Need more chocolate cookie recipes? Try my fudge cookies and chocolate cookies with peanut butter chips next. If you love Ferrero Rocher chocolates or Nutella, these cookies need to be at the top of your list. Made with a healthy dose of creamy nut butter and toasted hazelnuts, every bite is full of flavor. The cookies are crisp around the edges but soft and crumbly in the center.
Why I love this recipe
Flourless. I chose to skip the flour to make these gluten-free and give them a fudgier texture. Perfect for chocolate lovers. Combining cocoa powder and dark chocolate makes for an even richer chocolate flavor. No chill time. Another benefit of no flour is that you don’t have to chill the cookie dough! Just combine the ingredients, shape the cookies, and bake them. Easy to customize. I tested multiple variations of this recipe on my family, and no one could decide which was their favorite.
Ingredients needed
Egg. Use room temperature eggs so they mix more easily into the dough. Nut butter. I used homemade almond butter, but my homemade Nutella or plain hazelnut butter could be substituted. Sugar. I suggest using either light or dark brown sugar (depending on how potent you want the molasses flavor). White sugar will work, but the hints of caramel complement these cookies better. Cocoa powder. Use unsweetened, Dutch-processed cocoa powder for a smooth, more intense chocolate flavor. Chocolate chips. A must for extra chocolate flavor! I used dark chocolate chips. Baking soda. Helps the cookies rise. Hazelnuts. Roughly chopped by hand or in a food processor.
How to make hazelnut cookies
I’ve included step-by-step photos below to make this recipe easy to follow at home. For the full printable recipe instructions and ingredient quantities, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post. Step 1- Prep time. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Step 2- Mix the dough. In a large bowl, combine the egg, almond butter, and sugar. Add the cocoa powder and baking soda and mix with a wooden spoon until combined. Fold in chocolate chips and hazelnuts. Step 3- Shape. Using a cookie scoop, shape 12 cookie dough balls and place them on the prepared baking sheet. Press down on each ball to form a thick disk. Step 4- Bake. Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes. Remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool on a wire rack.
Arman’s recipe tips
Toast the nuts. To give the nuts a deeper, sweeter flavor and more crunch, bake them at 350F for 10-15 minutes. Remove the skins (to reduce bitterness) by placing the warm nuts in a kitchen towel and rubbing until the skins are easy to peel off. Make them fudgier. Swap the egg for two egg yolks. Use a stand mixer. To cut down on the total time, mix the dough with a stand mixer or electric hand mixer instead of by hand.
Storage instructions
To store: Cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-5 days or in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.
More nuts. You can replace hazelnuts with cashews, pecans, walnuts, or almonds. Spices. Add cardamom and cinnamon to complement the hazelnuts and give the cookies a warmer flavor and aroma. Orange zest. A hint of citrusy flavor will have everyone wondering what bakery you got them from! Coffee. A teaspoon of espresso powder or instant coffee mixed with cocoa powder will enhance the cookies’ chocolate flavor, and you won’t even taste the coffee. Flaky sea salt. Top the cookies with flaky sea salt for a salty-sweet flavor. Vanilla. Add one teaspoon of vanilla extract to bring out the other flavors.
To freeze: Place cooled cookies in a freezer-safe container and freeze them for up to three months.
Frequently asked questions
More cookies to try
Healthy peanut butter cookies Gluten-free Christmas cookies Protein cookies Cream cheese cookies Or any of my cookie recipes
