Chocolate Hazelnut Cookies
A hazelnut brown sugar cookie topped with chocolate hazelnut spread and toasted hazelnuts!
Servings: 24 cookies
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp ground flax seed
- 2 tbsp water
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1 cup old fashioned oats
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp kosher salt I use Morton's
- 1 stick vegan butter 1/2 cup, sticks work better than the kind in the tub
- ½ cup cane sugar
- ½ cup light brown sugar
- ¼ cup applesauce unsweetened
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 cup chopped hazelnuts divided
Frosting
- ¾ cup vegan chocolate hazelnut spread such as Nutiva or Nicciolla
Instructions
Prep
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line 2 large cookie sheets with a non-stick baking mat or parchment parper and set aside. Finely chop the hazelnuts and toast in a dry frying pan over medium heat for 3 minutes or until lightly toasted. Transfer to a bowl and set aside. Combine the flax seeds and water in a small bowl. Stir and set aside to thicken. Measure the oats into a blender and pulse a few times to finely chop. See photo above for texture reference.
Mix the dry ingredients
- Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt into a large bowl and use a whisk to combine. Then add the oats, mix again and set aside.
Mix the wet ingredients
- Add the softened butter, cane sugar and brown sugar to another large mixing bowl and beat until light and fluffy. We're talking verrrry light and fluffy. I usually do this for at least 1 full minute...which isn't that long but kinda feels like overkill when you're doing it. Trust me, this is what makes the cookies have that soft, tender center we all love!Then add the vanilla, applesauce and thickened flax egg and beat for 30 seconds.
Combine
- Add half of dry ingredients to the bowl with wet ingredients and use a wooden spoon to combine. Then add the remaining dry ingredients and mix until only a little bit of flour is visible. Then add 1/2 cup of chopped hazelnuts and reserve the remaining nuts for the topping. Mix just until evenly combined and then stop. Do not overmix or you'll have tough cookies.
Bake
- Use a medium sized ice cream scoop or large rounded tablespoon for each cookie and place 12 cookies on each tray. Press the dough 1/3 down before baking.Chill the cookie dough in the fridge for 10 minutes and then bake for 8 minutes. Then bang the pan on the oven rack or counter to release some of the air and continue baking for 4-5 more minutes.
- Then remove from the oven let the cookies cool on the tray for 5 minutes before moving - annoying I know but it important. The residual heat is still baking the cooking and helping it set up properly. Again, trust me, this is a texture thing and so worth it for that bakery-style cookie you're about to end up with!
Decorate
- Allow the cookies to completely then spread a thin layer of chocolate hazelnut spread on top of each cookie. Sprinkle with the reserved hazelnuts and enjoy!
Notes
Can I use gluten-free flour? Yes! Something like Bob's Red Mill 1:1 flour would be great.
Can I use quick cooking oats? I didn't have good results with quick cooking oats so I wouldn't recommend it.
What kind of vegan butter is best? Generally speaking the kind that comes in sticks works much better than the kind that comes in a tub. I almost always use Earth Balance Sticks.
For thinner cookies press the dough 1/3 down before baking. For thicker cookies just scoop onto the cookie sheet and bake.
Can I freeze the cookie dough? Yes! Scoop into balls and freeze in a single layer until ready to bake. When baking from frozen add 2 more minutes to the cooking time.
Can I freeze the cookies after baking? Yes! I recommend freezing them as soon as possible to lock in freshness. Just make sure they're completely cooled before freezing. I like to freeze in an airtight container with a piece of parchment in between each layer to prevent the cookies from sticking together.
How do I keep these cookies soft? Store with a piece of sandwich bread in an airtight container on the counter for up to 3 days or keep in the fridge for 3-4.