3-ingredient Nutella cookies
Easy Nutella cookies made with just 3 ingredients, quick to bake and perfect for a fast homemade treat.
Looking for a quick bake you can pull together with pantry staples? These 3-ingredient Nutella cookies — known in Italy as nutellotti — are exactly that: hazelnut spread, one egg and flour are all it takes to get a tray of soft, indulgent cookies ready in under 30 minutes.
The recipe works because it is genuinely simple. No stand mixer, no special equipment — just a bowl, a spoon and a baking tray. The result is a cookie that tastes properly homemade, with a soft centre that sets it apart from anything you would buy at a shop.
The most important thing to get right is the baking time. Pull them out while the edges are just set and the centre still looks a little underdone; they will firm up as they cool and land at exactly the right texture — soft inside, slightly firmer at the edge.
They tick three practical boxes: they are inexpensive, easy to make ahead, and they freeze well once baked, so you can double the batch and keep half in the freezer for whenever a craving hits. A spoonful of spread dropped into the indent or a dusting of icing sugar can dress them up, but they hold their own in their simplest form too.
Ready to get started? Here is the full nutellotti recipe.
To make this recipe
A small selection of handy tools to keep within reach. Some links may be affiliate links.
Oven tray or baking dish
Perfect for baking meatballs and vegetables. Choose a non-stick tray for better results and easy cleaning.
Digital kitchen scale
In leavened recipes and baked goods, it lets you accurately weigh flour, liquids, and yeast.
Steps
- Preheat the oven to 175°C (350°F) in conventional mode and line a baking tray with parchment paper.
- Place the hazelnut spread in a large bowl, add the egg and mix with a fork or spatula until you get a smooth, uniform mixture.
- Add the flour a little at a time, stirring between each addition, until the dough is soft but firm enough to be shaped by hand without sticking.
- Scoop portions of about 15 g each and roll them between your palms into even-sized balls — this ensures they all bake at the same rate.
- Arrange the balls on the tray leaving at least 3 cm between them, then gently press the centre of each one with your thumb or the handle of a spoon, without flattening them completely.
- Bake on the middle rack for 12 minutes: the edges should be just set, but the centre should still look slightly soft — that is perfectly fine, as it will firm up while cooling.
- Remove from the oven and let the cookies cool directly on the tray for at least 10 minutes; they are very delicate when hot and will crumble if moved too soon.
- Transfer to a wire rack only once they are stable, then store in an airtight tin to keep them soft.
Helpful tips
For an extra touch, add half a teaspoon of hazelnut spread into the indent right after baking — the residual heat will warm it gently.
If the dough feels too sticky, refrigerate it for 15 minutes before shaping: it will be much easier to handle.
The cookies stay soft for 3–4 days in a closed tin. You can also freeze them once baked: just leave them at room temperature for 20 minutes to thaw.
A light dusting of icing sugar just before serving is a nice finish, but they are equally good as they are.
Average nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 124 kcal
- Carbohydrates
- 13.0 g
- Sugars
- 9.0 g
- Protein
- 2.0 g
- Fat
- 7.0 g
- Saturated fat
- 2.0 g
- Fiber
- 0.8 g
- Sodium
- 40 mg
You might also like
Related recipes
Selected based on the same practical features as this recipe.
Baked Eggplant Meatballs, Easy and Full of Flavor
Baked eggplant meatballs that are crisp on the outside and soft in the middle, easy to make and perfect as a vegetarian starter or light dinner.
Water-based bundt cake without milk
An easy milk-free bundt cake, light and soft, ideal for everyday breakfast.
Umbrian torta al testo, soft and ready to fill
An Umbrian flatbread cooked in a pan, soft inside and lightly golden outside, ideal for many savoury fillings.