Sweet and Salty Chewy and Nutty Nutella Chocolate Chip Cookies

Fans of chewy chocolate chip cookies will love these cookies that are streaked with Nutella, studded with toasted hazelnuts and topped with flaky sea salt. You’ll also find a magic ingredient that you have in your pantry to create chewy cookies and prevent them from spreading.

Calling all chocolate chip cookie fans, satisfy your inner chocoholic

with a soft and chewy Nutella Chocolate Chip Cookie!

This cookie recipe leapt from the pages and was adapted from

Wild Sugar: Seasonal Sweet Treats Inspired by the Mountain West.

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When I was reading the ingredient list for these cookies, I did a double take when I saw cornstarch

listed and discovered a new-to-me baking tip:

Cornstarch does more than just thicken sauces and fruit pies, it also

 works a little magic and makes your cookies soft and chewy

while preventing them from spreading too much!

You can read more about the science and baking with cornstarch from Bob’s Red Mill, HERE.

Here are the ingredients you’ll need to bake up a batch of Chewy Nutella Chocolate Chip Cookies:

3 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons cornstarch

1 ¼ teaspoons baking soda

¼ teaspoon fresh grated nutmeg

¾ teaspoon kosher salt

¾ cup unsalted butter, room temperature

¾ cup packed light brown sugar

½ cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs, room temperature

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

½ cup Nutella

1 cup high quality dark chocolate chips (I used Ghirardelli Bittersweet Chocolate Chips) + more for tops of cookies if desired

½ cup toasted chopped hazelnuts + more for tops of cookies if desired

Flaked Sea Salt

Method:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, baking soda, nutmeg and salt. Set aside.

In bowl of electric mixer, cream together butter and sugars on medium-high speed until light and fluffly, about 3 minutes.

Add eggs, 1 at a time and vanilla extract; mixing well after each addition. Scrape down bowl.

With mixer on low speed, slowly add dry ingredients. Mix until combined.

Add Nutella by spoonful until just incorporated so it’s streaked through dough and not fully blended in.

With rubber spatula, stir in chocolate chips and hazelnuts, trying to maintain streaks of Nutella. Dough will be stiff.

Don’t stress if your Nutella gets really mixed in, your cookies will still taste great.

Portion out dough using a 2 tablespoon (#40) cookie scoop,

and drop dough onto prepared baking sheets, about 2 inches apart.

Press down on top of cookie dough to flatten slightly before baking.

Note: I experimented baking one sheet of the cookies without flattening. The slightly flattened cookies had the best texture and more uniform appearance.

Bake 12 – 14 minutes until cookies are lightly browned on edges.

Remove from oven and immediately sprinkle tops with flaky sea salt and stud with additional chocolate chips

and / or nuts while cookies are warm, if desired.

Allow cookies to cool for 10 minutes on baking sheet before transferring to wire rack to cool completely.

Store in airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.

Baking tips for better cookies:

🍪 Wait for the oven to fully preheat before baking. Cookies will spread too much if the oven isn’t hot enough for the dough to set when it should.

🍪 Ovens can vary by 50 degrees higher or lower than the desired temperature. Use an inexpensive oven thermometer to get the most accurate reading.

🍪 When measuring flour, use the ‘spoon & sweep’ method: Use a spoon to fill measuring cup with flour to overflowing, then sweep with knife edge to level. Scooping the measuring cup directly into flour bag will yield a heavier cup and the larger amount can negatively affect your recipes.

🍪 It may seem obvious, but use a timer. Cookies can go from gooey to burnt in less than 2 minutes.

🍪 Cool your cookie sheet between batches to prevent the dreaded ‘cookie blob’. If you reuse your cookie straight from the oven, its high heat will cause the dough to spread and the cookies to fuse together.

Print Recipe

Nutella Chocolate Chip Cookies with Hazelnuts and Sea Salt

Fans of chewy chocolate chip cookies will love these Chocolate Chip Cookies that are streaked with Nutella, studded with crunchy toasted hazelnuts and topped with flaky sea salt.

Prep Time20 minutes mins

Cook Time15 minutes mins

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: chewy chocolate chip cookies, flaky sea salt, hazelnuts, Nutella, Wild Sugar cookbook recipe

Servings: 24 cookies

Equipment

• mixer
• #40 (2 tablespoon) cookie scoop

Ingredients

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1 ¼ teaspoons baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon fresh grated nutmeg
• ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
• ¾ cup unsalted butter room temperature
• ¾ cup packed light brown sugar
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs room temperature
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• ½ cup Nutella
• 1 cup high quality dark chocolate chips + more for tops of cookies if desired I used Ghirardelli Bittersweet Chocolate Chips
• ½ cup toasted chopped hazelnuts + more for tops of cookies if desired
• Flaked sea salt for sprinkling

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, baking soda, nutmeg and salt. Set aside.
• In bowl of electric mixer, cream together butter and sugars on medium-high speed until light and fluffly, about 3 minutes. Add eggs, 1 at a time and vanilla extract; mixing well after each addition. Scrape down bowl.
• With mixer on low speed, slowly add dry ingredients. Mix until combined.
• Add Nutella by spoonful until just incorporated so it’s streaked through dough and not fully blended in. With rubber spatula, stir in chocolate chips and hazelnuts, trying to maintain streaks of Nutella. Dough will be stiff.
• Using a 2 tablespoon (#40) cookie scoop, drop dough onto prepared baking sheets, about 2 inches apart. Press down on top of cookie dough to flatten slightly.
• Bake 12 – 14 minutes until cookies are lightly browned on edges. Remove from oven and immediately sprinkle tops with flaky sea salt and stud with additional chocolate chips /nuts while cookies are warm if desired.
• Allow cookies to cool for 10 minutes on baking sheet before transferring to wire rack to cool completely.
• Store in airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.

Notes

• I got 29 cookies using a 2 tablespoon (#40) cookie scoop.
• Cornstarch is a secret ingredient that makes cookies soft and chewy and prevents them from spreading too much.
• Don't worry if you loose your streaks of Nutella, cookies will still taste great!
• Depending on your oven, the natural oils in the Nutella may cause your cookies to spread. Use a round cookie cutter ring, or coffee mug turned upside down over your warm, unevenly shaped cookie and swirl it around in circle so the ring/cup touches the cookie edges for a few seconds. As the warm cookie edges hit the walls of the cup, it’ll reshape the cookie into a perfect circle. Do this immediately when they come out of the oven while warm. 
• Cool your cookie sheet between batches to prevent the dreaded cookie blob. If you reuse it straight from the oven, its high heat will cause the dough to spread and the cookies to fuse together.
• Ovens can vary by 50 degrees higher or lower than the desired temperature. Use an inexpensive oven thermometer to get the most accurate reading.
• When measuring flour, use the 'spoon & sweep' method: Use a spoon to fill measuring cup with flour to overflowing, then sweep with knife edge to level. Scooping measuring cup directly into flour bag will firmly pack flour resulting in too much flour for recipe.
• To make gluten-free, substitute King Arthur Gluten-Free Measure for Measure Flour for all-purpose flour.

Runnng low on vanilla extract?

Do yourself a favor and make a batch of Homemade Vanilla Extract!

Better than store bought, more affordable and comes together in five minutes.

It’s ready to use in two months, improving as it ages.

The winner of a copy of Wild Sugar is Linda H!

Thanks to all who entered and Gibbs Smith Books for providing a copy of Wild Sugar for my review and giveaway.

Wild Sugar: Seasonal Sweet Treats Inspired by the Mountain West

is available for pre-order and releases February 27th, 2024.

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