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    Home > Recipes > Cookies > Chocolate Filled Cookies

    Chocolate Filled Cookies

    Published on November 11, 2021. Last updated on September 16, 2022. By Gabby. 7 Comments

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    This post contains affiliate links. Read the full disclosure here.

    Jump to Recipe

    These chocolate filled cookies are perfectly soft and stuffed with gooey chocolate hazelnut spread! They call for simple ingredients and are fun to make. Nutella stuffed cookies are the ultimate way to level up a classic chocolate chip cookie!

    four chocolate filled cookies split in half and stacked on each other with nutella inside of each one

    Stuffed cookies are one of my favorite things to bake. They have a few more steps than traditional cookies but it is sooo worth it. I already have biscoff stuffed cookies and cheesecake stuffed cookies on the blog so I figured it was time for some chocolate filled cookies!

    Nutella filled cookies can be made with regular Nutella spread, or they can be made completely dairy free using a vegan chocolate hazelnut spread!

    nutella filled cookies split in half with more cookies in the background

    Why These Chocolate Filled Cookies Work

    • The chocolate chip cookie base pairs perfectly with a gooey burst of nutella in the centre of the cookies - it's absolutely heaven!
    • This recipe has been tested using regular dairy ingredients (butter and nutella), as well as using dairy free butter and vegan chocolate hazelnut spread, so you can make it either way!
    • You can add chocolate chips to the cookie dough to make these into nutella stuffed chocolate chip cookies!
    • This recipe only makes 14 cookies, but can easily be doubled!
    • These cookies stay soft for days!

    Ingredients Needed

    • Brown Sugar: light brown sugar is a key ingredient in nutella chocolate chip cookies and makes them soft and chewy and delicious!
    • Butter: you can use regular butter or dairy free butter in this recipe
    • Chocolate Hazelnut Spread: you can use regular Nutella spread, or you can use a dairy free/vegan chocolate hazelnut spread (I love this one). The recipe has been tested with both!
    • Flour: these cookies use all-purpose flour, which is what I recommend for best results.
    ingredients needed for chocolate filled cookies in bowls with labels

    Step By Step Instructions

    Note: Full ingredient measurements and instructions can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of this page.

    STEP ONE: Line a small baking sheet (or a large plate) with parchment paper. Scoop 14 teaspoon-sized scoops of chocolate hazelnut spread onto the sheet/plate, then freeze for 15 minutes.

    STEP TWO: After 15 minutes, check to see if the chocolate hazelnut spread is frozen. If still soft, freeze for another 5-10 minutes. Leave it in the freezer while you make the cookie dough.

    In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt, then set aside. In the bowl of a standing mixer with the paddle attachment or a handheld mixer, beat butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy, around 1-2 minutes. Add in the egg and vanilla extract.

    STEP THREE: Add in the dry ingredients, then mix until just incorporated. Scoop balls of dough (around 1 Tablespoon in size) and place them on two parchment lined baking sheets. Using the back of a teaspoon or your finger tip, make a small dent in half of the balls of dough.

    step by step instructions showing how to make chocolate filled cookies

    STEP FOUR: Remove the tray of chocolate hazelnut spread from the freezer. Add a scoop of chocolate spread onto the dented cookie dough, then place another ball of cookie dough on top, sealing the edges. Add more dough as needed. Work quickly, since the nutella will start to soften very fast. Repeat with remaining dough. Once you've filled one baking sheet, put it in the fridge while you assemble the remaining cookies. Place the second tray of cookies in the fridge.

    STEP FIVE: Preheat the oven to 350°F and chill the dough while it preheats (5-10 minutes). Once the oven has preheated, bake the cookies one baking sheet at a time for 9-12 minutes or until the edges and middles are set and the edges are just slightly golden.

    Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for around 5-10 minutes then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.

    step by step instructions showing how to assemble nutella stuffed cookies

    FAQs and Expert Tips

    Is Nutella dairy free?

