When it comes to classic flavor combinations, chocolate and hazelnut is probably up there in the top 5. These Hazelnut Milk Chocolate Chunk Chocolate Cookies are so rich, moist and fudgy with crisp edges and chewy texture when they cool. They are full of deeply roasted hazelnuts and creamy smooth milk chocolate in a rich cocoa cookie dough. Taking a bite of these cookies is like a flavor explosion! They stay chewy for days and freeze very well. If you love chocolate and hazelnut flavor combination, you will also love my Chocolate Hazelnut Blossom Cookies.
WHY YOU WILL LOVE THIS RECIPE
- Rich chocolate cookies - these cookies have a deep rich chocolatey taste thanks to lots of unsweetened cocoa powder.
- Thick fudgy chocolate cookies - the texture of these cookies is crisp on the outside and fudgy inside. They bake up nice and thick and as they cool they become more chewy.
- Roasted hazelnuts - lots of hazelnut flavor comes through these cookies from deeply roasted hazelnuts. The chocolate and hazelnut flavor combination is classically delicious.
- Milk chocolate chunks - I almost always bake with dark chocolate, but when combined with hazelnuts, milk chocolate is perfect! The creamy dairy notes against the roasted earthy nuttiness is pure bliss.
INGREDIENTS
- Butter - there is no substitute for butter in chocolate cookies in my opinion! It is the foundation of the rich cocoa flavor. In this recipe, you can use salted or unsalted butter, but if you choose unsalted then I recommend doubling the added salt to ½ teaspoon.
- Granulated sugar - this recipe uses a combination of simple white granulated sugar and brown sugar. White sugar helps create the crunchy caramelized edges. I wouldn't recommend reducing the sugar because it will compromise the chewy texture.
- Brown sugar - I highly recommend dark brown sugar for this recipe as it has twice as much molasses as light brown sugar and will make a big difference to the flavor and contribute to the fudgy texture.
- Egg - you'll need one whole egg for this recipe. It's the perfect amount of moisture to make these cookies chewy and not cakey.
- Pure vanilla extract - vanilla is essential to making delicious chocolate cookies. I like this Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla extract.
- Espresso powder - it adds really nice depth and heightened roasted notes to these cookies which enhances the chocolate taste. It is optional if you choose not to use it.
- All purpose flour - regular unbleached all-purpose flour makes the best chewy cookies in my opinion.
- Cocoa powder - I recommend getting your hands on some good quality cocoa powder! It's the main flavor and you want it to shine so use the best you can find. I love to use this Dutch Process cocoa powder for this recipe, but natural cocoa also adds a nice fruity flavor - it just means your cookies will be a bit lighter in color. Make sure you use unsweetened cocoa powder and not cocoa mix.
- Hazelnuts - for the best flavor, roast the hazelnuts before you chop them. The fastest way to do this is to place them in a dry frying pan over medium heat and shake the pan frequently until they are golden and fragrant.
- Milk Chocolate - here is where milk chocolate shines - when it's paired with hazelnut! The combination of the intense dark cocoa cookies with the creamy milk chocolate and roasted hazelnuts is heaven. The texture and flavor of chocolate tempered in a bar form is better than chips. I prefer Lindt extra creamy milk chocolate for this.
STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS
- STEP 1). Cream butter and sugar - make sure you butter is softened to room temperature and beat it with the brown sugar and granulated sugar until smooth and just slightly fluffy. Keep the creaming to a minimum if you want these to be chewy cookies. Mix in vanilla.
- STEP 2). Beat in the egg. You can do this all by hand using a spatula or use a hand mixer. Mix until the egg is well incorporated.
- STEP 3). Combine the dry ingredients. Whisk all dry ingredients in a separate bowl and blend well. I always sift in my cocoa powder because it can be lumpy.
- STEP 4). Mix in the dry ingredients. Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture and fold it in until evenly combined.
- STEP 5). Fold in chocolate chunks. I use a bar of pure milk chocolate that I chop into chunks. I prefer Lindt extra creamy milk chocolate for this.
- STEP 6). Chill the dough. Cover the bowl and place in the fridge for 1-2 hours. This will allow the cocoa flavor to develop for richer cookies and it will create a fudgier texture.
- STEP 7). Bake. Roll mounds of cookie dough into balls and place onto trays. Flatten them slightly to help them spread and bake for 9-11 minutes.
EXPERT BAKING TIPS
- Use salted butter! It really makes a difference when working with a chocolate dough. It adds a richness that makes these taste ultra chocolatey.
- Use chocolate chunks instead of chips - if you like the melty "puddle" effect of the chocolate, then get you favorite milk chocolate bar or block and chop it up into rough chunks.
- Chill the dough - giving this dough time to sit in the fridge will help the cocoa settle into the butter and will give time to let the flour hydrate. This produces chewier cookies with a richer flavor.
- Use regular large size eggs. Large eggs weigh 57g. Using an extra large egg will add up to 2 teaspoons more liquid to the cookie dough which can throw off the moisture balance and make the cookies spread too much.
- Don't skip the salt. The right amount of salt is so important. If you don't have salted butter, you should double the added salt to ½ teaspoon.
