***Before I get started with these Nutella Crunch Cookies, I have a shameless plea: Would you please take two minutes to nominate Tasty Oasis for the Saveur Food Blog Awards in the Best New Voice category? On Tuesday, I wrote a whole post about it, and I would love for you to check it out. The deadline is this Friday, March 13th, and I would be ever so grateful! Thank you!!!***
There was a time in our house when we consumed so many jars of Nutella that we were able to trade in the labels for a Nutella t-shirt and two (count them: TWO) Nutella travel coffee mugs. I’m not sure what that says about us, especially knowing that during that period I never even tried baking with this chocolate hazelnut spread of deliciousness. Almost all jars were just devoured straight up, on a spoon. Granted, sometimes it was added to a bowl of vanilla ice cream, but that’s as creative as we ever really became. Of course, that amount gluttony meant that we had to take a good two year Nutella hiatus. Brian went off of sugar for a bit, and I just found mine in other places.
And then the Winter of 2014-2015 struck. (Do you see where this is going?) And Nutella has made a full force re-entry into our lives. Brian has been making Nutella “drinking chocolate,” the spoons have returned, and I…well, I bake. I got an idea into my head around a month ago: I was bound and determined to make the perfect Nutella cookie. And because I care so much about you all, I wasn’t just going to present you with my first attempt. That first attempt might have been declared, “The best thing you’ve ever made!” by my taste-testing sister-in-law, (the one who previously said the same thing about the OMFG Extra Dark Chocolate Ice Cream,) but I thought I could push it further. So four batches later and I actually have TWO winning recipes for Nutella Crunch Cookies that I am sharing with you today. Honestly, I just can’t decide which one I like better. And all my generous friends and family who have willingly submitted to be tasters (poor things) are split down the middle on which is the winner. So I leave it to you to bake both and decide!
The first is a Brown Butter Nutella Crunch Cookie. (I know, you’re wondering how all of those words can come together, and why they haven’t before.) The recipe is a riff on my Brown Butter Dark Chocolate Chip Cookies, but with a cup of Nutella thrown into the mix, some extra flour and a bunch of crispy rice cereal mixed in. Here’s the thing though, while the brown butter makes it nutty and mouthwatering on it’s own, it does mask some of the Nutella flavor. That said, it is a cookie that you can’t stop eating. While the cookie itself is chewy, there’s a surprise crunch from the cereal that will remind you of a Hershey Krackle bar or a Nestle Crunch. And because I didn’t want to lose the Nutella effect, I solved the world’s problems by taking two cookies and making them into a sandwich with a thin spread of Nutella in between. (You’re welcome.)
The second is a Chocolatey Nutella Crunch Cookie. When my husband kindly said to me, “Please don’t go wasting my Nutella if you’re not even going to taste it,” I took his feedback seriously. So batch four simply creamed the butter, added some extra cocoa powder and almond extract, and reduced the flour a bit. These…..these….soft and chocolatey gooey cookies give you that sensation and satisfaction of a spoonful of Nutella being snuck straight from the jar while standing in your kitchen, hiding behind the refrigerator, right before dinner time, as you hope that your kids don’t walk in and catch you because then you’ll have to share. (Wait, are we the only ones who do this? Maybe this is why my pants keep getting tighter. Or the four batches of cookies. Either way….) Even 24 hours later, your teeth sink into them, and I am convinced this incredible consistency is because of the Nutella. You’ve still got the snap from the rice cereal here and there, but these are dark and rich and perfect on their own. I am not even tempted to spread the Nutella between two sides with this version, but of course, I wouldn’t judge you for trying. (Seriously, no judgement. I just ate at least ten of these as I tried to come up with the cleverest words to describe them. Again, another sacrifice I make for my readers.)
And so now I leave it up to you. First bake the cookies that call to you the loudest. Then make the second version. Are you scoffing at the number of cookies this means having in your house? Please don’t be that way. Remember that you can always bring some to work, or pass them off to a teacher or neighbor. I promise it will make people smile. And then let me know which ones you love more, because I personally cannot decide. All I know is that I cannot stop eating them…..
Brown Butter Nutella Crunch Cookies and Chocolatey Nutella Crunch Cookies are two versions of a decadent idea. They're both chewy with a surprise crackle that comes from the crispy rice cereal in every bite, but they have their own unique flavors. The Brown Butter Nutella Crunch Cookie is lighter and nuttier, while the Chocolatey Nutella Crunch Cookie is gooier and will remind you of eating Nutella straight from the spoon. Make them both, and decide which you like best.
