Chocolate Hazelnut Cookies with Flaky Salt

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Chocolate hazelnut cookies have a wonderfully fudgy texture. These big cookies are sprinkled with flaky salt before baking for an elevated taste.

If you’re a Nutella fan these cookies might seem like a no-brainer to you. Hazelnuts? Check. Chocolate? Check. Top it off with flaky sea salt and you have a grown-up cookie ready for the cookie jar.

This is the same base I used for my chocolate raspberry cookies, and in fact, it just might be my new favorite chocolate cookie base!

The exterior of these cookies is lightly crisp, but it gives way to a fudgy interior, like the best cross between a cookie and a brownie.

Don’t love hazelnuts? Both chopped walnuts or chopped cashews are incredible in these!

key ingredients for chocolate hazelnut cookies

You’ll need chocolate three different ways for these: cocoa powder ^*, chocolate chips, and a chopped chocolate bar. The chocolate chips get melted as part of the cookie dough base, while the chopped chocolate bar is folded in with the nuts.

Why use a chocolate bar instead of more chips? The way the pieces melt into the cookies is slightly different: chocolate chips stay mostly intact, while the pieces of chocolate bar will melt into wonderful puddles. I use a bittersweet bar to balance with the sugars.

To boost the chocolate flavor even more, I add instant espresso powder. Don’t worry, your cookies won’t taste like coffee! You can use regular instant coffee in place of the espresso, but don’t use liquid coffee.

For the hazelnuts, look for chopped dry roasted hazelnuts that are unsalted. Even though we add salt to the cookie dough and flaky salt on top, using salted nuts will add too much to the cookies. If you can only find salted nuts, rub them gently in a towel to remove as much salt as possible, and consider reducing the added salt in the dough.

Speaking of salt, you’ll want flaky salt to sprinkle on top of the cookies before baking. I use flaky Maldon, which Costco sells in big 20-ounce tubs for less than $10! It’s a steal and will last you a long time.

How to make this recipe

Preheat the oven to 325°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper ^*. I recommend baking the cookies one sheet at a time for the best results, but use two cookie sheets so you can swap them and prep one while the other is baking.

Put the butter and chocolate chips in a small saucepan ^* and set over medium-low heat. Let them melt, stirring occasionally to help smooth it out. Once completely melted, remove from heat to cool slightly.

In a mixing bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, espresso powder, baking soda, and salt.

Pour the melted chocolate into a large bowl and mix in the sugars until blended. Mix in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla until smooth.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Just before it is fully combined, fold in the chopped chocolate and hazelnuts until evenly dispersed.

Scoop out the dough into 2-tablespoon balls and arrange on a prepared baking sheet, leaving some space between for spreading. Sprinkle flaky salt onto each dough ball.

Bake for 12-13 minutes. Let cool on the pan for 2 minutes before transferring to a wire rack ^* to cool completely.

Repeat until all of the cookies are baked. Let cool fully before transferring to a cookie jar or airtight container.

Storage and make-ahead tips

These chocolate hazelnut cookies keep well for about 5 days. If you find your cookies are drying out, you can place a slice of bread into the container with them, and they will soften again.

This recipe makes BIG cookies, so if you want to bake just part of the batch, you can freeze the dough! Scoop onto a lined cookie sheet and place in the freezer until solid. Once frozen, transfer the dough balls to a freezer bag, remove excess air, and seal. Don’t forget to label it! The cookie dough can be frozen for up to 3 months.

When you want to bake the cookies, just remove as much as you like, place on a lined baking sheet, and bake at 325°F for about 15 minutes, adding any additional time as needed to bake through.

These chocolatey cookies are wonderful right from the cookie jar, or warmed in the microwave for 10 seconds for melty flavor!