These Nutella Filled Vanilla Cookies pair a tender, buttery vanilla cookie with a creamy chocolate-hazelnut center — a perfect finish to a meal or a satisfying snack any time of day.
The recipe comes from Jess of Inquiring Chef, a talented Kansas City-based blogger whose culinary background includes time cooking and living in Bangkok. Her site blends global flavors and approachable recipes, and it’s easy to get inspired by her photography and storytelling.
Fresh from the oven!
I was drawn to Jess’s recipes while searching for a chocolate treat to feature for the Secret Recipe Club. Her site is full of tempting dishes, and I appreciated how adaptable this cookie concept is. The idea of enclosing a soft cookie around a small, indulgent filling is endlessly versatile.
Beyond Nutella, you can experiment with many fillings: semisweet or white chocolate chips, butterscotch, cinnamon chips for snickerdoodle-style cookies, a small nugget of ganache, or even toffee bits for added crunch. All are worth trying in future batches.
Since switching to gluten-free baking, I weigh my flours, which makes it easy to swap a gluten-free blend. If you’re new to gluten-free baking, a kitchen scale is an excellent investment — it simplifies measurements and improves consistency.
I didn’t have chocolate sprinkles on hand, so I finished the cookies with coarse sugar. It gives a pleasant crunch and enhances the sweetness; you could also roll the dough in sugar before baking for added texture.
For a playful party idea, bake several batches with different fillings and use distinct toppings to mark them: chocolate sprinkles for chocolate-filled, pink sugar for white chocolate, or a hazelnut for Nutella. Unmarked, they make fun “mystery” cookies for kids and adults alike.
I used a mix of white and brown sugar to give the cookies a touch more moisture, which helps gluten-free dough stay soft. The result was golden, tender cookies with a light crunch from the coarse sugar. The dough was irresistible — I had to fight the urge to nibble before baking!
I hope you try these Nutella Filled Vanilla Cookies and enjoy them as much as we did. They’re simple to make and make a wonderful homemade treat.
Did you try the recipe? Please share your feedback in the comments — I love hearing from readers!
Key Ingredients for Nutella Filled Vanilla Cookies:
- Nutella and coconut oil for the filling; use either gluten-free all-purpose flour or regular all-purpose flour for the cookies
- Baking soda, salt, unsalted butter, granulated (and optional brown) sugar, egg, and vanilla
PRO Tip:
To pipe or portion fillings without a pastry bag, fill a resealable plastic bag, press the mixture into one corner, seal, then snip the corner and squeeze. It’s a quick, low-mess method.
How to make Nutella Filled Vanilla Cookies:
- Prepare the Nutella chips: Chill a small, parchment-lined sheet pan. Whisk Nutella and coconut oil together, transfer to a resealable bag, press into a corner and refrigerate until slightly firm.
- Cut the corner and pipe 24 thumbnail-sized dots onto the chilled parchment. Freeze for about 30–45 minutes until solid.
- Make the cookie dough: Whisk flour, baking soda, and salt. Cream butter and sugar until light, add the egg and vanilla, then mix in the dry ingredients just until combined. Portion into 24 balls.
- Flatten each ball into a disk. Place a chilled Nutella chip on half of the disks, then quickly wrap each chip with another disk of dough to form sealed balls. Roll gently to smooth seams. Sprinkle tops with coarse sugar or other toppings if desired.
- Bake: Arrange cookies 3 inches apart on a parchment-lined sheet and bake in a 350°F oven for about 10 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through. Remove when edges are just golden; don’t overbake. Cool on the sheet for a few minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely.
- Form and fill the next batch of cookies while the first batch bakes, refrigerating assembled cookies briefly if needed to keep the filling firm.
PRO Tip:
Arrange and fill the dough on a sheet of parchment so you can slide it onto the baking sheet; this keeps the process efficient while batches bake and cool.
PRO Tip:
For visual guidance, Jess’s original post includes helpful process photos that clearly show each step.
Recommended Tools:
- Mixing bowls
- Kitchen scale (especially useful for gluten-free baking)
- Measuring spoons and a cookie scoop
- Baking sheets and parchment paper or silicone liners
- Stand mixer or hand mixer
Gluten-Free Tips:
If converting this recipe to gluten-free, a reliable guideline is 120 grams per cup when using a homemade gluten-free flour blend. For commercial blends, measure by weight or follow the manufacturer’s recommendations. Popular commercial options include Pamela’s, Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1, and King Arthur Measure for Measure; each produces slightly different results, so weigh and note the weight per cup for the blend you use.
Nutella Filled Vanilla Cookies (Gluten Free)
Today’s Nutella Filled Vanilla Cookies are a delightful combination of soft cookie and indulgent chocolate-hazelnut filling, just what you want at the end of a meal or when you are looking for the perfect snack.
25 minutes
10 minutes
20 minutes
55 minutes
Ingredients
Nutella Chips
- 1/2 cup (220 g) Nutella
- 3 tsp pure coconut oil, melted and cooled
Cookies
- 2 cups (240 g) all-purpose flour or gluten-free all-purpose flour blend
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt (omit if using salted butter)
- 10 tbsp (141 g) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar (or 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar + 1/2 cup (100 g) brown sugar)
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
Toppings
- Chocolate jimmies, coarse sugar, crushed nuts, or sprinkles, optional
Instructions
- Prepare Nutella Chips: Line a small baking sheet with parchment or a Silpat and chill it while making the Nutella mixture.
- Whisk Nutella and coconut oil in a small bowl. Transfer to a resealable plastic bag, press into one corner, and refrigerate 15–20 minutes to firm slightly.
- Cut the bag corner and pipe 24 thumbnail-sized dots onto the chilled parchment. Freeze for 30–45 minutes until firm.
- Preheat oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Make the cookie dough: Combine flour, baking soda, and salt in a bowl and whisk to blend. Set aside.
- Beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy, add egg and vanilla, then stir in the dry ingredients just until combined.
- Portion dough into 24 pieces with a small scoop and flatten each into a disk. Place a Nutella chip on half the disks, then seal with the remaining disks to form balls.
- Place dough balls 3 inches apart on the prepared sheet and sprinkle with sugar or desired topping.
- Bake: Bake 5 minutes, rotate the pan, then bake about 5 minutes more until edges are lightly golden. Avoid overbaking.
- Cool cookies on the baking sheet for 3 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely.
- Assemble the next batch on a chilled sheet while the first batch bakes, refrigerating filled cookies if they soften too much before baking.
- Variation: No Nutella? Combine regular chocolate chips with peanut butter chips, or chop peanut butter cups for a different twist.
Recipe adapted from The Heritage Cook
Notes
You can adjust recipes to gluten-free by using 120 grams per cup when using a homemade gluten-free flour blend. For other blends, weigh a cup of the specific mix to determine the grams per cup you should use. Commercial blends such as Pamela’s, Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1, and King Arthur Measure for Measure work well for many recipes.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
24
Serving Size:
1
Amount Per Serving:
Calories: 101Total Fat: 6gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 21mgSodium: 119mgCarbohydrates: 9gFiber: 0gSugar: 1gProtein: 2g
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Welcome! The suggestions here are not intended as medical advice. Unauthorized use or duplication of material without permission is prohibited. This post was first shared in Mar 2013 and updated in 2022.