Nutella Thumbprint Cookies

5 from 2 votes

Nutella Thumbprint Cookies

Meet your new holiday baking obsession - Nutella Thumbprint Cookies! These cookies feature a soft, brownie-like textured chocolate cookie filled with creamy Nutella. The secret to their amazing texture? A touch of cream cheese in the dough makes them perfectly tender and helps them keep their shape. One bite of these decadent cookies, and you'll be adding them to your permanent rotation!

Prep Time30

Cook Time17

Chilling & cooling time1

Total Time1 47

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Diet: Vegetarian

Servings: -24 cookies

Calories: 176kcal

Author: Briana

Equipment

oven thermometer
food scale
medium cookie scoop #40 2 tablespoon size

Ingredients

Chocolate thumbprint cookies

1 ½ cups all purpose flour 204g
½ cup Dutch process cocoa powder 40g
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon espresso powder optional
½ cup unsalted butter softened (1 stick)
½ cup dark brown sugar 100g
½ cup granulated sugar 100g
2 ounces cream cheese softened (don't skip - this will help the cookies hold their shape!)
2 large egg yolks room temperature
1 tablespoon vanilla extract 15 ml

For filling the cookies

11-12 tablespoons Nutella for filling the cookies, about ½ tablespoon (or 8-9g of Nutella) per cookie
½ tablespoon chopped hazelnuts for topping the cookies, optional (about 8g)

Instructions

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, salt, and optional espresso powder.
1 ½ cups all purpose flour, ½ cup Dutch process cocoa powder, 1 teaspoon espresso powder, 1 teaspoon kosher salt
In a separate large bowl, beat together the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar with a mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes.
½ cup unsalted butter, ½ cup dark brown sugar, ½ cup granulated sugar
Beat in the cream cheese, followed by the egg yolks and vanilla, mixing well and scraping down the bowl as needed. Reduce the mixer speed to low and sift in the flour mixture, switching to a rubber spatula about halfway through to avoid overmixing.
2 ounces cream cheese, 2 large egg yolks, 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Scoop the dough into 22-24 portions using a cookie scoop, then, using your hands, roll the cookie dough into smooth balls.
Using your thumb or a ¼-teaspoon size measuring spoon, make a small indentation in the center of each dough ball, pressing about three-quarters of the way down (do not press all the way to the baking sheet). Refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour, or, freeze for even quicker and more reliable results!
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Bake the cookies, rotating the pans halfway through, until the centers have puffed up slightly and the edges are set, 15 to 17 minutes. Using the back of a small measuring spoon, gently press the centers of the cookies to indent them again.
Let cool 5 minutes on the baking sheets, then move the cookies to a rack to cool completely.
Using a piping bag, a Ziploc bag, or just a spoon, fill the center of each cookie with about ½ a tablespoon of Nutella. Sprinkle the filling with crushed hazelnuts if desired. Enjoy!
11-12 tablespoons Nutella, ½ tablespoon chopped hazelnuts
Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. Use parchment paper between the layers to prevent sticking.

Notes

Use a kitchen scale for best results. Using a kitchen scale makes all the difference for accurate measurements, so you don't end up with too much flour in the cookie dough!

Don't skip the cream cheese. It's crucial for maintaining the cookies' shape, and giving them a fudgy texture!

Make sure your butter and cream cheese are properly softened so that the cream together properly.

Avoid overmixing the dough once you add the dry ingredients, or your cookies can become dense and tough.

Freeze the shaped cookies for more reliable results and better shape retention when they bake. At the very least, be sure to give them ample time to chill in the fridge. We like freezing because it gives us more reliable results.

Re-indent the cookies while they're still warm for perfect Nutella wells!

Let the cookies cool completely before filling to prevent the Nutella from melting.

Use an oven thermometer. Some ovens run hotter or cooler than the temperature dial states. We love using an oven thermometer to verify the actual temperature.

Nutrition