Decadent Nutella-Stuffed Double Chocolate Chip Cookies: Soft, Chewy, and Irresistibly Gooey
Indulge in the ultimate chocolate experience with these Nutella-Stuffed Cookies! Each bite delivers a perfectly soft and chewy texture, giving way to an irresistibly gooey, melted Nutella center. These delectable treats are an absolute showstopper, ideal for holiday cookie swaps, potlucks, or simply satisfying your deepest chocolate cravings. Get ready to elevate your cookie game and delight everyone with this heavenly combination!
The Inspiration Behind These Nutella Chocolate Chip Cookies
A few weekends ago, a spontaneous grocery store trip led me to a jar of Nutella. While I didn’t have a specific recipe in mind, the allure of that sweet, hazelnut-chocolate spread was simply too strong to resist. Anything promising a rich, sweet, and chocolatey escape usually finds its way into my shopping cart, and Nutella is certainly no exception. This particular purchase sparked an idea: why not combine the magic of Nutella with my absolute favorite chocolate cookie recipe?
The result? These incredible double chocolate Nutella-stuffed cookies. They’re not just any cookies; they’re an experience. Imagine a rich, chewy chocolate cookie dough perfectly cradling a molten, warm Nutella core. It’s the kind of treat that makes any day better, especially a Monday! While they require a couple of extra steps compared to a plain cookie, I promise you, the extraordinary flavor and texture are well worth the effort.
Why Chilling the Dough and Freezing Nutella is Key for Perfect Stuffed Cookies
Making these gourmet Nutella-filled cookies is surprisingly straightforward, with the dough itself coming together in about 10 minutes. However, a crucial step for achieving that perfect soft, thick, and chewy cookie, especially when stuffing them, is chilling the dough. I always recommend refrigerating the dough for at least 45 minutes, or even longer. This step isn’t just about making the dough easier to handle – although it certainly helps when you’re wrapping it around a Nutella filling – it also prevents the cookies from spreading too much in the oven, resulting in a delightfully thicker and chewier cookie with a more concentrated flavor.
Another game-changing tip, born from a slightly messy initial attempt, involves the Nutella itself. The very first time I tried to make these, I attempted to stuff room-temperature Nutella into the cookie dough. As you might imagine, it was a sticky, frustrating endeavor that quickly led to me giving up on the “stuffed” concept and just baking plain chocolate cookies. The second time, I learned from my mistake: freeze small drops of Nutella beforehand!
By freezing small, teaspoon-sized dollops of Nutella on a parchment-lined baking sheet, you create solid, easy-to-handle inserts. This simple preparation step, which can happen while your cookie dough is chilling, ensures a clean stuffing process and guarantees that beautiful, gooey Nutella surprise in the center of every cookie. Trust me, this little bit of foresight makes all the difference for beautifully baked, leak-free Nutella-stuffed double chocolate cookies!
Recipe Ingredients for the Best Nutella-Stuffed Cookies
These rich, chocolatey Nutella cookies come together with a combination of pantry staples, ensuring that you can whip up a batch whenever a craving strikes. Here’s a detailed look at what you’ll need and why each ingredient plays a vital role in creating these perfect Nutella-filled cookies:
- All-purpose flour: The foundation of our cookie structure. It’s crucial to measure flour correctly using the spoon and level method (spoon flour into the measuring cup, then level off with a straight edge) to avoid a dense, dry cookie. Too much flour can make your cookies tough, while too little might cause them to spread excessively.
- Cocoa powder: For that essential double chocolate flavor! Use natural unsweetened cocoa powder in this recipe. This type of cocoa powder has a higher acidity, which reacts with the baking soda to help the cookies rise and achieve that perfect texture. Dutch-processed cocoa powder, while delicious, is less acidic and won’t react the same way with baking soda, so stick to natural unsweetened for optimal results.
- Baking soda: Our leavening agent. It reacts with the acidic components in the brown sugar and natural cocoa powder, creating carbon dioxide bubbles that help the cookies puff up, making them light and airy while maintaining chewiness.
