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These soft and chewy Chocolate Hazelnut Thumbprint Cookies are studded with toasted hazelnuts and have decadent chocolate hazelnut butter centers. A chocolate lover’s dream! Vegan and Gluten-Free.
These Vegan Chocolate Hazelnut Thumbprint Cookies are just like a Ferrero Rocher – but in cookie form. Just like the elegant chocolate treats, these cookies are rich and chocolatey, loaded with crunchy toasted hazelnuts, and feature a molten chocolate hazelnut center topped with a whole hazelnut. They’re just plain heavenly!
Table of Contents
A Chocolate and Hazelnut Lover’s Dream
I’ve been Ferrero Rocher’s number 1 fan ever since I was a little kid. Every Christmas, I would look forward to finding them in my stocking! Now, as a vegan adult, I’m patiently waiting for them to release a dairy-free version so I can experience that magic once again (no news yet 😢).
Luckily, these Vegan Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies fill the void! If you love chocolate and hazelnut together as much as I do, then you need to add these cookies to your holiday baking list ASAP.
Just like my Chocolate Hazelnut Pudding Pie and Chocolate Hazelnut Granola, these thumbprint cookies are loaded with decadent chocolate flavors and studded with rich hazelnuts. The nutty crunch contrasts the chewy cookies perfectly, while the chocolate hazelnut spread in the middle takes them over the top. Honestly, if you’re like me, you’ll forget all about Ferrero Rocher’s after just one cookie.
What You Need for Vegan Thumbprint Cookies
These sweet, nutty, and chocolatey cookies are easy to make with less than 10 ingredients:
- Flax Egg: I use this easy egg replacer in a ton of my cookie recipes. It binds the cookies together perfectly, and all you need is ground flaxseed and water to make one! If you don’t have flaxseed, you can use ground chia seeds as a substitute.
- Salted Vegan Butter: remember to take the butter out of the fridge at least 30 minutes before making this recipe so it has a chance to soften.
- Cornstarch: just a pinch of cornstarch softens and tenderizes the cookie dough to make the baked cookies delightfully chewy.
- Cocoa Powder: natural unsweetened cocoa powder is best for these cookies.
- Hazelnuts: Ferrero Rocher’s are famous for their hazelnutty crunch, which obviously means we need a bunch for this cookie recipe. I prefer to buy pre-toasted hazelnuts to save me from having to toast them myself, but untoasted hazelnuts work, too. Just toast them on the stove or in the oven, then rub off the skins before adding them to the cookie dough.
- Chocolate Hazelnut Butter: use your favorite vegan-friendly chocolate hazelnut spread to fill the thumbprints, or make my Vegan Nutella! There are usually a few brands to choose from in the natural foods section at most grocery stores, in health food stores, or online.
How to Make Chocolate Hazelnut Thumbprint Cookies
- Mix the flax seed and water together and set aside to thicken.
- Cream the butter and sugar until it’s light and fluffy. Add the flax egg and vanilla, then cream together again.
- Place a sieve over the bowl and add the flour, cocoa powder, and cornstarch. Whisk together, then sift them into the bowl. Combine the dry and wet ingredients until you have a thick dough. Fold in some of the chopped hazelnuts.
- Form pieces of the cookie dough into 24 cookie dough balls. Place them on prepared baking sheets.
- Press a teaspoon measuring spoon into each ball to make the “thumbprint”. Carefully coat the tops and sides of the cookie balls with the remaining chopped hazelnuts.
- Bake the cookies until the bottom edges are set, then set them aside to cool.
- Pour a little chocolate hazelnut butter into each cookie’s thumbprint, then top with a whole hazelnut. Enjoy!
Caitlin’s Cooking Tips
- Toasted hazelnuts > raw hazelnuts: Are you using raw, untoasted hazelnuts in this recipe? Then your first step will be to toast them in the oven to bring out their natural oils (this is what makes them taste so good). Lay the nuts on a baking sheet and toast them in a 350ºF oven for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden. Once they’re cool, lay the nuts on a clean kitchen towel and rub them to remove the skins before chopping.
- To make the perfect thumbprint: I found that a 1 teaspoon measuring spoon made the perfect indent in cookie dough balls made from 1 1/2 tablespoons of dough. If the spoon is sticking to the dough, dip it in a little water in between each cookie.
Serving Suggestions
As soon as they’re filled with hazelnut butter and topped with an extra hazelnut, you’re free to dig into as many chocolate thumbprint cookies as you’d like! I like mine with a glass of cold nut milk on the side, but they’re also delicious with a warm mug of vegan hot chocolate, tea, or coffee.
You can enjoy a vegan thumbprint cookie year-round, but just like a classic Ferrero Rocher, Christmas may just be the best time to indulge. Include them on the cookie tray at the holiday party or gift some to your family, friends, coworkers, and teachers. They’re a huge hit with vegans and non-vegans alike!
If you’re looking for more rich and chocolatey vegan cookies, you’ll also love these Ultimate Vegan Chocolate Cookies, these Double Chocolate Peppermint Cookies, these Hot Cocoa Cookies, and these Chocolate Chai Shortbread Cookies!
How to Store Hazelnut Cookies
Store any leftover cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. Do not fill the cookies with hazelnut butter if you don’t plan on eating them right away, or else they’ll stick together in the container or cookie tin.
The unbaked cookie dough can also be made in advance and stored in the fridge for up to 3 days. Cover the ball of dough in a tight layer of plastic wrap and store it in the refrigerator.
Before baking, place the dough on the counter for 30 minutes to allow it to soften and come down to room temperature.
