Nutella Swirl Peanut Butter Cookies Recipe

I just swirled Nutella into my favorite Cookie Recipes With Peanut Butter and made impossibly soft, chewy cookies that will ruin your weekend plans and force you to call me at midnight.

I’m obsessed with these Nutella Swirl Peanut Butter Cookies because they’re the kind of mess you want on your hands. I love how creamy peanut butter meets ribbons of Nutella or other chocolate hazelnut spread so each bite is chewy, salty, and utterly selfish.

I don’t care if you call it Cookies Made With Nutella or another trend, this is the cookie I crave when I’m lazy and hungry. Baking with Nutella obviously helps.

Crusty edges, soft center, chocolate hugging peanut butter. It’s loud, ridiculous, and impossible to share.

Sorry not sorry. Try one.

You’ll understand why I hoard them.

Ingredients

• All purpose flour: the cookie’s backbone, gives structure and soft chew.
• Baking soda: makes them light and slightly puffy, not flat.
• Fine salt: tightens sweetness and brings out peanut butter taste.
• Unsalted butter: adds richness and tenderness, it’s how cookies stay soft.
• Granulated sugar: brings crisp edges and simple sweet bite.
• Light brown sugar: keeps cookies moist and gives a hint of caramel.
• Creamy peanut butter: basically the star, adds nutty creaminess and binding power.
• Large egg: helps everything stick together and gives gentle lift.
• Vanilla extract: warm background flavor, it just makes them taste homey.
• Nutella: swirled in for chocolate hazelnut pockets, slightly gooey and dreamy.
• Flaky sea salt: plus a finishing pop, balances sweetness and adds crunch.

Ingredient Quantities

• 1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter, room temp (not chunky)
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/3 to 1/2 cup Nutella or other chocolate hazelnut spread, slightly warmed for easier swirling
• flaky sea salt for sprinkling, optional

How to Make this

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.

2. Whisk together 1 1/4 cups all purpose flour, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda and 1/4 teaspoon fine salt in a bowl; set aside.

3. In a larger bowl beat 1/2 cup softened unsalted butter, 1/2 cup granulated sugar and 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar until light and creamy, about 2 to 3 minutes; scrape the bowl so everything mixes.

4. Add 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter (room temp), 1 large egg and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract to the butter mixture and beat until smooth and combined. Don’t overmix.

5. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture until just combined; the dough should be soft and slightly sticky. If it’s too sticky chill 10 to 15 minutes so it’s easier to handle.

6. Scoop dough by heaping tablespoon or a small cookie scoop (about 1 to
1.5 tablespoons each) onto prepared sheets, leaving 2 inches between cookies. Slightly flatten each ball with the back of a spoon or your fingers.

7. Warm 1/3 to 1/2 cup Nutella in a microwave safe bowl for 10 to 20 seconds so it’s pourable but not hot. Spoon a small dollop of Nutella (about 1/2 teaspoon) onto the center of each cookie, then use a toothpick or the tip of a knife to swirl the Nutella into the peanut butter dough creating a marbled effect. Don’t over swirl or the spreads will fully blend.

8. Optional trick: for neater swirls pipe Nutella from a small plastic bag with the corner snipped, then swirl with a toothpick. If you want thicker swirls use up to 1/2 cup Nutella.

9. Bake 9 to 12 minutes until edges are set and tops look slightly cracked but centers still soft. Let cookies cool on the baking sheet 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Sprinkle flaky sea salt on top while still warm if you like sweet and salty.

Equipment Needed

1. Two rimmed baking sheets lined with parchment paper or silicone mats
2. Measuring cups and spoons (1 cup, 1/4 cup, 1/3 cup, and teaspoon set)
3. Medium mixing bowl for dry ingredients and a larger mixing bowl for the wet stuff
4. Electric hand mixer or sturdy wooden spoon if you wanna do it by hand
5. Rubber spatula for scraping the bowl
6. Tablespoon or small cookie scoop (1 to 1.5 tbsp) for portioning dough
7. Microwave safe bowl for warming the Nutella
8. Toothpick or small paring knife for swirling (or a small disposable piping bag with the corner snipped)
9. Wire cooling rack and a spatula for transferring cookies after they rest on the sheet

FAQ

Nutella Swirl Peanut Butter Cookies Recipe Substitutions and Variations

• All purpose flour: swap for a 1-to-1 gluten free flour blend that contains xanthan gum. It usually works straight across, but cookies might be a tad crumblier. If you only have whole wheat, use the same amount but expect a denser, nuttier cookie.
• Unsalted butter: you can use an equal amount of solid coconut oil (measure melted then chill till firm). Flavor will be a little coconutty and texture might be slightly more tender. Or use vegan butter for a dairy free option.
• Large egg: replace with a flax egg for vegan baking. Mix 1 tablespoon ground flax + 3 tablespoons water, let sit 5 minutes. It holds things together but the cookies will be a bit chewier.
• Nutella or chocolate hazelnut spread: use 1/3 cup melted semisweet chocolate mixed with 1 to 2 tablespoons hazelnut butter or finely chopped toasted hazelnuts. Gives similar chocolate-hazelnut flavor if you dont have Nutella.

Pro Tips

1) Chill the dough a bit if it feels too sticky. Ten to fifteen minutes in the fridge firms it up and makes scooping way easier. If it still sticks to your scoop, wet your hands or dip the scoop in cold water.

2) Warm the Nutella just enough so it pours, not so much it becomes oily. Ten to twenty seconds in the microwave usually does it. If it gets too runny, cool it a little before swirling or your cookie will lose its peanut butter flavor.

3) Don’t over swirl the chocolate into the dough. Light, lazy swirls give you those pretty marbled pockets of Nutella. Overmixing will make the whole cookie just chocolate peanut butter mud.

4) Watch the bake time, not the clock. Pull them when the edges are set and the centers still look a touch soft. They firm up as they cool, so better to underbake a little than overbake. Sprinkle flaky sea salt right after they come out, it sticks better while warm and really lifts the flavors.