These 3 ingredient Nutella cookies are soft, fudgy cookies made with Nutella, one egg, and all-purpose flour. The dough comes together in one bowl in just a few minutes, then the cookies bake until lightly cracked around the edges with tender chocolate-hazelnut centers.
This is the kind of cookie recipe I keep around for days when I want something homemade without measuring a long list of ingredients. There’s no butter to soften, no mixer, and no chilling required for the tested recipe.
If you love easy chocolate desserts, my 3 Ingredient Chocolate Oatmeal Cake keeps the ingredient list just as short. These Healthy 3-Ingredient Brownies are another simple chocolate option, while my Easy Bake Cookies are perfect when you want a more traditional cookie. For something with a soft chocolate center, try my Easy Chocolate Filled Cake.
Three Ingredients Really Are Enough
Nutella does a lot of the work in this recipe.
It already contains sugar, fat, cocoa, and hazelnuts, so you don’t need the butter and sugar you would normally find in cookie dough.
The egg helps bind everything together, while the flour gives the cookies enough structure to hold their shape.
The finished cookies are different from a classic chocolate chip cookie. They’re softer and denser, with a fudgy center and plenty of chocolate-hazelnut flavor.
Table of contents
Ingredients You Need
Let’s Make 3 Ingredient Nutella Cookies
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Add the Nutella and egg to a mixing bowl. Stir until smooth and fully combined.
- Add the flour and mix until a soft dough forms with no dry streaks left.
- Scoop out small portions of dough and roll them into balls. Place them on the prepared baking sheet, leaving a little space between each one.
- Gently flatten each dough ball slightly with your hand or the back of a spoon.
- Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the cookies are set and lightly cracked around the edges.
- Let them cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
What Should Nutella Cookie Dough Look Like
The dough should be soft, thick, and easy to portion.
It may feel slightly tacky because Nutella contains plenty of fat and sugar, but it should still hold together when rolled.
Don’t expect it to feel exactly like a butter-based chocolate chip cookie dough.
If the Nutella was especially warm when you mixed the dough, simply letting it sit for a few minutes can make it easier to handle.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Adding too much flour. This is probably the easiest way to lose the fudgy center. Stick with the tested 140 g rather than adding flour until the dough feels completely dry.
Using a very different chocolate-hazelnut spread without expecting a texture change. Different spreads contain different ratios of oil, sugar, and nuts. King Arthur Baking notes that swapping the chocolate-hazelnut spread in its own Nutella-based cookies can change how much the cookies spread.
King Arthur Baking — Nutella Cookie Tips
Overmixing after adding the flour. Once no dry streaks remain, the dough is ready.
Skipping the slight flattening. The cookies hold a compact shape, so pressing them before baking helps them cook more evenly.
Overbaking. This matters a lot with chocolate-colored cookies because browning is difficult to see. King Arthur similarly recommends judging chocolate-hazelnut cookies by whether they look set rather than relying on color alone.
Moving them immediately from the baking sheet. Give them the full 5-minute rest so the soft centers have time to stabilize.
What to Serve with Nutella Cookies
These Nutella cookies have plenty of chocolate-hazelnut flavor, so simple pairings work best.
My first choice is vanilla ice cream. The cold, creamy vanilla balances the rich Nutella without adding even more chocolate. King Arthur’s vanilla bean ice cream is a good external serving reference if you want a homemade option.
King Arthur Baking — Vanilla Bean Ice Cream
You can also serve them with:
- Cold milk
- Hot coffee
- Espresso
- Vanilla ice cream
- Fresh strawberries
- Fresh raspberries
- Banana slices
- Toasted hazelnuts
Fresh strawberries are especially good if you want something lighter. Their acidity helps cut through the sweetness of the chocolate-hazelnut spread.
For me, a slightly warm Nutella cookie with vanilla ice cream is the best dessert version.
FAQs
Yes, but texture can vary depending on how thick or oily the spread is. Nutella gives the most reliable result.
Not much. They usually keep a compact shape, especially if you flatten them lightly before baking.
A cup-for-cup gluten-free flour blend may work, though the texture can change slightly.
The spread may be softer or warmer than usual. Chill the dough briefly or mix in 1 more tablespoon flour.
The tops should look set and the edges should have light cracks. They may still feel soft when hot, but they firm up as they cool.
Yes. Use smaller scoops and reduce the baking time by 1 to 2 minutes.
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3 Ingredient Nutella Cookies
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Add the Nutella and egg to a large bowl and stir until smooth.
- Add the flour and mix just until a soft dough forms and no dry streaks remain.
- Scoop the dough into approximately 12 portions and gently roll into balls.
- Arrange on the prepared baking sheet and flatten each ball slightly.
- Bake for 8–10 minutes, until the tops are set and lightly cracked around the edges.
- Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack.
Nutrition
Notes
- Use store-bought Nutella for the most consistent texture.
- Measure the flour by weight when possible.
- Do not overmix after adding the flour.
- The dough may be slightly tacky.
- Flatten the cookies slightly before baking because they don’t spread much.
- Don’t overbake; the centers continue setting as they cool.
Tried this recipe?
Let us know how it was!Estimated reading time: 6 minutes
