Delicious 3 Ingredient Nutella Cookies: Easy as 1-2-3

It was a rainy afternoon, the kind that begs for cozy comforts and sweet treats. The pantry seemed bare, but a forgotten jar of Nutella sat hopeful in the cupboard. With a rumble in my tummy and a flicker of inspiration, I decided to embark on a baking mission. Could I truly whip up a batch of delicious cookies with just 3 ingredients? The answer, my friends, is a resounding yes!

3 Ingredient Nutella Cookies

With only three main ingredients – Nutella, plain flour and egg, these yummy cookies are truly a treat for any sweet tooth. The ease of making them with no expert baking skills required means anyone can enjoy a batch. The recipe card below shares both conventional and Thermomix methods for the simple steps, so cookie lovers can choose their preferred method of mixing it up. 

Baking only takes minutes to result in a delicious and decadent cookies that are sure to satisfy any cravings. To make it even more enjoyable, the cookies can be customized with your choice of toppings like colored sprinkles or chocolate chips, depending on individual taste buds. With such versatility and simplicity, these Nutella cookies are a recipe worth falling for.

What is Nutella & What is Nutella Made Of? 

If you’ve never had Nutella before, I highly suggest you run to the store, and get your hands on a jar! As the main character in this three ingredient cookie recipe, a little background on Nutella will help you understand its appeal. Created in Italy by Ferrero in 1964, the iconic jarred spread is famous worldwide for its rich chocolate and hazelnut flavor that is reminiscent of a sweetened hazelnut butter.

At its core, Nutella is a hazelnut flavored dessert spread made primarily from sugar, hazelnuts, palm oil, cocoa and skimmed milk powder for its creamy texture. Beyond being a versatile and perfect base for these cookies to bake up chewy, soft and crumbly all at once, Nutella is so easy to use that it requires little effort to create yummy treats. While not necessarily a healthy choice, as with any food, it can be enjoyed in moderation as an occasional snack or incorporated into dishes for an amazing ingredient with rich flavor and texture like in this Nutella cookies recipe.

Can I Make my own Nutella at Home? 

Yes, absolutely, you can make your own Nutella at home. I love the idea of a quick and creamy hazelnut spread! To start off, simply roast some hazelnuts for 12–15 minutes to bring out their flavor, then cool and remove the skins by rubbing in a kitchen towel. After that, it’s just a matter of blending everything together for around five minutes to fully liquify the mixture.

All you need to add is cocoa, vanilla, salt, oil, sugar and your roasted hazelnuts. In less than half an hour, you’ll be enjoying a delicious homemade version of the spread using only seven natural ingredients. For those who cannot always find Nutella, or just want to try making it themselves, taking the time to whip up a batch at home is sure to satisfy any craving for the chocolate-hazelnut flavor we all love.

3 Ingredient Nutella Cookies

Recipe by Carmen FoodieCourse: Cakes and CookiesCuisine: American

Servings

14-16

cookies

Prep time

10

minutes

Cooking time

10

minutes

Total time

20

minutes

Creamy, chocolatey goodness in a cookie – that’s what you get with these simple 3 Ingredient Nutella Cookies. 

Ingredients

• 1 cup (5oz/150g) all-purpose flour

• 1 cup (8oz/240g) Nutella

• 1 large egg

Directions

• Start by heating the oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• In a mixing bowl, add the Nutella and egg and whisk together until fully combined.
• Sift over some flour, then use a rubber spatula or large spoon to mix the flour into the wet Nutella-egg mixture until it forms a thicker dough, using your hands at this stage if needed. Be gentle as you bring everything together into a cookie dough, avoiding overmixing.
• Once the dough is properly combined but still sticky, divide into 10–12 balls, rolling each with gentle pressure to eliminate large cracks. Place on the baking sheet spaced about 2 inches apart and flatten slightly with your fingertips or the bottom of a glass.
• Bake for 8–10 minutes until the edges are set, but the middle is still slightly soft.
• Optionally, decorate the warm cookies by microwaving a small amount of Nutella until runny, then spooning it onto the cookies to create a rough striped pattern.
• Allow the cookies to sit on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before enjoying or cooling fully on a wire rack.

What Can I Add to Nutella Cookies?

These 3 ingredient Nutella cookies are about as simple as it gets – just 1, 2, 3 to mix up the dough, roll into balls and bake for under 10 minutes. But while they’re already a perfect way to satisfy any sweet tooth cravings, I love that there’s room to make them your own with add-ins too.

Some ideas to take these cookies to the next level include adding mini chocolate chips, chopped nuts like hazelnuts or pecans, or even creating filled cookies by putting a dollop of peanut butter in the center before baking. You could also turn them into a decadent ice cream sandwich using your favorite flavor. The combinations are endless based on your tastes.

