Chocolate Hazelnut Cookies Recipe tastes like Nutella in chewy cookie form, with crisp edges and soft centers packed with roasted nuts. It works great for busy bakers who want a bakery-style cookie in about 35–40 minutes, including chill time. I test chocolate cookie recipes way too often, so you can skip the duds and head straight to the good stuff with this one.

Why Chocolate Hazelnut Cookies Recipe Is Worth It

These cookies hit that sweet spot between fancy and easy. You get deep chocolate flavor, crunchy hazelnuts, and a hint of salt that keeps each bite from tasting too sweet.

The dough comes together in one bowl, uses simple pantry ingredients, and chills quickly. You can bake a batch right away or stash the dough in the fridge for fresh cookies during the week.

“These Chocolate Hazelnut Cookies taste like a bakery treat, but I made them on a random Tuesday night. The edges turned golden and crisp, the centers stayed soft, and the hazelnut crunch made them feel special enough for guests. I froze half the dough, and the second batch baked up just as good as the first.”

Ingredients You Need

Dry ingredients

1 ¼ cups (160 g) all-purpose flour
¼ cup (25 g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- Use Dutch-process cocoa for deeper flavor, or natural cocoa if that’s what you keep in the pantry.
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt

Wet ingredients

½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- Use salted butter if needed and reduce added salt slightly.
½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
½ cup (100 g) packed light brown sugar
1 large egg, room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Chocolate & hazelnuts

¾ cup (120 g) chocolate hazelnut spread
- Any brand works; thicker spreads hold shape better in the dough.
¾ cup (120 g) semisweet chocolate chips or chunks
- Use dark chocolate chips if you prefer less sweetness.
¾ cup (90 g) toasted hazelnuts, roughly chopped
- Swap in pre-chopped hazelnuts from the baking aisle to save time.

Optional finishing touches

Flaky sea salt, for sprinkling on top
Extra chopped hazelnuts or chocolate chips for pressing into warm cookies

Equipment list

Large mixing bowl
Hand mixer or stand mixer with paddle attachment
Rubber spatula
Measuring cups and spoons (or a kitchen scale for accuracy)
Baking sheets
Parchment paper or silicone baking mats
Cookie scoop (1 ½ tablespoon size works well)
Wire cooling rack

Quick Tips & substitutions

Chill the dough at least 20–30 minutes so the cookies hold shape and bake thick.
Toast raw hazelnuts in a 350°F (175°C) oven for 8–10 minutes, then rub off skins in a clean towel.
Swap hazelnuts with toasted almonds, pecans, or walnuts if hazelnuts cost more in your area.
Use a gluten-free 1:1 baking blend in place of all-purpose flour for a gluten-free version.
Replace chocolate chips with chopped dark chocolate for melty pools instead of uniform chips.
Scoop dough balls, freeze on a tray, then store in a bag so you can bake a few cookies at a time.
Pull cookies from the oven when edges set and centers still look slightly soft; they firm up as they cool.

How to Make Chocolate Hazelnut Cookies Recipe

Step 1: Mix the dry ingredients

Add flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt to a medium bowl. Whisk until the mixture looks uniform and no cocoa clumps remain. Set the bowl aside near your mixer so you reach it easily.

Step 2: Cream butter and sugars

Place softened butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar in a large mixing bowl. Beat with a hand mixer or stand mixer on medium speed until the mixture looks light and fluffy, about 2–3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl so everything mixes evenly.

Step 3: Add egg, vanilla, and chocolate hazelnut spread

Crack in the egg and pour in the vanilla extract. Beat on low, then increase to medium until the egg blends in and the mixture looks smooth. Add the chocolate hazelnut spread and mix again until the batter turns glossy and uniform.

Step 4: Combine wet and dry

Tip the dry ingredients into the bowl with the wet mixture. Mix on low speed just until the flour streaks disappear. Scrape the bowl with a spatula and fold a few times so no dry pockets hide at the bottom.

Step 5: Stir in chocolate and hazelnuts

Pour in the chocolate chips and chopped hazelnuts. Fold with a spatula until they spread evenly through the dough. The dough should feel thick, scoopable, and slightly sticky.

Step 6: Chill the dough

Cover the bowl and place it in the fridge for 20–30 minutes. This short chill helps the butter firm up so the cookies bake thicker and chewier. Use this time to line baking sheets with parchment and preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).

Step 7: Scoop and shape

Use a cookie scoop or tablespoon to portion the dough into balls, about 1 ½ tablespoons each. Roll them lightly between your palms for even rounds and space them at least 2 inches apart on the baking sheets. Press a few extra hazelnut pieces or chocolate chips on top if you want bakery-style looks.

Step 8: Bake

Slide the baking sheets into the preheated oven. Bake 9–11 minutes, until the edges look set and slightly firm but the centers still look soft and a bit puffy. Rotate the pans halfway through if your oven heats unevenly.

Step 9: Finish and cool

Remove the cookies from the oven and sprinkle a tiny pinch of flaky sea salt on each warm cookie. Let them cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes so they set, then move them to a wire rack to cool completely. Enjoy a warm one while the chocolate still melts for the full chocolate hazelnut cookie experience.

Recipe Variations

Gluten-free: Use a 1:1 gluten-free baking flour and chill the dough at least 30 minutes.
Dairy-free: Swap butter with a dairy-free baking stick and use dairy-free chocolate chips and spread.
Vegan: Use dairy-free butter, vegan chocolate hazelnut spread, and a flax egg (1 tablespoon ground flax + 3 tablespoons water).
Low sugar: Use a dark chocolate spread and dark chocolate chips, and cut granulated sugar by 2 tablespoons.
Extra nutty: Add ¼ cup more chopped hazelnuts and reduce chocolate chips slightly.
Mocha twist: Add 1–2 teaspoons instant espresso powder with the dry ingredients.
Double chocolate chunk: Skip hazelnuts and use a mix of milk and dark chocolate chunks.

Ways to Serve Chocolate Hazelnut Cookies Recipe

Serve warm with a cold glass of milk or your favorite non-dairy milk.
Pack in lunchboxes as a special treat that still holds shape.
Crumble over vanilla or chocolate ice cream for an easy dessert.
Stack a few cookies, tie with kitchen twine, and share as a sweet gift.
Sandwich two cookies with a thin layer of chocolate hazelnut spread in the middle.

Storage Success

Store cooled Chocolate Hazelnut Cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4–5 days. Slip a small piece of bread or a tortilla in the container to keep the cookies soft and chewy. Freeze baked cookies in a freezer bag for up to 2 months, and thaw them at room temperature or warm them in the microwave for 10–15 seconds. Freeze unbaked dough balls on a tray, then store them in a bag so you bake fresh cookies straight from the freezer with just an extra minute or two of oven time.