Hazelnut cookies are soft, chewy and buttery cookies made with homemade roasted hazelnut butter. Add sweet milk chocolate chips or chunks to these rich hazelnut butter cookies for a delightfully nutty and easy to make cookie.
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Why Should You Make This Recipe
I love baking with nuts and nut butter. The extra depth of flavor and moisture from the nuts makes everything more delicious. My Peanut Butter Cup Cookies, Nutella Cookies, Hazelnut Butter Blossoms, Coconut Pecan Cookies and Chocolate Chip Pecan Cookies are a few nut cookie recipes I love making from the blog. I am so excited to add these rich a nutty hazelnut butter cookies. I know you’ll love them too because:
- You love nutty cookies. The nutty richness and extra fat from the homemade hazelnut butter combined with the milk chocolate makes these cookies the wonderfully tender with layers of flavor.
- Quick and easy to make. These hazelnut chocolate chip cookies are as easy to make as any drop cookie. Simply make the hazelnut butter, mix the ingredients together, scoop and bake.
Ingredients
This recipe for hazelnut and chocolate cookies requires only a handful of simple ingredients to make and you probably already have them in your pantry and fridge. Here’s what you’ll need.
- Dry Ingredients: Gather all purpose flour, baking soda and salt.
- Wet Ingredients: Gather hazelnut butter, unsalted butter, light brown sugar, granulated sugar, egg and egg yolk, vanilla extract and milk chocolate chips.
Substitutions
These hazelnut butter cookies are as easy to make as they are delicious. Here are my recommended substitutions to make these chewy cookies with chocolate and cream cheese if you need them.
- All purpose flour: Make these cookies gluten free by using a good 1-1 gluten free flour. I recommend using the one from Bob’s Red Mill. Measure the flour based off weight (220 g) rather than cup for cup.
- Baking Soda: This recipe has not been tested using only baking soda as an alternative.
- Granulated Sugar and Light Brown Sugar: Maple sugar would also work well to make these cookies with hazelnuts and chocolate chip refined sugar free.
- Hazelnuts: Feel free to use store bought or homemade hazelnut butter. However, make sure to use hazelnut butter with only hazelnuts listed in the ingredient list.
- Unsalted Butter: Salted butter can be used, just make sure to omit the added salt.
- Egg and Egg Yolk: This recipe has not been tested without eggs yolks. The extra yolk gives these cookies extra richness and chewiness.
- Vanilla Extract: This is more for background flavor and nicely enhances the flavors of the other ingredients.
- Milk Chocolate Chips: Feel free to use milk chocolate chips or bars. If you prefer, use semi sweet or dark chocolate.
Variation
Chocolate Dipped Hazelnut Cookies: Prepare the hazelnut cookie recipe as written. Instead of mixing in chocolate chips, omit them from the dough and melt them in a microwave safe bowl along with ½ teaspoon coconut oil (for extra glossy shine). Once the cookies have cooled completely after baking, drizzle the melted chocolate on top of or dip the cookies in the melted chocolate.
How To Make
Learn how to make hazelnut cookies in a few easy steps.
- Line a small baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the hazelnuts on the baking sheet and roast at 350 F (177 C) for 10 minutes. Allow the hazelnuts to cool to warm before grinding them into a paste. Once cooled slightly, transfer the roasted hazelnuts into a food processor. Grind the hazelnuts into a paste. Measure out ½ cup hazelnut butter. In a small microwave safe bowl, place tablespoon sized pieces of butter. Heat the butter for 30 - 40 seconds or until the butter has melted with some partially melted pieces floating in the melted butter.
- In a mixing bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt until well combined. Set aside for now.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream together the partially melted butter with the light brown sugar and granulated sugars on medium speed for 2 - 3 minutes or until the butter and sugars are well combined. On low, cream in the hazelnut butter, egg, egg yolk and vanilla extract until smooth and well combined. Mix the dry ingredients into the wet until just combined. Gently fold in the milk chocolate chips or chopped chocolate until combined. Cover the cookie dough and transfer to the fridge to chill for 1 - 2 hours.
4. Preheat the oven to 375 F (190 C) for about 30 minutes before baking the cookies. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Using a medium cookie scoop (2 tablespoons, 30 ml), scoop the hazelnut butter cookie dough into balls and place them onto the lined baking sheet about 3 inches (8 cm) apart. Top with more chocolate if you like. Bake for 10 - 12 minutes until the edges are lightly golden brown and tops of the cookies are set. The cookies may still look a bit pale on top. Reshape any cookies using a biscuit or cookie cutter slightly wider than the cookie. In a circular motion, gently nudge the edges back into a round shape. Cool the chocolate hazelnut cookies on the baking sheet for 5 minutes. Then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely to room temperature and enjoy.
How To Make Ahead, Store, Freeze and Thaw
- Make Ahead: Prepare the hazelnut with chocolate chip cookie dough to the chilling step. Store the cookie dough covered in the fridge for up to 2 days. For longer cookie dough storage, transfer to the freezer.
- Store: Place the baked hazelnut cookies in an airtight container. Store at room temperature for up to one week.
- Freeze Baked Cookies: Make sure the cookies are completely cooled to room temperature. Individually wrap each cookie in plastic wrap and place in a ziplock bag. Store in the freezer for up to 2 months.
