These Nutella Brownie Cookies add a delicious hazelnut twist to traditional chocolate brownie cookies.
If you are a fan of chocolate hazelnut spread, you will love this easy fudgy cookie with crispy edges too.
I absolutely love this Nutella Brownie Recipe! By adding just a bit more flour and a little bit of baking soda to the brownie batter I was able to turn these delicious fudgy brownies into Nutella Brownie Cookies!
If you are a sourdough baker I also created this Sourdough Nutella Cookie recipe.
Love Nutella? Then you will love this Nutella Creme Brulee, these Nutella Raspberry Brownies, or these Chocolate Hazelnut Cheesecake Brownies.
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Why You Will Love This Recipe
- This easy recipe is simple to make, uses just a handful of common ingredients, and can easily be mixed by hand - no electric mixer necessary.
- Browned butter enhances the nuttiness of the hazelnut spread.
- This fudgy brownie cookie also has a crisp crinkly top. Perfect for the chocolate lover in your life.
- Like most chocolate chip cookies these cookies freeze well. Mix up a batch and freeze them so that you can enjoy a freshly baked cookie or two anytime.
Looking for more cookie recipes? Try one of these: Amaretto Sugar Cookies, Bacon Bourbon Chocolate Chip Cookies, Sourdough Peanut Butter Cookies, Condensed Milk Chocolate Chip Cookies, Easy Lemon Cookies, Sourdough Chocolate Chip Cookies, or Fresh Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies.
Recipe Ingredients
All you need are a few simple ingredients to make these crispy Nutella Brownie Cookies.
Unsalted Butter: I prefer to use unsalted butter to control the amount of salt in the cookies because salinity can vary between brands of butter. If you only have salted butter, reduce the amount of salt in the recipe to ¼ teaspoon.
Brown and White Sugar: This recipe uses both types of sugar. The brown sugar adds moisture while the white sugar helps the cookie dough spread while it is baking.
Large Eggs: Adding an extra egg yolk increases the amount of fat in the cookie making it chewier.
Hazelnut Liquor: The hazelnut liqueur helps to intensify the hazelnut flavor.
Nutella: In this recipe, we are using Nutella and just Nutella no additional cocoa powder is necessary. I really wanted the hazelnut flavor in these brownies to be strong.
All-Purpose Flour: No special flours are needed for these cookies. All-purpose flour is perfect. For accuracy, the best way to measure the flour is by using a digital kitchen scale.
Tip: If you don't have a digital scale, spoon the flour into the measuring cup and level it with the back of a butter knife. Try not to compress the flour into the measuring cup. Too much flour creates dense cookies.
Salt: I add at least a pinch of salt to all of my recipes. Salt complements and intensifies the other flavors. For all of my recipes, I use Morton Kosher Salt which is saltier than Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt. If you are using Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt you will want to double the amount of salt you add.
Hazelnuts: You can purchase already roasted and chopped hazelnuts or purchase whole hazelnuts and roast them yourself.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Substitutions and Variations
Hazelnuts: If you don't have hazelnuts you can substitute any of your favorite nuts.
Hazelnut Liquor: If you prefer to cook without alcohol you can substitute 2 teaspoons of vanilla or almond extract. Use a smaller amount. Extracts tend to have a stronger flavor.
Espresso Powder: Add a tablespoon of espresso powder to the wet ingredients to create mocha brownie cookies.
Caramel: Stuff the cookies with a piece of caramel to create caramel-filled chocolate chip cookies. Check out my Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Caramel Cookies or these Salted Pecan Chocolate Chip Cookies for detailed instructions.
Chocolate Chips: For even more chocolate flavor, stir in a cup of your favorite chocolate chips. You could even try white chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, or caramel chips.
Flakey Sea Salt: For an extra bit of contrast, try sprinkling the cookie dough balls with flaky salt before baking.
Step by Step Directions
Step 1: Slice the butter into pieces and melt it in a light-colored skillet over medium heat stirring or whisking constantly. (Image 1) Once melted, the butter will begin to foam. (Image 2)
Tip: Using a light-colored pan makes it easier to monitor the color of the butter as it browns.
Continue stirring/whisking for about 5-7 minutes, the foam will begin to subside and the melted butter will darken to a deep amber color. (Images 3 & 4) Remove the browned butter from the heat, and pour it into a bowl. Allow the butter to cool for 30 minutes.
If you still have questions about how to brown butter, check out this video on how to brown butter from America's Test Kitchen.
Step 2: In a large bowl, mix the butter, brown sugar, white sugar, eggs, egg yolk, hazelnut liquor, and Nutella until combined. (Images 5 & 6)
Step 3: Add the flour, baking soda, and salt and stir until just combined. (Images 7 & 8)
Tip: To avoid creating tough cookies be careful to not overmix the dough once you add the flour.
Step 4: Stir in the chopped hazelnuts. (Images 9 & 10)
Step 5: Wrap the dough in wax paper or plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2-3 hours. (Image 11)
Step 6: Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) and position an oven rack in the middle of the oven. Scoop 2 tablespoon-sized mounds of dough onto a baking tray about two inches apart. (Image 12)
Tip: Use a light-colored cookie sheet. Dark cookie sheets absorb too much heat and can cause your cookies to overbake. Check out this post from Handle the Heat to see a comparison of cookies baked on different types of cookie sheets.
