Get your Nutella fix with these simple but delicious cookies.
Growing up in the Midwest, I didn’t have Nutella until I traveled to Europe as a teen with a touring orchestra. In one of the first German host homes I stayed in, I vividly remember the first delicious taste of Nutella spread on a thick slab of toast for breakfast. The chocolate and hazelnut flavor definitely made an impression! As someone who takes their chocolate seriously, I was immediately hooked. While Nutella is more widely available in the States now, I still consider it a treat and occasionally buy it to enjoy for breakfast. But what if it wasn’t just for breakfast?
Using Nutella spread as a core ingredient for cookies sounds easy, and in some ways it is. By merely mixing it with a few simple ingredients, it turns out delightfully crackly and chewy. So why don’t we just use Nutella spread in more chocolate baked goods? Because it’s a little tricky to work with: the high sugar content causes it to burn easily, so you need to simplify and watch the oven time and temps.
You will love the chocolatey, nutty flavor of these baked gems and the simplicity of the ingredients. If you’ve got little ones in your house (with no nut allergies, as Nutella is heavy on the hazelnuts), get them involved in making and baking Nutella cookies. The short ingredient list and quick turnaround time make this a great recipe for novice bakers of any age. Delicious warm or cooled, Nutella cookies are a chocolate lover’s dream.
The Nutella story
Hard times often spark problem solvers to come up with good ideas. Nutella is a product with just such a story. In war-ravaged Europe of the mid-1940s, cocoa was in short supply; however, Italian baker Pietro Ferrero came up with a spread made mainly of hazelnuts and sugar, with just a little bit of the scarce cocoa. What started as a way to enjoy chocolate when there was not much chocolate available became popular as a spread and was renamed Nutella in 1964. While it was available in the States in the 1980s, it wasn’t until the early 2000s that it became widely available and popular.
How do I store leftovers?
If you have leftover Nutella cookies, place them in an airtight container and store them at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the fridge for up to 1 week. You can also freeze the baked cookies. Place the cookies you want to freeze on a baking sheet and flash-freeze for about 30 minutes. Then pile them into a resealable freezer bag or an airtight container. Freeze for up to 3 months and thaw at room temperature for about an hour before serving.
Serving suggestions
You can serve Nutella cookies plain, as pictured, as they are perfectly chocolatey and nutty on their own. You can also dust the tops with a little powdered sugar for decoration or pipe a dollop of Chocolate Fudge Frosting on top of each cookie for a special touch. If you love the Nutella flavor of these cookies, try Nutella Brownies for an equally delicious (and easy!) treat. For a dessert spread or cookie tray at the holidays, Nutella cookies pair well with any number of cookies, including sugar cookies, Peanut Butter Blossoms, or M&M Cookie Bars.
Nutella Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup Nutella chocolate-hazelnut spread
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 pinch kosher salt
- 1 large egg
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, combine the Nutella, all-purpose flour, salt, and egg. Stir until a smooth dough forms.
- Take about two tablespoons of dough and shape it into a ball using your hands. Repeat.
- Place the dough balls on the prepared baking sheet, spacing them about 2 inches apart.
- Gently press down on each dough ball to flatten it slightly.
- Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for 9 minutes or until the edges are set.
- Remove the baking sheet from the oven and let the cookies cool on the sheet for 5 minutes. Then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
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