Gluten Free Nutella Chocolate Chip Cookies

Gluten Free Nutella Chocolate Chip Cookies are a must make if you love this chocolate hazelnut spread. Picture soft and chewy chocolate chip cookies filled with a generous dollop of Nutella and topped with some homemade "Nutella Chips". Made with simple ingredients, this cookie will be a fun addition to your cookie rotation.

These chewy cookies are the best when enjoyed warm, right from the oven when the Nutella center is soft and gooey. These cookies will be a huge hit and a great way to impress your friends and family. Believe me, it will be hard to just have one.

If you love Nutella, make sure to check out my Gluten Free Nutella Banana Muffins and my Nutella Meringue Cookies.

Recipe Ingredient Notes

Gluten Free Flour: I use my own Multipurpose Gluten Free Flour Blend in this recipe. This blend already contains xanthan gum. Any gluten-free multipurpose blend will work great in this recipe – if you are looking for a cookie closest to the classic chocolate chip cookie, I recommend King Arthur Measure for Measure or Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1.

Unsalted Butter: It's important to use room-temperature butter in this recipe. I only bake with unsalted butter. If you use salted butter, please reduce the added kosher salt to ¼ teaspoon. The ideal temperature for butter is actually 65F which is a lot colder than many of us consider room temperature. To test if your butter is at room temperature nudge it with your finger. You should see an indent but the butter should not feel like you can poke right through it. 

Hazelnut Spread: My choice of chocolate hazelnut spread is Nutella. Nutella is not certified gluten-free but does not contain any gluten. According to their FAQ page “Nutella® does not contain any ingredients derived from gluten-containing cereals: wheat, barley, rye, oats or triticale.” I used a small jar of Nutella for this recipe.

Milk Chocolate Bar with Whole Hazelnuts: Hazelnuts are not only difficult to find at times in the US but also expensive. This is why I am using a chopped-up milk chocolate bar with whole hazelnuts instead in this recipe for gluten-free Nutella chocolate chip cookies. I use the milk chocolate hazelnut bar found at Aldi made by Choceur.

How to make Nutella Chocolate Chip Cookies

The dough for the gluten-free cookies can be made with your stand mixer (fitted with the paddle attachment) or an electric mixer. Make sure butter and eggs are at room temperature. Chilling the dough is mandatory.

Make the Cookie Dough: Place room temperature butter and both sugars into the bowl the stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Cream your butter and sugar for 5 minutes, until light and fluffy. Make sure to scrape down the sides halfway through the creaming process. Add the egg and vanilla and mix until fully incorporated. Mix in the dry ingredients and blend until the flour disappears into the butter mixture. Add the chocolate chips and chopped-up milk chocolate hazelnut chocolate bar and mix to combine.

Chill the dough: Transfer the gluten-free chocolate chip cookie dough to an airtight container (or cover your mixing bowl with plastic wrap) and refrigerate for at least 4hrs. You may chill the cookie dough for up to 3 days before baking cookies.

Make Nutella Centers and Toppings: Line a small sheet tray or plate with parchment paper (big enough to fit in your freezer) For the Nutella Centers, use two spoons and drop 12 dollops (around 1.5 teaspoons big) of the creamy Nutella on the parchment paper. For the Decorations, spread out the rest of the Nutella that's in the jar in a ¼ inch layer. Place in the freezer and leave in the freezer until you are filling the Gluten-Free Nutella Chocolate Chip Cookies

Preheat your oven: When you are ready to bake your Gluten-Free Nutella Chocolate Chip Cookies, preheat your oven to 350F. It will take a while for the oven to be fully preheated. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set it aside.

Portion out Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough: Once your dough has rested for at least 4 hrs, line a sheet tray with parchment paper. Using a large scoop, such as a #20 scoop, divide the dough into 10-12 equal portions.

Flatten the Cookie Dough: This works the best if your cookie dough is very cold. Flatten the chocolate dough into a flat disk and top with a frozen dollop of Nutella.

Wrap the dough: Roll the gluten-free chocolate chip cookie dough up and around the Nutella filling. Roll into a ball. Make sure the cookie dough encloses the Nutella completely or the Nutella will leak out. If your cookie dough becomes too warm and soft, just pop it back into your fridge or freezer for a few minutes.

Bake the Nutella Chocolate Chip Cookies: Arrange SIX gluten-free Nutella chocolate chip cookies on the prepared baking sheet and carefully press down the dough ball - they should be about ¾ inch thick. Bake Cookies for 7 minutes and rotate the cookie tray. Bake an additional 6-8 minutes or until lightly golden on the edges and beginning to set. The baking time depends on personal preference (and your oven). Once the cookies begin to fully set, remove them from the oven and top with chunks of the thin layer of Nutella (Remember, you should have still some Nutella in the freezer. Just a thin sheet). Place back in the oven for roughly a minute. Just until the "Chocolate Hazelnut Spread Chips" start to melt.

Remove from the oven, and if desired, use a round cookie cutter slightly larger than the cookie to scoot them into a perfectly round shape. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt and additional chocolate chips. Repeat with the rest of the cookie dough or freeze the unbaked dough for future use.

Enjoy! Allow the cookies to cool for a few minutes on the sheet tray before transferring them to a cooling rack. They will be fragile if moved too quickly.

Store any leftover cookies you may have in an airtight container, at room temperature for up to 5 days. These Nutella stuffed cookies will be the best on the day they were baked (and the chocolate-hazelnut spread center is gooey and warm)

FAQ about Gluten Free Nutella Chocolate Chip Cookies

Why did the Nutella leak from my cookies?
Make sure the cookie dough encloses the Nutella completely or the Nutella will leak out

Is Nutella Gluten Free?
Nutella is not certified gluten-free but does not contain any gluten. According to their FAQ page “Nutella® does not contain any ingredients derived from gluten-containing cereals: wheat, barley, rye, oats or triticale.”

Can I freeze the unbaked cookie dough?
Yes, I recommend freezing these cookies before baking them. Arrange the unbaked cookie dough on a sheet tray and freeze. Once fully frozen transfer them to an airtight container or ziplock bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Bake from frozen and add a few minutes to the baking time.