- Salt: Don’t skip the salt! It’s a flavor enhancer that balances the sweetness of the sugars and deepens the rich chocolate notes, making every bite more complex and satisfying.
- Unsalted butter: The fat component that provides richness, flavor, and contributes to the soft, tender texture. I highly recommend using unsalted butter, as the amount of salt in salted butter can vary significantly between brands. If salted butter is all you have, reduce the amount of added salt in the recipe by 1/4 teaspoon per stick of butter used. Ensure your butter is softened to room temperature for proper creaming with the sugars.
- Sugars (granulated and brown sugar): This recipe utilizes a blend of both granulated (white) and light brown sugar. Granulated sugar contributes to crisp edges and aids in spread, while light brown sugar adds moisture, chewiness, and a subtle caramel-like depth of flavor due to its molasses content.
- Large egg: Acts as a binder, emulsifier, and adds moisture and richness. For the best results, ensure your egg is at room temperature before starting the recipe. This helps it emulsify better with the butter and sugar, leading to a smoother, more uniform dough.
- Vanilla extract: Pure vanilla extract is essential for boosting and rounding out the chocolate and Nutella flavors. Its aromatic qualities are irreplaceable and add a gourmet touch.
- Semi-sweet chocolate chips: For an extra layer of chocolate goodness! These melt beautifully into the dough, providing pockets of warm chocolate. You can easily substitute with milk, dark, or even white chocolate chips, depending on your preference, to customize your double chocolate Nutella-stuffed cookies.
- Nutella: The star of the show! This hazelnut cocoa spread creates the luscious, gooey center. As mentioned, giving yourself enough time to let the Nutella harden thoroughly in the freezer is paramount for easy stuffing and a successful bake.
How to Make Irresistible Nutella-Stuffed Cookies
Creating these heavenly Nutella chocolate chip cookies involves a few strategic steps, but the payoff of a warm, gooey Nutella core is absolutely worth every moment! Here’s a detailed breakdown to guide you:
- Prepare the Nutella: Start by lining a small baking sheet with parchment paper. Using a teaspoon, drop small, uniform balls of Nutella onto the parchment. Aim for about 20-22 drops, as this recipe yields that many cookies. Place the baking sheet into the freezer and allow the Nutella drops to freeze solid for at least 1 hour. This step is non-negotiable for easy stuffing!
- Whisk Dry Ingredients: While the Nutella is freezing, in a large bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisking ensures these ingredients are evenly distributed, leading to a consistent cookie texture. Set this bowl aside.
- Cream Wet Ingredients: In a separate large bowl, or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the softened unsalted butter with both the light brown sugar and granulated sugar. Cream them together on medium speed until the mixture is light, fluffy, and pale in color. This process incorporates air, contributing to the cookies’ texture.
- Add Egg and Vanilla: Beat in the room-temperature large egg until just combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Then, add the pure vanilla extract and mix until fully incorporated.
- Combine Wet and Dry: Gradually add the whisked dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing on low speed until just combined. Be careful not to overmix, as this can develop the gluten too much, leading to tough cookies.
- Fold in Chocolate Chips: Stir in the semi-sweet chocolate chips by hand with a spatula until they are evenly distributed throughout the cookie dough.
- Chill the Dough: Cover the cookie dough and refrigerate it for at least 45 minutes. This chilling period is crucial – it helps the flavors meld, prevents excessive spreading during baking, and most importantly, makes the dough much firmer and easier to handle when you’re stuffing it.
- Preheat Oven & Prep Pans: Once the dough is chilled, preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
- Stuff the Cookies: Remove the chilled cookie dough from the refrigerator and the frozen Nutella drops from the freezer. Take about two tablespoons of cookie dough for each cookie. Flatten a piece of dough slightly in your palm, place one frozen Nutella drop in the center, and carefully fold the dough around the Nutella, pinching the seams to ensure it’s completely enclosed. Roll it gently into a smooth ball.
