Nutella stuffed cookies combine a golden butter cookie, a hidden chocolate-hazelnut center, and a chunky chocolate coating. This version finishes the baked cookies with chopped hazelnuts folded into melted chocolate, giving each bite a different texture outside and inside. The dough itself stays plain: the chocolate chips belong in the coating. Freeze the filling first, seal it inside the dough, and let the baked cookies cool before adding their chocolate shell.
Why These Nutella Stuffed Cookies Stand Out
The filling and topping do different jobs. A small frozen portion of spread helps you build a closed cookie without smearing chocolate through the dough. Once baked, that enclosed filling becomes the soft center. The outside coating adds a separate layer of chocolate and little pieces of hazelnut. You do not need whole chocolate candies, a second cookie layer, or cocoa powder to create the finished dessert.
This recipe follows the ingredients and general method in the supplied cooking Reel. The creator provides the cookie-dough weights and a 12–15 minute bake at 350°F. The spread quantity, cookie yield, and chilling intervals below are practical editorial starting points because the source does not specify them. This adaptation has not been kitchen-tested, so watch the dough and cookie edges as well as the clock.
Ingredients and Measurement Notes
For the dough, weigh 113 grams softened unsalted butter, 67 grams granulated sugar, 150 grams packed brown sugar, one large egg, ½ teaspoon vanilla bean paste, ½ teaspoon baking soda, ¼ teaspoon salt, and 186 grams all-purpose flour. Butter should yield to gentle pressure while still holding its shape. Melted butter changes how the dough handles and is not the method shown here.
The source calls 150 grams brown sugar “½ cup,” which is an inconsistent cup-and-weight pairing. Follow the explicit 150-gram weight for this adaptation instead of treating the two measurements as interchangeable. Weigh flour too, especially when making a filled cookie: excess flour can make the dough difficult to close around the filling. Keep the flour container level on your scale and tare before adding it.
For an estimated twelve cookies, start with 120 grams chocolate-hazelnut spread, divided into twelve 10-gram portions. This amount is an editorial estimate rather than a source measurement. The coating uses the source's 255 grams chocolate chips and ½ cup finely chopped hazelnuts. Choose chocolate you enjoy eating, and chop the nuts small enough to spread comfortably over a cookie without dragging large pieces through the surface.
Freeze the Filling Before You Mix
Line a small tray or plate with parchment. Spoon twelve portions of spread onto it, leaving a little space between them, and freeze until firm enough to lift cleanly. About 30 minutes is a starting estimate; your freezer and portion thickness determine the actual time. A thicker mound may need longer than a thin dollop. Keep the portions frozen while preparing the dough.
This step makes assembly easier because a firm center stays in one place while you fold the dough. If a dollop becomes sticky before its cookie is sealed, return the remaining filling to the freezer. Work with a few portions at a time instead of putting the whole tray beside a warm oven. Use parchment underneath so each portion releases without scraping.
Mix a Soft, Cohesive Cookie Dough
Cream the softened butter with both sugars until the mixture looks lighter and evenly combined. Add the egg and vanilla bean paste, then mix until no separate egg streaks remain. Scrape the bowl with a sturdy spatula so the bottom mixture incorporates too. The source uses hand mixing; an electric mixer is optional, with a final hand scrape to check the bowl.
Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt, then fold them into the wet mixture just until a cohesive dough forms. Avoid continuing to work it after the dry pockets disappear. Chill or briefly freeze the dough until it is easy to portion and wrap; about 20 minutes is an estimated starting point. The source specifies firming the dough but does not supply a duration.
Fill, Seal, and Bake
Divide the dough into twelve roughly equal portions. Flatten one portion into a thick disc, place a frozen filling portion in the center, and bring the edges up around it. Pinch the seam completely closed, then roll gently into a ball. Check the underside and sides for thin spots before setting it on the baking sheet. Patch exposed areas with a little dough from that portion.
Arrange the balls on parchment-lined baking sheets with about three inches between them as a starting spacing allowance. Bake in a preheated 350°F oven for 12–15 minutes, following the source's temperature and timing. Look for lightly golden edges and centers that remain slightly soft. Cookie size and oven behavior affect the endpoint, so bake a test cookie first if you are changing the estimated yield.
Leave the cookies on their baking sheet until they are stable enough to move, then let them cool before coating. The source skips directly from raw dough to baked cookies; that cut represents real oven time. Do not spread chocolate over a freshly baked, fragile cookie. Allowing the base to firm up also makes the final coating easier to handle without bending or tearing it.
Make the Chocolate-Hazelnut Coating
Melt the chocolate chips gently in a heatproof bowl, using short microwave intervals and stirring between them, or a bowl over gently simmering water. These are suggested heating methods; the Reel does not show the heat source. Keep water out of the chocolate. Stop heating when stirring can melt the remaining small pieces, then fold in the finely chopped hazelnuts.
