If you crave the perfect balance of textures and a burst of indulgence in every bite, then this Nutella Stuffed Cookies with Crispy Edges and Melty Center Recipe is exactly what your dessert dreams are made of. Imagine biting into a cookie with irresistibly crispy edges that give way to a soft, chewy center, hiding a rich, molten core of Nutella that floods your palate with pure chocolate-hazelnut goodness. It’s a treat that feels as naughty as it tastes and is surprisingly simple to whip up in your own kitchen. Whether you’re impressing guests or treating yourself, these cookies are pure magic from start to finish.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Each ingredient in this Nutella Stuffed Cookies with Crispy Edges and Melty Center Recipe plays a crucial role in building that perfect cookie texture and flavor harmony. They’re straightforward pantry staples, so once you have them on hand, you’re just minutes away from confectionery bliss.
- Nutella or other chocolate-nut spread, 10 tbsp (slightly heaped): Provides the luscious, melty center that steals the show in every bite.
- Dark chocolate chips, 1/2 cup: Adds extra chocolate pockets and draws out the cookie’s decadence.
- Plain flour (all-purpose), 1 1/3 cups: The base that holds your cookie together, ensuring a chewy texture.
- Baking soda, 1/2 tsp: Essential for that perfect cookie rise and chewy crumb.
- Cooking salt (kosher salt), 1/4 tsp: Balances sweetness and enhances the chocolate flavors.
- Unsalted butter, 120g (8 tbsp), chilled: Creates the rich, buttery flavor and crispy edges you adore.
- Brown sugar, 2/3 cup tightly packed: Imparts moisture and deep caramel undertones to the dough.
- Vanilla extract, 1 tsp: Elevates overall flavor with a fragrant hint of warmth.
- Honey or corn syrup, 1 tsp: Helps cookies brown beautifully and stay soft inside.
- Large egg, 1 (room temperature): Binds everything together, lending fluffiness to the dough.
How to Make Nutella Stuffed Cookies with Crispy Edges and Melty Center Recipe
Step 1: Prepare the Dry Ingredients
Begin by whisking together your flour, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. This simple blend forms the sturdy yet tender backbone of the cookie dough, ensuring it rises just right and has a subtle savory balance to offset the chocolatey sweetness.
Step 2: Melt the Butter Just Right
Barely melt your cold butter in short bursts, stirring to achieve a “milky” texture rather than a fully clear oily one. This detail is key for creating cookies that are buttery with a deeper flavor and chewy texture without greasiness.
Step 3: Combine Wet Ingredients
Into the melted butter, stir brown sugar, vanilla, and honey until blended, then whisk in the egg thoroughly until the mixture takes on a warm, caramel-like hue. These wet ingredients bring moistness and sweetness that perfectly complement Nutella.
Step 4: Make the Dough and Chill
Add your dry ingredients to the wet mixture and stir until just combined. The dough will feel soft and slightly warm initially. Cover and refrigerate for about 1 hour and 30 minutes to let it firm up—this step helps your cookies maintain their shape and achieve that coveted chewy center with crisp edges.
Step 5: Freeze Your Nutella Centers
While your dough chills, dollop spoonfuls of Nutella onto parchment-lined trays, spreading them into small discs about one-third inch thick. Freeze these for at least an hour so they’re firm enough to enclose in the dough without melting and causing a mess.
Step 6: Assemble and Bake
Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Shape your chilled dough into a log, cutting into ten equal pieces. Flatten each, place a frozen Nutella disc inside, and carefully wrap the dough around to seal completely. Turn the cookie smooth side up, press dark chocolate chips onto the surface and sides, then space them well on trays. Bake for 12 to 13 minutes until edges are golden and the center looks pale and set. Allow the cookies to cool slightly so the Nutella center stays molten but the edges crisp up beautifully.
How to Serve Nutella Stuffed Cookies with Crispy Edges and Melty Center Recipe
Garnishes
Serve these cookies with a light dusting of powdered sugar or a sprinkle of sea salt flakes to heighten the chocolate and nut contrast. A few toasted hazelnuts on top can also add an amazing crunch and visual appeal.
Side Dishes
Pair these cookies with a cold glass of milk or a fragrant espresso to complement their rich flavor. Vanilla bean ice cream also makes a dreamy side that contrasts perfectly with the warm, melty centers.
Creative Ways to Present
Try stacking cookies and skewering them with a wooden pick dipped in chocolate for a party platter, or nestle them into individual dessert jars layered with whipped cream and berries for a stunning, shareable treat.
Make Ahead and Storage
Storing Leftovers
Keep your leftover Nutella Stuffed Cookies in an airtight container at room temperature; they stay deliciously fresh for up to three days with those signature crispy edges and soft middles intact.
Freezing
You can freeze both unbaked cookie dough balls and fully baked cookies. For dough, freeze entire balls on a sheet tray before transferring to a freezer bag; bake from frozen, adding a few extra minutes to baking time. Baked cookies freeze well too—defrost at room temperature before serving.
Reheating
Warm cookies for about 10 seconds in the microwave or a few minutes in a 150°C (300°F) oven to revive that melty Nutella center and crisp edges — it’s almost like biting into them fresh from the oven all over again.
FAQs
Can I use regular cocoa powder instead of Nutella for the filling?
While you can experiment with a cocoa powder filling, it won’t replicate the creamy, gooey texture and sweet nuttiness Nutella brings. For the authentic melty center, Nutella or a similar chocolate hazelnut spread is best.
