Irresistible Hazelnut Cookies
Discover the rich, nutty flavor of these Hazelnut Cookies! Made with ground hazelnuts for a deliciously unique taste and a perfectly tender texture, these cookies are a must-try for any nut lover. Perfect for pairing with coffee or gifting to friends, they’re simple to make and absolutely unforgettable.
Hazelnuts are beloved for their rich, buttery flavor and subtle, sweet, earthy undertones. When roasted, their natural oils intensify, giving them a warm, toasty aroma that’s comforting and indulgent. This unique flavor profile makes hazelnuts stand out among other nuts, earning them a special place in both sweet and savory dishes.
Adding ground hazelnuts to cookie dough elevates the recipe by infusing each bite with a deep, nutty richness. The finely ground hazelnuts enhance the flavor and also contribute to a tender, slightly crumbly texture that melts in your mouth. This makes the cookies wonderfully satisfying and adds a layer of complexity that transforms a simple treat into something extraordinary.
Why make these cookies
- Rich, Nutty Flavor: The ground hazelnuts in the dough infuse every bite with a deep, roasted, nutty flavor, making these cookies stand out with their distinctive taste.
- Perfect Texture: The combination of butter and brown sugar creates a cookie with a crisp edge and a soft, chewy center, offering a delightful contrast in every bite.
- Simple Ingredients, Gourmet Taste: Despite using basic pantry ingredients, this recipe delivers a sophisticated, gourmet cookie that tastes like it came from a high-end bakery.
- Versatile and Easy to Customize: This recipe is easy to adapt; you can add chocolate chips, drizzle with melted chocolate, or even sandwich two cookies with a hazelnut spread for extra indulgence.
Ingredients and substitutes
- Unsalted butter – I like to use unsalted butter in all my baking so I can control the amount of salt. And yet, if you must use salted butter, omit the salt in the recipe.
- All-purpose flour – I have always used all-purpose flour with great success. You do not need any other flour.
- Hazelnut meal – This is ground-blanched hazelnuts. These are available at most places that sell fresh nuts. But you can also make it yourself. I have shared below how you can make ground hazelnuts yourself.
- Sugar – I’ve used both white and light brown sugar. White sugar adds a nice crispness, while brown sugar will keep them soft and chewy.
- Vanilla extract – I like using vanilla extract, but you can also use vanilla bean paste and vanilla sugar.
- Optional ingredients – These are very versatile cookies. You can also add 1/4 tsp of spices like cinnamon, cardamom, pumpkin spice, and instant coffee to the dry ingredients.
Step-by-step: Hazelnut cookies
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, salt, and ground hazelnuts until evenly distributed.1½ cups All-purpose flour,1 tsp Baking powder,½ tsp Salt,1 cup Ground Hazelnuts
- Wet ingredients – In a bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment on medium speed, cream the butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Followed by the egg and vanilla extract. One cup butter, ½ cup white sugar, ½ cup brown sugar, one large egg, one teaspoon vanilla extract
- Combine Wet and Dry Ingredients: Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing at low speed until combined. Do not overmix.
- Chill – Cover the bowl and chill in the fridge for 10 minutes while you preheat the oven.
- Preheat the Oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Shape the Dough: Using a cookie scoop or your hands, shape the dough into 1-inch balls. Place them on the prepared baking sheets, about 2 inches apart.
- Bake the Cookies: Bake in the preheated oven for 10-12 minutes or until the edges are lightly golden. The centers may appear slightly soft, but will firm up as they cool.
- Cool and Serve: Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Storage: Store the cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week.
- Peanut Butter Chip Cookies
- Chocolate Cardamom Coffee Cookies
- Cardamom Coffee Cookies
- Tahini Cookies, Halva Cookies
- Pistachio Cookies, Chocolate Pistachio Cookies
- See all cookie recipes
Frequently asked questions
These hazelnut cookies will keep in an airtight container for up to 10 days. You can freeze the dough for up to a month or freeze the cookies for up to three months.
Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C/Gas Mark 4. Place the blanched hazelnuts on a baking tray and toast them for 10 to 15 minutes. Cool completely, then grind them in a food processor to a powder consistency. (Do not grind them to a paste)
It is always a good practice to refrigerate cookies while the oven is preheating. Chilling the cookie dough helps solidify the butter in the cookies. This helps when baking by preventing them from spreading since chilled dough takes longer to melt compared to room-temperature fat.
These cookies have a good shelf life, just like dough and cookies.
The dough will stay in the fridge for 3 to 4 days before baking. (wrapped well)
The cookie dough can be frozen for up to a month.
You can also place the unbaked cookie dough balls in the freezer for up to a month. Bake from frozen. They will take about 14 to 18 minutes to bake from frozen.
Hazelnut Cookies
These hazelnut cookies are rich, buttery, shortbread-type cookies with ground hazelnuts. A simple, easy, and quick recipe to make at home. You can use store-bought ground hazelnuts or make them from scratch.
Video
Ingredients
- 1 cup (112 g) Ground Hazelnuts
- 1½ cups (180 g) All-purpose flour
- 1 tsp Baking powder
- ½ tsp Salt
- 1 cup (227 g) Butter (1 stick) unsalted room temperature
- ½ cup (100 g) Sugar white
- ½ cup (110 g) Brown sugar
- 1 large Egg
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract
Method
- Ground hazelnuts – Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C/Gas Mark 4. Place the blanched hazelnuts on a baking tray and toast them for 10 to 15 minutes. Cool completely, then grind them in a food processor to a powder consistency. (Do not grind them to a paste.)
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, salt, and ground hazelnuts until evenly distributed.1½ cups All-purpose flour, 1 tsp Baking powder, ½ tsp Salt, 1 cup Ground Hazelnuts
- Wet ingredients – In a bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment on medium speed, cream the butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Followed by the egg and vanilla extract.1 cup Butter, ½ cup Sugar white, ½ cup Brown sugar, 1 large Egg, 1 tsp Vanilla extract
- Combine Wet and Dry Ingredients: Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing at low speed until just combined. Do not overmix.
- Chill – Cover the bowl and chill in the fridge for 10 minutes while you preheat the oven.
- Preheat the Oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Shape the Dough: Using a cookie scoop or your hands, shape the dough into 1-inch balls. Place them on the prepared baking sheets, about 2 inches apart.
- Bake the Cookies: Bake in the oven for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden. The centers may appear slightly soft but will firm up as they cool.
- Cool and Serve: Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Storage: Store the cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week.
Notes
- Use Fresh Hazelnuts: For the best flavor, use freshly ground hazelnuts. Toast the hazelnuts lightly before grinding to bring out their natural oils and enhance the nutty flavor of the cookies.
- Cream Butter and Sugars Thoroughly: Beat the butter and sugars together until they are light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. This step is crucial for incorporating air into the dough, which helps create a tender and light cookie texture.
- Chill the Dough if Needed: If your dough is too soft or sticky, refrigerate it for 15-20 minutes before shaping. This will make the dough easier to handle and prevent the cookies from spreading too much during baking.
- Watch the Baking Time: Keep an eye on the cookies as they bake, especially towards the end. They should be lightly golden around the edges but still soft in the center. Overbaking can lead to dry cookies, so it’s better to slightly underbake them and allow them to firm up as they cool on the baking sheet.
- Grind the Hazelnuts to the Right Consistency: When grinding the hazelnuts, aim for a fine meal without turning it into hazelnut butter. If the hazelnuts are ground too finely, they may release too much oil, affecting the texture of the cookies.
Equipment you will need
Nutrition
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Looks to be a good recipe but note the printable version mentions cardamom and it is not an ingredient. Thanks
No There is no cardamom powder in these. But, it’s a good flavor to add to cookies. Thanks
Very delicious hazelnut cookies! I tried baking this twice, and in the first try my cookies turned out flatter and more spread out, even after chilling the dough for 10 mins in the fridge. In my 2nd attempt I tried to not over mix the butter and added more ground hazelnuts, as well and chill the dough longer in the fridge and they turned out much better in shape after baking (firmer and not so spread out).
I used only half of the sugar amount indicated and it was sweet enough.