These Nutella marshmallow cookies are dark cocoa cookies with a hidden center: a teaspoon of Nutella and a teaspoon of marshmallow fluff, sealed between two discs of dough. They bake at 350°F for 10 to 12 minutes, and with the 30 minute chill the whole batch takes about 70 minutes.
The trick is a cold dough and a clean edge. Keep the filling in the middle, pinch the top disc on tight, and the marshmallow stays inside as a soft white layer instead of running across the baking sheet.
This batch started with a half jar of marshmallow fluff left over from s’mores night and a jar of Nutella in the pantry. The kids ate the first tray warm, standing at the counter.
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- Dough: butter, white and brown sugar, 2 eggs, 2 ½ cups flour, ¾ cup cocoa, baking soda, salt, and 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- Filling per cookie: 1 teaspoon Nutella topped with 1 teaspoon marshmallow fluff
- Dough per cookie: about 2 tablespoons for the base and 1 tablespoon for the lid
- Chill: at least 30 minutes before shaping
- Bake: 350°F (175°C), 10 to 12 minutes, two parchment-lined sheets
- Yield: the card lists 12 servings. Count depends on portion size; the ½ cup of Nutella is 24 teaspoons, so the filling covers up to 24 cookies at 1 teaspoon each
Fluff, Not Marshmallows: Keeping the Filling Soft
Whole marshmallows puff up hard in the oven. They push against the seam, often break through, and the bit that escapes turns chewy and sticky once it cools. Marshmallow fluff (or marshmallow creme) is already whipped, so it warms into a smooth, creamy layer and stays soft for days.
Store-bought fluff is fine here. If you would rather make your own, a batch of homemade marshmallow cream works the same way. Use Nutella at room temperature so it spoons cleanly. Straight from a cold kitchen it is stiff and tears the dough.
One small trick helps a lot: spoon the Nutella into teaspoon dollops on parchment and freeze them for 15 to 20 minutes. Firm dollops sit still while you close the cookie.
Sealing the Dough Around the Filling
Cream the butter and both sugars for about 3 minutes, until the mixture looks lighter and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then the vanilla. Whisk the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt in a separate bowl and add them gradually, mixing only until no dry streaks remain. The dough will look a little shaggy. That is fine. Fold in the chocolate chips, cover, and chill for at least 30 minutes.
Now the shaping. Scoop about 2 tablespoons of cold dough and flatten it in your palm into a round about the width of your palm, cupping it slightly. Put 1 teaspoon of Nutella in the center and 1 teaspoon of fluff on top, leaving a clean rim of dough about ½ inch wide all around. Press 1 tablespoon of flattened dough over the top and pinch the edges together all the way around.
A small streak of white peeking out at the seam after baking is normal, and you can see it in the photos. A wide gap is not. If Nutella smears onto the rim, wipe it off before adding the lid, because the two discs will not stick through it.
Space the cookies 2 inches apart. A small cookie scoop keeps the portions even, so every cookie bakes in the same time. Keep the bowl of dough in the fridge between trays.
How Do You Know Stuffed Chocolate Cookies Are Done?
Cocoa dough hides browning, so color tells you nothing. Look at the tops instead. At 10 to 12 minutes they crack a little across the surface, the edges look matte and set, and the centers still look soft. Take them out then. They firm up on the hot sheet.
Let them sit on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before moving them to a rack. The marshmallow spreads into a smooth layer as it bakes, and the Nutella is molten and very hot straight from the oven. Give them another 15 to 20 minutes before biting in, when the filling is still soft but will not burn your mouth.
Marshmallow and Nutella Stuffed Chocolate Cookies
These Nutella marshmallow cookies are dark chocolate cookies made with butter, brown and white sugar, cocoa powder and chocolate chips, stuffed with Nutella and marshmallow fluff. Each cookie is two discs of cold dough, about 2 tablespoons for the base and 1 for the lid, sealed around 1 teaspoon of Nutella and 1 teaspoon of fluff, then baked at 350°F for 10 to 12 minutes. The dough chills for 30 minutes so it seals tightly and the soft marshmallow filling stays inside. Serve them warm like a campfire treat, sandwich them with ice cream, or pack them for bake sales and holiday cookie trays. Freeze the filled, unbaked cookies and bake from frozen.
Ingredients
For the cookies
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup brown sugar, packed
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
For the filling
- ½ cup Nutella
- ½ cup marshmallow fluff (or marshmallow creme)
Instructions
Step 1: Prepare the Cookie Dough
- In a large mixing bowl, cream together the softened butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy (about 3 minutes).
- Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla extract.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing until just combined.
- Fold in the semi-sweet chocolate chips. Cover the dough and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to firm up.
Step 2: Assemble the Cookies
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Scoop out about 2 tablespoons of dough and flatten it slightly in your hand.
- Place 1 teaspoon of Nutella in the center of the dough, followed by 1 teaspoon of marshmallow fluff on top of the Nutella. Press the edges gently to partially seal them, leaving a small gap to allow the marshmallow to puff out slightly while baking.
- Take another 1 tablespoon of dough, flatten it, and place it on top, sealing the edges around the filling.
- Repeat this process for the remaining dough, spacing the cookies about 2 inches apart on the baking sheets.
