3-Ingredient Nutella Cookies Recipe

What do you get when you combine cookies and Nutella? Absolute magic! People love Nutella's sweet, hazelnut and chocolate combination, and it's been making an appearance in cakes, dips, pies, and even French toast. Recipe developer Stephanie Rapone took her love of Nutella to a whole new level with these Nutella cookies. These sweet treats require just 3 ingredients, and we love the taste of Nutella in a cookie — it's like a match made in heaven.

"I love that this recipe makes a smaller amount of cookies than most cookie recipes and that it's so easy," Rapone says. "A lot of times, having 4-5 dozen cookies around is trouble! Actually, I love these as little lunchbox or afternoon treats. They are small and not full of sugar — a perfect pick-me-up." We totally agree with Rapone on that! So without further ado, it's time to get started — you could have your own batch of cookies cooling in your kitchen in just 20 minutes flat. 

One of the best parts about this recipe is that you only need a few items to put it together, and by a few — we mean just three. Start with 1 cup of Nutella — Rapone notes that the 13 ounce jar of Nutella is perfect — you'll use most of the jar with this recipe, so you could purchase the next size if you want some for later. In addition, grab a large egg. And last but not least, you'll need to get all-purpose flour. This is common in most cookie recipes, and it makes up the bulk of the dough.

Since you'll be using your oven for this recipe, start by preheating it to 350 F. That way, the oven can preheat while you do the rest of the prep work. It's important to allow the oven to preheat ahead of time so the cookies bake evenly. 

Then, grab a mixing bowl. Add the Nutella to the bowl first, followed by the egg. Using a mixer, combine the two ingredients. Next, add half the flour and mix again on low until everything is well-combined.

Take the rest of the flour that you didn't use, and pour it in with your dough mixture. Continue mixing on low until you don't see any more white bits of flour. That said, make sure you stop mixing right when you see all of the flour has combined, as you don't want to overmix it. The dough will be very stiff. "You definitely could add chocolate chips or chopped nuts. I would probably keep it to about a half cup — but [these cookies] are so chocolaty already," Rapone says. 

With the dough prepped, grab your go-to baking sheet and line it with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. This will prevent the cookies from sticking to the pan when they bake.

Using a 1-ounce scoop, measure out about 2 tablespoons of dough. Roll the mixture into a ball with your hands, and plop the dough on the cookie sheets. Be sure to space them about 2 inches apart.

Now, grab something with a flat bottom, like a cup or glass. Flatten each of the cookies slightly. Pop the pan in the oven and bake the cookies for 8-10 minutes. You'll know they're ready when the edges are set, the middle looks dry, and the cookies aren't sticky to the touch.

Allow the cookies to cool for about 5 minutes on the baking sheet. Then, move them to a baking rack and allow them to cool for 30 more minutes.

Once the cookies finish cooling, you can finally serve and enjoy. "Store [them] in an air-tight container at room temperature for up to five days," Rapone suggests. She also says that you can make the dough ahead of time if you'd like. "You can freeze the dough like any cookie dough. Shape into a log about [2-inches] around, then wrap it in plastic wrap and place [it] in a zip-top bag and freeze for up to 3 months," Rapone shares. When you're ready for a quick cookie fix, Rapone adds that you simply "Thaw and slice into ¼-inch discs and bake per the instructions."