cornstarch left so I omitted it and they still turned out perfectly soft. The sea salt kind of just falls off when I sprinkled it on after taking them out of the oven so I will probably try putting it on top of the cookie dough balls before I bake them next time.
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that they turned out well and you enjoyed them, Katherine! Thank you for trying my recipe and for commenting. 🙂
abby
Hi! I don’t have unsalted butter, can I use Margarine (buttermilk) instead?
Sugar Spun Run
Hi Krista! Unfortunately, margarine doesn’t brown the same as butter. 🙁
Dania
I don’t have cornstarch. Can this be substituted with anything without compromising the recipe? Excited to try these!
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Dania! You can omit the cornstarch, however, the cookies just won’t be as soft. No worries, they will still taste delicious! Keep me posted on how they turn out. 🙂
Dania
Flavour was good but texture could use work. I’m assuming this is because of the missing cornstarch like you said (or I miscalculated flour when doubling the recipe). Despite this, still getting great reviews from recipients. Thanks for the recipe, I’m going to definitely try again!
Sugar Spun Run
Yes, corn starch in combination with flour is used to “soften” the harsh proteins of flour, making a more tender cookie. If too much flour was added then this can alter the texture as well. Regardless, I am happy everyone enjoyed them. 🙂
Deanna Lowe
OMG I have made these THREE times just during quarantine they are THAT GOOD! I sent them off to family memebers and they got rave reviews! Thanks fo rthe recipe! It is for sure a new fav
Sugar Spun Run
I am so happy to hear how much you have enjoyed the cookies, Deanna! I am so glad that your family did too. Thanks for trying my recipe and for commenting. Since you are a Nutella fan, I would reccomend that you try my recipe for Nutella Brownies next. I think you will love those too!
Ishita
Hi the recipe looks great! I don’t eat eggs – what do you suggest I replace the eggs with?
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Ishita! Unfortunately, eggs are needed in this recipe. I do have a chocolate chip snowball cookies that are egg-free if you’d like to try that instead.
Apple Ng
Hi, do you think its ok to add chopped macadamia nuts into the cookie dough? I like nutty cookies, so wondering if it is ok?
Thanks for the great recipe!
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Apple! Yes, I think that will be fine. I hope that you enjoy the cookies. 🙂
Hansa
OMG this was my first time making cookies and it came out so well 😍 they taste amazing ♥️ thank you!
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that they turned out perfectly and you enjoyed them, Hansa! Thank you for trying my recipe and for commenting. 🙂
Anruné
This cookies are the best 🍪🍪
Your recipe is spot on . I enjoyed baking them and eating then even more.
🍪
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed the cookies so much! 🙂