Nutella Thumbprint Shortbread
A delicious shortbread cookie perfect for Nutella lovers, this Nutella Thumbprint Cookie recipe is super simple to make with the kids and yields a ridiculous amount of melt-in-your-mouth cookies so you get a big pay-out with very little time invested.
Nutella Thumbprint Cookies Recipe
These 5-ingredient Nutella thumbprint cookies are buttery, chocolatey, hazelnut perfection.
These decadent two-bite cookies are incredibly simple to make and you can easily turn out 40 completed cookies in less than 30 minutes. That’s a pretty good return on time and effort invested if you ask me!
Shortbread cookies have a daunting reputation but I have developed this recipe for busy moms in mind. I want a foolproof recipe, no chill time and something that the kids can help make without worrying that half of the cookies will be crumbly messes – and this recipe is it! Simple, ready to bake in less than 10 minutes and they still have that melt-in-your-mouth texture and buttery taste of a great shortbread.
Below I’ve included 9 tips that you can use for an easy shortbread baking experience, but honestly, just follow the recipe exactly as written and you won’t run into any issues.
Tips for Perfect Shortbread
- Use good-quality butter and don’t substitute with margarine. You want a butter that you enjoy the flavour of because it will form the basis of most of the shortbread’s flavour.
- Use room temperature butter that has been sitting out for a few hours or overnight. Don’t use any hacks like grating or microwaving the butter as you will end up with an over-worked dough.
- Cream the butter and sugar together until very light colored, as you want the sugar to really dissolve well.
- If desired, you can replace a bit of the all-purpose flour with rice flour to give the cookies a lighter texture, but don’t go over replacing half of the flour or the dough will be frustratingly delicate.
- You can chill the dough twice, and it’s a good idea if you’ve spent too much time shaping the dough or have been distracted. Note that I’ve developed this recipe to not need refrigeration, but refrigeration helps develop the flavour and is a good idea if you’re working in a hot or humid kitchen.
- If doing a second chill, it doesn’t need to be for long and you don’t need to cover the dough – in fact, leaving it uncovered for 20-30 minutes in your fridge will help dry out the butter a bit and help the cookies become a bit more light and crisp with baking.
- Ensure that all of the cookies are as close to the same size as possible to ensure even baking. An easy way to do that with thumbprint cookies is to use a cookie scoop or a tablespoon to portion out the dough before rolling and imprinting.
- When forming the shortbread, try not to overwork the dough as it will result in tough cookies.
- You don’t want any browning in the baked cookies – you just want them to be light and set. The minute one cookie starts to show some cracks, the cookies are done.
Can these shortbread cookies be frozen? Yes – that’s one of the best things about shortbread is that it freezes beautifully and the flavour even improves with freezing – and one of my secret indulgences is sneaking a frozen shortbread cookie out of the freezer and enjoying it super cold.
To store, use parchment or wax paper in between layers of the shortbread and store in an airtight freezer bag or your favourite freezer containers (this set of freezer containers is a crazy bargain).
For more classic Christmas cookie inspiration, check out our Classic Christmas Cookies ebook, where we have gathered 40 of our favorite Christmas cookie recipes – from Peanut Butter Buckeyes to Easy Shortbread, Cream Cheese Mints to Toffee Biscuits!
These cookies all share a few things in common:
- They are easy enough for the kids to help make
- They require no special ingredients requiring visits to 5 different grocery stores
- They are Christmas classics that everyone will be excited to see at the Cookie Exchange
- And they are delicious!
To make your holiday baking even easier, we’ve included several tips to ensure the best results so you can just focus on having fun with your kids and trust that these cookies will turn out perfectly, every time.
Grab your copy of our Classic Christmas Cookies ebook:
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Nutella Thumbprint Cookie Ingredients
- Butter, softened
- White Sugar
- Vanilla Extract
- All-Purpose Flour
- Nutella
Scroll down to the printable recipe card for full measurements.
Tip: top these cookies with some crushed, roasted hazelnuts for a texture contrast, if desired.
Kitchen Tools You May Find Helpful
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Mixing bowl
- Electric mixer <– this is a great hand mixer if you don’t want to make the investment into a stand mixer
- Parchment Paper
- Cookie Sheets
- Cooling racks <– I have and love these tiered cooling racks, they save so much counter space and are also oven-safe
- Small bowl, for holding the sprinkles
- Cookie Scoop
How to Make Nutella Thumbprint Cookies
Preheat oven to 350ºF.
Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking sheets. Set aside.
In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar until light and creamy, at least 2 minutes.
Beat in vanilla extract and then slowly beat in the flour until just incorporated.
Use a cookie scoop to portion out the dough on the prepared cookie sheets, about 1″ apart.
Use an inverted teaspoon to press down on the cookies, flattening them and making a small dip in the center of each cookie.
Bake for 12-15 minutes until very lightly golden.
Immediately after baking, press the teaspoon back into each indent, as they likely baked up a bit and aren’t as deep.
Cool on the cookie sheet for about 15 minutes.
Fill each cookie thumbprint with approximately 1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons Nutella.
Makes 35-40 cookies.
Pin this Easy Nutella Filled Cookie for your next baking session:
Grab your free printable recipe card for our Nutella shortbread thumbprint cookies recipe:
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Nutella Thumbprint Shortbread
Melt-in-your-mouth shortbread cookies with a Nutella filling, these Nutella Thumbprint Cookies are decadent but incredibly simple to make with just 5 ingredients and less than 20 minutes active baking time.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups Butter, softened
- 1 1/2 cups Butter, softened
- 3/4 cup White Sugar
- 3/4 cup White Sugar
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 3 1/2 cups All-Purpose Flour
- 3 1/2 cups All-Purpose Flour
- 1 cup Nutella
- 1 cup Nutella
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350ºF.
- Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking sheets. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar until light and creamy, at least 2 minutes.
- Beat in vanilla extract and then slowly beat in the flour until just incorporated.
- Use a cookie scoop to portion out the dough on the prepared cookie sheets, about 1" apart.
- Use an inverted teaspoon to press down on the cookies, flattening them and making a small dip in the center of each cookie.
- Bake for 12-15 minutes until very lightly golden.
- Immediately after baking, press the teaspoon back into each indent, as they likely baked up a bit and aren't as deep.
- Cool on the cookie sheet for about 15 minutes.
- Fill each cookie thumbprint with approximately 1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons Nutella.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
40Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 146Total Fat: 9gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 18mgSodium: 57mgCarbohydrates: 16gFiber: 1gSugar: 7gProtein: 2g
Sugar, Spice and Glitter uses an auto-generate nutrition calculator. Nutrition information isn’t always accurate unless analyzed in a scientific lab, so these should be considered more of a guideline than medical information.
I hope your family and friends love these easy Nutella shortbread cookies as much as mine did!
For more scrumptious cookies, check out our full cookie recipe collection here:
Or for more decadent desserts, check out our full dessert collection here:
Best shortbread cookies I have ever made – thank you.