If you love Nutella and oatmeal cookies, these Oatella Cookies are worth making at least once. Originally created by Dagmara Kokonas and featured in Food & Wine, the recipe combines rolled oats, cinnamon and a full jar of Nutella into soft, chewy cookies that somehow taste both nostalgic and over-the-top at the same time.
The first thing that caught my attention was the full jar of Nutella. The second was the shortening. It's not an ingredient I use every day, but it gives these cookies a very soft texture and helps them stay chewy for days. Think classic oatmeal cookies with a Nutella twist.
What Are Oatella Cookies?
Oatella Cookies are oatmeal cookies flavored with Nutella. The dough includes oats, cinnamon and brown sugar, so the cookies have a warm oatmeal cookie flavor with a background of chocolate and hazelnut.
Even with a whole jar of Nutella, the flavor is a little more subtle than you might expect. Adding chocolate chips makes the Nutella flavor pop a little more and gives the cookies extra richness.
Why This Recipe Works
A few things make these cookies stand out:
- A full jar of Nutella adds flavor, fat and sweetness
- Shortening keeps the cookies soft and chewy
- Rolled oats add texture without making the cookies heavy
- Cinnamon gives the chocolate and hazelnut flavors warmth
- The dough makes a large batch, which is great for sharing or freezing
Flavor and Texture
These cookies bake up soft and chewy with crisp edges and plenty of oat texture. The Nutella flavor sits more in the background than front and center, but it pairs really well with the cinnamon and brown sugar. If you like oatmeal cookies and chocolate-hazelnut desserts, the combination works surprisingly well.
Tips for the Best Oatella Cookies
- Old-fashioned rolled oats give the cookies the best texture. Quick oats will work in a pinch, but the cookies won't be quite as chewy.
- Don't Overbake -- These cookies are best when the centers still look slightly soft. Pull them from the oven when the edges are lightly browned and the tops are just set.
- Add Chocolate Chips -- The original recipe works without them, but I like the extra chocolate. Semi-sweet chips balance the sweetness nicely.
- Scoop While Soft -- The dough is fairly soft because of the Nutella, so medium cookie scoops make portioning easier.
Storage
Store the cookies in an airtight container for several days. They also freeze well, which is helpful since the recipe makes about 60 cookies.
Small Batch Version
If you only need 30 cookies or maybe even 15, this recipe is easy to halve or quarter using a scale.
Recipe
Oatella Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour (220 grams)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 cup vegetable shortening (190 grams
- 1 cup granulated sugar (200 grams)
- ¾ cup packed dark brown sugar (160 grams)
- 2 large eggs (100 grams)
- 1 jar Nutella (13 oz) (364 grams)
- 2 cups rolled oats (160 grams)
- 1 cup chocolate chips (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Whisk the flour, salt, cinnamon and baking soda together in a bowl.
- Cream the shortening and sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, then beat in the eggs one at a time. Add the Nutella and beat until smooth, scraping bowl often.
- Stir in the flour mixture to make a soft dough. Add chocolate chips (if using)
- Scoop heaping tablespoons or medium size scoops of dough 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.
- Bake one sheet at a time for 8 to 10 minutes, until the edges are lightly browned and the cookies are just set.
- Immediately transfer the cookies from the pan to racks to cool. Repeat with the remaining dough.
Glyn says
This looks so delicious and very interesting! I will be trying this too♥
lisa keys says
two of my favorite things-oatmeal and nutella--this one is a keeper, but I do hate the use of vegetable shortening--might have to experiment a bit with the fat element
Sue says
Those look really interesting. Not only will I will I click over to the recipe but I'm going to scout out that issue of the magazine. It sounds like a good one.