Nutella Linzer Cookies Recipe tastes like a buttery hazelnut sandwich cookie with a soft, chocolatey center, perfect for anyone who loves Nutella and cozy baking projects that take about 1 hour with chilling. This recipe works well for holiday cookie trays, bake sales, or a quiet night when you want something a little fancier than a chocolate chip cookie. I baked a test batch at 10 p.m. and ate three over the sink, so you know I feel strongly about these.
Why Make This Nutella Linzer Cookies Recipe at Home
Homemade Nutella Linzer cookies taste fresher, crisper, and more buttery than anything from a box. You control the thickness, the amount of Nutella, and the level of sweetness, so the cookies never taste cloying.
You also shape them in any cutout you like, which turns them into a custom cookie gift without much extra work. Kids love punching out the centers, and adults love the “fancy bakery” look with very little stress.
“These Nutella Linzer cookies taste like a bakery special, but the dough handles so easily that I now bake them on repeat every holiday season.”
Ingredients You Need
Dry ingredients
- 2 cups (240 g) all-purpose flour
- Use a standard unbleached flour like King Arthur or Gold Medal.
- Avoid cake flour, which makes the cookies too fragile.
- 1 cup (100 g) finely ground hazelnut meal or almond flour
- Hazelnut meal matches Nutella flavor best.
- Swap with almond flour if you cannot find hazelnut meal.
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional, but adds warmth)
Wet ingredients
- 3/4 cup (170 g) unsalted butter, softened to cool room temperature
- Use real butter, not margarine, for best flavor and texture.
- 2/3 cup (135 g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon almond extract (optional, but it boosts the nutty flavor)
Filling
- 3/4 to 1 cup Nutella or other chocolate hazelnut spread
- Nutella spreads easily and sets nicely.
- Store-brand chocolate hazelnut spread works if you prefer a budget option, but check that it feels thick, not runny.
Finishing
- 1/3 cup powdered sugar, for dusting
- Extra cocoa powder for a light dusting, optional
Equipment
- Mixing bowls
- Hand mixer or stand mixer with paddle attachment
- Rubber spatula
- Measuring cups and spoons or a kitchen scale
- Plastic wrap or reusable silicone wrap
- Rolling pin
- 2 to 3 baking sheets
- Parchment paper or silicone baking mats
- Linzer cookie cutter set or:
- 2 to 2.5 inch round or fluted cutter
- 1 small cutter for the center (heart, star, circle)
- Cooling racks
- Small offset spatula or butter knife for spreading Nutella
- Fine mesh sieve for dusting powdered sugar
Tips & Mistakes
- Chill the dough at least 30 to 45 minutes so it rolls cleanly and holds the cutout shapes.
- Roll the dough to an even thickness, about 1/8 inch; thick cookies taste doughy, and thin cookies burn easily.
- Dust the work surface and rolling pin lightly with flour; too much flour makes the cookies dry and tough.
- Cut an even number of cookies; you need a solid bottom cookie and a cutout top cookie for each sandwich.
- Cut the center shapes after you cut the large rounds; if you cut the centers first, the dough stretches and warps.
- Keep the dough cool; if it softens and sticks, slide the rolled sheet onto a baking sheet and chill 10 minutes.
- Bake one tray at a time in the center of the oven for even browning.
- Pull the cookies when the edges turn light golden; dark brown edges taste bitter.
- Spread Nutella on fully cooled cookies only; warm cookies melt the filling and cause sliding.
- Dust the top cookies with powdered sugar before you sandwich them; if you dust after, sugar covers the Nutella window.
How to Make Nutella Linzer Cookies Recipe
Step 1: Mix the dry ingredients
Add flour, hazelnut meal or almond flour, salt, and cinnamon to a medium bowl. Whisk until the mixture looks uniform and no clumps remain. Set the bowl aside.
Step 2: Cream butter and sugar
Place the softened butter and granulated sugar in a large mixing bowl. Beat with a hand mixer or stand mixer on medium speed for 2 to 3 minutes until the mixture looks pale and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl once so everything mixes evenly.
Step 3: Add egg and extracts
Crack the egg into the butter mixture and add vanilla and almond extract. Beat on low, then medium, until the mixture looks smooth and slightly thick. Scrape the bowl again to catch any streaks of butter.
Step 4: Combine wet and dry
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in two additions. Mix on low speed until the dough comes together and no dry patches remain. Stop mixing as soon as the dough looks uniform so you avoid tough cookies.
Step 5: Chill the dough
Divide the dough into two equal portions. Shape each portion into a flat disc, wrap tightly, and place in the fridge for at least 30 to 45 minutes. Chilled dough rolls more easily and holds the Linzer shapes better.
