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If you love Nutella and easy baking projects, these nutellotti – Italian Nutella cookies are a must-try. With their rich hazelnut-chocolate flavor and soft texture, they make a perfect addition to any cookie tray. These thumbprint-style cookies are filled with creamy Nutella or a luscious Nutella buttercream, depending on your preference. They come together quickly and deliver bakery-style results. Great for the holidays or anytime you’re craving something indulgent, this recipe is simple, satisfying and fun to make.
Nutellotti – Italian Nutella cookies are so good! They’re soft, chewy thumbprint cookies with a Nutella or Nutella buttercream filling and chopped hazelnut topping.
If you’re baking up a storm for Christmas you might also like to make pignoli cookies, chocolate dipped peppermint kisses, or Christmas pinwheel cookies!
Why You’ll Love It
Soft and chewy texture: These cookies are tender and slightly crisp on the outside.
Full of Nutella flavor: Every bite is rich with chocolate-hazelnut goodness.
Easy ingredients: No fancy tools or hard-to-find items needed.
Perfect for gifting: Their elegant shape and taste make them ideal for cookie boxes.
Customizable: Choose between plain Nutella or buttercream filling.
Nutellotti Cookie Ingredients
A complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
All-purpose flour: Gives nutellotti – Italian Nutella cookies structure and helps them hold their shape.
Nutella: Adds a rich, hazelnut-chocolate base and fills the cookies for extra flavor.
Eggs: Bind the dough and contribute to the cookie’s soft texture.
Vanilla extract: Enhances the cookie’s overall flavor.
Salt: Balances the sweetness and intensifies the chocolate taste.
Hazelnuts: Provide a crunchy topping and complement the Nutella flavor.
Unsalted butter: Adds creaminess to the buttercream filling.
Powdered sugar: Sweetens and smooths the buttercream.
Heavy cream: Makes the filling extra soft and pipeable.
How to Make Nutellotti – Italian Nutella Cookies
For more detailed instructions with weights and measurements, jump to the printable recipe card.
Make the dough base: Beat together Nutella and eggs, then add sifted flour.
Chill the dough: Cover and refrigerate until firm.
Form the cookies: Roll dough into balls and place on a baking sheet.
Shape the cookies: Press a deep indentation into each dough ball.
Bake the cookies: Bake until just set, then cool completely.
Prepare the filling: Mix Nutella, butter, powdered sugar, and cream to make buttercream, if using.
Fill the cookies: Pipe Nutella or buttercream into the center of each cooled cookie.
Add toppings: Sprinkle with chopped hazelnuts.
Substitutions and Variations
Gluten-free version: A 1:1 gluten-free blend can be swapped for all-purpose flour.
Try other fillings: Swap Nutella for peanut butter, chocolate ganache or caramel. Or, rather than sprinkle chopped hazelnuts over the finished cookies, you can press a whole nut into the filling.
Add a chocolate dip: Dip the cookie bases in melted chocolate for extra indulgence.
Serving Suggestions
With other sweet treats: You might also enjoy Christmas tree cupcakes, reindeer Rolo pretzels and Christmas marshmallow pops.
With a festive cocktail: Try these cute Santa hat cocktails or perhaps some Grinch green hot chocolate.
How to Store Nutellotti – Italian Nutella Cookies
Store: Keep them in an airtight container at room temperature. They should last for 4 to 5 days.
Freeze: You can freeze these Christmas cookies for up to 3 months.
Thaw: Defrost at room temperature before serving.
Top Tips
Chill the dough: Chilling makes it easier to shape and helps the cookies hold form while baking.
Don’t overbake: Remove when edges are set to keep them soft.
Use a piping bag: This gives the filling a neat, professional look.
Toast the hazelnuts: For extra depth of flavor, toast them lightly before chopping.
Nutellotti Italian Cookies FAQs
This word simply means “soft Nutella cookies”. Italians love this type of cookie with coffee as a snack or even for breakfast.