Spread a generous layer over one flat face of each cooled cookie, supporting it carefully while you make a broad sweep with a spatula. Leave a little golden edge visible if you like the contrast. Let the coating begin to set before moving the cookies to a serving plate. The center can remain soft without requiring the finished cookie to be piping hot.
Troubleshooting the Dough and Filling
If the dough sticks heavily to your gloves or fingers, chill it again before adding extra flour. If it cracks while closing, let that portion soften slightly and press the edges together gently. A leaking filling usually points to an open seam, an overly thin dough patch, or too much spread for the portion. Reduce the filling in the next test cookie and inspect the seal.
If the coating feels too thick to sweep across the cookie, warm it gently and stir before continuing. Finely chopped nuts are easier to distribute than large chunks. Avoid thinning the coating with water. A cookie that spreads more than expected may need colder dough, more room on the tray, or a check that the butter and flour were weighed correctly.
Serving and Make-Ahead Tips
Serve the cookies once the coating is comfortable to handle. For the visible center, break one cookie in half over a plate and turn the two cut faces toward your guests. Keep finished cookies in an airtight container in a cool place and separate stacked layers with parchment. Warm surroundings soften the chocolate coating; refrigeration firms it but changes the texture of the filling.
You can prepare and freeze the spread portions before mixing the dough. If making the dough ahead, keep it covered and refrigerated, then let it become pliable enough to shape. This recipe contains wheat, egg, milk, and hazelnuts; check your chocolate and spread labels for additional allergens. It is not an appropriate nut-free variation, even if the chopped hazelnuts are omitted.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I put chocolate chips inside the dough?
No. In this version the dough remains plain, and the chips are melted for the outside coating. Adding them to the dough changes the source recipe and can make sealing around the center more difficult.
Can I use another chocolate-hazelnut spread?
Yes, as a substitution to test. Choose a thick spread that firms when frozen. Different formulas can soften or bake differently, so test one sealed cookie before committing the remaining dough.
Are these made with whole Ferrero Rocher candies?
No. The source uses that name for the flavor inspiration. The visible method uses chocolate-hazelnut spread inside and melted chocolate with chopped hazelnuts outside; no whole candy is inserted.
How many cookies does the recipe make?
Twelve is an estimated yield for portioning this adaptation, not a count supplied by the creator. Smaller or larger portions change the filling allowance, spacing, and baking time. Keep portions consistent within each batch.
Nutella Stuffed Cookies with Chocolate Hazelnut Coating
Equipment
- Digital kitchen scale
- Mixing bowl and sturdy spatula
- Small parchment-lined freezing tray
- Baking sheets and parchment
- Heatproof chocolate bowl
- Cooling rack
Ingredients
- 113 g unsalted butter softened; 1/2 cup
- 67 g granulated sugar 1/3 cup, source amount
- 150 g packed brown sugar use weight: source half-cup equivalence conflicts
- 1 large egg about 50g without shell
- 0.5 tsp vanilla bean paste
- 0.5 tsp baking soda
- 0.25 tsp salt
- 186 g all-purpose flour source amount; weigh
- 120 g chocolate-hazelnut spread Nutella or similar; editorial estimate, twelve 10g centers
- 255 g chocolate chips for coating only, source 1 1/2 cups
- 0.5 cup finely chopped hazelnuts source amount
Instructions
- Portion spread into twelve 10g dollops on parchment and freeze until firm enough to lift, approximately 30 minutes as an editorial estimate. Keep frozen until assembly.
- Cream softened butter with both sugars until lighter and combined. Add egg and vanilla and mix until incorporated, scraping bowl.
- Combine flour, baking soda and salt; fold into wet mixture just until cohesive. Chill or briefly freeze until workable, approximately 20 minutes as an editorial estimate.
- Divide dough into twelve portions, flatten each into a thick disc, place a frozen spread center inside and wrap dough around it. Pinch closed and gently roll smooth; no exposed filling. Arrange approximately 3 inches apart on parchment-lined sheets.
- Bake in preheated 350 F / 175 C oven for 12-15 minutes, until edges are lightly golden and centers slightly soft. Timing is source guidance; watch actual cookies. Let firm on tray, then cool before coating.
- Melt chocolate chips gently, using short microwave intervals with stirring or a heatproof bowl over gently simmering water. Heating methods are editorial suggestions. Stir in chopped hazelnuts.
- Spread chocolate-hazelnut mixture over one flat surface of each cooled cookie. Allow coating to begin setting before serving; golden cookie encloses soft center. Total cooling/setting allowance approximately 30 minutes, editorial estimate.
Notes
Recipe inspiration and source ingredient weights: Cheff Omi’s supplied chocolate-hazelnut cookie Reel. Images are AI-generated recipe illustrations, extracted from the adapted production storyboards. Recipe has not been kitchen-tested.