These in particular taste amazing, with a subtle crunch from broken pretzels added to the dough for a great balance of sweet and salty. Drizzling caramel or coconut shavings on top makes for an irresistible add-on, too. Get creative with tweaking the recipe to your choosing – that’s what makes them your cookies!

Read Here: Best Chocolate Mug Cake Recipe

How to Store Nutella Cookies?

For best quality and freshness, once the cookies have fully cooled after coming out of the oven, be sure to place them in an airtight container. Stored at room temperature, they should last up to 3 days. But an awesome trick is that the next day you can pop one or two in the microwave for 10–15 seconds to heat them up and enjoy as good as fresh – the Nutella will go all soft and gooey again inside!

So don’t feel rushed to finish the whole batch immediately. In case you still have leftovers even a few days later, warming them up brings them back to perfect texture. The cookies are also great crumbled over ice cream like a homemade cookie crunch. 

Read Here: Cookie Dough Dip Recipe

Chilling & Freezing Considerations for Nutella Cookies

In general, most cookie recipes do well with freezing the baked cookies or even the unbaked dough for convenience. However, the rule of thumb for 3 ingredient Nutella cookies is they don’t necessarily need freezing or chilling before baking.

While refrigerating the dough for about 30 minutes before baking won’t hurt and can help the spread not be too thin and brown better for a richer chewier texture, it’s not critical. Flour tends to hydrate over a longer chilling time to yield a heartier cookie anyway. 

Freezing baked cookies holds up their shape better at the potential cost of texture, while quick chilling isn’t really required for these since they don’t contain ingredients like butter that can tend to spread more in the oven without it.

So with the simple three-part recipe, you may not feel it’s necessary to refrigerate the dough or finished product at all if time is limited.

Read Here: S’mores Cookie Bar

Tips to Perfect Chewy Nutella Cookies

1. Ensure the Nutella is at room temperature so it’s soft and spreadable. If the oil has separated and floated, mix it in before measuring.
2. Spray the measuring cup with non-stick oil beforehand to help the Nutella release easily instead of sticking everywhere.
3. Use room temperature eggs as well, so the wet ingredients mix easily without hardening the Nutella.
4. Minimize mixing before adding flour – the more you mix or knead, the oilier the dough will become, which makes the cookies slightly greasier and chewier. Just mix until combined.
5. Along those lines, sift the flour to remove lumps for easier mixing into the dough.
6. Use a small cookie scoop to form balls and lightly roll them between your palms to minimize handling, ensuring the dough doesn’t get too oily.
7. Make the biscuits extra special by adding chocolate chips or chopped nuts before baking.

Conclusion

With its minimal ingredients and easy one bowl preparation, this Nutella cookie recipe is truly hard to beat for a soothing sweet treat. The balance of chewy centers and crispy edges will have even the pickiest of eaters satisfied. Whether as an afternoon pick-me-up or sharing with friends, these cookies are sure to spread joy wherever their delicious hazelnut aroma travels. Simple yet decadent, the only thing better than one is having two.

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Can I make the Nutella cookie dough in advance?

Yes, the Nutella cookie dough can be made in advance and stored in the fridge for 1-2 days before baking. This allows the flavors to develop further.

How to store Nutella cookies?

Baked Nutella cookies can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Or freeze them in a freezer bag for 2 months for longer storage.

What can I add to Nutella cookies?

You can add mini chocolate chips, nuts, caramel or coconut for extra flavors and textures in the cookies.

Do I have to chill the cookie dough?

While not required, chilling the dough for 30 minutes before baking helps it maintain its shape better during baking.

Is plain flour the same thing as all purpose flour?

Yes, plain flour and all-purpose flour can be used interchangeably in this recipe.

Can I use homemade Nutella in this Nutella cookies recipe?

Yes, homemade Nutella can absolutely be used in place of store-bought Nutella in this recipe. Just adjust for differences in consistency.

Can I make this recipe gluten free? Is it suitable for Coeliacs?

Yes, you can make this recipe gluten-free by substituting the all-purpose flour with a 1:1 gluten-free baking mix. However, coeliacs must use certified gluten-free ingredients.

Is Nutella gluten-free?

Nutella contains trace amounts of gluten from barley malt. It is not certified gluten-free.

Can I used melted chocolate instead of Nutella? Or another brand of chocolate hazelnut spread?

Other chocolate-hazelnut spreads can work but may give varying textures depending on ingredients. Melted chocolate could make the cookies too runny.

Can I freeze 3-ingredient Nutella cookies?

The cookies can be frozen but it’s best to consume within a month for peak freshness to avoid texture changes.

How can I tell when my 3-ingredient Nutella cookies are done?

They’re done when the outer edges are lightly browned and the centers are still soft. Don’t overbake.