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These soft, buttery chocolate cookies rolled in chopped hazelnuts and filled with a silky Nutella ganache are my new favorite Christmas cookies-perfect for festive holiday gifting and cookie boxes.
Christmas Thumbprint Cookies
December has always been my favorite time of year - and every season (I've been making holiday recipes since 2012), I love to share new Christmas cookie recipes (think soft and chewy ginger molasses cookies, delicate hazelnut shortbread, or almond amaretto cookies). This year, these chocolate-hazelnut thumbprints earned a prime spot in my Christmas cookie box. This recipe uses simple pantry staples - flour, cocoa powder, butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, an egg yolk, vanilla, and a splash of milk - plus chopped hazelnuts for crunch and Nutella with a touch of cream. They're perfect for holiday baking, gifting, entertaining, and cookie exchanges. If you're as much in a holiday mode as I am and can't get enough of Christmas baking, try this fan-favorite cranberry-pecan apple bundt cake and this chocolate-orange tart.
You'll Need These Ingredients:
- First, gather your ingredients. This photo conveniently shows every ingredient you need (labeled):
How to Make Chocolate Thumbprints
- Combine dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt.
- Combine wet ingredients: In a mixer, beat butter with brown and granulated sugars until light and fluffy (2-3 minutes).
- Add more wet ingredients: Beat in egg yolk, vanilla, and milk, scraping the bowl.
- Combine dry and wet ingredients: On low speed, mix in dry ingredients just until combined-the dough may look crumbly; press it into a smooth ball.
- Chill: Cover and chill at least 1 hour (or overnight).
- Prep for baking: Let the dough soften for 10-15 minutes, then scoop 1 tablespoon portions (about 20 g), roll them into smooth balls, and coat them with chopped hazelnuts.
- Create indentations: Arrange on a parchment-lined sheet and press a deep center with your thumb or the handle of a wooden spoon.
- Chill and bake: Chill shaped cookies 30 minutes, then bake at 350ºF for 10-12 minutes until edges set and centers are slightly soft. If the wells puff, re-press while warm. Cool 5 minutes on the sheet, then transfer to a rack.
How to Make Nutella Ganache
- For the Nutella ganache, add Nutella to a heatproof bowl. Heat the cream to a bare simmer, pour over the Nutella, rest for 5 minutes, then stir until silky (it thickens as it cools).
- Fill the cookies: Pipe or spoon into the centers of chocolate cookies and let set at room temperature.
The Best Way to Indent Thumbprint Cookies
I recommend using the handle end of a wooden spoon. You can absolutely use your thumb - they're called thumbprint cookies for a reason - but for super neat, uniform wells that hold plenty of filling, I prefer the control and consistency of a wooden spoon handle. Here's another trick to picture-perfect centers: if your thumbprints puff in the oven, re-press the indentation immediately after they come out using the handle end of a wooden spoon.
Can I make these chocolate hazelnut thumbprints ahead of time?
- Yes - what I like to do is mix the dough, refrigerate it overnight, or pre-scoop into balls, roll in hazelnuts, indent the cookies, then chill or freeze the unbaked rounds so they're ready to bake fresh right before serving or gifting.
- Make-Ahead Tip: You can roll and indent all the cookie dough, then put them on one cookie sheet to refrigerate to save space. Since these cookies don't spread, you can pack them fairly closely together on the baking sheet. However, when baking, I recommend doing so in two batches.
Tips for Success
- Crumbly texture: These cookies are made from a rich chocolate-flavor dough; it's normal for it to feel crumbly after mixing. It might not come together in the same way other cookie doughs do.
- I have reduced the amount of butter so that the cookies don't spread in the oven. Stop mixing once the flour has incorporated, then use your hands to bring the dough together as you would with pastry. Do not be tempted to add more liquid, as this will affect the final bake.
- Chilling is an important step. Not only does this help improve the flavor (especially if chilled overnight), it also helps the thumbprint cookies keep their shape during baking.
Chocolate Hazelnut Thumbprint Cookies (with Nutella)
These Chocolate Hazelnut Thumbprint Cookies are buttery cocoa shortbread-style cookies rolled in chopped hazelnuts, baked to tender-chewy perfection, then filled with a silky Nutella ganache. They're festive, reliable, and ideal for holiday baking, cookie exchanges, gifting, or a make-ahead Christmas dessert tray.
