Nutella Thumbprint Cookies are chocolate hazelnut all the way. With a chocolate-hazelnut biscuit base topped with chocolate-hazelnut spread, they are light and crisp & easy to make. Gluten free. Optional dairy free.
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Nutella Thumbprint Cookies – chocolate hazelnut all the way
Nutella Thumbprint Cookies come in many forms. Searching the internet however, few are truly rooted in the Nutella flavour combo of chocolate and hazelnut. A little dollop of Nutella on the top seems to be the norm. Fine for some… but when I make a Nutella thumbprint cookie, it needs to be chocolate-hazelnut all the way.
That doesn’t mean that Nutella has to be the main ingredient (that would possibly be a little too sickly)… But it does mean that the cookies should be a chocolate back-drop, packed full of hazelnuts. And that my lovely readers is what I am giving you in this post. In addition to having a soft, melty dose of Nutella pooled in the middle of each cookie, the famous hazelnut-chocolate flavour combo inspires the whole recipe.
A brief history of Nutella
Did you know that every February the world celebrates Nutella? Apparently, it is so iconic that it has its own ‘day’… World Nutella Day!
Love it or hate it, there is nothing that quite matches the chocolate-hazelnut stickiness on the roof of your mouth, or the creamy melty distinctly-flavoured experience that is eating Nutella. Some of us were pretty much raised on the stuff… It has been around a long time.
Key dates
A little trip through the history of Nutella, tells us that
- It was first ‘discovered’ in 1946 as a way to make cocoa go further following World War 2. An Italian pastry maker made a hazelnut paste which was added to a small amount of rare cocoa to serve with bread.
- By 1951, this clever discovery had started to develop into Nutella as we know it. Although still without its trade mark name, the chocolate-hazelnut mix had become more creamy and spreadable.
- By 1965 it was being served up in the distinctive jars that we know and love. It was also spreading rapidly across Europe, developing an ever-growing fan club as it went.
- 1977 saw it reach Australian shores. From here, it moved into global success…
- By 2009, Nutella was available in over 150 countries.
- Sadly, in 2017, Nutella changed its recipe on the quiet. This unsurprisingly angered its many fans. Adding more skimmed milk powder, the new version of Nutella also had less cocoa, more sugar and slightly less fat. This revelation (along with the scary amount of palm oil used in their recipe) prompted me to make my own healthier home-made chocolate hazelnut spread (which you may prefer to use for the Nutella Thumbprint Cookies recipe).
Chocolate Nutella Cookies to use up egg whites
Development of my recipe for Nutella Thumbprint Cookies was originally motivated by the need to use up some egg whites that were languishing in the fridge. Thus, the base of these cookies is made using a meringue-type mixture, which when baked, is amazingly crisp and light.
Let’s face it, we all need a few recipes that use up excess egg whites… I have no idea where they all come from, but there always seem to be a couple looking to be used. These chocolate hazelnut cookies make a delicious change from the usual egg-white options of meringues and macaron. Although we also have plenty of other unusual egg white recipes on Gluten Free Alchemist. Favourites include proper white Angel Food Cake (adored at Christmas), a trio of Nutty Cookie Bites, some particularly divine Chocolate Espresso Puddle Cookies, our Soft Italian Amaretti Cookies and delightful Orange & Raspberry Friands. Or try Lemon and Blueberry Friands instead!
Hazelnut tips for Nutella Thumbprint Cookies
If you can, it’s definitely worth grinding your own hazelnuts to make Nutella Thumbprint Cookies. Home-ground nuts are much fresher, more intense as a result and loads cheaper than buying them ready ground.
Buy a big bag from one of the many health or wholefood stores like Buy Wholefoods On-Line and grind them by weight as you need them. Just be careful not to over-grind or you will end up with hazelnut butter… Wonderful though it is, it won’t work for these cookies. But if you do grind too far, you can always make some yummy chocolate & hazelnut butter cookies instead.
Can I make Nutella Thumbprint Cookies Dairy Free?
Absolutely yes! If you can’t eat Nutella because you have to avoid dairy, just substitute the filling for a spread that you can eat… Or make your own chocolate hazelnut spread using dairy free or plain chocolate. Other than the Nutella, this recipe for Nutella Thumbprint Cookies is completely dairy free.
I’m not gluten free. Can I make these cookie with ‘normal’ flour?
Yes. You can do this too. The amount of flour used is so minimal, it really doesn’t matter what type you use. Just make sure it is mild in flavour so that it doesn’t interfere with the depth flavour of chocolate hazelnut.
Made Nutella Thumbprint Cookies?
