Nutella Lava Cookies are double chocolate cookies filled with a pool of chocolate hazelnut spread. I've made this recipe a few different ways, including a variation with a peanut butter and chocolate topping. At one point I had a similar recipe in a separate post, but I've consolidated the two. One version has hazelnuts in the dough, while the other just has a peanut butter topping.
Here's the original recipe which has chopped hazelnuts in it. You can use any other nut in their place.
Nutella Lava Cookies
2 oz (56 grams) chopped hazelnuts plus about 1 tablespoon unsalted butter**
3 tablespoons (56 grams) unsalted butter, divided use
1 cup (170 grams) semi-sweet chocolate chips (Guittard)
1 large egg
⅓ cup (65 grams) granulated sugar
½ scant teaspoon (a little less than 2 ml) salt
1 teaspoon (5 ml) vanilla extract
½ cup (63 grams) lightly spooned and leveled flour
¼ teaspoon (1 ml) baking powder
8 teaspoons Nutella
Melt butter in a large skillet set over medium heat. Add chopped hazelnuts and sauté, stirring often, for 4-5 minutes or until aromatic. Remove nuts from skillet and lay on a piece of foil to cool and crisp.
Melt 3 tablespoons of butter in a small saucepan set over medium heat. Reduce heat to low and stir in chocolate chips. Stir until melted; remove from heat and let cool slightly.
Beat the egg, sugar, salt and vanilla in a medium bowl for about 2 minutes using high speed of an electric hand-held mixer. Beat in the melted chocolate mixture.
Thoroughly stir together the flour and baking powder, then stir flour mixture into chocolate mixture and nuts. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and chill for an hour or more.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Working one at a time, scoop up generous heaping tablespoons of dough and shape into a mounds a little larger than a golf ball. Press a hole into the mound and stuff it with a teaspoon of chilled Nutella. Seal the hole with some more dough.
Place dough balls about 3 inches apart on lined baking sheet. Bake cookies one sheet at a time for exactly 12 minutes. Cool 3 to 5 minutes.
Makes 8 large cookies
Peanut Butter Variation
The peanut butter variation is in the recipe card. For the peanut butter variation you don't need any actual hazelnuts, just the Nutella spread. Back when I first wrote this recipe I tested with Jif brand chocolate hazelnut spread, but it seems they've stopped making it.
Recipe
Chocolate Hazelnut Peanut Butter Lava Cookies
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter (42 grams)
- 1 cup semi-sweet or extra dark chocolate chips
- 1 large egg
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar (65 grams)
- ½ teaspoon salt, scant
- ¾ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon of hazelnut extract or use vanilla
- ½ cup lightly spooned and leveled flour
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- 8 teaspoons Jif Chocolate Hazelnut Spread or Nutella use more or less as needed
- 8 teaspoons peanut butter more or less as needed
Instructions
- Melt 3 tablespoons of butter in a small saucepan set over medium heat. Reduce heat to low and stir in chocolate chips. Stir until melted; remove from heat and let cool slightly.
- Beat the egg, sugar, salt and both extracts in a medium bowl for about 2 minutes using high speed of an electric hand-held mixer. Beat in the melted chocolate mixture.
- Thoroughly stir together the flour and baking powder, then stir flour mixture into chocolate mixture and nuts. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and chill for an hour or more.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Working one at a time, scoop up generous heaping tablespoons of dough and shape into a mounds a little larger than a golf ball. Press a hole into the mound and stuff it with a teaspoon of chilled chocolate hazelnut spread. Seal the hole with some more dough.
- Place dough balls about 3 inches apart on lined baking sheet. Bake cookies one sheet at a time for exactly 12 minutes.
- Remove cookies from oven and immediately top with dots of peanut butter. Let it sit on the hot cookies and melt. Dot the peanut butter topping with a little more hazelnut spread. Let cool completely on the baking sheets, then carefully transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. you can eat these warm, or cool, chill, then carry somewhere.
Anna says
Hi Sue,
I could have sworn I put the nuts into the recipe, but when I checked the instructions the phrase "add nuts" wasn't there. Thanks for pointing that out. I fixed it.
About the Nutella, I thought the flavor was pretty noticeable since the Nutella is not mixed in with the batter but is alone in the center of the cookie. However, it does have a lot of richness to compete with.
Another thought is that we could make the cookies using the original recipe, swap out pecans for hazelnuts and add some hazelnut flavor instead of or along with the Nutella.
http://www.kingarthurflour.com/shop/items/creamy-hazelnut-flavor-1-oz
Sue says
Thanks for the recipe, these were loved by the folks at the dinner I brought them to. I may have missed it but I think the step where the nuts are actually added to the dough is not included in the recipe (I assume before they're chilled). The nutella flavor didn't really stand out among so much richness but the texture was nice and they were very chocolatey.
Ginny says
These are great! I couldn't find hazelnuts at the store but they were still delicious. Thanks for sharing.
Steph (I am Bee) says
mmm nutella... i stopped buying it 'cause i can't stop eating it!
Lara says
Oh my gosh, Anna, these look positively sinful.
Elyse says
They turned out great, Anna!! I'm loving all of these adaptations.
Lorelei says
Those look delicious! I am a nutella addict.
Cristine says
Nutella is my weakness. Those look AMAZING!
unconfidentialcook.com says
Oh my, these do look scrumptious. Love nutella, and the idea of making it every gooier and more chocolatey is right up my alley.
HeartofGlass says
I'm waiting for you to clone that Florentine Cake your daughter loved so much--until then, these will certainly tide me over 😉
Janet says
I could just climb into that photo and start munching....love nutella. Looks soooo good. Thanks!
Sarah says
Holy moly. Those will be in my tummy very soon.
Anna says
Sue, my American Nutella tasted the same as the Nutella from Italy. Mine was in little single size servings.
Sue says
Anna, these look positively scrumptious!!
Have you taste tested your Italian Nutella in comparison with American Nutella? My daughter tells me the Nutella she has had in Europe in less sweet than what we get here.
Kara says
Oh man, these look so good-love the gooey chocolate in the middle!
clumbsycookie says
These look even better than the other ones, if that's even possible! Katrina, go to Venice!!!
dawn says
ha ha! yes, once you go to Italy you always dream of it, forever.
come see my latest non-diet food creation--they came out perfectly.
Pearl says
ooh nutella mm!
Mrs. L says
Pretty much anything with Nutella works for me. They look wonderful.
Lisa Ernst says
These look super fudgy with all the melted chocolate chips. Great looking cookie!
Rina says
These look amazing! I'm going to buy nutella from Costco this weekend and try these out. I think it is fascinating that different countries have slightly different formulations of nutella (similar to soda I suppose): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nutella.
Katrina says
I really liked the ones from the other day I made with the Nutella in the middle. Just really kicked them up a notch. Not to mention the hazenuts would be awesome!
Kevin has been asked to go to Italy (Venice) in May. We're still trying to see if I can go with him!
Louise says
I think you need some Chianti Classico Reserva. 😉
snookydoodle says
must be delicious. Oh I go mad for Nutella 🙂