Substitutions and Variations
- Gluten-Free Option: While I’ve only tested this recipe with all-purpose flour, I think it will work well with a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend. Almond flour, oat flour, or coconut flour will not work.
- Salted Butter Substitute: You can use softened refined coconut oil or unsalted vegan butter instead, but add 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt to the dry ingredients.
- Hazelnut Substitute: Use toasted almonds, walnuts, or pecans instead of hazelnuts.
- Nut-Free Option: Just omit the hazelnuts and use a decadent nut-free sauce in the center, like chocolate sauce, vegan ganache, or sunflower butter.
Recipe FAQs
Thumbprint cookies are made from classic sugar cookie ingredients and feature a characteristic “thumbprint” indent in the center that’s usually filled with fruit jam, like in my Almond Flour Thumbprint Cookies.
It isn’t a required step for this recipe unless your kitchen is very warm or the dough is sticky. In that case, there’s no harm in chilling the dough in the fridge for about 30 minutes to help it firm up.
Be gentle when pressing the teaspoon into the cookies and smooth out any cracks with your finger before baking.
No, regular Nutella contains skim milk powder.
Enjoy! If you make this recipe and decide to share it on Facebook or Instagram, don’t forget to tag me @FromMyBowl + #FromMyBowl! I would also love it if you could leave a comment below with a recipe rating! Thank you for the support 😊
Chocolate Hazelnut Thumbprint Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup salted butter softened
- 1 tablespoon ground flax seed
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 2 cups all purpose flour spooned and leveled
- 1/4 cup cocoa powder
- 1/2 cup dry toasted and unsalted hazelnuts* roughly chopped
- 1/4 cup additional but optional dry toasted and unsalted hazelnuts*, roughly chopped; for sprinkling on the cookies
- 1/3 cup chocolate hazelnut butter* homemade or store-bought
- 12-15 hazelnuts cut in half (optional)
Instructions
- Prep: Preheat the oven to 350F. Mix the ground flax seed with 2 1/2 tablespoons of water in a small bowl; set aside to let thicken for at least 5 minutes. Line 2 baking sheets (or re-use the same one) with parchment paper and set aside.
- Cream the Butter: Add the softened butter and sugar to a large bowl and use a hand mixer or stand mixer to cream them together until light and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, then add the thickened flax egg and vanilla extract. Cream together again until incorporated, then scrape down the sides of the bowl one more time.
- Dry Ingredients: Place a fine sieve over the bowl and add in the flour, cocoa powder, and cornstarch. Use a spatula to mix the dry ingredients together as you sift them over the butter (they do not have to mix perfectly).
- Mix: Use a spatula to combine the dry ingredients; the dough will look very shaggy and dry at first, but should combine into a thick and not very sticky dough. Fold only 1/2 cup of chopped hazelnuts into the dough. (See the recipe notes if you are making this dough ahead of time)
- Form the Cookies: Use a 1 1/2 sized tablespoon to scoop out 24 even balls of cookie dough. Use your hands to roll each dough ball into a smooth circle, then place the cookie dough balls evenly on a baking sheet (12 per sheet).
- Make the Thumbprint: Fill a small bowl with water. Use a rounded 1 teaspoon measuring spoon to form a “thumbprint” in the center of each cookie, pressing the cookie dough down into a slightly larger circle. I like to lightly dip the measuring spoon in water in between each cookie to prevent sticking.
- Coat in Hazelnuts (Optional): Spread the remaining 1/4 cup of chopped hazelnuts across a large plate, so there is a little space between the pieces. Carefully pick up each cookie and lightly press the top of the cookie into the hazelnuts so they stick to the outer edge of the cookie. Return to the baking sheet and repeat with the remaining cookies.
- Bake: Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until the bottom edges of the cookies have set but are not darkened. Place the entire cookie sheet on a wire rack; the cookies will have puffed up some in the oven, so use the same rounded teaspoon to press down on the centers again.
- Cool: Let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for 10 minutes to firm up. Add about 1 teaspoon of chocolate hazelnut butter to each cookie, then place half of a hazelnut in the center of the butter.
- Serve & Store: Enjoy immediately, or let cool completely before transferring to an airtight container and storing at room temperature for up to 3 days. I would recommend only filling the cookies with hazelnut butter that you plan to eat immediately, as they will stick together if you stack them on top of each other.
Recipe Notes
- Hazelnuts: I prefer to buy my hazelnuts pre-toasted. If you have raw hazelnuts, place them on a medium baking sheet and roast in a 350F oven for 10 to 12 minutes until golden. Let the nuts cool to a comfortable temperature before chopping.
- Gluten-Free: I have only tested this recipe will all-purpose flour, but think it should work well with a 1:1 all-purpose gluten-free flour blend as well Butter: If you are using unsalted butter (or refined coconut oil) add 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt to the dry ingredients after you sift them into the bowl in step 3.
- Make-Ahead: You can prepare the cookie dough up to 3 days in advance before baking. Proceed with the recipe up to step 4, then cover the dough tightly with plastic wrap. Store in the fridge until you are ready to use; let the dough sit on the counter for around 30 minutes to soften before you form the cookies and proceed with the recipe.
Tasted great! First dozen disappeared from the baking sheet before they cooled. I’ll make them again, but next time add a bit of salt 🥰
happy to hear that, Megan 🙂
So good! I used your vegan Nutella recipe for the chocolate hazelnut butter and it’s perfectttttt. Great for the holidays!
Thank you so much Sam!
Hi,
The cookies look scrumptious and fairly easy to make. What kind of hazelnut butter are you using? I was trying to find the info it the recipe and this page, but was unsuccessful.
Hi there, I used my Vegan Nutella Recipe for the hazelnut butter!