4.38 from 8 votes

Hazelnut Cookies

Name: Hazelnut Cookies
Prep time: 30 min
Total time: 90 min
Ingredients: 1 cup unsalted butter; 1 cup light brown sugar (firmly packed); ¾ cup granulated sugar; 2 large eggs (room temperature); 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract; 2 ⅔ cups all-purpose flour; 1 Tablespoon cornstarch; ¾ teaspoon baking soda; ½ teaspoon baking powder; ¾ teaspoon salt; ¾ cup chopped hazelnuts; 4 ounces coarsely chopped chocolate (use semisweet or milk chocolate, or a blend of both ); Flaky sea salt (for sprinkling)

By Sam MerrittUpdated Jul 25, 2023

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41 Comments

Servings: 18 cookies

1 hr 30 mins

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These large, bakery-style hazelnut cookies are made with browned butter, crunchy hazelnuts, plenty of chocolate, and a sprinkle of sea salt. They are the ultimate chocolate chip cookies!

Hazelnut cookies with chocolate chips and sea salt resting on a teal tea towel.

Hazelnut Chocolate Chip Cookies

From the time I was 16 through college graduation, I worked at a fast food restaurant that was not too far from my home.

This is actually where I met and fell for my husband, but aside from Zach, I found another great love in the greasy haze of the fast food air amidst the jalapeno poppers and apple turnovers. This affair was conducted clandestinely in the back of the walk-in freezer, ducked beneath the drive-through window, or concealed behind shelves of cup carriers and sauce packets.

It was a love affair with chocolate chip cookies.

Gooey and freshly baked, or 11 hours old and dried out from beneath the heat lamp where they sat on display, I didn’t discriminate. My favorite was when a coworker would snag a chunk of the frozen dough from the freezer and split it evenly, discretely, among the staff (E. coli be damned).

In that moment, blissfully savoring each chocolate stuffed bite, I was sure that cookies didn’t get any better than this.

Teal tea towel with chocolate chip cookies scattered across it.

But in retrospect, as with so many teenage romances (excluding my real one, which resulted in my marriage, of course) I don’t know what I ever even saw in those cookies, anyway. They were edible, sure, sugary and usually pretty soft too, but so…lackluster and basic. I simply didn’t realize that I could do so much better.

And so I’ve created a cookie recipe that is truly deserving of the love of matured and refined taste-buds. Allow me to introduce you to my hazelnut cookies.

Like any good cookie, my hazelnut cookies are lightly crisp on the outside with soft, chewy centers. Unlike most cookies though, these cookies are infused with rich with brown butter, which lends a deep, toasty flavor to the earthy roasted hazelnuts.

Three stacked hazelnut chocolate chip cookies.

Of course, I had to add chocolate for another layer of indulgence, which means we’ll need a sprinkle of flaky sea salt on top to keeps things from being too sweet (and enhance all the flavors even more). They are a multilayered symphony of flavors, full of depth and complexity.

These hazelnut cookies are not some cheap fling, and like all good adult relationships, they require some patience (browning butter, letting it cool, chilling the dough), attention (don’t you dare walk away from that butter as it browns!), and commitment (they are a bit of a project; not difficult, but they can take a bit of time). But it all pays off in spades.

And they are SO much better than those fast food cookies. Sure, I’m grateful those first cookies taught me how delicious and satisfying cookies can be, but I’m even more grateful for my matured taste buds, because these cookies are incredible!

What You Need

Always ensure your ingredients are at room temperature, especially eggs and butter, as this helps them incorporate better. Here’s what you need:

Overhead view of ingredients including hazelnuts, butter, flour, chocolate, and more.

Butter. Browning the butter deepens the flavor, creating a nutty, toasty undertone that pairs beautifully with the hazelnuts. I use unsalted butter and recommend you do the same, especially since we are sprinkling extra sea salt on top of the cookies.
Eggs. Again, make sure your eggs are at room temperature for easy mixing. I have a trick for quickly bringing eggs to room temperature, in case you forget!
Sugar. I use a blend of granulated and brown sugar for a chewy, flavorful bite.
Hazelnuts. To bring out the full flavor of the hazelnuts, consider toasting them lightly before chopping and adding them to your dough.
Chocolate. I like using a combination of semisweet and milk chocolate in these hazelnut cookies. You could even toss in some white chocolate too! I chop the pieces in varying sizes ranging from very fine bits to larger chunks to infuse chocolate in each bite.

SAM’S TIP: Do not skip the chilling step! Chilling prevents your hazelnut cookies from spreading too much in the oven and guarantees thick and chewy results.

Remember, this is just an overview of the ingredients I used and why. For the full recipe please scroll down to the bottom of the post!

How to Make Hazelnut Cookies

Brown the Butter

This recipe starts with carefully browned butter which gives the cookies a deep, buttery flavor, and helps make them so soft inside. Use a light-colored pan for browning butter; it makes it easier to monitor the color change and prevent the butter from burning.

Overhead view of browned butter in a saucepan.

Add the butter to a light colored saucepan over medium/low heat.
Once melted, increase the heat to medium and begin stirring constantly. The butter will foam and sizzle as it cooks, and you will start to notice some brown specks forming.
Remove the pan from the heat once the butter smells toasty and there are many brown bits on the bottom of the pan. Pour into a heatproof bowl to cool completely before using.

Overhead view of cookie dough studded with hazelnuts and chocolate chips in a bowl.

Stir the sugars into the cooled butter, then add the eggs and vanilla and stir well to combine.
Whisk together the dry ingredients in a separate bowl, then gradually add them to the wet ingredients.
Add the chopped nuts and chocolate and stir them into the dough until incorporated. Cover the bowl and let the dough chill in the fridge for at least 1 hour (or preferably, overnight).
Scoop the chilled dough into 3-tablespoon sized balls and roll between your palms. Place 2″ apart on parchment lined baking sheets and bake for 11-12 minutes at 350F. Let the cookies cool for a few minutes before adding sea salt on top and removing to a cooling rack.

SAM’S TIP: This baking time (and really, any recipe ever) is an estimate. Start checking your hazelnut cookies a minute or two before the stated time, as oven temperatures can vary. When the cookies are done, let them cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before moving to a cooling rack. They will continue to cook and set up during this time.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use a different type of nut?

Yes. of course they then won’t be hazelnut cookies, but feel free to use your favorite nut, or a blend!

Why didn’t my hazelnut cookies spread?

The most likely reason for this would be over-measuring your flour. It’s important to either scoop and level or simply weigh your flour so you don’t end up adding too much.

Can I freeze the dough?

Yes! Simply follow the instructions for drop cookies in my how to freeze cookie dough post. And yes, you will still need to do the chilling steps listed here before freezing.

Overhead view of a teal tea towel with hazelnut chocolate chip cookies scattered across it.

I hope you fall in love with these hazelnut cookies just like I did 💜

Enjoy!

Let’s bake together! I’ll be walking you through all the steps in my written recipe and video below! If you try this recipe, be sure to tag me on Instagram, and you can also find me on YouTube and Facebook