Why You’ll Love This Hazelnut Chocolate Chip Cookies

• A Symphony of Texture. You get the classic chewiness from the cookie dough, the melty softness from the chocolate chips, and then this incredible, satisfying crunch from the toasted hazelnuts. It’s a textural party in every single bite.
• Deep, Toasty Flavor. Toasting the hazelnuts beforehand is non-negotiable—it unlocks their nutty, almost buttery essence, which pairs so beautifully with the dark chocolate. It adds a layer of sophistication that plain cookies just don’t have.
• Surprisingly Simple. Don’t let the fancy name fool you. This is still a straightforward, one-bowl (mostly!) kind of recipe. If you can make basic cookies, you can absolutely master these. The process is genuinely therapeutic.
• They Feel Indulgent. These cookies have a certain bakery-quality allure to them. They look professional and taste incredibly rich, making them perfect for gifting or serving when you want to impress without spending hours in the kitchen.

Ingredients & Tools

• 115 g unsalted butter, softened
• 100 g light brown sugar, packed
• 75 g granulated sugar
• 1 large egg, at room temperature
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 190 g all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
• 150 g dark chocolate chips or chopped bar
• 120 g hazelnuts, toasted and roughly chopped

Tools: A stand mixer or hand mixer, two baking sheets, parchment paper, a medium bowl, and a cooling rack.

The quality of your hazelnuts and chocolate really makes a difference here. Since they’re the stars, splurging on a good dark chocolate bar you’d enjoy on its own and fresh, raw hazelnuts is totally worth it. You’ll taste the difference, I promise.

Serves: 12 large cookies | Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 10-12 minutes | Total Time: 45 minutes (includes chilling)

Before You Start: Tips & Ingredient Notes

• Toast Those Nuts! This is the single most important step for flavor. Toasting transforms hazelnuts from bland and slightly bitter to deeply aromatic and nutty. Just spread them on a baking sheet and toast at 175°C for 8-10 minutes until fragrant and lightly golden.
• Butter Temperature is Key. Your butter should be softened, meaning it’s cool to the touch but your finger can easily make an indentation. Too cold and it won’t cream properly; too melted and your cookies will spread into sad, flat puddles.
• Why Room Temperature Eggs? A room temp egg incorporates much more smoothly into the creamed butter and sugar, creating a better emulsion. This leads to a more uniform texture in your baked cookies. If you forget, just place the egg in a bowl of warm water for 5-10 minutes.
• Weigh Your Flour. I know it’s a hassle to get the scale out, but honestly, it’s the best way to ensure accuracy. If you must use cups, fluff your flour with a spoon, spoon it into the measuring cup, and level it off with a knife. No scooping!
• Chop Your Own Chocolate? While chips are convenient, chopping a bar of chocolate gives you a mix of fine shards and larger chunks that create beautiful, irregular pools of chocolate. It’s a small step for a big visual and textural payoff.

How to Make Hazelnut Chocolate Chip Cookies

Serving Suggestions

Complementary Dishes

• A Simple Vanilla Bean Ice Cream — The pure, creamy flavor of vanilla is the perfect, cool contrast to the warm, nutty cookies. Placing a warm cookie underneath a scoop is the ultimate dessert.
• A Sharp Cheese Board — For a more sophisticated twist, serve these cookies alongside a board with a sharp cheddar or a creamy blue cheese. The sweet and salty combination is unexpectedly fantastic.

Drinks

• A Glass of Cold Milk — It’s a classic for a reason. The cold milk cuts through the richness of the chocolate and nuts perfectly. It’s pure, simple nostalgia.
• A Rich Coffee or Latte — The deep notes of coffee echo the roasted flavors in the hazelnuts, making this a match made in heaven for an afternoon pick-me-up.

Something Sweet

• Fresh Berries with Whipped Cream — The bright, tart acidity of raspberries or strawberries provides a lovely, light counterpoint to the decadent cookies, cleansing the palate between bites.
• A Dollop of Salted Caramel Sauce — If you’re feeling truly indulgent, a little warm salted caramel drizzled over a cookie takes it to an entirely new level of deliciousness.

Top Mistakes to Avoid

• Mistake: Using melted butter. This is the number one reason cookies spread too much. Melted butter doesn’t trap air during creaming, leading to a denser, flatter cookie. Stick to properly softened butter.
• Mistake: Skipping the chill time. I’ve messed this up before too, thinking I could save time. Chilled dough bakes up thicker, chewier, and more flavorful. Warm dough spreads rapidly and can result in a greasy, thin cookie.
• Mistake: Overbaking. It’s so tempting to wait for the center to look “done,” but that’s how you end up with a crunchy, dry cookie. Pull them out when the edges are golden and the centers are still puffy and soft.
• Mistake: Overmixing the flour. Once you add the flour, mix only until it’s just combined. Overmixing develops the gluten in the flour, leading to a tough, cake-like cookie instead of a tender, chewy one.

Expert Tips

• Tip: Brown your butter for a nuttier flavor. Take the flavor up another notch by browning the butter before creaming it. Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat until it foams and little brown specks appear at the bottom. Let it cool completely and solidify again before using. It adds an incredible depth.
• Tip: Use a cookie scoop for uniformity. A spring-loaded ice cream scoop ensures all your cookies are the same size, which means they’ll bake evenly. No more half-burnt, half-underdone batches!
• Tip: Add a sprinkle of flaky salt. Right when the cookies come out of the oven, sprinkle the tops with a little flaky sea salt. It enhances the chocolate and nut flavors and creates a wonderful sweet-salty balance.
• Tip: Freeze the dough balls for later. Portion the dough into balls and freeze them solid on a baking sheet. Then, transfer to a zip-top bag. You can bake frozen cookies anytime—just add 1-2 minutes to the baking time. Fresh, warm cookies on demand!

FAQs

Can I use milk or white chocolate instead of dark?
Absolutely! While dark chocolate complements the hazelnuts beautifully, you can use any chocolate you love. Milk chocolate will make the cookies sweeter and creamier, while white chocolate will create a lovely contrast with the nuts. Just try to use a good quality chocolate chip or chopped bar for the best melting texture.

My cookies spread too much. What happened?
This is almost always due to butter that was too warm or dough that wasn’t chilled. Next time, make sure your butter is just softened (not melty) and don’t skip the 30-minute chill. Also, check that your baking soda is fresh—old leavening agents lose their potency. And always bake on a cool, parchment-lined baking sheet, not a warm one.

Can I make these cookies gluten-free?
Yes, you can! I’ve had great success using a 1:1 gluten-free all-purpose flour blend. Look for one that contains xanthan gum, which helps mimic the structure that gluten provides. The texture might be slightly more delicate, but they’ll still be delicious. Be sure not to overmix the dough.

How should I store these cookies, and how long will they keep?
Once completely cool, store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature. They’ll be at their absolute best for about 3 days. If you want to keep them longer, you can freeze the baked cookies for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature or warm them gently in the oven.

Can I use a different type of nut?
Of course! The method will work with many nuts. Toasted walnuts or pecans would be fantastic substitutes. Almonds would work well too, though their flavor is a bit more subtle than hazelnuts. Just make sure to toast whatever nut you choose to maximize its flavor.