Nutella and Dulce de Leche Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies with Brown Butter

Do you Have to Use Brown Butter?

Browning the butter is optional. If it sounds intimidating, or if you simply do not have the extra skillet time on a busy weeknight, use the same amount of softened butter instead.

The cookies come out bigger and fluffier that way, which is a perfectly good outcome. I have baked both versions for friends and family, and nobody ever complained about the softer batch.

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What browning adds is flavor. The butter picks up a richer, deeper taste with warmth and nuttiness that makes the chocolate and the hazelnut filling taste more grown up. Either method works, so choose the one that fits your day. If you have five spare minutes, brown it. If you do not, soften it and move on.

How to Brown Butter

Start with the right pan. Use a stainless steel or light colored skillet, and skip the black nonstick pan because it makes the color hard to judge and does not brown the butter the same way. Set the heat to medium so the butter cooks evenly instead of scorching.

• Add the butter and stir as it melts.
• Watch for foaming and sizzling around the edges, and keep stirring.
• After about 5 to 8 minutes from the start, depending on how much butter you use, it will smell buttery and nutty and look golden brown.
• The foam subsides a little and the milk solids on the bottom toast into brown flecks.
• Scrape the butter into a bowl with a rubber spatula so it can cool.

Let the butter cool before it goes into the mixer. Warm butter will melt the sugars and leave you with a greasy dough instead of a fluffy one, so give it a few minutes on the counter while you measure the dry ingredients.

What Are the Brown Specks in Brown Butter?

Those brown specks are toasted milk solids, and they hold a big share of the flavor. Do not pour them off or wipe them out of the pan. Scrape everything into the bowl with a spatula so the specks cool along with the butter.

Can you freeze Nutella and Dulce de Leche Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies?

Yes, and this is one of the best reasons to make a double batch. These stuffed cookies freeze well before baking or after baking.

• Unbaked dough balls: place them in a freezer bag, press out the air, and freeze for up to 3 weeks.
• Baked cookies: freeze them the same way for 1 to 2 weeks.
• Vacuum sealer: keeps them good for up to 6 months.

I keep a bag of filled dough balls in the freezer for the nights when someone needs a warm cookie in a hurry. Pull out only what you need and bake them straight from frozen. Because the dough is already portioned and filled, there is no scooping and no mess, which is exactly what you want on a school night.

Which Cookie Recipe Should I Use?

The recipe below gives you one specific dough, but everyone has a favorite. You can use your own go to cookie dough instead.

I have made these with my classic brown butter chocolate chip cookie dough, and because those cookies are smaller, I use less Nutella and dulce de leche in each one.

The result is still very good, and it is the base my husband reaches for first. Choose the dough you trust and adjust the filling to match the size of the cookie.

What is Dulce De Leche?

Dulce de leche is a traditional Argentinian dessert made by caramelizing the sugar in milk. It is thick, glossy, and tastes like a cross between caramel and sweetened cream.

Look for it in the international aisle or the Latin American section of the store, and sometimes in the baking aisle. If you cannot find it, it is easy to make at home from sweetened condensed milk. In a pinch, any cookie dough can be used.

Ingredients

This recipe makes 24 cookies. Gather everything first so the dough comes together without a pause.

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
• 2 1/3 cups flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1 cup light brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 large eggs
• 3/4 cup milk chocolate chips, Ghirardelli preferred
• 3/4 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
• Nutella, for filling
• Dulce de leche, for filling
• Sea salt, for sprinkling

The two kinds of chips do different jobs. The milk chocolate chips bring creaminess, and the semi sweet chips bring a deeper chocolate note, so the cookie never tastes one dimensional next to the sweet filling.

Instructions

1. In a large skillet over medium heat, add the butter and cook, stirring slowly with a whisk, until it is golden, smells nutty, and turns foamy, about 3 to 5 minutes. Set it aside to cool.
2. Meanwhile, mix the flour, salt, and baking soda in a bowl.
3. Add the white sugar and light brown sugar to a stand mixer, add the cooled browned butter, and mix for 2 minutes so the sugar mixture is properly combined. Add the vanilla and mix again. Add the eggs and mix for a few seconds until they are incorporated. Add the flour mixture and mix for 30 to 60 seconds before adding the chocolate chips.
4. Place a large sheet of plastic wrap on the counter and dump out the dough. Form it into a long log, cover it tightly, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
5. Slice the dough into circles to make flattening easier.
6. Meanwhile, heat the oven to 350°F and line a few baking sheets with parchment paper or Silpat mats.
7. Press a ball of the dough in the palm of your hand and place 1/2 teaspoon of Nutella and 1/2 teaspoon of dulce de leche on the dough. Wrap the dough over the filling and shape it into a ball. Place the balls on the baking sheets and bake for 9 to 10 minutes.
8. Remove from the oven and immediately sprinkle with a little sea salt. Let them cool for a minute or two before placing them on a cooling rack.

