The Best Chocolate Hazelnut Cookies

These chocolate hazelnut cookies are the perfect combo texture and flavor. I’ve combined toasty brown butter with candied toasted hazelnuts and it’s so so good. Caramel and hazelnut complement each other perfectly. And, candying the hazelnuts brings these delicious bits of toffee crunch throughout the cookie with is a great contrast to the chewy cookie base. I do the same thing in my candied pecan cookies, I mean, why change a good thing!

How to make chocolate hazelnut cookies

1. Begin by browning the butter so it has time to solidify.

1. Melt down the butter in a saucepan, then keep cooking and regularly whisking until browned.

1. Pour into a heatproof bowl and let sit until it’s room temperature and solidified but still soft.

1. In a saucepan melt white sugar until deep amber brown and has melted.

1. While still on the heat, stir through toasted hazelnuts, then pour onto a Silpat mat to harden.

1. Once the hazelnuts have hardened, chop them into pieces, a mixture of fine pieces and larger chunks.

1. Whip together the brown butter, sugar and vanilla til creamy before adding the egg.

1. Add in the dry ingredients and chopped candied hazelnut and chocolate chips. Stir into a thick cookie dough.

1. Roll into cookie dough balls and place on a lined baking sheet.

1. Bake until golden and sprinkle with touch of flaky salt.

1. Let the cookies cool on the baking tray for 5 minutes, then transfer the warm cookies to a wire rack to cool further.

Chocolate Hazelnut Cookies

Elien Lewis

These chocolate hazelnut cookies are the perfect combo texture and flavor. I’ve combined toasty brown butter with candied toasted hazelnuts and it’s so so good. The cookie dough is no chill, but you will need time brown and cool the butter. See the notes for more.

5 from 1 vote

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 10 minutes mins

Butter chilling time 1 hour hr

Total Time 1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Course Cookies

Cuisine American

Servings 20

Calories 198 kcal

Ingredients

 

MetricUS Customary

 

1x2x3x

Candied Hazelnuts

• 100 g hazelnuts raw (if you're using toasted hazelnuts, skip the oven-toasting step in the instructions)
• 100 g granulated sugar

Cookie dough

• 150 g unsalted butter
• 100 g soft brown sugar
• 50 g granulated sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 large egg
• 190 g all-purpose flour
• 3/4 tsp salt
• ½ tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 90 g semi-sweet chocolate chips or chunks
• Flaky salt optional

Instructions

 

• Melt butter in a light‑colored skillet over medium heat. Once melted, stir regularly as it foams, and the milk solids turn deep golden brown, around 4-5 minutes. Pour into a heatproof bowl (it will have reduced to around 120g after being browned) and let cool at room temperature until opaque and soft‑solid, or chill in the fridge for 10–15 minutes, checking often to prevent it from getting too hard.150 g unsalted butter
• While the butter cools, preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C).
• Toasting hazelnuts: Spread the hazelnuts on a baking sheet and toast in the oven for 8–10 minutes, tossing halfway, until lightly golden and fragrant. Remove them from the oven and set aside. Line the baking sheet with a Slipat mat or lightly greased parchment paper. 100 g hazelnuts
• In the light-colored pan add sugar in an even layer. Keep the heat at medium and let the sugar start to melt around the edges. As the edges liquefy, use a heatproof spatula to bring the unmelted sugar into the pool. Watch it carefully.100 g granulated sugar
• Once the sugar is a deep golden amber and all melted tip the toasted hazelnuts into the caramel, stirring so that each nut gets a thin candy shell. Work quickly so the caramel doesn't burn. Scoop the nuts onto the lined sheet into a single layer. Let it cool down and harden.
• Once cooled, chop the nuts into a mixture of fine pieces and slighly larger ones. You can also do this by giving them a few pulses in a food processor. Set aside.
• When the butter is cooled and ready, add the sugars and vanilla. Using a hand mixer on medium speed, whip the mixture until pale and fluffy, about 2–3 minutes. 100 g soft brown sugar, 50 g granulated sugar, 1 tsp vanilla extract
• Scrape down the bowl, then beat in the egg. 1 large egg
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients, then add this dry mixture to the butter mixture until just combined. 190 g all-purpose flour, 3/4 tsp salt, ½ tsp baking soda, 1/4 tsp baking powder
• Using a spatula or wooden spoon, gently fold in the chopped caramelized hazelnuts and chocolate chips until evenly distributed. 90 g semi-sweet chocolate chips or chunks
• Roll the cookie dough into balls, around 1 1/2 tablespoons of dough for each. Space them out on the baking sheet, around 2 inches apart.
• Bake one sheet at a time for around 10-11 minutes until edges are set and centers still look just slightly underbaked. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt. Let cookies rest on the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Flaky salt

Notes

After browning, pour the butter into a heatproof bowl and let it sit at room temperature until it’s solidified and holds its shape, and still yields to a gentle press. This can take 1-2 hours. If you’re short on time, pop it into the fridge for 10-15 minutes, checking after 10 to ensure it hasn’t become too hard. You want soft-solid butter that whips easily. 

Both metric and US customary measurements are provided. Use the toggle to switch between the two. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1cookieCalories: 198kcalCarbohydrates: 23gProtein: 2gFat: 11gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0.3gCholesterol: 26mgSodium: 126mgPotassium: 82mgFiber: 1gSugar: 14gVitamin A: 204IUVitamin C: 0.3mgCalcium: 20mgIron: 1mg

Keyword chocolate, Cookies, hazelnut

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