These deeply rich and chewy Chocolate Hazelnut Thumbprint Cookies melt in your mouth and are filled with your favorite chocolate hazelnut spread and packed with crispy hazelnuts!
I have a confession to make. These cookies are not indented using your thumb. I know that’s how they’re originally made but honestly, there are always better and easier ways to make recipes! I used a tablespoon to indent them before filling them with a puddle of hazelnut spread.
While we’re on the topic of hazelnut spread, I would strongly recommend using a good quality hazelnut filling. Try to find one that has less sugar, there are several options in the grocery store and on Amazon.com.
Why you’ll love these thumbprint cookies!
- Chewy – Love a good chewy cookie. I tested out so many recipes and it was like eating crumbly soil. These are the real deal! Texture winner!
- Easy – These cookies are easy to make and are so much fun to put together too!
- SO Chocolatey! – The rich chocolate flavor comes from the combination of cocoa powder and melted chocolate to give these the ultimate hit of choccy goodness!
- Nutty (in the best way!) – these cookies are coated in hazelnuts before being chilled and then filled with your favorite chocolate hazelnut spread!
- Make it your own – Fill these with any filling you like! Even plain melted chocolate is a great option!
- They make an awesome gift! – these are the perfect holiday cookie gift and make a great addition to any cookie box.
How to toast Hazelnuts:
The hazelnuts add such a unique flavor to these cookies. I bought my hazelnuts already skinned, but you can easily skin them at home yourself.
- Roast method: Roast them in an oven at 175C/350F for 15-20 minutes. Then place in a clean tea towel and close it up at each corner. Rub the towel with the nuts inside to remove skins. Continue doing this until skins are removed.
- Blanch method: Alternatively, you can blanch them in boiling water for 15-20 minutes, then drain in a sieve and allow to cool until warm. Use your hands to pop the hazelnuts out of their skins. Place in the oven at 175C/350F for 15-20 minutes until slightly golden.
Take out and allow to cool completely before chopping or adding to a food processor to chop.
Ingredients You Need to Make Chocolate Hazelnut Thumbprint cookies:
Note: the whole recipe, including the ingredient quantities, can be found at the bottom of this page – just scroll down to the bottom, or click the ‘Jump to Recipe’ button at the top of this post.
- Unsalted butter – make sure your butter is soft.
- Caster sugar – also known as superfine sugar is the best sugar to use for these cookies but you can use granulated sugar too.
- Vanilla Extract – Always use good quality vanilla extract when baking, it makes a huge difference.
- Egg yolks – I use the yolks from large eggs. The egg yolks help make these cookies chewy.
- Dark chocolate – use cooking chocolate for this recipe. I melted mine in the microwave for 20 seconds at a time, mixing each time until smooth.
- All-purpose flour – also known as plain flour.
- Cocoa powder – I used regular cocoa powder for these cookies. Make sure you sift it to get rid of lumps.
- Salt – I used fine salt.
- Hazelnuts – I bought my hazelnuts skinless. Toast them in the oven until slightly golden. More info on that at the top of my post.
- Hazelnut Spread – I would advise you guys to use a good quality. Something without palm oil. There are loads on the market as well as on Amazon.com
How to make these delicious cookies!
- Mix dry ingredients together.
- Add butter and sugar to a bowl and beat for 3 minutes
- Add egg yolks and vanilla extract and beat in.
- Next, add melted chocolate and beat.
- Scrape down the bowl and add the dry ingredients. Mix using a spatula until a dough forms.
- Scoop out 22 cookie balls each measuring about 1 1/2 tbsp in volume.
- Coat in chopped toasted hazelnuts.
- Chill in the fridge for 2 hours. Super important!
- Bake for 8 minutes. As soon as the cookies come out of the oven, use a tablespoon with rounded bottom to indent each cookie.
- Use a round cookie cutter to shuffle around the warm cookies.
- Add your hazelnut spread to a piping bag and fill each cookie.
Tips and Tricks For Recipe Success!
- Measure your ingredients by weight using kitchen scales to get the best results. Cup measurements are not the best way to measure out ingredients.
- Chill time is important for these cookies. It helps them bake a little taller and retain a good shape when indented
- Getting round cookies is easy! Use a round cookie cutter to shuffle around the cookies while they’re still warm.
FAQs about Thumbprint Cookies:
What do they taste like?
Intense chocolate and hazelnut flavor, all wrapped up in a chewy chocolate cookie with a puddle of hazelnut spread!
How do I store these cookies?
Store in an airtight container for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 2 months! Thaw at room temperature before serving.
Can I skip the chilling time?
No! The chilling time helps these cookies bake taller so that they keep their shape when you indent them!
Why did my thumbprint cookies go flat?
Oh dear, you skipped the chilling time! Either that or your measuring was off. Measure by weight using kitchen scales. And make sure you chill your rolled and coated cookies for at least 2 hours.
More Recipe Suggestions:
Butter Pecan Chocolate Chip Cookies
Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
Garlic Herb Butter Roast Chicken
Asparagus Stuffed Chicken Breast
Chocolate Hazelnut Thumbprint Cookies
Ingredients
Hazelnut Cookies:
- 200 g all-purpose flour plain flour
- 30 g Dutch processed cocoa powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 250 g unsalted butter
- 1 egg yolk
- 40 g milk
- 115 g powdered sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 125 g finely chopped hazelnuts toasted (see notes)
- 100 g chocolate hazelnut spread see notes
Instructions
Hazelnut Cookies:
- Preheat your oven to 180C / 355F (fan on), 160C / 320F (fan off). Line two large baking trays with baking paper and set aside.
Combine dry ingredients:
- Add the flour, cocoa powder and salt into a medium sized mixing bowl and use a whisk to combine. Set aside.
Cream butter and sugar:
- To a separate bowl, add the butter, powdered sugar, egg yolk and milk and beat on high speed until fluffy and pale, about 3 minutes.
Roll out cookies:
- Roll out about thirty 1 1/2 tablespoon sized balls. Using an ice cream scoop to do this will make it an easier process. I used the OXO Good Grips Small ice cream scoop.
Roll in hazelnuts and bake:
- Roll each ball in crushed hazelnuts. Space the cookies across two baking trays and bake one at a time, in the middle rack for 8 minutes. Do not flatten the cookies before baking, they will flatten and spread In the oven.
Indent the cookies:
- As soon as they come out of the oven grab a measuring tablespoon and indent each cookie. Then shuffle a round cookie cutter slightly larger than the cookie around the cookies to make them round again. Allow to cool completely.
Fill with hazelnut spread:
- Add the chocolate hazelnut filling to the center of each cookie using spoons or a piping bag to finish. Let them set completely before serving.
Notes:
- How to toast your hazelnuts – to toast your hazelnuts, place on a metal baking sheet and bake in an preheated oven on 180C / 355F (fan off) for 10 minutes or until golden. Take out and allow to cool completely before chopping or adding to a food processor to chop.
- Chocolate hazelnut spread – You can use any type you like. Personally, I think a better quality, non-palm oil spread is better and tastes better.
- Storage – Cookies can be stored in an airtight container for up to three days. They can be frozen for up to 2 months! Thaw at room temperature before serving.
- Nutrition – is an approximate and is based on per cookie. This recipe makes about 30 cookies.
- A note on measurements – This recipe uses weight measurements for the most accurate results. Cup measurements can vary depending on where you are, which affects the precision needed for a recipe like this.