    Nutella is not dairy free or vegan, but luckily there are tons of delicious vegan chocolate hazelnut spreads on the market! This is my favorite. You can order it on Amazon but they are also sold at most grocery stores!

    Do I have to chill the dough?

    Unfortunately, yes. Since assembling the cookies requires you to handle the dough and the nutella quite a bit, chilling the assembled cookies ensures that they hold together and don't spread in the oven.

    Why didn't I get 14 cookies out of this recipe?

    If you got less than 14 cookies, you likely used a fair amount of dough to seal the nutella inside of the cookies, resulting in less cookies. If you want more cookies, I recommend doubling the recipe next time!

    Can I make these cookies vegan?

    I have tested these cookies using dairy free ingredients, and regular (not dairy free) ingredients but have not tested them without an egg. I unfortunately can't say for sure if the cookies would hold together with an egg substitute.

    Can I add chocolate chips to these cookies?

    Absolutely! Chocolate chips or a chopped up chocolate bar would be a delicious addition to this recipe.

    chocolate filled cookies split in half and stacked on top of each other

    Expert Tips

    • Properly measure your flour: You should always properly measure your flour using a kitchen scale or the scoop and level method when making cookies. If your cookies are crumbly, you probably over-measured your flour!
    • Be sure to seal to edges of the dough well. This ensures that nutella doesn't pour out of the cookies.
    • Don't skip the chill time! The dough needs to chill to firm up properly before baking!
    • This recipe only makes 12-14 small cookies, so be sure to double the recipe if you're wanting more cookies than that! You can always freeze the leftovers.

    Storage and Freezing Instructions

    These nutella cookies can be stored for up to 5 days at room temperature in an airtight container. I like to heat mine up in the microwave for 5 seconds when I'm eating them after, to make them warm and gooey again!

    Once the cookies are baked, you can also freeze them in a ziploc bag for 2-3 months and let them thaw at room temperature. You can also assemble the cookies with the nutella filling, then freeze the dough for 30 minutes. Remove from the freezer and place in a ziploc freezer bag. Freeze for up to 2 months.

    More Recipes You'll Love

    • Cookie Butter Stuffed Cookies
    • Strawberry Cheesecake Cookies
    • Nutella Blondies
    • Cookies and Cream Stuffed Cookies

    If you make this recipe, let me know how it went in the comments below, I’d love to hear from you! You can also tag me on Instagram or Facebook so I can check it out!

    chocolate nutella filled cookies split in half and stacked with a spoon of nutella beside them

    Chocolate Filled Cookies

    Gabby
    These chocolate filled cookies are perfectly soft and stuffed with gooey chocolate hazelnut nutella spread! They call for simple ingredients and are fun to make!
    5 from 6 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 35 mins
    Bake 10 mins
    Total Time 45 mins
    Course Dessert
    Cuisine American
    Servings 14 cookies
    Calories 254 kcal

    Equipment

    • Mixing Bowl
    • Baking Sheets

    Ingredients
     
     

    • ¾ cup butter, softened (regular or dairy free)
    • ½ cup light brown sugar
    • ½ cup granulated sugar
    • 1 egg
    • ¾ teaspoon baking soda
    • 2⅓ cup all-purpose flour
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
    • 6 tablespoon chocolate hazelnut spread (like Nutella or a vegan chocolate hazelnut spread)

