Nutella Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies

The moment you cut one open, the chocolate chips give way to a soft Nutella center tucked inside the cookie. The trick is getting that center into the dough without smearing it everywhere or leaving a gap for it to escape. These Nutella stuffed chocolate chip cookies solve that little bit of cookie engineering with a short freeze before shaping.

I freeze level scoops of Nutella until they’re solid, then sandwich each one between two portions of dough and pinch the seam closed all the way around. The dough chills too, which makes it easier to shape without warming the filling. In the oven, the edges turn lightly golden while the centers stay soft, and every cookie opens to a generous ribbon of chocolate-hazelnut spread.

Why the Dough Seam Matters More Than a Thick Cookie Shell

A stuffed cookie doesn’t need a massive blanket of dough around the filling. It needs an even layer and a closed seam. Dividing the dough into two portions for each cookie gives you enough to cover the Nutella without making the outside heavy or doughy.

When you press the two portions together, pay attention to the edge where they meet. A thin spot or an open crease gives the filling a path out as it warms. Pinch the dough all the way around the frozen center, then roll gently to smooth the seam. Don’t squeeze hard enough to push the Nutella toward one side; you want the filling centered and enclosed.

The chocolate chips make this a slightly uneven dough to seal, so tuck any stray chips away from the join as you shape. The finished ball should look closed all over, with no Nutella showing. That small bit of care keeps the filling inside and gives you a clean chocolate center when you break a cookie open.

What the Butter, Sugars, and Nutella Each Bring to These Cookies

• Nutella — The filling is creamy and sweet, and freezing it makes those scoops manageable to wrap in dough. Use a smooth, familiar spread; a different hazelnut-cocoa spread may have a looser or firmer consistency and won’t necessarily behave the same way.
• Unsalted butter — Softened butter creams with the sugars to give the dough its structure. It should yield when pressed but not look greasy or melted. A premium brand isn’t necessary, but melted butter isn’t a direct swap because it changes how the dough comes together.
• Light brown and granulated sugars — Brown sugar brings moisture and a soft, chewy quality, while granulated sugar helps the cookies spread and gives the edges their set texture. Keeping both matters more here than choosing a specialty brand; pack the brown sugar when measuring.
• Eggs and vanilla — The eggs bind the dough and help it hold around the center, while vanilla rounds out the chocolate. Large eggs are the right size for this dough, and ordinary vanilla extract works well without needing an expensive bottle.
• All-purpose flour — Flour gives the dough enough body to enclose the filling. Measure it carefully rather than adding extra by feel; too much can make the dough dry and harder to pinch closed. A gluten-free adaptation is outlined below.
• Baking soda and salt — Baking soda helps the cookies spread and brown, while salt keeps the sweetness from tasting flat. These ingredients are part of the dough’s balance, so don’t leave either out.
• Semisweet chocolate chips — They add chocolate throughout the cookie without making the filling compete with an overly sweet dough. Standard semisweet chips are a good choice; chopped semisweet chocolate can work in their place, though it may melt into broader streaks.

Freeze, Fill, and Bake Without Losing the Nutella Center

Freeze the Nutella in Individual Scoops

Line a small baking sheet or plate with parchment, then scoop level tablespoons of Nutella onto it. Freeze the portions for 1 to 2 hours, until solid. If they still bend or smear when lifted, give them more time; soft centers are much harder to wrap neatly.

Mix the Dough Until It Just Comes Together

Whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. In a large bowl, beat the softened butter with both sugars until creamy and well combined, about 2 minutes. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then mix in the vanilla. Add the flour mixture and stop mixing as soon as it’s combined; fold in the chocolate chips so the dough doesn’t get tough from extra mixing.

Cover the dough and chill it for 30 minutes, until firm enough to shape. It should hold together when you press a piece between your fingers, rather than slumping or sticking heavily to your hands.

Enclose Each Frozen Center Completely

Heat the oven to 350°F and line an 18×13-inch baking sheet with parchment paper. Divide the dough into 36 portions. Flatten two portions at a time, set one frozen Nutella center between them, and pinch the dough closed all around the filling. Roll gently into a ball, then arrange 9 cookies on the sheet. Keep the dough you aren’t shaping chilled so it stays easy to handle.

Pull the Cookies While Their Centers Still Look Soft

Bake for 11 to 14 minutes, until the edges are lightly golden and set while the centers still look soft. Don’t wait for the middle to look firm in the oven; the cookies continue setting as they cool. Let them rest on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack.

Two Useful Ways to Adapt the Dough and Filling

Questions That Come Up While Making These Stuffed Cookies

Nutella Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies

Nutella stuffed chocolate chip cookies have a frozen Nutella center wrapped in soft chocolate chip cookie dough. They bake until lightly golden at the edges while the centers stay soft.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 28 minutes mins

Freezing and chilling 2 hours hrs 30 minutes mins

Total Time 3 hours hrs 28 minutes mins

Servings: 18 servings

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Calories: 430

Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients

  

For the Nutella centers

• 1.125 cup Nutella 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons

For the cookie dough

• 1 cup unsalted butter softened
• 0.75 cup light brown sugar packed
• 0.5 cup granulated sugar
• 2 eggs large
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2.75 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 0.75 tsp salt
• 2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Equipment

• 1 18x13-inch baking sheet
• 1 electric mixer

Method

 

Make the Nutella centers

1. Line a small baking sheet or plate with parchment paper.
2. Scoop 18 level tablespoons of Nutella onto the parchment.
3. Freeze until solid, 1 to 2 hours.

Make the cookie dough

1. Whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt together in a medium bowl.
2. Beat the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar in a large bowl until creamy and well combined, about 2 minutes.
3. Beat in the eggs one at a time.
4. Mix in the vanilla.
5. Add the flour mixture and mix just until combined.
6. Fold in the chocolate chips.
7. Cover and chill the dough for 30 minutes, until firm enough to shape.

Shape and bake

1. Heat the oven to 350°F.
2. Line an 18x13-inch baking sheet with parchment paper.
3. Divide the dough into 36 portions.
4. Flatten two portions at a time.
5. Place one frozen Nutella center between the flattened portions.
6. Pinch the dough closed all around the filling and roll gently into a ball.
7. Arrange 9 cookies on the baking sheet, keeping the remaining dough chilled.
8. Bake for 11 to 14 minutes, until the edges are lightly golden and set while the centers still look soft.
9. Cool the cookies on the baking sheet for 10 minutes.
10. Transfer the cookies to a wire rack.
11. Let the baking sheet cool completely before baking the remaining cookies.

Notes

For the neatest filling, keep the Nutella centers frozen until you are ready to wrap them in dough. Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days; freeze baked cookies for up to 3 months. For a gluten-free variation, use a cup-for-cup gluten-free flour blend.