Its cookie baking season and these Nutella Thumbprint cookies are perfection. A simple cookie rolled in crushed hazelnuts, baked then topped with creamy Nutella. SO good, friends and family will love them! Happy Holidays!
Happy Friday all! Today is a special day, one of my favorite events of the year actually, our Freaky Friday Holiday Virtual Cookie Exchange. I am so excited to share this incredible recipe for Nutella Thumbprint Cookies with you! A bunch of my fabulously talented blogger friends and I get assigned a blog to choose a recipe from then create and share with our readers. We don’t find out who we’ve been assigned until today! I was thrilled to find out I had been assigned Julie from Hostess at Heart!
Michaela from An Affair From The Heart is so amazing for organizing this whole event and I am so appreciative to be a part of it. She works tirelessly to make these fun recipe swaps happen and is such a talent in the kitchen! You all must check out some of her recipes. Here are just a few of my favorites… Grinch Shortbread Cookies, Sausage Pretzel Bombs with Mustard Cheese Sauce and her Black Forest Cake. I was so excited when I found out I was assigned Julie -another amazing talent.
Julies recipes are not only delicious but they are recipes anyone can make with ingredients that are readily available. She will make you look like a total rockstar in the kitchen and before you know it you’ll be impressing friends and family with some amazing dishes! She was onto sourdough before it became a bit of a craze. I kind love that she named her starter like I did. Hers is named Phoenix! Check out her Overnight Sourdough Bread– its amazing! Her Honey Roasted Beets with Pistachios would be a perfect holiday side dish. Oh my goodness, her Chili recipe is a MUST try!
As I browsed through Julies site I came across her Nutella Thumbprint Cookies and knew I found my winner!! I love how easy they are and we are kinda obsessed with Nutella in this house. The cookie itself is really simple- you cream together butter {yes, I know I know I forgot to show the butter in the picture heehee}, brown sugar, granulated sugar and egg yolks. From there simply add in vanilla extract, flour and salt.
Once it all comes together you’ll roll the dough into small balls. I use a small cookie scoop to keep them relatively consistent. Now the trick that I learned making these cookies- an egg white dunk to get the hazelnuts to stick to the dough. You simply whisk a couple egg whites in a bowl until light and frothy. Roll each ball of dough in the egg whites than into crushed hazelnuts.
Roll each ball of dough in the egg whites than into crushed hazelnuts. I LOVE hazelnuts. We grew up having a nut and fruit course before dessert at the holidays and hazelnuts was always my favorite though always the trickiest to crack open as they’d end up rolling across the table. Always good for a laugh!
From there place the dough onto a lined baking sheet and press gently down and use your finger to form a small indentation in the center. These cookies don’t grow much so you don’t need too much room between them.
No worries if the indent bakes out of the cookie. If that happens simply use the end of a wooden spoon to gently push the center down a bit while the cookie is still hot. The cookies take about 14-16 minutes to bake depending on your oven.
Once the cookies are cooled completely you can top with Nutella. Do not stress if you don’t have a piping bag. I used a plastic zip bag with a star tip. Heck, even if you don’t have that just add a dollop on there with a spoon. It will be perfect either way!
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup dark brown sugar
- 1/2 cup white granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons almond milk (any milk, or cream will work)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 eggs separate the yolks from the whites
- 12 teaspoons unsalted butter (1-1/2 sticks, softened)
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup hazelnuts chopped, (I used dry-roasted, unsalted hazelnuts)
- Nutella
- Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F.
- In the bowl of a standing mixer (or a large bowl if using a hand mixer), add the butter, egg yolks, brown sugar, and white sugar. Using the paddle attachment beat until light and fluffy, approximately 2 minutes.
- Add milk, vanilla extract, flour, and salt. Mix until combined.
- Chop nuts and put them on a plate large enough to roll your cookies.
- Beat egg whites with a fork in a small bowl until airy (2 minutes).
- Scoop the dough and roll it into a ball. Coat the ball in egg whites and then roll in chopped hazelnuts. Gently press your thumb into the center of the cookie until indented. Place on a parchment paper lined baking sheet.
- Bake for 14-16 minutes, or until lightly browned on the edges. If indentation has disappeared, press gently with the end or a wooden spoon while hot. Cool completely.
- Pipe or spoon Nutella into the center. Store in a covered container in a cool place.
Take a look at all of our 2020 Freaky Friday Holiday Cookie Exchange Recipes:
- An Affair from the Heart – Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Brownies
- Bowl Me Over – Homemade Buckeyes Recipe
- Devour Dinner – Holiday Brownie Cookie
- Fresh Cooky – Mint Fudge Brownies
- Hostess at Heart – Homemade Butter Cookies
- House of Nash Eats – Candy Coated Crispix Mix
- Lemoine Family Kitchen – Nutella Thumbprint Cookies
- Life Currents – Easy One Hour Cinnamon Rolls
- Life, Love & Good Food – Peppermint Brownie Drop Cookies
- Or Whatever You Do – Easy Thumbprint Cookie Recipe
- Sugar Dish Me – Chocolate Chip Pudding Cookies
- Take Two Tapas – Chocolate Caramel Brownies
- The Speckled Palate – Peanut Butter Chocolate Fudge
Michaela Kenkel
Angela, these are beautiful little cookies that are perfect for a cookie exchange platter! Thank you for the kind words! I am so thankful to have “met” you through our blogging community! Someday I will get to hug you in person! Wishing you and your guys a VERY Merry Christmas! Stay safe, healthy and warm! xo
Nicole Johnson
Lovely cookies, and great flavor combination!
Angela LeMoine
I picked a winner for sure! A new favorite around here.
Sheila @ Life, Love, and Good Food
Thumbprint cookies are among my favorites, and to add NUTELLA?? Wow. Just WOW!!
Angela LeMoine
Me too! Its such a great cookie!
Deb Clark
I love filberts and can’t wait to try this recipe! Love the egg white trick to get the nuts to stick as well, so smart! These cookies are delicious and festive!!
Kathleen Pope
I love cookies with nuts and that trick for getting them to stick, brilliant, plus I bet it adds a light little shell! Julie is the best and makes baking so simple! What a great cookie, cannot wait to make some for my Nutella loving family.
Julie Menghini
Angela, you are just one of the sweetest people on earth. I’m so blessed to call you friend and you did an amazing job with one of my favorite cookies!
Debi
These cookies are perfect. Easy to make and Nutella makes everything delicious! Thanks for the great year-round cookie!
Jennifer Stewart
These are my favorite thumbprint cookies! Hazelnuts and Nutella, can’t beat that lovely combination. Will be adding these to my cookie exchange this Holiday season.
Erin
What BEAUTIFUL cookies! We’re obsessed with Nutella, too, and these beauties did NOT last long after we baked them. Thank you for sharing this gorgeous recipe!
Amy Nash
I have made jam thumbprints but never a nutella version before. These were absolutely delightful! I’m thinking Santa might need some on his cookie plate with milk for Christmas Eve.