Homemade chocolate-hazelnut filling joins crunchy hazelnut cookies to create a delicious, melt-in-your-mouth cookie sandwich.
If one cookie is great, two cookies are better, and if you put a filling in the middle, you have a winner. Another logical argument: everyone loves Nutella (fact), and everyone loves cookies (fact) – therefore it follows that everyone will love (to the power of about a thousand) these “Nutella” hazelnut chocolate sandwich cookies. Fact. Case closed. (And these are gluten free, dairy free and refined sugar free sandwich cookies, how amazing is that?!) 
There’s nothing uninteresting, or boring, or average about these sandwich cookies. They are everything sweet and crumbly and oh, there’s the gooey filling, and it’s chocolate and hazelnuts and we’re all simply over the moon with how delicious they are. Furthermore, just imagine how awesome people will think you are when you just oh-by-the-way mention that ‘Well, I’ve obviously also made the Nutella filling, as in, it’s homemade Nutella, no biggie, really.’ with the ‘I’m simply fabulous like that’ going unspoken but so so so glaringly obvious.
Because, yes, you’ll be making the Nutella filling. So scratch that “homemade Nutella” off your To-Do-(It-Will-Probably-Never-Happen-But-It’s-Nice-To-Imagine) List. Because we’re totally doing this, and it’ll be a piece of cake (pardon me, a piece of sandwich cookie… or ten of them – no judgement). But first, the cookies.
The top secret trick that elevates these sandwich cookies from mmm-they’re-really-good to oh-my-god-I’m-having-an-out-of-body-experience-they’re-so-so-so-I-don’t-even-have-the-words (that I’ll tell you all about) is… roasting the hazelnuts. I don’t care how you do it – in a pan on the hob, in a baking tray in the oven – just roast the hazelnuts. I’m being 100% serious, it really does make that much of a difference. One does not make light of such existentially crucial matters!
We won’t be using butter or sugar today, nope, none of that. We’re going the dairy and refined sugar free way today. Therefore, soften that coconut oil (but don’t melt it – you can’t “cream” a liquid), add that honey and cream them together. Resist picking up the spoon and “just having a taste”. Yes, it is finger-lickingly delicious, but these sandwich cookies are worth the willpower exercise. Trust me. (Think of it as character building.)
An egg and an egg yolk (for extra decadence) are added, while gluten free flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt are sifted together, mixed with some ground roasted (!) hazelnuts and then everything is mixed mixed mixed together. A benefit of gluten-free baking? None of that pesky ‘be careful not to over-mix the cookie dough to avoid a rubbery texture’ here. No gluten – no worries. Perfectly crumbly sandwich cookies await you.
So next time somebody wrinkles their nose at the thought of gluten, dairy and refined sugar free cookies, just shove these “Nutella” hazelnut chocolate sandwich cookies under the aforementioned offending nose, and you’ll have a “free from” convert. You’ll probably also have (a lot) less cookies on your hands, but, well, the things one does for other people’s enlightenment.
Click here for the filling recipe.
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Chocolate Hazelnut Sandwich Cookies
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: About 15–20 sandwich cookies 1x
Description
Homemade chocolate-hazelnut filling joins crunchy hazelnut cookies in to create a delicious, melt-in-your-mouth cookie sandwich.
Ingredients
For cookies:
- 150 g hazelnuts, roasted and ground (see note)
- 175 g coconut oil, softened (not completely melted)
- 150 g clear honey
- 1 egg and 1 egg yolk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 325 g gluten free flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
- Pinch of salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
For the hazelnut chocolate filling:
- 150 g roasted hazelnuts
- 3 tablespoons cocoa powder
- 3 tablespoons honey (or maple syrup)
- 3 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
For assembling:
- 1 tablespoon clear honey
- Melted dark chocolate (see note)
- 50 g hazelnuts, roasted and ground
Instructions
For cookies:
- Pre-heat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a baking tray with baking paper.
- Cream together the softened coconut oil, honey, and vanilla extract.
- Add the egg and egg yolk, and mix thoroughly.
- In a separate bowl, sift together the gluten free flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, salt, and cinnamon. Mix in the ground hazelnuts.
- Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and mix well until a smooth cookie dough comes together. The dough will appear a bit oily — that’s normal!
- Shape individual portions of cookie dough, roughly 1–1 1/2 tablespoons each, into balls.
- Place the dough balls onto the baking tray, leaving about 1/2 inch (1.5 cm) between them. Flatten very slightly.
- Bake at 350°F (175°C) for about 12 minutes, or until golden brown around the edges.
- Leave the baked cookies to cool completely before assembling.
For the hazelnut chocolate filling:
- Combine all filling ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth (or slightly chunky, depending on the strength of your blender — it will be delicious either way).
- The filling will be dense and gooey, and you can shape it using your hands or a spoon.
For assembly:
- Smear a small amount of honey on the bottom of two cookies.
- Shape the filling into a ball roughly the size of the cookie balls before baking.
- Sandwich the filling between the two cookies. Repeat until all cookies and filling are used.
- Dip half of each sandwich cookie into the melted chocolate, letting any excess drip off.
- Dip the chocolate-covered half into the remaining ground roasted hazelnuts.
- Let the chocolate set, then enjoy! The cookies keep well in a closed container in a cool dry place for about a week.
Notes
Roasting the hazelnuts makes a dramatic difference in flavor — don’t skip it. Toast them in a dry pan or on a baking sheet in a 350°F oven for 10 minutes, then rub off the skins in a clean kitchen towel.
- Prep Time: 48 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Category: Baking, Cookies
Frequently Asked Questions
What type of flour should I use for these gluten-free hazelnut cookies?
You can use a gluten-free all-purpose flour blend to ensure the cookies hold together while providing the right texture.
How do I make the homemade Nutella filling for the sandwich cookies?
To make the Nutella filling, blend together roasted hazelnuts, cocoa powder, a sweetener of your choice, and a liquid like coconut milk until smooth and creamy.
What is the secret technique to elevate the hazelnut cookies in this recipe?
The secret technique is to toast the hazelnuts before grinding them, which enhances their flavor and adds depth to the cookie’s taste.