- Bake to Perfection: Place the stuffed cookie dough balls onto the prepared baking sheets, leaving enough space between them for spreading. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the edges are lightly set and the centers still look slightly soft. Remember, a slightly underbaked cookie often yields the best chewy texture and a truly gooey center.
- Cooling Process: Remove the cookies from the oven and allow them to cool on the baking sheets for at least 10 minutes. This allows them to set up properly without falling apart. After 10 minutes, carefully transfer them to a wire rack to finish cooling completely. The patience during cooling is rewarded with perfectly soft, chewy, and stable cookies.
Storage Instructions
These delightful Nutella-stuffed cookies are best enjoyed fresh and warm, but they also store beautifully. Once completely cooled, place them in an airtight container at room temperature. They will remain wonderfully soft and chewy for up to five days. If you want to extend their freshness, you can also freeze the baked cookies. Simply place them in a single layer on a baking sheet to flash freeze, then transfer them to a freezer-safe bag or container for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature or warm briefly in the microwave for that fresh-baked, gooey center experience.
Baking Tips for Success
- Beyond the Stuffing: If you’re short on time or simply prefer a classic chocolate cookie, you can easily omit the Nutella stuffing and bake the dough as instructed in the recipe. You’ll still get a fantastic soft and chewy chocolate chip cookie!
- The Freezing Trick is Non-Negotiable: I cannot stress this enough: you must freeze the Nutella drops before attempting to stuff them into the cookie dough. Trying to work with room-temperature Nutella will lead to a sticky mess and a very frustrating baking experience, with the Nutella likely oozing out during baking.
- Embrace Underbaking for Gooey Perfection: For the ultimate soft, chewy texture and that desirable gooey Nutella center, slightly underbake your Nutella chocolate chip cookies. The edges should look set, but the centers should still appear soft and perhaps a bit underdone. They will continue to cook slightly as they cool on the hot baking sheet.
- Patience During Cooling: Don’t rush the cooling process! Allowing the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for about 10 minutes allows them to firm up and prevents them from breaking apart when transferred. After this initial resting period, move them to a wire rack to finish cooling completely. This method helps maintain their super soft and chewy texture for several days.
- Room Temperature Ingredients: Always ensure your butter and egg are at room temperature. This allows them to cream together properly, creating a smooth, emulsified dough that results in a better cookie texture.
- Proper Flour Measurement: As mentioned in the ingredients, always spoon and level your flour. Scooping directly from the bag can compact the flour, leading to too much in your recipe and a dry, dense cookie.
More Easy Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipes to Try!
If you’ve loved these Nutella-stuffed creations, you might enjoy exploring other delicious cookie recipes:
- Soft & Chewy Monster Cookies
- Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Classic Chocolate Chip Cookies
Double Chocolate Nutella-Stuffed Cookies
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Ingredients
- 1 and 1/3 cups (165 grams) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1/3 cup (30 grams) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup (115 grams) unsalted butter , softened
- 1/2 cup (100 grams) light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg , at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup (190 grams) semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup (145 grams) Nutella
Instructions
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Line a small baking sheet with parchment paper. Using a spoon, drop the Nutella into small drops (about a teaspoon in size) on the parchment paper. This recipe will make about 20-22 cookies, so I suggest making about that many. Place in the freezer and freeze for about 1 hour.
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In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
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Using a handheld mixer or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Add in the egg and vanilla, making sure to mix well after each ingredient.
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Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined.
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Add the chocolate chips and mix them into the batter.
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Cover the cookie dough and refrigerate for at least 45 minutes (this will make the dough much easier to work with).
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Preheat oven to 350°F degrees. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or a silipat mat.
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Remove the dough from the refrigerator. Take two tablespoons of dough at a time and drop it on the prepared baking sheet.
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Remove the Nutella from the freezer. Flatten each piece of dough, place one teaspoon of the Nutella in the center, then fold the dough back around it making sure the Nutella is completely closed inside.
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Bake at 350°F for 10-12 minutes.
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Remove from the oven and allow to cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.
Notes