Soft, spicy Nutella Stuffed Gingerbread Cookies. These soft and gooey cookies are a glass of milk’s dream and a fantastic holiday cookie made to impress. Molasses is the key to these babies. I could go on, but really, I don’t feel like I need to. GINGERBREAD AND NUTELLA. I mean, come on. Originally published December 3, 2014.
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Growing up, my family had this tradition of cutting down a mammoth Christmas tree straight from the hillside every year. If Christmas trees were Harry Potter characters, ours would be Hagrid. “Simply too big to be allowed.”
Seriously, we’re talkin’ like 12-13 feet. And every year, my poor dad risks life and limb by standing tippy-toe on the highest step of the ladder to lasso the lights and tinsel around the very top.
This week, my parents were jet-lagged from vacation, and my Dad was sick, so a trip to The Mountains (what I dubbed any locale with even the slightest altitude as a kid—we are valley-folk, what can I say) had to be foregone this year. Instead, we trekked on over to Costco. For a completely normal-sized tree. This is a first, folks.
With my dad out for the count, it was my job to light up that sucker. No big deal, right? How hard can it be? Just throw some lights up and plug it in.
WRONG. That measly little tree DEFEATED me. I haven’t thrown a tantrum like that since I found out Reese’s shrunk the size of their cups. I mean, we are talking foot-stamping, twinkle-light-hucking outrage, complete with girly squeals. Why is it so hard?? It looked like a nest for a bird of prey. And then, since things had already gone to pot, I let Charlotte do the tinsel All By Herself. This tree’s a winner, guys.
Hopefully the rest of you are not as twinkle-light inept as I am. In any case, I have this to make me feel better.
Make these Nutella-stuffed gingerbread cookies for the holidays
I officially (and retroactively) proclaim it Gingerbread Week. We started off on Monday with these Frosted Peppermint Gingerbread Bars, and today we are getting in your face with these Nutella Stuffed Gingerbread Cookies. Last year, I made this same cookie but with chocolate chunks in them, and they were amaaaazing.
Pretty much any way you embellish this dough, you are going to have a winner. But I have to say I am partial to the Nutella version. Because, HELLO, Nutella. I just don’t feel like I need more words here. I could not get enough of these. You know how cookies are usually kind of ‘eh’ by day 2? Not so with these. They get even softer by day 2. I wouldn’t know about day 3. Because I know what’s good for me.
Key ingredients
- Nutella (or any chocolate hazelnut spread that you like): the magic in the middle
- Molasses is what keeps these cookies soft and chewy
- A blend of ground ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ground cloves gives these cookies that classic gingerbread flavor
How to make Nutella-stuffed gingerbread cookies
Start by freezing the Nutella filling. Line a baking sheet or plate with wax paper and clear out a little space in your freezer. Using two spoons, drop mounds of Nutella onto the lined sheet, about 1 1/2 tablespoons each. Don’t worry about making them perfect, they’ll all get tucked inside the cookies anyway.
Freeze the Nutella until firm, about 2 hours. (If you’re impatient like me and only wait 25 minutes, be prepared for some deliciously messy Nutella leaks.)
Meanwhile, make the cookie dough. In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter and sugar together until combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, then continue beating for another 2 to 3 minutes until light and fluffy.
Add the molasses and mix until fully incorporated. Beat in the eggs one at a time, scraping down the bowl as needed. Add the vanilla, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves and mix until everything is well combined.
Add the flour to the bowl, but don’t mix it in just yet. Make a small well in the center and add the cornstarch, baking soda, and salt. Stir the dry ingredients together with a spoon, then slowly mix everything into the dough. Pulse the mixer briefly or mix on low speed to avoid a flour cloud. Mix just until the dough comes together.
Cover the bowl and chill the dough for at least 45 minutes, though a few hours, or even overnight, will give you the best flavor and texture.
When you’re ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
Scoop the dough into balls slightly larger than 1 tablespoon each. Take two pieces of dough and flatten them slightly around one frozen Nutella mound, sealing the edges completely so the filling stays tucked inside. Place the stuffed dough balls on the prepared baking sheet, leaving a little room between each cookie.
Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the tops are no longer shiny and the edges are set.
Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack. They’re absolutely irresistible while still warm, especially with a cold glass of milk on the side.
