The ultimate gourmet cookie: these Nutella-stuffed cookies are made with browned butter, flecked with finely chopped semisweet chocolate, lightly sprinkled with sea salt, and—most importantly—hide a molten core of Nutella. Despite their gourmet flavor, they’re simple to make. If you’ve never browned butter before, the recipe includes clear, step-by-step guidance.
I’m proud of many recipes I share here, and I get a little excited when talking about butter, egg yolks, and why a reliable thermometer belongs in every kitchen. I usually let the finished recipe speak for itself, but I can’t help gushing about these cookies. I’ve been telling anyone who will listen how amazing they are.
Maybe Lent-inspired sugar restraint pushed me into cookie-obsession, but I truly want everyone to try these. The dough is based on my favorite browned-butter cookie dough and pairs perfectly with a frozen dollop of Nutella tucked inside before baking. The result: soft cookies with a nutty browned-butter flavor, tiny pockets of semisweet chocolate in every bite, and a warm, oozing Nutella center.
If you haven’t browned butter yet, give it a try—it’s a small step that elevates ordinary cookie dough into something extraordinary. The recipe includes a photo and tips for browning butter safely: keep your eyes on the pan because browned butter can go from perfect to burned quickly.
I prefer chopping a single 4-ounce bar of semisweet baking chocolate very finely rather than using chocolate chips. That way the chocolate disperses through the dough so every bite has chocolate without overwhelming the Nutella center.
Enjoy!
P.S. If a storm or snow day is coming, consider stocking your pantry with butter, Nutella, and sea salt—there’s no better way to spend a day at home than baking a batch of these cookies.
Nutella Stuffed Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter
- 1 cup (280 g) Nutella
- 1 cup (200 g) brown sugar
- 2/3 cup (135 g) white sugar
- 2 eggs, room temperature preferred
- 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 3/4 cups + 2 Tbsp (362 g) all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoon cornstarch (cornflour in UK)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 4 oz (113 g) semisweet chocolate bar, very finely chopped
- Sea salt, for sprinkling
Instructions
Portion the Nutella
- Line a baking sheet with wax paper. Drop Nutella by 2-teaspoon dollops onto the sheet and place in the freezer to harden while you prepare the dough.
Brown the Butter
- Cut butter into tablespoon pieces and place in a medium saucepan. Melt over medium-low heat.
- Once melted, increase heat to just above medium.
- Swirl and scrape the pan frequently with a wooden spoon or heatproof spatula. The butter will bubble and pop; when bubbling slows the milk solids will begin to brown and release a nutty aroma. Watch carefully—remove from heat and pour into a large, heatproof bowl as soon as it browns.
- Allow the browned butter to cool for 25–30 minutes, until it’s no longer warm to the touch.
For the Cookie Dough
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
- Add the brown and white sugars to the cooled browned butter and stir to combine.
- Stir in the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add the vanilla and stir.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture, stirring until fully combined.
- Fold in the very finely chopped semisweet chocolate.
- Chill the dough in the refrigerator for 15–20 minutes.
- Remove the frozen Nutella dollops from the freezer and the dough from the refrigerator. If the Nutella becomes sticky while you work, return it to the freezer for 5–10 minutes.
- Scoop heaping 1 1/2 tablespoon portions of dough, press a frozen Nutella dollop into the center, and wrap the dough around it until completely sealed. Add more dough if needed to fully enclose the Nutella.
- Roll into even balls, place on a wax-paper-lined sheet, and freeze the cookie dough balls for 15 minutes.
- Place dough balls at least 2 inches apart on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake at 375°F (190°C) for 12–13 minutes, or until the edges just begin to turn golden brown.
- Immediately sprinkle each cookie with sea salt. Allow cookies to cool completely on the baking sheet before removing; they will be fragile while warm but will firm up as they cool.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 cookie | Calories: 395 kcal | Carbohydrates: 56 g | Protein: 5 g | Fat: 17 g | Saturated Fat: 12 g | Cholesterol: 41 mg | Sodium: 160 mg | Fiber: 2 g | Sugar: 28 g
Nutrition information is an approximation.
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