The 30 minute chill is not optional if you want tidy cookies. Cold dough holds its shape, so the Nutella and dulce de leche stay sealed inside instead of leaking onto the baking sheet.

When you wrap the filling, pinch the seam firmly and roll the ball smooth in your hands. Any thin spot becomes a leak in the oven. Also leave a little space between the balls on the sheet, because the cookies spread as they bake.

They taste best the day they are baked, while the centers are still soft and the filling is warm. Once they cool completely, they keep well in an airtight container for up to a week.

Recipe Notes

• Dulce de leche is found in the international aisle or sometimes the baking aisle of a grocery store, and it can also be made at home with sweetened condensed milk.
• Ghirardelli chocolate chips are preferred for the milk chocolate.
• The recipe is adapted from Ambitious Kitchen.
• Cookies keep for up to a week at room temperature.

Store them in a single layer or with parchment between the layers so the sea salt stays crisp on top.

Recipe details

Source nutrition per serving: 229 kcal, 29 g carbohydrates, 2 g protein, 12 g fat, 7 g saturated fat, 1 g fiber, 19 g sugar, 161 mg sodium, and 35 mg cholesterol.

One more thing worth knowing before you start: the oven runs at 350°F for the whole bake, and the skillet stays at medium heat for the butter. Those two temperatures are the only ones you need to watch.

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Do you Have to Use Brown Butter? Browning the butter is optional.

• Total Time: 55 min
• Yield: 24 1x

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

1 Cup Butter, unsalted
2 1/3 Cups Flour
1/4 teaspoon Salt
1 1/4 teaspoon Baking Soda
1/2 Cup White Sugar
1 Cup Light Brown Sugar
1/2 teaspoon Vanilla
2 Large Eggs
3/4 Cup Milk Chocolate Chips
3/4 Cup Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips
Nutella
Dulce de Leche
Sea Salt

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Instructions

1-In a large skillet over medium heat,: In a large skillet over medium heat, add the butter and cook, stirring slowly with a whisk until golden, nutty scented and foamy, about 3-5 minutes. Set aside to cool.
2-Meanwhile, mix the flour, salt and baking: Meanwhile, mix the flour, salt and baking soda in a bowl.
3-Add the sugar and brown sugar to: Add the sugar and brown sugar to a standing mixer and add the browned butter. Mix for 2 minutes to properly combine the sugar mixture. Add the vanilla and mix again. Finally add the egg and egg yolk and mix for a few seconds or until the egg is incorporated. Add the flour bowl contents and mix for 30-60 seconds before adding the chocolate chips.
4-Place a large sheet of saran wrap: Place a large sheet of saran wrap on the counter and dump out the dough. Form the dough into a long log and cover tightly with saran wrap. Refrigerate the dough 30 minutes.
5-Slice the dough into circles to make: Slice the dough into circles to make it easier to flatten.
6-Meanwhile, heat the oven to 350 and: Meanwhile, heat the oven to 350 and line a few baking sheets with parchment paper or Silpat mats.
7-Press a ball of the dough in: Press a ball of the dough in the palm of your hand and place 1/2 teaspoon of nutella and 1/2 teaspoon of dulce de leche on the dough. Wrap the dough over the filling and shape into a ball. Place on baking sheets and bake for 9-10 minutes.
8-Remove from the oven and immediately sprinkle: Remove from the oven and immediately sprinkle with a little sea salt. Allow to cool for a minute or two before placing on a cooling rack.

Last Step:

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• Prep Time: 45 min
• Cook Time: 10 min
• Method: bake

Nutrition

• Calories: 229kcal
• Sugar: 19g
• Sodium: 161mg
• Fat: 12g
• Saturated Fat: 7g
• Carbohydrates: 29g
• Fiber: 1g
• Protein: 2g
• Cholesterol: 35mg