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Other Nutella Recipes on the blog…
Nutella Thumbprint Cookies
Key equipment
- Oven
Ingredients
- 1 large egg white UK large
- 100 g soft light brown sugar or golden caster sugar if preferred
- 2 tbsp cocoa powder
- ¼ tsp fine sea salt
- 150 g skinned ground hazelnuts (grind to a coarse grain)
- 1 tbsp plain flour gluten free as needed
- 3 tbsp Nutella (or alternative chocolate hazelnut spread) approx amount (DF if required)
- 2 tbsp chopped roasted hazelnuts to decorate
Instructions
- Line 2 baking sheets with baking paper.
- Pre-heat the oven to 180C /350 F/Gas 4.
- In a large bowl, whisk the egg white with the sugar until very thick and pale.
- Add the cocoa and salt and whisk again.
- Fold in the ground hazelnuts and flour. You should now have a thick, sticky dough-paste.
- Scoop the dough into small, even, rounded piles on the baking sheet, leaving a gap between each, or roll into small even balls with your hands.
- Press a good indent into the centre of each ball using your thumb or fingers.
- Fill each indent with a small spoonful of Nutella and sprinkle with chopped hazelnuts.
- Bake for 15 to 18 minutes until the outer case is dry and crisp.
- Turn off the oven and open the door to cool slightly for a minute.
- For the crispest biscuits, leave them in the oven and allow to cool with the cooling of the oven.
- When they have cooled enough to feel crisp underneath, remove from the oven and transfer to a wire rack.
Notes
Nutrition
© 2019-2023 Kate Dowse All Rights Reserved – Do not copy or re-publish this recipe or any part of this recipe on any other blog, on social media or in a publication without the express permission of Gluten Free Alchemist
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Thank you for sharing at #OverTheMoon. Pinned and shared. Have a lovely week. I hope to see you at next week’s party too! Please stay safe and healthy. Come party with us at Over The Moon! Catapult your content Over The Moon! @marilyn_lesniak @EclecticRedBarn
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Thanks Marilyn. You’re welcome x
Simple and delicious – my fave kind of baking!
Mine too, Chloe! Thank you x
These look fantastic! Adding them to my must bake list!
Thank you Tera. You’re welcome x
Anything nutella goes down well with my kids. A must bake!
Thanks Beth. Enjoy xxx
Yummy! Pass us over a few, will you?! These sound so incredibly moreish! Thank you for sharing with the No Waste Food Challenge and Credit Crunch Munch!
You're welcome Elizabeth. They were very very moreish….. next time I make them I'll send some on!
These look and sound amazing!
They are! x
These look gorgeous – I love nutella but I think I lost a bit of respect for it after I saw how little hazelnuts it actually includes – not that this stops me drooling over all the wonderful nutella recipes on World Nutella Day and bookmarking recipes like yours for moments when I buy Nutella in moments of temptation
Thanks Johanna. That's why these cookies are so great. The biscuits are made with more hazelnut than chocolate, so you get a double 'Nutella' whammy!
Yum i love hazelnut, these sound delicious. Thanks for sharing.
Simon
Thanks. You're welcome
Ooh yes Kate, what glorious biscuits. Egg whites always seem to give such good results and I adore hazelnuts. I always grind my own and didn't realise you could buy ready ground ones. They look really cute too.
Thanks Choclette. Glorious, but sadly now all gone! Ready ground hazelnuts cost a ridiculous amount of money and it is definitely better to grind them yourself. We grind pretty much anything we get our hands on in this house!
I am completely addicted to Nutella. It is like food crack – I really can't have a jar in the house but I may make an exception for these fantastic cookies… I want one so badly! #CookBlogShare
'Food crack' is a good description. If I give into the temptation of spooning straight out of the jar……. then it's a seriously slippery slope….. These cookies were worth the risk!
This is wonderful! I wish I could pop one in my mouth! Nutella is just so impossible to resist. I really like your treats!
Thank you Alida. Nutella is way to moreish! I could happily eat it out of the jar (or should I say….. I love eating it happily out of the jar).
I am drooling – send them over this way please!
Thanks CC. They're 'virtually' on their way!
These look amazing. I've seen this recipe twice today which must mean I too am obliged to make them!! Happy Nutella Day!!
Definitely an obligation now Dom! Let me know what you think!!!
Happy Nutella Day too! Isnt' it great that there is a day dedicated to Nutella? I love the sound of these cookies – I could just eat them off my screen!! x
Thanks Ros….. maybe every day should be dedicated to Nutella?!
That is just pure evil!!! They look utterly incredible and I want one now! You are very on the ball with your recipes!!!!
Ha! If evil tastes that good….. I'm going to hell! Thank you for your kind comments Vicki….. Knowing my efforts are understood means a lot coming from you!
These look absolutely delicious, we can't get enough of Nutella in our house! They'd be a great entry to #creditcrunchmunch too:-)
Thanks Camilla! Yes….. Not sure how I missed that…. I'll link up tomorrow x