Nutella Stuffed Sugar Cookies

What ingredients are in Nutella sugar cookies?

Before you can bake up these Nutella-infused cookies, you’ll need to round up the following ingredients:

• Nutella: The star of the show! A sweetened hazelnut cocoa spread, used here for the rich, chocolaty filling in the cookies.
• All-Purpose Flour: A versatile flour suitable for baking a wide range of goods, serving as the primary structure provider for the cookies.
• Baking Soda: A leavening agent that helps the cookies rise and become fluffy.
• Baking Powder: Also a leavening agent, it works in conjunction with baking soda for the desired cookie texture.
• Salt: Enhances the overall flavor of the cookies and balances the sweetness.
• Unsalted Butter: Provides richness and moisture to the dough, and being unsalted, allows for controlled seasoning.
• Granulated Sugar: Adds sweetness and contributes to the texture of the cookies. Part of it is also used for coating the cookie balls.
• Egg: Acts as a binder and helps in leavening, giving the cookies structure and stability.
• Vanilla Extract: Infuses the cookies with a warm, aromatic flavor that complements the chocolatey Nutella.

Do you have to chill the dough?

This particular recipe calls for chilling the cookie dough for one hour.

I know it can be frustrating to put your baking on hold, but when it comes to cookies, chilling the dough is totally worth the impact it has on your cookies.

If you’re curious about the purpose (and benefits!) of doing this, check out this article: Chilling Cookie Dough: Does it Make a Difference?

How much Nutella should each cookie have?

When making these cookies, you want enough Nutella filling to make these cookies “worth it,” and you want to use enough cookie dough to cover the Nutella completely. When I originally developed this recipe, I didn’t have a cookie scoop and measured everything by eye. This means that the ratio of cookie to Nutella I used has varied a bit over time.

To give you a general guide:

• The cookies in the pictures are about three inches wide, and the dough balls were about one to two inches across when raw. I considered these to be “small” cookies. For the small cookies, I used about one or two teaspoons of Nutella.
• The cookies in the recipe video were monstrous and measured about four inches wide once baked. Those dough balls were about two inches wide when raw. They were made big in order to be more visible in the video. For large cookies, I used about one tablespoon of Nutella.

Ultimately, use your best judgment when measuring the cookies. As long as you have enough cookie dough to cover the Nutella completely, then you should be good to go for cookie perfection!

How long are these cookies good for?

Once prepared and baked, Nutella stuffed sugar cookies can be stored in a sealed container at room temperature for up to 4-5 days.

Also, these cookies will be best one day after baking. When these cookies are freshly baked, the Nutella inside may seem a bit dry and not very creamy. If you store the cookies in a sealed container for 24 hours, some of that creaminess will come back to the Nutella. At that point, you can warm the cookies in the microwave for a few seconds and get the creamy look shown in these pictures.

Can you freeze Nutella stuffed cookies?

If you’d like to always have a batch of these cookies on hand, the easiest way is to freeze them for later. There are two ways you can do this.

To freeze the raw dough: 

• Mix all ingredients and assemble the stuffed cookie dough balls as described in the recipe instructions. Coat the cookie dough ball with sugar.
• Place cookie dough balls on a tray and freeze for at least two hours or until the outside is no longer tacky. Once firm, transfer to a freezer bag or a storage container with a sealable lid.
• Cookie dough can be stored for up to six months. When ready to bake, arrange the frozen cookie balls on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and allow them to thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Once thawed, bake as directed.

To freeze the baked cookies:

• Bake and allow to cool completely.
• Store cookies in a single layer in a freezer bag or storage container. If you need to stack the cookies, separate each layer with a sheet of wax paper.
• Baked cookies can be frozen for up to three months.

Notes & tips for these Nutella Sugar cookies

• If you’re looking for another Nutella spin on classic cookies, be sure to check out these chocolate chip Nutella cookies. They are everything that makes a chocolate chip cookie great – plus Nutella!
• If you’re doing a lot of baking, I highly recommend having some silicone baking mats on hand. Baking cookies takes enough time without having to cut or measure parchment paper. Or, if you prefer using parchment paper, you can try using pre-cut parchment paper sheets instead.
• Plus, some quality baking sheets are a must for a cookie-baking extravaganza!
• For this recipe, I highly recommend using a stand mixer or a hand mixer. This recipe would be difficult to make by hand with a whisk.

Step 1 – To begin, scoop up some Nutella and place it on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Try to make sure the Nutella has a round or oblong shape. Place the Nutella balls in the freezer while you work on making the cookie dough.

Step 2 – In a medium bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients: flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set the bowl aside for now.

Step 3 – Using a stand mixer (or hand mixer + large bowl) cream together the butter and some of the sugar.

Step 4 – Mix in the egg and vanilla until combined.

Step 5 – Turn off the mixer and use a spatula to blend in the dry ingredients until a soft dough forms.

Step 6 – Chill the dough!

Step 7 – When ready to form cookies, bring out the Nutella and place the remaining sugar in a bowl nearby. Scoop up some of the sugar cookie dough, flatten it with your hands, and then place a piece of Nutella in the middle. You can either wrap the cookie dough around the Nutella or, if you need to, flatten another piece of cookie dough to help cover the Nutella. Once covered, roll it between your hands to form a ball, then drop it in the sugar. Completely coat the outside, then place the finished cookie ball on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Repeat this step until all the dough and Nutella has been used.

Step 8 – Bake!

Step 8 – Serve and enjoy!