Tip: To quickly portion out the dough use a knife to cut the chilled dough into smaller pieces.
Bake for 12 - 15 minutes or until the edges are set but the center is still soft. (Image 13)
Tip: For crispier cookies increase the bake time by 2-3 minutes.
Tip: Want perfectly round cookies? Immediately after removing the cookies from the oven grab a round cookie or biscuit cutter and place it around one of the cookies. Move the cookie cutter in a circular motion to gently round the cookie before it sets completly. Check out my cookie shaping video on Instagram if you have questions.
Step 7: Allow the cookies to cool for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. (Image 14)
Make-Ahead, Storing, and Freezing Instructions
Make-Ahead: You can mix up the cookie dough and chill it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Chilling cookie dough keeps it from spreading too much as it bakes by hydrating the flour and solidifying the butter.
Chilling the dough is especially important when you bake cookies made with browned butter like these Sourdough Snickerdoodles or these Sourdough Oatmeal Cookies.
Storing: Baked cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for two to three weeks.
Freezing Cookie Dough: Unbaked cookie dough balls can be frozen for up to 3 months. I always have a batch of Amaretto Chocolate Chip Cookie dough in my freezer for when a cookie craving strikes.
Place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze until solid. Once frozen, remove from the baking sheet and place in a zip-top bag. Label with the date and contents.
When you are ready to bake cookies, remove the cookie balls from the freezer, let them sit at room temperature while the oven preheats, and then bake. You may need to add a minute or two to the baking time.
Freezing Baked Cookies: Baked cookies can be frozen for up to 3 months.
Once the cookies have cooled completely, place them on a sheet pan and freeze until solid. Transfer the frozen cookies to an airtight container or zip-top bag. Label with the date and contents.
Thaw frozen cookies overnight in the refrigerator or on the counter.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, this recipe can easily be doubled.
Yes. Because we are using melted browned butter to increase the nutty flavor of these cookies, the dough needs to be chilled for a few hours before baking. Chilling the dough will solidify the butter and keep the cookies from spreading too much.
Nutella brownie cookies are done when the edges are set and the tops start to crack and look dry.
The first step to ensuring a crackled top is to make sure you cream the sugar into the mixture really well.
Also make sure your oven is heating all the way to 350°F (180°C). A hot oven helps the top of the cookies to set first and then crack as the cookie spreads.
Expert Tips
- For the best results, I recommend using a kitchen scale to weigh your ingredients rather than the cup measurements. In baking accuracy matters. If you don't have one this is my favorite kitchen scale, because the display pulls out making it easy to see even if you are using a large bowl.
- Allow the melted butter to cool slightly so that it doesn't melt the sugar. Mixing the butter in when it is too hot can cause the cookies to become greasy.
- Make sure all of the ingredients are at room temperature. This ensures the ingredients mix evenly and will give you the best final texture. To quickly bring the eggs to room temperature, place the whole eggs in a bowl of warm water for 10-15 minutes.
- Refrigerate the dough for 2-3 hours to allow the flour to fully hydrate. Refrigerating the dough also allows the butter to solidify and stops your cookies from spreading too far when baked.
- Use a cookie scoop for evenly portioned cookies. Take the guesswork out of portioning cookies by using a cookie scoop to make sure each cookie is the same size.
- Alternatively, cut the block of cookie dough into even pieces with a knife.
- My secret for perfectly baked cookies is this AirBake cookie sheet. My cookies bake evenly every time I use these pans. AirBake cookie sheets have two aluminum layers with a layer of air in between them. The layer of air decreases the temperature of the top layer of metal, preventing the bottom of the cookie from browning too quickly. These pans are also really easy to clean. Just wipe them clean with a little soap and hot water. It is not recommended to fully submerge these pans in water or place them in a dishwasher.
- Baking times for all recipes are only suggestions. The actual baking time will vary depending on your oven. It is helpful to know your oven and worth purchasing an inexpensive oven thermometer. Oven temperatures can vary as much as 50 degrees plus or minus.
More Easy Dessert Recipes
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📖 Recipe
Crispy Nutella Brownie Cookies
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup unsalted butter
- 1 cup Nutella
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup granulated white sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 egg yolk
- 2 tablespoons hazelnut liquor
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ cup chopped hazelnuts
Instructions
- Slice the ⅓ cup unsalted butter into pieces and melt it in a light-colored skillet over medium heat stirring or whisking constantly. Once melted, the butter will begin to foam. Continue stirring/whisking for about 5-7 minutes, the butter will become a deep amber color. Remove the browned butter from the heat, and pour it into a bowl. Allow the butter to cool for 30 minutes.
- In a large bowl, mix the butter, 1 cup Nutella, ¼ cup brown sugar, ¼ cup granulated white sugar, 2 large eggs, 1 egg yolk, and 2 tablespoons hazelnut liquoruntil combined.
- Add the 2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, and ½ teaspoon kosher salt and stir until just combined.
- Stir in the ½ cup chopped hazelnuts.
- Wrap the dough in wax paper and refrigerate for at least 2-3 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) and position an oven rack in the middle of the oven. Scoop 2 tablespoon-sized mounds of dough onto baking sheets about two inches apart.
- Bake for 12 - 15 minutes or until the edges are set but the center is still soft. Allow the cookies to cool for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
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