Simple Nutella Thumbprint Cookies
Say Nutella, and my family goes wild! These Simple Nutella Thumbprint Cookies come together quickly. You’ll love this easy cookie recipe!
You’ll Love these Delicious Nutella Thumbprint Cookies – Here’s Why!
- They’re absolutely scrumptious! – Who doesn’t love the chocolate and hazelnut goodness of Nutella? It’s rich, creamy, and tastes divine. Any cookie that has Nutella in the dough and as a topping is one I’ve got to try!
- They’re the perfect sweet treat! – Sometimes, you just have to end the day with a chocolate cookie and a cold glass of milk.
- They’re a twist on a classic! – This remix of the classic thumbprint recipe is a real crowd-pleaser.
Ingredients You’ll Need For This Classic Thumbprint Cookie Twist
- 1 Egg – This egg is your leavening agent. You might notice that there’s a lack of baking powder or baking soda in this recipe. That’s because we want cookies with a chewier texture that keep their shape well when baked, rather than spreading out. It’s hard to make a thumbprint cookie if the cookie is flat!
- 1 1/4 Cups of Nutella – This is the star of our cookie show. You’ll use 3/4 cup Nutella for the cookie dough itself, and the remaining 1/2 cup as the thumbprint in the middle of the cookies.
- 1 Cup of Flour – I use regular all-purpose flour to make these classic cookies, but whole wheat flour or almond flour would work as well. However, those types of flours tend to suck up moisture – and you’ll notice there’s no milk or oil in this cookie recipe. So if you choose to use one of those, you may need to add an additional egg.
- 1 Cup of Chopped Hazelnuts – So many Nutella recipes emphasize the chocolate flavor. Trust me, I love chocolate, but with this cookie, I like to pay homage to the hazelnuts instead. After you roll the cookie dough into a ball, you’ll cover the ball with chopped hazelnuts.
How To Make Yummy Nutella Thumbprints
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and then prep your baking sheet with either silicone mats or parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, combine the egg and Nutella. Mix it with an electric mixer until it’s glossy and smooth. This might take a minute or two! If you let your egg come up to room temperature first, this part will go faster.
- Add the flour and continue mixing on medium speed until well incorporated.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill it in the fridge for 15 minutes.
- Use a small cookie scoop to scoop out cookie dough balls that are 1 inch in diameter. Use your hands to roll them into an even ball, and then coat them with chopped hazelnuts.
- Place the coated cookie balls on the prepared baking sheets, and use your thumb to press a small divot into the top of each ball.
- Add the Nutella filling. Place a spoonful of Nutella into each divot, or use a piping bag.
- Bake cookies for 8-10 minutes, and then let them cool for an additional 10 minutes before serving!
Topping Options To Try
I love these Nutella cookies on their own, but there are many ways to top them and add a little extra something special.
Get our THIS LITTLE HOME OF MINE nEWSLETTER
Delivered directly to your inbox!
- Mini Chocolate Chips – A sprinkle of mini chocolate chips on top of the Nutella center adds a nice bit of firmness to the gooey thumbprint.
- Crushed Peppermint – This works particularly well if you’d like to use the thumbprint cookies as part of your holiday spread.
- Sprinkles – When is adding sprinkles to a cookie not a good idea?
- Peanut Butter – Chocolate and peanut butter are a great match. Swirl peanut butter and Nutella together in your piping bag to enjoy a filling that’s the best of both worlds.
- Sea Salt – For a sophisticated flair, add coarse kosher sea salt to the tops of your Nutella thumbprint cookies. It enhances the sweet flavor!
Tips For Getting Nutella Into The Center Of Each Cookie
Nutella is delicious, but it’s a very soft texture and it can be tricky to get that chocolate hazelnut spread into the center of the cookie.
My tip? Use a piping bag!
If you don’t have a piping bag on hand, you can also scoop the 1/2 cup of Nutella into a large Ziploc bag and clip away one corner of the bag with scissors.
Using either a piping bag or a plastic bag to pipe the Nutella into each cookie’s center is pretty straightforward.
Simply use your hands to squeeze the Nutella towards the opening, adding a small dollop of Nutella to each cookie.
Perhaps you’re running into the opposite problem.
It’s not that your Nutella is too soft to manage easily, but too firm!
To get your Nutella to the right consistency for easier piping, simply scoop it out into a microwave-safe bowl and pop it in the microwave for 15 seconds.
It makes it much easier to manage.
Why Do I Need To Chill The Dough First?
When I get to a part of a recipe that says to chill the dough before continuing, I am sometimes tempted to just skip that step.
I want to get the cookies in the oven!
But it’s important with thumbprint cookies that the dough doesn’t spread during baking, as most cookie recipes do.
Otherwise, there’s no depth to push your thumb into, and then where will the Nutella go?
Chilling the dough helps keep the cookie firm, chewy, and thick.
Can I Make These Thumbprint Cookies Ahead Of Time?
Yes! Nutella thumbprint cookies are an excellent cookie to prep ahead of time and freeze.
It’s nice to have some made up and ready to go for quick Christmas cookies or baby showers.
You’ll roll the dough into balls, cover them in chopped nuts, and make the indention on the top of each ball.
Then, freeze them flat in a single layer on a cookie tray for an hour (so they don’t stick together), and then you can remove them and toss them in a freezer Ziploc bag.
When it’s time to bake them, you can place the frozen cookies right on the baking tray. Just add a couple minutes to the baking time.
Simple Nutella Thumbprint Cookies
Equipment
- 1 Baking Sheet
- Parchment Paper
- Piping Bag
Ingredients
- 1 Egg
- 1 1/4 Cups of Nutella
- 1 Cup of Flour
- 1 Cup of Chopped Hazelnuts
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and then prep your baking sheet with either silicone mats or parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, combine the egg and Nutella. Mix it with an electric mixer until it’s glossy and smooth. This might take a minute or two! If you let your egg come up to room temperature first, this part will go faster.
- Add the flour and continue mixing on medium speed until well incorporated.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill it in the fridge for 15 minutes.
- Use a small cookie scoop to scoop out cookie dough balls that are 1 inch in diameter. Use your hands to roll them into an even ball, and then coat them with chopped hazelnuts.
- Place the coated cookie balls on the prepared baking sheets, and use your thumb to press a small divot into the top of each ball.
- Add the Nutella fillings! Place a spoonful of Nutella into each divot, or use a piping bag.
- Bake cookies for 8-10 minutes, and then let them cool for an additional 10 minutes before serving!
More Nutella Recipes:
