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My hazelnut cookies are loaded with crunchy hazelnuts and gooey chocolate chips. They’re completely flourless and bake in under 15 minutes!
Need more chocolate cookie recipes? Try my fudge cookies and chocolate cookies with peanut butter chips next.
If you love Ferrero Rocher chocolates or Nutella, these cookies need to be at the top of your list.
Made with a healthy dose of creamy nut butter and toasted hazelnuts, every bite is full of flavor. The cookies are crisp around the edges but soft and crumbly in the center.
Table of Contents
Why I love this recipe
- Flourless. I chose to skip the flour to make these gluten-free and give them a fudgier texture.
- Perfect for chocolate lovers. Combining cocoa powder and dark chocolate makes for an even richer chocolate flavor.
- No chill time. Another benefit of no flour is that you don’t have to chill the cookie dough! Just combine the ingredients, shape the cookies, and bake them.
- Easy to customize. I tested multiple variations of this recipe on my family, and no one could decide which was their favorite.
Ingredients needed
- Egg. Use room temperature eggs so they mix more easily into the dough.
- Nut butter. I used homemade almond butter, but my homemade Nutella or plain hazelnut butter could be substituted.
- Sugar. I suggest using either light or dark brown sugar (depending on how potent you want the molasses flavor). White sugar will work, but the hints of caramel complement these cookies better.
- Cocoa powder. Use unsweetened, Dutch-processed cocoa powder for a smooth, more intense chocolate flavor.
- Chocolate chips. A must for extra chocolate flavor! I used dark chocolate chips.
- Baking soda. Helps the cookies rise.
- Hazelnuts. Roughly chopped by hand or in a food processor.
How to make hazelnut cookies
I’ve included step-by-step photos below to make this recipe easy to follow at home. For the full printable recipe instructions and ingredient quantities, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Step 1- Prep time. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Step 2- Mix the dough. In a large bowl, combine the egg, almond butter, and sugar. Add the cocoa powder and baking soda and mix with a wooden spoon until combined. Fold in chocolate chips and hazelnuts.
Step 3- Shape. Using a cookie scoop, shape 12 cookie dough balls and place them on the prepared baking sheet. Press down on each ball to form a thick disk.
Step 4- Bake. Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes. Remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool on a wire rack.
Arman’s recipe tips
- Toast the nuts. To give the nuts a deeper, sweeter flavor and more crunch, bake them at 350F for 10-15 minutes. Remove the skins (to reduce bitterness) by placing the warm nuts in a kitchen towel and rubbing until the skins are easy to peel off.
- Make them fudgier. Swap the egg for two egg yolks.
- Use a stand mixer. To cut down on the total time, mix the dough with a stand mixer or electric hand mixer instead of by hand.
Variations
- More nuts. You can replace hazelnuts with cashews, pecans, walnuts, or almonds.
- Spices. Add cardamom and cinnamon to complement the hazelnuts and give the cookies a warmer flavor and aroma.
- Orange zest. A hint of citrusy flavor will have everyone wondering what bakery you got them from!
- Coffee. A teaspoon of espresso powder or instant coffee mixed with cocoa powder will enhance the cookies’ chocolate flavor, and you won’t even taste the coffee.
- Flaky sea salt. Top the cookies with flaky sea salt for a salty-sweet flavor.
- Vanilla. Add one teaspoon of vanilla extract to bring out the other flavors.
Storage instructions
To store: Cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-5 days or in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.
To freeze: Place cooled cookies in a freezer-safe container and freeze them for up to three months.
Frequently asked questions
While there’s nothing wrong with using unpeeled hazelnuts in these cookies, they can add a slightly bitter taste. I suggest using peeled hazelnuts.
More cookies to try
- Healthy peanut butter cookies
- Gluten-free Christmas cookies
- Protein cookies
- Cream cheese cookies
- Or any of my cookie recipes
Hazelnut Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup almond butter or chocolate hazelnut butter
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 cup cocoa powder
- 1 cup chocolate chips
- 1/3 cup hazelnuts finely chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. Line a large baking tray with parchment paper or a cookie sheet and set aside.
- In a mixing bowl, combine the egg, almond butter, and sugar and mix well. Add the cocoa powder and baking soda and mix until combined. Fold through the chocolate chips and hazelnuts.
- Using your hands, shape 12 balls of cookie dough and place them on the lined baking sheet. Press down on each ball of cookie dough into a thick disk.
- Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes. Remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool completely.
Easy to make. This reminds me on childhood as I was eating a lot of these but bought ones.
I will make this but instead of hazelnuts I want to put almond.
Okay?
Mmmmm, fantastic! These are “normal” enough that I can share them with friends…if they last that long. I found the recipe proportions just right – I didn’t need to add anything to thin the batter.
I also recently used avocado oil instead of coconut oil and that tastes great too.
Also, I did a peanut butter version with peanut flour and peanut butter – really great.
It’s a fabulous recipe and it’s fun to use it as a base for new ideas too.
Thank you, Arman, for sharing your gift with others. This cookie recipe turned out exactly as you described it would. I’m sending them as gifts to loved ones. Hope they survive in the mail.
Jane
I love this recipe. I follow it exactly – the only adjustment I make is that I add almost half a cup of almond milk to give the dough the right consistency (the recipe calls for 1 TBS milk).
I also did a yummy variation. I omitted the cocoa powder and instead added 1/4 cup shredded coconut.
I’ve tried other recipes on this site which have also turned out great such as the Pecan Pie Cookies. Thanks for posting these. I enjoy exploring your recipes.
Sounds fantastic, Erica! 🙂