What if I don’t have honey or corn syrup—is it okay to skip it?
Yes, you can omit honey or corn syrup, but know that your cookies might be a little paler and less moist inside. They’ll still taste wonderful and crisp up nicely.
Why is chilling the dough important?
Chilling firms the dough, which prevents excessive spreading in the oven, helps the cookies develop sharper edges, and results in a chewier interior. It’s essential for achieving the texture balance this recipe promises.
Can I make mini Nutella stuffed cookies?
Absolutely! Just adjust the size of your Nutella discs and dough portions accordingly. Baking time will be shorter, so watch them closely to avoid overbaking.
What’s the best way to seal the Nutella inside without it leaking?
Make sure the Nutella discs are fully frozen and wrap the dough generously all around them, sealing any gaps. Handle the dough quickly but carefully to keep it cold and avoid melting the Nutella prematurely.
Final Thoughts
There’s just something about these Nutella Stuffed Cookies with Crispy Edges and Melty Center Recipe that can brighten any day, year-round. The way the crisp exterior gives way to a warm, gooey center is pure happiness you can bake at home. So why wait? Gather your ingredients, get your hands messy, and prepare for a cookie experience you’ll want to make again and again.
PrintNutella Stuffed Cookies with Crispy Edges and Melty Center Recipe
These Nutella Stuffed Cookies boast a chewy, soft center with a crispy edge and molten Nutella flooding your mouth with every bite. Perfectly balanced between naughty and irresistible, this recipe is delightfully simple and yields 10 generous cookies featuring a caramel-colored, tender cookie dough filled with rich, gooey Nutella and studded with dark chocolate chips.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours 7 minutes
- Yield: 10 cookies
- Category: Cookies
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Western
Ingredients
Nutella Filling
- 10 tbsp Nutella or other chocolate-nut spread, slightly heaped
- 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips or chopped 70% dark chocolate
Cookie Dough
- 1 1/3 cups plain flour / all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp baking soda (bi-carbonate soda)
- 1/4 tsp cooking salt / kosher salt
- 120g (8 tbsp) unsalted butter, cut into 1 cm / 1/2″ cubes, fridge cold is fine
- 2/3 cup tightly packed brown sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp honey or corn syrup
- 1 large egg (55g / 2 oz), at room temperature
Instructions
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a bowl, combine the plain flour, baking soda, and salt. Set this mixture aside while you prepare the wet ingredients.
- Barely Melt Butter: Place butter in a heatproof bowl and microwave for 30 seconds on high until mostly melted but not fully. Stir with a rubber spatula until the butter turns a pale yellow ‘milky’ color, ensuring it is not completely clear and oily. This technique helps achieve a more buttery flavor in the cookies.
- Prepare Wet Mixture: Add brown sugar, vanilla extract, and honey to the melted butter. Stir thoroughly to combine. Then, add the room temperature egg and mix until the mixture looks smooth and has a caramel color.
- Combine Dough and Chill: Add the dry flour mixture to the wet ingredients and stir until just combined. The dough will be slightly warm and too soft to roll at this point. Cover and refrigerate the dough for 1.5 hours to cool and firm up, making it easier to handle.
- Prepare Frozen Nutella Discs: On a small tray lined with parchment paper, place dollops of Nutella and spread each into approximately 8 mm (1/3 inch) thick rounds. Freeze for 1 hour until firm enough to handle.
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Pans: Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F) or 160°C (fan-forced). Lightly grease two baking trays and line them with parchment paper.
- Shape Cookie Dough: Remove dough from the refrigerator and form it into an approximately 18 cm (7 inch) long log. Cut the log into 10 equal pieces.
- Stuff Cookies: Flatten each piece of cookie dough, place a frozen Nutella disc in the center, then fold and seal the dough completely around the Nutella to enclose it fully. Flip the sealed dough pieces so the smooth side faces up. Shape each into about 1.5 cm (3/5 inch) thick rounds, then press dark chocolate chips gently into the surface and sides of each cookie. Place 5 cookies on each tray spaced about 8 cm (3 inches) apart to allow spreading.
- Bake Cookies: Bake both trays simultaneously for 12 to 13 minutes until the edges are a golden color and the centers are pale gold and just set, with no raw dough visible.
- Cool and Serve: Remove trays from the oven and let cookies rest on the trays for 10 minutes to finish cooking and set. Then transfer cookies to a wire rack and cool for at least 5 minutes before enjoying. For the best experience, eat cookies about 15 minutes after baking when the Nutella is still molten and the edges are crisp.
Notes
- Yields 10 generous cookies approximately 10cm / 4 inches wide each.
- Baking soda substitute: Use 1 1/2 tsp baking powder if needed, though cookies will be paler and less chewy.
- Pack brown sugar firmly when measuring by cups to ensure correct texture and flavor.
- Honey or corn syrup helps browning and moistness; omit only if unavailable, resulting in a paler cookie.
- Use large eggs around 55g; larger eggs may cause excessive spreading.
- Barely melted butter yields a more buttery taste, but fully melted butter can be used without issue.
- Keep Nutella discs frozen and dough chilled during assembly to prevent melting and sticking.
- This recipe is suitable for most countries except Japan where weight-based measurements are preferred for accuracy.
- Store fully cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, maintaining soft centers and crispy edges.
