3 Ingredient Nutella Cookies (20 minutes)

Name: 3 INGREDIENT NUTELLA COOKIES (20 MINUTES) RECIPE
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 12 min
Total time: 22 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 3/4 cup all purpose flour (98g); 3/4 cup Nutella (210g), room temperature; 1 large egg, room temperature; 1/4 tsp salt

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Soft, chewy and delicious Nutella cookies made with just 3 ingredients and ready to eat in as little as 20 minutes

Anyone who knows me should know by now that I am a big fan of easy desserts, and these 3 ingredient Nutella cookies are one of my favorite easy desserts. They are unbelievably quick and easy to make - simple ingredients you already have in your pantry, just about 10 minutes of active work, and you're ready to enjoy them.

The cookies are chewy and light, with a perfect balance of sweetness which isn't overpowering and allows the Nutella flavor to shine. And they go SO well with a cup of tea or coffee - seriously, I like to make these in large batches and just store them in a cookie jar. Your guests will love you!

Small round nutella cookies stacked side by side, drizzled with nutella and hazelnuts on top

stack of 4 small round chewy nutella cookies, with another cookie perched on the edge, decorated with nutella and hazelnuts

INGREDIENTS NEEDED

Here are the ingredients you need for these 3 ingredient Nutella cookies (exact quantities are at the bottom of this post):

Nutella - make sure your Nutella is room temperature; it should be soft, not hard
Egg - if possible, use a room temperature egg as a cold egg can cause the Nutella to harden
All purpose flour
Salt - yes, I know technically this is a fourth ingredient, but does salt really count?!

And that's all!

HOW TO MAKE 3 INGREDIENT NUTELLA COOKIES

Now, let's talk through how you can make these cookies in just 20 minutes!

First, preheat your oven to 360F, and prepare a large cookie sheet with parchment paper. I love using my Caraway large baking sheet, which is a perfect size and incredible quality.

Next, add the Nutella and egg to a mixing bowl, and use a hand whisk to mix the two together until they are combined. The egg will make the mixture less sticky and more creamy.

Once the egg and Nutella are combined, sift in the flour and add the salt. Use a rubber spatula or large spoon to mix in the flour. As you do this, the mixture will become thicker, and you will need to apply more pressure. I recommend using your hands at this stage to bring the mixture together into a cookie dough. Avoid kneading or overmixing, we just want everything to be properly combined.

flour added to nutella and egg mixture in a glass bowl

nutella cookie dough, soft to touch, in a glass bowl

Now, divide the dough into 10-12 small balls, rolling them with gentle pressure to eliminate any large cracks. Place the balls onto your baking sheet with at least 2" between each, and press down on them gently to slightly flatten them.

tray with a few cookie dough balls, with a bowl containing cookie dough on the side

Chuck the cookies into the pre-heated oven for about ~12 minutes. The cookies should still be soft but feel set around the edges.

cookie tray with parchment paper and 12 nutella cookie dough balls

12 baked nutella cookies on a large cookie sheet

Optionally, if you want to decorate the cookies, you can warm up a small amount of Nutella in your microwave until it is runny, and use a spoon to flick it onto the cookies to create a rough striped pattern.

Let the cookies cool down and enjoy!

nutella cookies arranged in a grid pattern from the top

TIPS TO PERFECT CHEWY NUTELLA COOKIES

Even though this is a fairly easy recipe, I do have some tips to help you perfect these cookies!

Make sure your Nutella is at room temperature. It should be soft and spreadable. If you see any oil floating on the surface, mix it up first before measuring. If it feels hard or set, microwave for a few seconds to make it soft
In order to measure Nutella, I suggest spraying your measuring cup with non-stick oil first. This will help the Nutella fall out of the measuring cup instead of sticking all over
Use a room temperature egg. This will mix most easily with the Nutella without hardening it
Minimize the amount of mixing after you add the flour. The more you mix or knead the dough, the oilier it will become, and your cookies will also be slightly oily and more chewy. Mix just until the flour is mixed in
In the same vein, make sure you sift the flour. This will remove lumps and make it easier to mix the flour into the dough
You can use a small cookie scoop (like this one) to form balls from your cookies, and then lightly roll them between your palms. This will minimize how much you handle the dough, which will make sure it doesn't become oily
Make sure not over overbake the cookies! They should still be a bit soft in the middle when you take them out of the oven, as they will continue to bake as they cool down. If they are already hard out of the oven, they will be more crispy and tough to eat instead of chewy

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Can I make the Nutella cookie dough in advance?

Yes, you can! Prepare the cookie dough, scoop into balls, and keep the balls in the fridge or freezer in an airtight container. When you want to eat them, they can go straight from the fridge to a pre-heated oven, and you will need to add more baking time until they are done.
You can also store the baked cookies for up to 7 days in an airtight container at room temperature.

How to store Nutella cookies?

You can store these cookies in an airtight container or jar at room temperature for up to 7 days.

What can I add to Nutella cookies?

You can add any kind of chocolate chips, or toasted chopped hazelnuts, to elevate these cookies!

Do I have to chill the cookie dough?

Chilling the cookie dough is not necessary for this recipe, unless the dough feels too sticky to work with (which can happen if your kitchen is hot). If that happens, refrigerate it for 15-20 minutes until it is easier to shape into balls, and bake.