Yes, but it will take more effort to incorporate the dough and make the buttercream.
You can, but the filling adds richness and visual appeal.
This sweetened hazelnut chocolate spread is known all over the globe. Nutella is made with whole hazelnuts and is the perfect treat on toast or used to make small cookies. It actually dates back to 1963. This spread was created by an Italian company headed by Pietro Ferrero. He first sold this chocolate spread as a solid block but later it became a spread which is, of course, easier to use than a solid block.
Nutellotti Italian Nutella Cookies Recipe
Nutellotti – Italian Nutella Cookies
Equipment
Ingredients
For the Cookies
- 1 1/2 Cups all-purpose flour, sifted
- 1/2 Cup Nutella
- 2 eggs
- 1 Teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 Teaspoon salt
- hazelnuts, chopped, for topping
For the Filling
- 3 Tablespoons Nutella
- 3 Tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3 Tablespoons powdered sugar
- 1.5 Tablespoons heavy cream
Instructions
- Whip together the Nutella and eggs on medium speed for about 3 minutes.
- Slowly add in half of the sifted flour mixing until combined, then add in the second half.
- Once fully mixed, scrape the sides of the bowl and push all of the dough to the center, cover the dough tightly with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least 25 minutes.
- While the dough is chilling you can preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
- Prepare one or two cookie sheets by lining with parchment paper.
- Once the dough has chilled for at least 25 minutes you can remove it from the fridge.
- Scoop about 1.5 Tablespoons of the dough into your hand and roll into a ball. Place the ball onto the prepared baking sheet, repeat this step until all of the dough has been rolled into balls. Keep the dough balls a few inches away from each other on the sheet, you may need a second cookie sheet.
- Make a deep indentation into the cookie, to do this you could use your thumb, or the end of a rolling pin, or a kitchen utensil. The indentation should be deep but not all the way through, and not too wide (see pictures).
- Bake the cookies at 350 degrees F for about 12 to 15 minutes. The cookies will be slightly soft but will continue to firm while cooling.
- While the cookies are cooling you can decide which filling to use. You can either fill with plain Nutella or you can make a Nutella buttercream. To make the buttercream, add all of the filling ingredients to a bowl and mix with an electric hand mixer or stand mixer for 5 minutes until light and fluffy.
- Add your choice of filling (Nutella or Nutella Buttercream) to a pastry bag fitted with a star shaped piping tip.
- Once the cookies are completely cooled, pipe the filling into the indentation, swirling as you go up. Sprinkle the top with chopped hazelnuts.
Notes
Don’t overbake: Remove when edges are set to keep them soft.
Use a piping bag: This gives the filling a neat, professional look.
Toast the hazelnuts: For extra depth of flavor, toast them lightly before chopping.
Nutrition
Nutellotti – Italian Nutella cookies are a beautiful blend of soft texture, rich filling and a nutty finish. Whether you serve them at a holiday gathering, pack them in a festive tin or enjoy them with a hot drink, they’re sure to please. These easy cookies are just the thing when you want something that looks fancy but doesn’t take much effort. Add them to your recipe box and make them part of your regular baking routine.
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Bella Bucchiotti
Bella Bucchiotti is a Canadian-based syndicated food, travel, and lifestyle writer, photographer, and creator at xoxoBella. She founded xoxoBella in 2015, where she shares her love for food, dogs, sustainability, fitness, crafts, outdoor adventures, travel, and philanthropy to encourage others to run the extra mile, try new recipes, visit unfamiliar places, and stand for a cause. Bella creates stress-free and family-friendly recipes for weeknight dinners and festive feasts.
These Nutella cookies were perfect! The creamy topping made them irresistible.
This recipe is such a wonderful treat. I loved every bite of it!
how to make Nutella butter cream? Thank you.
You can either use straight Nutella for the filling or make Nutella buttercream. The ingredients and instructions for the buttercream are in the recipe.
Nutella doesn’t keep for very long in this house but next time I’ll buy a big pot of it and make these!
oh my! I need to make these!