Step 3: Bake the Cookies
- Bake in the preheated oven for 10-12 minutes, or until the cookies are slightly cracked on top.
- The marshmallow fluff will spread into a smooth, gooey layer inside the cookie as it bakes.
- Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack.
Notes
Keep a clean rim of dough about ½ inch wide around the filling; Nutella on the edge stops the two discs from sealing and the filling leaks. Use marshmallow fluff rather than whole marshmallows, which puff up and break through the seam. For easier shaping, freeze teaspoon dollops of Nutella on parchment for 15 to 20 minutes. Cocoa dough hides browning, so bake until the tops crack and the edges look set while the centers still look soft. The filling is very hot from the oven; let the cookies cool 15 to 20 minutes before eating. Store baked cookies airtight at room temperature for 2 to 3 days, or freeze the filled, unbaked cookies and add 1 to 2 minutes to the baking time.
Nutrition Information
Yield
12Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 280
When the Filling Leaks or the Cookies Spread
- Filling runs out the side: too much filling, or the rim had Nutella on it. Stick to 1 teaspoon of each and keep that ½ inch edge clean.
- Cookies spread flat: the dough was warm or the butter was too soft to begin with. Chill the shaped cookies on the sheet for 10 minutes before baking.
- Dry, cakey cookies: overbaked or too much flour. Spoon the flour into the cup and level it, and pull the tray at the first cracks.
- Hollow gap under the lid: the base was not cupped. Shape a shallow bowl so the filling sits low, then press the lid down onto it.
- Marshmallow turned tough: it escaped and baked on the sheet. Seal tighter next time, and use fluff rather than marshmallow pieces.
Making Them Ahead for Bake Sales and Holiday Trays
The dough keeps covered in the fridge for up to 2 days, so you can mix it one evening and fill and bake the next. For longer, shape and fill the cookies, freeze them on a tray until hard, then pack them in a freezer bag. Bake from frozen and add 1 to 2 minutes.
Baked cookies keep in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 to 3 days. Separate layers with parchment, because the marshmallow at the seam is sticky. Ten seconds in the microwave brings back the soft center.
More Ways to Pair Nutella and Marshmallow
Once you have a jar of each open, there is a lot more you can do with them:
- Sandwich two cooled cookies around a scoop of vanilla ice cream for a quick ice cream sandwich, or float one on a mug of hot chocolate.
- Spread Nutella between graham crackers with toasted marshmallow, or bake the same idea into s’mores cookies.
- Swirl both into a pan of marshmallow brownies for a sheet-pan dessert.
- Pipe Nutella buttercream frosting onto chocolate cupcakes and top them with a spoon of fluff.
- For autumn trays, bake a batch of pumpkin s’mores cookies alongside these.
If the sandwich look is what caught your eye, chocolate crinkle sandwich cookies and hot chocolate cookies are the two I would bake next.
Before You Open the Jar
Can I use mini marshmallows instead of fluff?
You can, but expect leaks. Mini marshmallows expand and push through the seam. If you use them, press 4 or 5 into the Nutella and seal the lid very well.
Can I use another chocolate hazelnut spread?
Yes. Any thick spread works. Thin, runny spreads leak more, so freeze the dollops first.
Why chill the dough?
Cold dough is firm enough to flatten and seal without tearing, and it spreads less in the oven, so the filling stays in the middle.
Pin This Batch for Later
Save these Nutella marshmallow cookies to your cookie or holiday baking board so the filling trick is there when you need it. If you bake them, tell me in the comments how many cookies your batch made.
You say to press the edges together, but the picture looks different
Hi Judy! You’re absolutely right – the cookies in the photo look a little different from what the original instructions suggest. There was a little mix-up between batches during the photoshoot! The batch we photographed wasn’t fully sealed around the filling, which is why you can see the marshmallow layer peeking out so beautifully.
To match the look in the photos, here’s what you can do:
Don’t Fully Seal the Edges:
When assembling the cookies, press the top and bottom dough layers gently together, leaving a small gap around the edges. This will allow the marshmallow to puff out slightly as the cookies bake.
Use a Thinner Top Layer:
Use a slightly smaller piece of dough for the top layer (about 1 tablespoon), so the filling has more room to shine through.
Mind the Bake Time:
Keep an eye on the cookies while baking. Pull them out as soon as they’re set and starting to crack—this helps the marshmallow stay gooey and visible.
I’ve also updated the recipe instructions to reflect this adjustment so future bakers won’t run into the same confusion. Thanks so much for pointing this out! If you try the tweaks, I’d love to hear how they turn out for you. 😊
Gotta try these! Big Nutella and fluff fan! And was a pastry chef, when I worked!!
Then you’ll probably have a lot of fun with these 😊 The Nutella and fluff combo hits that nostalgic sweet spot, and the cookie dough holds up beautifully around the filling. Would love to hear how you put your pastry chef twist on them if you end up making a batch.
These taste good but turn out to look nothing like the picture.
Thanks for trying them, Deb. If the shape was off, the dough was probably a little too warm or the filling wasn’t sealed in enough before baking. Chilling the dough well, keeping the Nutella and marshmallow centered, and sealing the top layer of dough around the edges should help them stay thicker and look much closer to the photos next time.