Step 6: Roll and cut the cookies
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line baking sheets with parchment paper. Work with one dough disc at a time and keep the other in the fridge. Lightly flour your work surface and rolling pin, then roll the dough to about 1/8 inch thick.
Use your large cutter to cut as many rounds as possible and place them on the prepared baking sheets. Cut half of the rounds as solid bottoms. Cut the centers from the remaining rounds with your small cutter to make the tops.
Gather the dough scraps, press them together, chill 10 minutes if they feel soft, then roll again. Continue cutting until you use all the dough. Keep the cut cookies chilled on the baking sheet while the oven finishes heating.
Step 7: Bake the cookies
Place one baking sheet in the center of the oven. Bake 8 to 11 minutes, depending on thickness and your oven, until the edges look lightly golden and the centers look set. The top cookies with cutouts may finish a minute faster, so keep an eye on them.
Remove the tray from the oven and let the cookies sit on the sheet for 3 minutes. Transfer them to a cooling rack and cool completely. Repeat with the remaining trays.
Step 8: Fill with Nutella
Once the cookies cool, sift powdered sugar over the top cookies with cutouts. Stir the Nutella to loosen it slightly. Use a small offset spatula or butter knife to spread about 1 teaspoon of Nutella on each bottom cookie, leaving a tiny border around the edge.
Place a sugared top cookie over each filled bottom cookie and press gently so the Nutella reaches the edges and shows through the window. Let the cookies sit at room temperature for 20 to 30 minutes so the Nutella thickens and the sandwiches set.
Variations I've Tried
Swap Nutella with a thick raspberry jam for a more classic Linzer vibe with a chocolate twist. Use a chocolate shortbread dough instead of the nutty dough if you want a double chocolate cookie. Add finely chopped toasted hazelnuts to the dough for extra crunch and deeper flavor.
You can also mix 2 to 3 tablespoons of Nutella into the dough itself and chill it well before rolling. Sprinkle a tiny pinch of flaky salt on the Nutella before you sandwich the cookies if you like a sweet-salty contrast. Use different center shapes for themes, like hearts for Valentine’s Day or stars for winter holidays.
How to Serve Nutella Linzer Cookies Recipe
Serve Nutella Linzer cookies at room temperature so the butter in the dough softens slightly and the texture feels tender and crisp. Pair them with hot chocolate, coffee, tea, or a cold glass of milk. Add them to a mixed cookie platter with simple sugar cookies and brownies so the Linzers stand out as the “fancy” option.
Pack a few in small tins or boxes as edible gifts, layered with parchment so they stay neat. Kids love them as an after-school treat, and adults appreciate them with an afternoon coffee break.
How to store
- Store Nutella Linzer cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 3 to 4 days; keep layers separated with parchment so they do not stick.
- Keep them in the fridge for up to 1 week if your kitchen runs warm; bring them to room temperature before serving for best texture.
- Freeze unfilled cookie shells in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to 2 months; thaw at room temperature, then fill with Nutella.
- Freeze filled Nutella Linzer cookies in a single layer until firm, then stack with parchment and store up to 1 month; thaw in the fridge overnight, then let them sit at room temperature 20 minutes.
- Skip reheating in the oven, since that melts the Nutella; instead, enjoy them at room temperature so the centers stay creamy.
Nutella Linzer Cookies Recipe
Ingredients
Instructions
- In a large bowl, cream together the softened butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy.
- Beat in the egg and vanilla extract until well combined.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, ground hazelnuts or almonds, cinnamon, and salt.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture, mixing just until a soft dough forms.
- Divide the dough into two discs, wrap each in plastic wrap, and chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll out one disc of dough to about 1/8 inch thickness. Use a round or scalloped cookie cutter to cut out cookies and place them on the prepared baking sheets.
- Using a smaller cutter, cut a small window (such as a circle or heart) out of the center of half of the cookies; these will be the tops.
- Bake for 10–12 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden. Let the cookies cool on the sheets for a few minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Once completely cool, spread a thin layer of Nutella onto the bottom (solid) cookies.
- Dust the top cookies (those with windows) lightly with powdered sugar, then gently place them on top of the Nutella-covered cookies to form sandwiches.
- Allow the cookies to rest for about 30 minutes so the Nutella can set slightly before serving.
Notes
Approximate per 1 cookie (about 24 cookies total): 160 calories; fat 9 g; saturated fat 4 g; carbohydrates 18 g; fiber 1 g; sugars 10 g; protein 2 g; sodium 70 mg. Values will vary based on exact cookie size, brands used, and amount of Nutella and powdered sugar.
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