- Freeze Cookie Dough: Scoop the cookie dough into balls and place on a lined baking sheet or large plate. Flash freeze in the freezer for 20 minutes. Remove the cookie dough balls and transfer to an air tight, freezer safe container for up to 2 months. Thaw the cookie dough in the fridge overnight or bake from frozen. The cookies will take a few minutes longer if baking from frozen.
- Thaw: The easiest and tastiest way to thaw the baked chocolate chip cookies with cream cheese is to let them sit out at room temperature until thawed. Warm the thawed cookies in the microwave for 15 - 20 seconds for a “fresh from the oven” taste.
M’s Expert Tips
- Roast the hazelnuts. To bring out the most flavor from the hazelnuts, it’s important to roast them. Allow the hazelnuts to cool slightly before grinding them into a paste.
- Measure the flour properly. I highly recommend using a food scale to get perfectly measured ingredients every time.
- Don’t overmix the batter. Always use the lowest speed on your electric mixer or mix in the dry ingredients by hand. Make sure to mix the dry ingredients into the wet until just combined.
- Slightly under-bake the cookies. For cookies that are soft for days, the secret is to bake them until the edges are set and top are set.
- Give your cookies a “cookie scoot.” Within the first minute of removing the cookies from the oven, use a large biscuit cutter (wider than the cookies) to help shape any cookies back into a more round shape. Place the cutter over the cookies so the edges of the cookie are inside the cookie/ biscuit cutter. In a circular motion, gently nudge the edges back into a round shape.
FAQs
Yes, this recipe for hazelnut chocolate chip cookies needs to be chilled. Chilling the dough allows the flour to hydrate and prevent the cookies from spreading too much.
Raw hazelnuts can be used, however roasting the hazelnuts makes them even more delicious and the flavor more pronounced. Make sure to allow the roasted hazelnuts to cool before baking the hazelnut butter.
I find that a medium cookie scoop, with about 2 tablespoons of cookie dough makes the perfect cookie. However, you can make a small (1 tablespoon) cookie if you like. Bake this size cookie for about 8 - 10 minutes. For a larger cookie, use a large cookie scoop (3 tablespoons, 45 ml) and bake for 12 - 14 minutes.
They taste just like a classic chocolate cookie with a balanced hazelnut flavor.
Other Hazelnut Recipes to Try
If you try this Hazelnut Cookies recipe please rate the recipe and leave a comment below. Doing so helps other readers decide if this is a great recipe to bake. Don’t forget to tag me on Instagram using @olivesnthyme so I can see what you’re baking! - M
Hazelnut Cookies Recipe
Equipment
- 1 small sheet pan (for roasting hazelnuts)
- 1 food processor (to make the hazelnut butter)
- 2 baking sheets
- 2 sheets parchment paper
- 1 stand mixer with paddle attachment or electric hand mixer with beaters
- 1 medium (2 tablespoon, 30 ml) cookie scoop
Ingredients
- 1 cup whole hazelnuts
- 1¾ cup (210 g) all purpose flour
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter
- ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (100 g) light brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 large egg yolk
- 2 teaspoons (10 ml) vanilla extract
- 1 cup (170 g) milk chocolate chips or chopped milk chocolate
Instructions
- Line a small baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the hazelnuts on the baking sheet and roast at 350 F (177 C) for 10 minutes. Allow the hazelnuts to cool to warm before grinding them into a paste. Once cooled slightly, transfer the roasted hazelnuts into a food processor. Grind the hazelnuts into a paste. Measure out ½ cup hazelnut butter. In a small microwave safe bowl, place tablespoon sized pieces of butter.1 cup whole hazelnuts
- Heat the butter for 30 - 40 seconds or until the butter has melted with some partially melted pieces floating in the melted butter.½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter
- In a mixing bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt until well combined. Set aside for now.1¾ cup (210 g) all purpose flour, ¾ teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon salt
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream together the partially melted butter with the light brown sugar and granulated sugars on medium speed for 2 - 3 minutes or until the butter and sugars are well combined.½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar, ½ cup (100 g) light brown sugar
- On low, cream in the hazelnut butter, egg, egg yolk and vanilla extract until smooth and well combined. Mix the dry ingredients into the wet until just combined.Gently fold in the milk chocolate chips or chopped chocolate until combined. Cover the cookie dough and transfer to the fridge to chill for 1 - 2 hours.1 large egg, 1 large egg yolk, 2 teaspoons (10 ml) vanilla extract, 1 cup (170 g) milk chocolate chips or chopped milk chocolate
- Preheat the oven to 375 F (190 C) for about 30 minutes before baking the cookies. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Using a medium cookie scoop (2 tablespoons, 30 ml), scoop the hazelnut butter cookie dough into balls and place them onto the lined baking sheet about 3 inches (8 cm) apart. Top with more chocolate if you like.
- Bake for 10 - 12 minutes until the edges are lightly golden brown and tops of the cookies are set. The cookies may still look a bit pale on top. Reshape any cookies using a biscuit or cookie cutter slightly wider than the cookie. In a circular motion, gently nudge the edges back into a round shape. Cool the chocolate hazelnut cookies on the baking sheet for 5 minutes. Then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely to room temperature and enjoy.
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