- Roast the hazelnuts. This adds so much flavor and is always worth it! The fastest way to do this is to place them in a dry frying pan over medium heat and shake the pan frequently until they are golden and fragrant. Or, you can roast them in a 350 degree F oven for 7-10 minutes.
RECIPE FAQ
You can make these cookies without chilling the dough, but I promise it's worth it. Giving the cookie dough time to rest and chill in the fridge allows the flour to fully hydrate. This produces thicker, chewier cookies. It also helps the cocoa absorb into the butter which creates a richer flavor.
These cookies stay nice and thick, so if yours spread a lot, then it could be that there was not the right amount of flour added. Too little flour will mean the cookies will not have enough structure to hold their shape and the dough will be too wet. The best way to measure the flour is using a scale to ensure you use the right amount. If you skip the chilling time, the cookie dough will spread more as well.
You can use either natural or Dutch cocoa for this recipe and it will still work. I used Dutch cocoa here and it gives them a darker color.
To remove the skins, place the still-warm, just roasted/toasted hazelnuts over a clean kitchen towel, fold up the towel to cover them and then roll them around. The friction will rub off the skins which are loosened during roasting.
There are two main types of cocoa out there: Dutch process and non Dutch process. There's also raw cacao, but that's not as common. Dutch process cocoa powder is alkalized cocoa which means that it has been treated with a basic (alkaline agent) such as sodium bicarbonate or potassium bicarbonate. This neutralizes the acidity of the cocoa and brings the pH up from around 5 or 6 to above 7.
Alkalizing reduces the acidic or sour taste of cocoa and makes it more smooth or mellow. I find that as the pH gets higher (more heavily Dutched cocoa) the taste can get slightly smoky. It also tends to have less complexity. Natural cocoa has a more pronounced fruity character.
Alkalizing darkens the color of cocoa powder by changing the chemistry of the polyphenolic compounds that tend to have a reddish/rust color at a lower pH. It also makes it more soluble in water.
This recipe for double chocolate hazelnut cookies contains brown sugar which is acidic so even when you use Dutch cocoa, there will still be some acidity in the dough to react with baking soda to help these cookies rise and spread. They will spread slightly less if you use natural cocoa because there will be less residual baking soda remaining to promote spread. Also, using Dutch cocoa will yield darker colored cookies if that is your preference. This is my favorite Dutch cocoa.
STORAGE AND FREEZING
These cookies are best stored at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
Yes, just place the cooled cookies in a resealable freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months. They just need 15-20 minutes to thaw.
If you love cookies, check out these recipes!
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Baking with hazelnuts
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Video
Milk Chocolate Chunk Hazelnut Cookies
Ingredients
- ½ cup 113g salted butter
- ½ cup 110g packed dark brown sugar
- ⅓ cup 65g granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon 5ml pure vanilla extract
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup plus 2 tbsp 160g all purpose flour
- ⅓ cup 28g cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon espresso powder (optional)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup 170g milk chocolate chips or chunks
- ½ cup 65g roasted hazelnuts, coarsely chopped
Instructions
- Make the cookie dough. Combine soft butter, both types of sugars and vanilla in a large bowl and beat together using an electric hand mixer or a wide spatula until smooth and slightly fluffy. It will look more like wet sand instead of a fluffy aerated mixture and that's what makes these cookies fudgy. It will take 1-2 minutes if using a mixer.
- Add the egg and mix it in until well incorporated.
- Combine flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, espresso powder and salt in a medium bowl and whisk to blend evenly. If your cocoa powder is lumpy, sift it in. Add flour mixture to the butter mixture and fold it in until just incorporated. Add the milk chocolate chunks and chopped hazelnuts and fold them in.
- Cover bowl and refrigerate the dough for 1-2 hours.
- Preheat your oven to 350°F and line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Scoop up about 2 tablespoon portions of cookie dough and roll into 16-18 balls and place onto baking sheets spacing them at least 2 inches apart. Flatten dough balls slightly using the palm of your hand or the bottom of a measuring cup. Press extra chocolate chunks and hazelnuts on top and bake for 9-11 minutes until set around the edges and slightly soft in the middle. Do not over-bake these - they will continue to set on the hot tray.
ali
The yummiest cookies ever!!! always a hit & i make them at least once a week.
kayla
Hi, can I add a teaspoon of honey to these cookies? just like the bakery style ones you make! thank you 🙂
christina.marsigliese
Hi Kayla, yes you can, but they will spread more.
Jen
If you wanted to use natural cocoa, could you add more baking soda to neutralize the acidity? If so, how much? Thanks!
christina.marsigliese
Hi Jen, if you use natural cocoa, you don't need to change anything actually. I've used both here and it works great. If you want more spread, then you can increase the baking soda by a tad, but I wouldn't go too far.
Fran
I made these on the weekend and they are delicious. The cookie dough is really rich and chocolaty and the roasted hazelnuts with milk chocolate is such a great combo.
Robin
We have a nut allergy in the family. Can you leave out the nuts? Maybe substitute chocolate chunks?
christina.marsigliese
Hi Robin, yes you could leave them out and add more chocolate.