Ingredients
For the cookies
- 1 ½ cups all purpose flour spooned and leveled
- ½ cup cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter at room temperature
- ¼ cup light brown sugar
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon milk
- ¾ cup finely chopped hazelnuts
For the Nutella Ganache
- ½ cup Nutella
- ¼ cup heavy cream
Instructions
Make chocolate thumbprints:
- In a medium bowl, add the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt, then whisk together. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugars on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.
- Add the egg yolk, vanilla, and milk, then beat again until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- With the mixer running on its lowest speed, add the flour mixture in two additions, mixing until only just combined. The dough will look quite crumbly, in which case, use your hands to press it together into a smooth ball.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour, or overnight if you prefer.
- When you're ready to bake, let the dough sit at room temperature for 10-15 minutes to soften slightly. Scoop 1 tablespoon portions (about 20g each). Roll the cookie dough into smooth balls, then roll each ball in the chopped hazelnuts.
- Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Press an indentation into the center of each cookie using your thumb or the handle end of a wooden spoon.
- Refrigerate the shaped cookies for another 30 minutes prior to baking. This will ensure they hold their shape.
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges are set and the centers are still slightly soft. If the indentations puff up, gently press them down again while the cookies are still warm. Cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Make the Nutella Ganache:
- The Nutella Ganache is a little softer than a classic chocolate one. It is much easier to make since you don't have to worry about your chocolate splitting! It will thicken as it cools. You will need only 2 ingredients: Nutella and cream.
- Add the Nutella to a heatproof bowl. Heat the cream in a small saucepan until it is just simmering but not boiling. Pour the hot cream over the Nutella, let it sit for 5 minutes, then stir together to create a silky, smooth, creamy Nutella Ganache.
- Transfer the ganache to a piping bag, then snip off the tip with scissors. Fill the centers of the hazelnut cookies with the ganache. Allow to set at room temperature.
Notes
- Nut options: I used finely chopped hazelnuts. You can also use chopped toasted almonds, pistachios, or pecans.
- Nuts that stick: Keep dough slightly tacky - don't flour your hands. Roll dough balls in finely chopped hazelnuts, then press them on firmly for even coverage (roll-press-roll).
- Indent again while warm out of the oven (if needed): If the centers puff, re-press the indentation immediately out of the oven using the handle of a wooden spoon.
- Avoid ganache separation: Warm cream should be hot but not boiling. Let it sit on the Nutella for 5 minutes, then stir until glossy to avoid oily separation.
- Set before stacking: Let ganache set at room temp (or chill briefly) before boxing up; this keeps cookie boxes neat for gifting and cookie exchanges.
- Why did my cookies crack? Over-creaming butter/sugar, or adding too much cocoa/flour, can cause cracks. Measure by weight or spoon-and-level, and stop mixing as soon as the dough comes together.
Storage, Freezing, and Make-Ahead Instructions
- Room Temperature: Store filled cookies in a single layer in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days. Keep them out of direct sunlight and away from heat sources to maintain the ganache's glossy finish.
- Refrigerator: For longer storage, refrigerate for up to 1 week. Bring to room temperature before serving so the centers soften slightly and the chocolate flavor shines.
- Freezer: Unfilled cookies can be frozen for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature, then fill with ganache just before serving. Avoid freezing filled cookies, as the ganache can lose its smooth texture once defrosted.
- Make ahead: Unfilled cookies can be baked, cooled, and frozen for up to 2 months, meaning this is a great make-ahead cookies recipe, perfect for the holiday season!
Nutrition
Nutrition Information
Chocolate Hazelnut Thumbprint Cookies (with Nutella)
Amount per Serving
Calories
154
% Daily Value*
Fat
9
g
14
%
Saturated Fat
5
g
31
%
Trans Fat
0.1
g
Polyunsaturated Fat
1
g
Monounsaturated Fat
3
g
Cholesterol
20
mg
7
%
Sodium
37
mg
2
%
Potassium
91
mg
3
%
Carbohydrates
17
g
6
%
Fiber
2
g
8
%
Sugar
10
g
11
%
Protein
2
g
4
%
Vitamin A
160
IU
3
%
Vitamin C
0.2
mg
0
%
Calcium
25
mg
3
%
Iron
1
mg
6
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Nutrition Disclaimer:
The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed. It should not be used as a substitute for a professional nutritionist's advice.
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