Ingredients
- ¾ cup unsalted butter (1½ sticks, 6 ounces)
- 6 Tablespoons white sugar (90 grams)
- 1 cup light brown sugar (200 grams)
- 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup Nutella (chocolate hazelnut spread), plus an additional ¼-½ cup for spreading between cookies (optional)
- 2½ cups all-purpose flour (320 grams)
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- 1¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1½ cups crispy rice cereal (45 grams)
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- ¾ cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature (1½ sticks, 6 ounces)
- 6 Tablespoons white sugar (90 grams)
- 1 cup light brown sugar (200 grams)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup Nutella (chocolate hazelnut spread)
- 2 cups all-purpose flour (260 grams)
- ½ cup cocoa powder (38 grams)
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- 1¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1½ cups crispy rice cereal (45 grams)
Instructions
In a small saucepan, melt and brown your butter over medium heat. (This can take anywhere from 5-10 minutes, so get started with this step right away before doing anything else. If you haven't done this before, instructions are in the notes below.)
While the butter is browning, combine both sugars in a large bowl. You can use a stand mixer, but a regular bowl and wooden spoon are fine with this recipe.
In a medium size bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt.
Once the butter has browned, immediately pour the hot butter over your sugars and stir until everything is well combined. Add the vanilla extract to the butter and sugar combo. It will become smooth and creamy looking, and should have cooled slightly. Add the eggs one at a time to this large bowl, stirring quickly so that the eggs don't cook from the heat of the still warm butter.
Mix in 1 cup of Nutella so that everything is well combined.
Slowly add in half of the dry ingredients (flour, baking soda, and salt) to the large bowl, stirring to incorporate , and then mix in the other half.
Finally stir in the crispy rice cereal.
If you can be patient, chill the dough in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes (and try not to sneak too many spoonfuls while you wait.) If you can't, just know your cookies may be a little flatter, but that isn't a huge problem.
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In a large bowl, cream together (which just means mix well) the softened butter and both sugars. I prefer to use a stand mixer, but use what you've got. To this, add your vanilla and almond extracts, followed by you eggs, stirring in one at a time and scraping down the sides of the bowl. Next, add in the cup of Nutella and beat until it is a smooth batter.
In a medium size bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. Mix half of these dried ingredients into the wet batter, stir to combine, and then add the other half. Finally, stir in the crispy rice cereal.
If you can be patient, chill the dough in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes (and try not to sneak too many spoonfuls while you wait.) If you can't, just know your cookies may be a little flatter, but that isn't a huge problem.
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Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit/165 degrees Celsius. (Normally you do this first in a recipe, but wait until you are almost done chilling the dough.)
Line 2 baking sheets with Silpat sheets or parchment paper.
Use a Tablespoon or a small ice cream scoop to measure out your cookies, spacing them evenly on the sheets, around 2 inches apart.
Bake two sheets at a time, for a total of 11 minutes. Set your timer for 8 minutes, and make sure to switch the sheets from high to low and back to front, so that they cook evenly, and then add on 3 more minutes. You will want these slightly under-baked when you remove them from the oven because they will cook another minute or two when they're outside of it. Remove them as quickly as you can to wire racks to cool. If you haven't eaten an obscene amount of dough already, you will probably have one more tray of cookies to bake, or think ahead and freeze balls of cookie dough to bake another day.
Once the cookies have cooled, you can spread a thin later of Nutella between two cookies for a Brown Butter Nutella Crunch Sandwich. The Chocolatey Nutella Crunch Cookies aren't necessarily calling for the extra spread, but you be the judge.
Now decide if you are going to keep all of these for yourself, or if you can find it in your heart to share.
Notes
*Browning butter can take between 5-10 minutes, depending on your heat source, so get started with this step first, and do everything else while you wait. Simply cut the butter into chunks (around 2 TBSP each), and let it melt in a small saucepan over medium heat. Once the solids have liquefied, keep a close eye on it and see how it begins to froth. When the foam and bubbles start to dissipate, use a wooden spoon to stir. You'll notice tiny brown flecks form on the bottom of the pan, and this is when you have to be vigilant. In less than 15 seconds a few dots will turn into a full layer of floating solids. Use your nose, and you will smell a nuttiness that wasn't there before. Immediately remove the pan from the flame and pour your butter into your mixing bowl. For a visual, check out my Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Post.
**Chilling the dough helps make sure that the cookies don't spread out too flat when they cook, and just makes everything come together better. I've rushed it and skipped the time in the fridge, but it always turns out better if I wait. But if you're in a hurry, they will certainly still be delicious.
These are on my to make list to celebrate Lent (and my sweets ban) ending. Thanks!
My pleasure! I would love to hear what you think when you make them!
Made the chocolately Nutella cookies and they’re amazing!! They have an incredible sweet/salty combo that’s highly addictive. …And they have stayed soft (my fav type of cookie). Will definitely make again!!
That’s fantastic, Shelley! I am so happy they worked for you! Thanks for letting me know!
I think I have to face the fact that I’m not going to take up baking anytime soon, so will you please, PLEASE make these for us every time you visit? Or we come home? Or you want to mail something to us? Please.