These completely irresistible caramel stuffed Nutella cookies are extra soft and chewy with a hidden caramel surprise inside! Flavored with creamy Nutella, brown sugar, vanilla extract, and chunky hazelnuts, these cookies were easily loved by all. For best success, use the caramel candies suggested in the recipe and don’t skip the chilling step.
I plead my case. Caramel stuffed Nutella cookies are the best on the planet—they flew off the cookie tray at our friend’s house quicker than I could describe what they were. One bite tastes like a Ferrero Rocher truffle, a cookie, and a spoonful of sweet caramel all at once. There’s a few important notes, success tips, and tricks to teach you before you get started, so let’s sit back and see how these heavenly circles came to life.
I tested this recipe more times than I could count. They KEPT over-spreading! I started with my peanut butter chocolate chip cookies as the base, but replaced the peanut butter with Nutella. Nutella is thinner and silkier, so I reduced the amount. Nothing helped those flat puddles. Back to the drawing board. Then I turned to my chewy chocolate chip cookies. I swapped melted butter for softened butter to give the cookies more structure, added Nutella, a little extra flour, removed the cornstarch, and seemed to be on the right track. They spread a little more than I was hoping. This cookie was turning out to be more frustrating than untangling Christmas lights.
Finally, I added 2 Tablespoons of cocoa powder to bulk up the dough even more.
Jackpot. We have a winner!
If you’re up for it, you can even use homemade soft caramels. Or if you want to skip the caramel and use more Nutella instead, try these Nutella crinkle cookies.
Easier than you think.
The cookie dough is creamy, airy, and mousse-like right after mixing. (Below left.) After chilling, it’s pretty stiff (below right), so use a cookie scoop or 1 Tablespoon measuring spoon to help you measure the dough you need.
If using Werther’s brand soft caramels (highly recommended), fold it in half. They’re long caramels, so you need to bend them to fit inside the cookie dough.
The caramel will ooze out a little. See above. It’s normal, it’s expected, it’s delicious!
If the cookies are over-spreading as they bake, use my “How to Save Flat Cookies” trick explained at the bottom of my How to Prevent Cookies from Spreading post. (Use a spoon to help shape them back together.)
And these caramel stuffed Nutella cookies are your new best friend.
These caramel stuffed Nutella cookies are extra soft and chewy with a hidden caramel surprise inside. For best success, use the caramel candies suggested in the recipe and don't skip the chilling step.
