Chocolate Chip Cookies with Chocolate Hazelnut Spread

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These large, delectable, crispy yet chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies with Chocolate Hazelnut Spread are loaded with small chunks of milk chocolate with a magical, dreamy, chocolate hazelnut spread in the centre. Have I got your attention??

You will be amazed how quick and easy these cookies are to make, although you do need to allow time to freeze the balls of chocolate hazelnut spread in advance. The resulting cookies, however, appear deceptively difficult to make and are a sweet explosion of chocolate, vanilla and hazelnut flavours and textures. Seriously, you are going to love them.

What is the best chocolate hazelnut spread to use?

Use your favourite! For these cookies I used an incredible Lindt spread but Nutella is amazing too. I haven’t tried other makes, but similar spreads should work equally well.

What is the best chocolate to use?

I was in Switzerland when I made these so I used our favourite Swiss chocolate, Cailler. In the UK, I used Cadburys. I tend to use eating rather than cooking chocolate. Sometimes it doesn’t look quite so good, but we prefer the taste and we are always taste, rather than looks, first. Baking chocolate has more stabilisers in it to help it keep its shape when cooking but this can alter the flavour. Eating chocolate may spread more but it will solidify when it cools and still tastes like your favourite chocolate.

How to make Chocolate Chip Cookies with Chocolate Hazelnut Spread

Where is this recipe from?

This recipe is adapted from my Chocolate Chip Cookies – Core Recipe. I have simply loaded them with finely chopped chocolate and a luscious chocolate hazelnut spread centre. For other easy Chocolate Chip Cookies recipe ideas or for more detailed instructions, please take a look here.

Collect all your ingredients together:

• chocolate hazelnut spread
• unsalted butter
• soft brown sugar 
• caster sugar
• fine salt
• egg 
• vanilla extract
• plain/all-purpose flour 
• baking powder 
• milk chocolate
• chopped hazelnuts

How to make these fabulous Chocolate Chip Cookies with Chocolate Hazelnut Spread:

NB You need to start these cookies a few hours before you want to bake them

1. A few hours before you make want to bake the cookies, prepare the chocolate hazelnut centres: use a teaspoon to measure out 15 spoonfuls of chocolate hazelnut spread. Each spoonful should weigh around 10g. Place, spread out, on a flat surface lined with baking parchment, and then pop in the freezer for 1 – 1½ hours. After this time, take out of the freezer and use your hands to roll the spread into neater balls. Put back in the freezer for a few hours or overnight, until solid.
2. Finely chop the chocolate: when the chocolate hazelnut spread balls are solid, finely chop the chocolate. I do this in a food processor.
3. Make the cookie dough: put the butter, salt and both of the sugars into a large bowl and using an electric whisk mix until fluffy. This should take 3-4 minutes. You may need to scrape down the sides of the bowl to ensure it mixes evenly.
4. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula and add the egg and vanilla extract. Beat again with an electric whisk until thoroughly mixed.
5. Add the flour and baking powder to the butter mixture. Either beat with an electric whisk on the slowest speed (to avoid a cloud of flour covering your kitchen!) or mix in with a wooden spoon.
6. Add the chopped chocolate to the mixing bowl and mix thoroughly.
7. Use an ice cream scoop to divide the mixture into balls, roughly 50g each – you should make around 15 cookies.
8. Take one cookie dough ball at a time and flatten it on the palm of your hand. Place a frozen chocolate spread ball in the centre of the dough, press the cookie dough around it and roll the cookies into a neat ball.
9. I like to top each cookie dough ball with some chopped hazelnuts. This alerts anyone allergic to nuts that there are nuts in the cookies. They also add another layer of texture to the cookie. I also like to add some sea salt to each cookie. If you want to freeze any, now is the time. Spread out on baking parchment and freeze. As soon as the dough balls are solid, they can be transferred into labelled freezer bags or containers.
10. When you are ready to cook them, place spread out on a baking sheet and bake in a pre-heated oven for 15 minutes. (I cook 3 – 4 per sheet, but it depends on the size of the baking sheet – they do spread quite a lot.)
11. Let them cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes and then transfer to a cooling rack.

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Softening Brown Sugar

Have you ever taken soft brown or muscovado sugar out of the cupboard and found it was rock solid? If this has happened to you, and you need to know how to fix it using the microwave rather than a hammer, please see here!

Can I bake these cookies directly from the fridge?

Unlike many recipes, these cookies do not have to be chilled prior to baking. They can be cooked as soon as they are made. However, if you want to prepare the dough ahead of time, simply store them covered in the fridge for up to 3 days and then bake them, directly from the fridge, when you are ready.

What is the best way to store these cookies?

When you store cookies, it is important to cover them and store in an airtight container. They keep well for 3 – 4 days at room temperature or 5 – 6 days in the fridge. However, if you are storing them in the fridge, remember to take them out to warm up to room temperature before you serve them.

Can I freeze these cookies?

Yes you can! You can freeze the cookies prior to cooking and after cooking.

Freeze prior to cooking:

One of the wonderful things about this recipe (and most cookies in general to be fair) is that you can make a big batch and freeze them uncooked, but oven ready. To freeze, place them on a baking parchment lined board or baking tray, cover with cling film and place in the freezer until solid. As soon as the dough balls are frozen, they can be transferred into labelled freezer bags or containers. They can be cooked directly from frozen. Freshly baked warm cookies on demand – what is not to like?

Cook directly from the freezer:

Bake directly from frozen, as described in the recipe. Simply allow 1 – 2 extra minutes bake time.

Freeze after cooking:

These cookies can also be frozen after you have cooked them. Freeze in labelled or sealed containers/bags for up to 3 months.

Made this recipe?

If you make this recipe, do please tag me on instagram @daffodil_kitchen. You could also leave a comment in the box directly below the recipe.