How to store leftover stuffed gingerbread cookies
These cookies will stay soft and chewy for days. Store cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. If your kitchen is particularly warm, you can refrigerate them, but let them come to room temperature before serving for the best texture.
Can I freeze leftover cookies?
Yes! Let the cookies cool completely, then transfer them to a freezer-safe container or zip-top bag. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature or warm briefly in the microwave before enjoying.
You can also freeze the assembled, unbaked Nutella-stuffed cookie dough balls. Arrange them on a baking sheet and freeze until solid, then transfer to a freezer bag. Bake directly from frozen, adding 1 to 2 extra minutes to the baking time.
More holiday cookie recipes
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Nutella Stuffed Gingerbread Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened (2 sticks)
- 1 cup brown sugar, packed
- 1/4 cup molasses
- 2 eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon ground cloves
- 3 & 1/2 cups all purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 & 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup Nutella, or other hazelnut spread
Instructions
- Start by freezing the nutella. Clear out some space in your fridge and line a baking sheet with wax paper. Use 2 spoons to dollop nutella on the sheet. You want them to be about a tablespoon and a half. It doesn’t have to be exact.
- Freeze for 2 hours, or until firm. Or 25 minutes like me, and deal with melty nutella oozing out of your cookie dough.
- In a large bowl or stand mixer, beat the butter and sugar together until they are combined. Scrape down the sides, then continue to beat for 2-3 minutes.
- Add the molasses and beat until combined completely.
- Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well and scraping sides.
- Add the vanilla, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. Beat well.
- Add the spooned and leveled flour, but don’t mix it in. Make a well in the flour, carefully add the cornstarch, baking soda, and salt, and mix it in with the flour with a small spoon. Then beat in the flour, using 1-second pulses so that you don’t shoot flour everywhere.
- Beat until just barely combined. You might need to use a wooden spoon to mix it in.
- Cover the bowl and chill in the fridge for at least 45 minutes, or up to 4 days. The longer the better.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Line a baking sheet with a silpat or parchment paper.
- Form balls out of the dough that are a little larger than 1 tablespoon. Take 2 balls and smoosh them around a frozen dollop of nutella. Seal it well. Place on the baking sheet and continue until the dough is gone. I lined up 8 cookies per pan.
- Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 10-12 minutes, or until they are no longer shiny on top and the edges are set.
- Remove from the oven. Let them set on the pan for about 5 minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool. Eat warm! With milk!
Oh my gosh, I just can’t get over the chocolate filling in these cookies! I feel like I would get one fantastic Christmas present if I left a few of these for Santa.
Ha! Right? How could he resist?? :)
1) Harry Potter. You are my hero for bringing up Hagrid in a conversation about Christmas trees. Love those books!
2) Those Christmas tree lights…. My dad is the only one in our family with enough patience to arrange them perfectly on the tree, so it was my job to untangle the strand and hold it out like a trail behind him so he always had enough slack to start stringing them around.
3) NUTELLA. I haven’t eaten that stuff in ages… And now I’m about to cry. Do you have any of these left in your freezer?? ;)
Lol…Hagrid the Christmas tree…love that. We used to go to a farm to cut our tree down every year. We’d be out there for hours, no matter how cold it was. In fact one year we found our tree within the first 10 minutes of walking around but refused to cut it down until we roamed around for 2 additional hours. We still love that one we found in the first few minutes.
I never thought to combine gingerbread and nutella together but I’m pretty sure I’d put nutella on anything so I definitely have to give these a try! :)
Yeah I think it’s pretty much a rule that you find your tree within 10 minutes but still have to scour THE ENTIRE MOUNTAIN to make sure there’s not a better one. lol.
I would want 20 of these if I decided to tackle the lights on our tree. They look insanely delicious! I love gingerbread cookies and that oozing nutella filling? So perfect and totally irresistible!
I. Am. In. LOVE!
Lights are my least favorite part of decorating a tree. These look super yummy!
Haha – I can’t wait to see your tree this weekend! Are there candycanes on it?? I’m impressed that you decided the tackle the lights all on your own – it’s definitely a 2-man job even for our little 4-ft tree.
THESE COOKIES! Nutella, look at you showing off your creamy hazlenutty googness – we know how delicious you are. YOU’RE MAKING MY STOMACH GROWL, NUTELLA.
You amaze me Karen. The quantity of your recipes that make me literally drool is getting out of control!