    Instructions
     

    • Line a small baking sheet or large plate with parchment paper and scoop 14 teaspoon-sized scoops of chocolate hazelnut spread onto the sheet/plate. Place in the freezer for 15 minutes.
    • After 15 minutes, check to see if the chocolate hazelnut spread is frozen. If still soft, freeze for another 5-10 minutes. Leave in the freezer while you make the cookie dough.
    • In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
    • In the bowl of a standing mixer with the paddle attachment or a handheld mixer, combine butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar, then mix until light and fluffy, around 1-2 minutes. Mix in the egg and vanilla extract.
    • Add in the dry ingredients and mix until just incorporated. Scoop out 1 tablespoon sized balls of dough and place them on two parchment lined baking sheets. Use the back of a teaspoon to make a small dent in half of the balls of dough (pictures are in the post above for reference).
    • Remove the chocolate hazelnut spread from the freezer. Work quickly as the chocolate will start to soften very fast. I find it best to assemble one cookie at a time. Place a scoop of chocolate spread into the cookie dough with the dent in it, then place another ball of cookie dough on top, adding more dough as needed to seal the edges. Repeat and once you have a baking sheet filled with assembled cookie dough, place it in the fridge to chill while you continue assembling more cookies using the second baking sheet**
    • Chill the dough for 10-15 minutes while the oven preheats to 350°F to prevent them from spreading. Once preheated, bake the cookies one sheet at a time (leave the second sheet in the fridge while the first batch is baking). Bake for 9-12 minutes or until the edges and middles are set and the edges are just slightly golden brown. The tops shouldn't be golden!
    • Let cool on the baking sheet for 5-10 minutes then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.

    Video

    Notes

    PLEASE NOTE: I highly recommend using a kitchen scale to weigh your dry ingredients. Metric measurements are found above, under the "Metric" tab.
    MEASURING THE FLOUR: It's very important to properly measure your flour. Either measure your flour using a kitchen scale or use the proper scooping method: fluff the flour in the bag/container with a fork then use a spoon to scoop the flour into the measuring cup, then run the back of a knife along the top of the cup to even it out. 
    OPTIONAL ADD IN: Feel free to add some chocolate chips to the dough if desired!
     
    BAKING SHEETS: If you only have one baking sheet, you can assemble the first batch of cookies, then leave the cookie dough in the fridge and the remaining chocolate hazelnut spread in the freezer. Once the first batch of cookies has baked and the baking sheet has cooled, assemble the second batch of cookies as instructed.
     
    TIP: Pop a cookie in the microwave for 5-7 seconds in the days after they've been baked. Heating them up makes the nutella gooey again and gives you that "freshly baked" cookie again!
     
    Storage Instructions:
    Store the cookies for up to 5 days at room temperature in an airtight container. Baked cookies can be frozen in a ziploc bag for 2-3 months. Let thaw at room temperature.
    To freeze the dough, assemble the cookies and then freeze the dough for 30 minutes. Remove from the freezer and place in a ziploc freezer bag. Freeze for up to 2 months.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 254kcalCarbohydrates: 36gProtein: 3gFat: 11gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 12mgSodium: 230mgPotassium: 74mgFiber: 1gSugar: 19gVitamin A: 480IUCalcium: 20mgIron: 1mg
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

    The calorie information provided for this recipe is an estimate. The accuracy of the calories listed is not guaranteed.

    « Sugar Cookie Dough (Edible)
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. jen

      March 08, 2022 at 2:56 pm

      5 stars
      these were so good omg

      Reply
      • Gabby

        March 08, 2022 at 2:58 pm

        Hi Jen! Yay, so happy that you loved them!

        Reply
    2. Lisa

      December 22, 2021 at 4:58 am

      Hi there, can you recommend a substitute for the chocolate spread. Thanks.

      Reply
      • Gabby

        December 22, 2021 at 3:46 pm

        Hi Lisa! Are you wanting to make cookies without the filling? If so you can just add chocolate chips of mix ins to the dough and make the cookies without the chocolate spread inside. Otherwise you could try biscoff spread or peanut butter (freezing beforehand just like you would with the chocolate hazelnut spread).

        Reply
    3. Andrea

      November 13, 2021 at 10:52 pm

      How much butter is needed for the metric conversion as it still says 1/2 cup…..

      Reply
      • Gabby

        November 13, 2021 at 11:50 pm

        Hi Andrea, the reason that the weight of the butter isn't included is because vegan/dairy free butter has a different weight from regular butter. If you are using regular butter, 3/4 of a cup is 170 grams. Enjoy!

        Reply
      • John

        November 20, 2021 at 5:10 pm

        170g of butter is 3/4 C

        Reply

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