Chocolate lava cake meets Nutella-stuffed cookies! These Nutella chocolate lava cookies are pure decadence: a fudgy, brownie-like chocolate cookie with a warm, gooey Nutella center.
What’s the best kind of chocolate cookie? The one that blurs the line between cookie and brownie — crisp at the edges, chewy and fudgy in the middle, and begging to be eaten warm. These cookies deliver exactly that experience.
Each cookie has a crinkled, slightly crisp exterior and a soft, chewy interior. When you break one open, a ribbon of melted Nutella flows out, creating that irresistible lava effect. Truly heavenly.
What are Nutella lava cookies?
Nutella lava cookies combine the best parts of Nutella-stuffed cookies and chocolate lava cake with fudgy brownie texture. The process starts by scooping Nutella into portions and freezing them until solid. A rich chocolate cookie dough is prepared to encase each frozen Nutella ball. During baking, the cookie surface crackles like a brownie while edges crisp up and the center remains chewy. The Nutella melts into an oozy center that pours out when you break into a warm cookie.
How to make Nutella lava cookies
* Full ingredient amounts and baking details appear later in the recipe card. Below is a concise overview of the process with photos to guide you.
- Portion and freeze the Nutella. Scoop tablespoon-sized mounds of Nutella onto a parchment-lined tray and freeze until solid. Keep them frozen until ready to assemble.
- Whisk dry ingredients. Combine all-purpose flour, unsweetened cocoa powder, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt. Cornstarch helps keep the cookies thick, tender, and chewy.
- Cream butter and sugars. Beat room-temperature butter with granulated and brown sugar until smooth and slightly lightened in color. A stand mixer or handheld electric mixer speeds this up.
- Add the eggs and vanilla. Beat in eggs one at a time, adding the vanilla with the second egg. The mixture may momentarily separate — that’s okay.
- Combine wet and dry ingredients. Add the dry mix to the wet ingredients and mix until no streaks remain. Your chocolate cookie dough is ready to stuff.
How to stuff Nutella cookies
Keep the frozen Nutella balls on the tray and remove one at a time while assembling so they stay cold. Scoop roughly ¼ cup portions of cookie dough and flatten each into a disk about 4 inches wide — large enough to cover the Nutella plus about a 1-inch border all around.
Place a frozen Nutella scoop in the center of the disk, lift the edges of dough over it, and seal completely so no Nutella is exposed. Roll into a smooth ball and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Only assemble as many cookies as you can bake in a single batch to keep the filling cold. Leave at least 3 inches between cookies for spreading.
Bake until cookies spread, the tops crackle and no wet dough remains visible. Let them cool on the sheet for about 5 minutes, then transfer carefully to a wire rack to finish cooling — the cookies will be soft and need gentle handling.
When to serve Nutella lava cookies
For the best lava effect, serve these cookies warm so the Nutella filling is still gooey. About 10–15 minutes of cooling after baking is usually perfect, depending on your kitchen temperature. If the cookies have fully cooled and you want to reheat them, place a few on a parchment-lined sheet in a 350°F oven for 3–5 minutes until softened.
Storage
Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days or refrigerate for up to 1 week. For best texture, bring refrigerated cookies to room temperature or warm briefly before serving.
How to freeze Nutella lava cookies
After stuffing, freeze the cookie dough balls on a parchment-lined sheet for about 1 hour, then transfer to a freezer bag in a single layer and remove excess air. Freeze up to 2 months.
To bake from frozen, preheat oven to 325°F. Arrange frozen dough on parchment-lined sheets with 3 inches between cookies and bake 10–12 minutes, adding 1–2 minutes if needed to account for frozen centers. Bake until spread and the tops no longer appear wet.
Check out these other recipes!
• Giant Nutella Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookie
• Skillet Nutella Brownie
• Eggless Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Oreo Balls
• Chocolate Peanut Butter Fudge Bars
If you try this recipe, please leave a comment and review — I love hearing your thoughts! Tag me on Instagram @eatsdelightfulblog so I can see your creations.
Nutella Chocolate Lava Cookies
4.7 from 3 reviews
- Author: Mimi
Total Time: 1 hour 45 minutes
Yield: 15 cookies
Description
Chocolate lava cake meets Nutella-stuffed cookies: chewy, fudgy chocolate cookies filled with warm, melty Nutella.
Ingredients
- 1 cup (300g) Nutella
- 2 ¼ cups (295g) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 cup (80g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (225g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
- 1 cup (200g) light or dark brown sugar, packed
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- Flaky sea salt (optional, for topping)
Instructions
- Line a medium baking sheet or cutting board with parchment paper.
- Scoop fifteen 1-tablespoon portions of Nutella onto the parchment. If Nutella is too soft to hold shape, chill briefly and retry.
- Freeze the Nutella portions for about 1 hour or until solid. Keep frozen until ready to use.
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Whisk together flour, cornstarch, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt.
- In a separate large bowl, combine butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar.
- Beat butter and sugars until smooth and slightly lightened in color (about 1–2 minutes).
- Beat in eggs one at a time, adding vanilla with the second egg. The mixture may separate slightly—this is normal.
- Add the dry ingredients and mix until fully combined and streak-free.
- Scoop ¼ cup portions of dough and flatten into ~4-inch disks. Place a frozen Nutella scoop in the center, pull the dough up around it, and seal so the Nutella is fully enclosed.
- Roll into smooth balls and arrange 5–6 per sheet, leaving 3 inches between each cookie.
- Bake 10–12 minutes, or until cookies have spread and the tops no longer appear shiny.
- Cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling. Repeat with remaining dough, allowing baking sheet to cool between batches if needed.
- Serve warm for a gooey center, or at room temperature. Sprinkle flaky sea salt on top if desired.
Equipment
2 baking sheets, mixing bowls, parchment paper, electric mixer (hand or stand), and a wire rack for cooling.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Bake Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Cookies
Enjoy!