Nutella Candy Cane Cookies
These Nutella candy cane cookies bring together a soft chocolate-hazelnut cookie, a Nutella center, and a crunchy peppermint topping. They are an easy addition to a Christmas cookie platter- along with gluten-free gingersnaps.
The dough needs 5 minutes of prep, a short chill, and about 10 minutes in the oven. You can mix everything by hand, so there is no mixer to wash afterward!
These cookies are super quick to make, and a great sweet treat to make and enjoy during the holidays. I always end up making these, a big batch of my eggnog cupcakes whenever I'm hosting.
And sometimes, when I have some extra candy canes leftover, I use them to make my candy cane cheesecake jars.
Quick Look: Nutella Candy Cane Cookies
- 🔪 Prep time: 5 mins.
- ⏲️ Cook time: 10 mins.
- ❄️ Chill time: 15–20 mins.
- 👪 Servings: 2, as listed in the recipe card.
- 📋 Main ingredients: Nutella for the dough and filling, egg, all-purpose flour, crushed candy canes.
- ♨️ Cooking method: Whisk → mix in flour → chill → shape and fill → bake → add candy canes.
- ⭐ Difficulty: Easy.
- 🥣 Best served: With hot cocoa or on a holiday cookie tray along with Christmas crack with pretzels.
Jump to:
- Quick Look: Nutella Candy Cane Cookies
- What's So Great About the Recipe?
- Recipe Ingredients
- Substitutions & Variations
- How to Make Nutella Candy Cane Cookies
- 💭Top Tip
- Tips & Tricks to Nail the Recipe
- How to Serve Nutella Candy Cane Cookies
- Troubleshooting and FAQs
- More Easy Dessert Recipes
- Nutella Candy Cane Cookies
What's So Great About the Recipe?
- The dough comes together in one bowl using everyday ingredients- super simple- just like my chocolate peanut butter cookies.
- A little Nutella in the center makes the cookies feel extra special without a separate frosting.
- Crushed candy canes add festive color, peppermint flavor, and crunch.
Recipe Ingredients
Nutella: You need some for the cookie dough and a separate portion for the filling. Use a thick chocolate-hazelnut spread at room temperature.
Egg: A room-temperature egg blends more easily with the Nutella.
All-purpose flour: Gives the dough structure. Spoon it into your measuring cup and level the top instead of packing it down.
Candy canes: Crush them into small pieces for the topping. Add them after baking so they retain more of their texture. Use crushed nuts or Feuilletine flakes for a different twist.
See recipe card for quantities.
Substitutions & Variations
- Swap the candy canes for crushed peppermint candies.
- For a peppermint-free version, finish with chopped hazelnuts, brown sugar candied walnuts or hot cocoa almonds.
- Another thick chocolate-hazelnut spread or may work, but its consistency and sweetness can change the dough. Try my homemade Dulce de Leche spread.
How to Make Nutella Candy Cane Cookies
Step 1: Whisk the egg with the dough portion of Nutella for about 2 minutes, until smooth. Add the flour and mix just until combined. Cover and refrigerate the dough for 15–20 minutes.
Step 2: Preheat the oven to 350°F and roll the chilled dough into balls. Place on a lined baking sheet and press down gently in the center to make a dent. Bake for 10 minutes and let them cool on a wire rack.
Step 3: Once they are about 50% cool, spoon a little Nutella in the dent and top with crushed candy canes.
💭Top Tip
Chill the dough before shaping it. If it becomes sticky as you work, return it to the refrigerator briefly so you can make the dents without the dough clinging to your fingers.
Tips & Tricks to Nail the Recipe
- Keep the Nutella for the filling separate from the portion used in the dough.
- Try a different flavor variation and use homemade Biscoff spread instead of Nutella.
- Mix only until the flour disappears. Overworking the dough can make the cookies tough.
- Make evenly sized dough balls so the cookies finish baking together.
- Press a shallow well into each cookie without pushing right through to the baking sheet.
- Check near the end of the baking time. The cookies firm up as they cool, so avoid baking them until hard.
- Crush the candy canes in a sealed bag and add the topping shortly before serving if your kitchen is humid. I always do this when I make the crunchy caramel for my baked yogurt with caramel shards recipe.
How to Serve Nutella Candy Cane Cookies
Serve these cookies with warm milk, coffee, or hot cocoa. The chocolate and peppermint combination fits right into a holiday dessert spread alongside other sweet treats like brown butter pumpkin snickerdoodles, almond florentines and my favorite condensed milk truffles.
Troubleshooting and FAQs
The dough may be too warm. Chill it for the time listed before shaping, and give it another short chill if it softens while you work. Avoid adding lots of extra flour, which can make the cookies dry.
Add them after baking, once the cookies have cooled slightly. For the crunchiest topping, decorate shortly before serving.
Let them cool completely, then store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. Separate layers with parchment. The peppermint topping can soften in humidity.
More Easy Dessert Recipes
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
If you tried this Nutella candy cane cookies or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!
Nutella Candy Cane Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 large egg (at room temperature)
- ¾ cup Nutella
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- ½ cup Nutella (for the filling)
- ¼ cup candy cane (crushed)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 F.
- Whisk the egg and the ¾ cup Nutella together in a large bowl for around 2 minutes.
- Now add the flour and beat it until it is well combined.
- Cover the bowl with cling wrap and let it rest in the refrigerator for 15-20 minutes.
- Using the palms of your hands, roll out small sections of the mixture into balls.
- Place these balls on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and make a dent in the center of each cookie ball.
- Bake this for about 10 minutes and allow them to cool down slightly.
- Add a little Nutella into each dent using the ½ cup reserved before topping them with crushed candy cane.
Notes
- Use Nutella at room temperature so it mixes smoothly with the egg and creates an even cookie dough.
- Measure the Nutella for the dough and filling separately before starting to ensure you have enough for both.
- Use a room-temperature egg for easier mixing and a smoother dough.
- Spoon the flour into your measuring cup and level it off instead of packing it down to prevent the cookies from becoming too dense.
- Mix the dough just until the flour is incorporated. Avoid overmixing, as this can make the cookies tough.
- Refrigerate the dough for 15–20 minutes before shaping to make it easier to handle. If it becomes too sticky, chill it for a few more minutes.
- Roll the dough into evenly sized balls so the cookies bake uniformly.
- Make a shallow indentation in the center of each cookie without pressing all the way through, then fill it with a little Nutella.
- Bake at 350°F for approximately 10 minutes. The cookies will continue to firm up as they cool, so avoid overbaking them.
- Crush the candy canes into small pieces and sprinkle them over the Nutella centers after baking for a festive peppermint crunch.
- Replace the crushed candy canes with chopped hazelnuts, chocolate sprinkles, or crushed peppermint candies for a different topping.
- Allow the cookies to cool completely before storing them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. Add the candy cane topping closer to serving if your kitchen is humid.
