Hazelnut Shortbread Cookies with Nutella Ganache – Buttery, Crisp & Absolutely Irresistible

Hazelnut Shortbread Cookies are my secret weapon for impressing people without actually trying that hard.

I know that sounds lazy, but hear me out. These cookies look fancy. They taste expensive. And people always assume you spent hours making them when really it’s just butter, hazelnuts, and a jar of Nutella doing all the heavy lifting.

I think I first made something like this for a holiday cookie exchange back in 2022… or maybe 2023? Honestly can’t remember. What I do remember is that someone asked if I’d bought them from a bakery and I tried really hard not to look too smug.

Now here’s the thing: I’ve messed these up before. My first attempt, the dough was way too crumbly and the cookies fell apart when I tried to sandwich them. Version 2.0 had too much sugar and tasted weirdly sweet instead of buttery. But this version? This one’s perfect. Or at least as perfect as I’m capable of making anything.

Why This Hazelnut Shortbread Cookies Recipe Works :

Look, I’m gonna be honest. Shortbread can be boring. It’s often just… butter and flour and not much else happening. Fine for dunking in tea, but nothing to write home about.

But when you add toasted hazelnuts and fill them with a creamy Nutella ganache? Game changer. The hazelnuts give this nutty, almost caramelized flavor. The Nutella adds chocolate richness without making them too sweet. And the texture is this perfect combination of crispy-crumbly on the outside with that smooth ganache in the middle.

These are basically chocolate hazelnut shortbread cookies that look like you know what you’re doing in the kitchen. Even when you don’t.

My neighbor Sarah, who bakes professionally (which is intimidating), tried these and said “these are legit.” So yeah. I felt pretty good about that.

Ingredients for Hazelnut Shortbread Sandwich Cookies :

Okay, shopping list time. Nothing too wild here.

For the shortbread cookies:

• 1 cup (140 g) roasted hazelnuts (or buy raw and toast them yourself)
• 1 cup (230 g) unsalted butter, softened (not melted, not cold—room temp)
• 1/2 cup (60 g) powdered sugar (also called icing sugar)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• Extra powdered sugar for dusting (optional, but it makes them look prettier)

For the Nutella ganache:

• 1/2 cup (150 g) Nutella (or any chocolate hazelnut spread, but let’s be real, Nutella is the best)
• 3 tablespoons heavy cream (or whipping cream)

Random ingredient notes because I always learn things the hard way:

• Toast your hazelnuts if they’re not already roasted. Raw hazelnuts don’t have nearly the same flavor. Just bake them at 350°F for about 10 minutes until they smell amazing and the skins start to crack.
• If your hazelnuts still have skins on them after toasting, rub them in a kitchen towel to get most of the skins off. You don’t need to be perfect about it. Some skin is fine.
• Room temperature butter is KEY. If it’s too cold, the dough won’t come together right. If it’s too warm, the cookies will spread too much. (Learned this the hard way.)
• I always use unsalted butter because then I can control the salt. But if you only have salted butter, just skip the 1/4 teaspoon salt in the recipe.

How to Make Chocolate Hazelnut Shortbread Cookies Step by Step :

Step 1: Toast and grind the hazelnuts

If your hazelnuts aren’t already roasted, spread them on a baking sheet and toast them at 350°F (175°C) for about 10 minutes. They should smell nutty and amazing. Let them cool for a few minutes.

Then rub them in a clean kitchen towel to remove most of the skins. Don’t stress about getting every bit off—some skin is totally fine.

The key is—oh wait, I forgot to mention—you need to grind them into a coarse meal. I use a food processor and pulse them until they look like rough sand. Don’t over-process or you’ll end up with hazelnut butter. Which is delicious, but not what we need here.

Step 2: Make the shortbread dough

In a large bowl (or stand mixer if you have one), beat the softened butter and powdered sugar together until it’s light and fluffy. This takes about 2-3 minutes with a hand mixer.

Add the vanilla extract and mix it in.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, ground hazelnuts, and salt.

Gradually add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture. Mix on low speed until everything just comes together into a dough. It’ll look crumbly at first, then it’ll start to clump. That’s normal.

Do NOT overmix. Overmixed shortbread gets tough instead of tender and crumbly.

Step 3: Chill the dough

This is important. Divide the dough in half and shape each half into a flat disk. Wrap them in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. I usually do an hour because I forget about them while I’m doing other stuff.

Cold dough is easier to roll out and the cookies hold their shape better when baking. (Trust me on this one.)

Step 4: Roll and cut the cookies

Preheat your oven to 325°F (160°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Take one disk of dough out of the fridge. On a lightly floured surface, roll it out to about 1/4 inch thick. Not too thin or they’ll be too crispy. Not too thick or they won’t be crisp enough.

Use a 2-inch round cookie cutter (or whatever shape you want—I’ve used hearts before for Valentine’s Day). Cut out as many cookies as you can. Re-roll the scraps and cut more.

Place the cookies on the prepared baking sheets, leaving about an inch between them. They don’t spread much, but give them a little room.

Repeat with the second disk of dough.

Step 5: Bake

Bake for 12-15 minutes, until the edges are just starting to turn golden. The centers might still look a bit pale—that’s fine. They’ll firm up as they cool.

Set a timer. Then inevitably forget about it and panic at 16 minutes. (Or maybe that’s just me?)

Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. They’re fragile when warm, so be gentle.

Step 6: Make the Nutella ganache

This is the easiest part. In a small microwave-safe bowl, combine the Nutella and heavy cream.

Microwave in 15-20 second bursts, stirring between each one, until the mixture is smooth and slightly warm. You want it thick but spreadable. If it’s too thick, add a tiny splash more cream. If it’s too thin, let it sit for a few minutes to firm up.

Step 7: Assemble the sandwich cookies

Once the cookies are completely cool (this is important—warm cookies will make the ganache melt and slide everywhere), flip half of them upside down.

Spread about a teaspoon of Nutella ganache on the flat side of each upside-down cookie. Don’t go all the way to the edges or it’ll squish out when you sandwich them.

Top with another cookie, flat side down, and gently press together.

Dust with powdered sugar if you’re feeling fancy.

Done.

Tips for Perfect Hazelnut Shortbread Cookies :

So, um, basically what happens is you need cold dough and patience. Here are some other things I’ve learned:

• Don’t skip chilling the dough. Warm dough = flat, spread-out cookies. Not cute.
• Use a light touch when rolling. If you overwork shortbread dough, it gets tough. Handle it as little as possible.
• Let the cookies cool completely before filling. Warm cookies + ganache = melted mess. Ask me how I know.
• Store them in an airtight container. They’ll keep for about 5-6 days at room temperature. Or freeze the unfilled cookies for up to 3 months and fill them whenever you want fresh cookies.

Actually, you know what? I’ve also made a coffee hazelnut version of these by adding 1 tablespoon of instant espresso powder to the dough. It gives them this subtle coffee flavor that’s AMAZING with the Nutella. Have you ever tried that? Let me know in the comments because I’m curious if other people like coffee in their cookies as much as I do.

Why These Hazelnut Shortbread Sandwich Cookies Are Better Than Store-Bought :

Is it just me or does everyone overbake cookies? Store-bought shortbread is often either too hard or too sweet or just… boring.

These are buttery and tender with a real hazelnut flavor that you just can’t get from artificial extracts. And the Nutella ganache filling? Way better than those cheap sandwich cookies with the weird cream filling that tastes like sugar and nothing else.

Plus, when you make them yourself, you can control everything. Want less sugar? Use less. Want more hazelnuts? Add more. Want to make them bigger or smaller? Go for it.

I brought these to a potluck last month and they disappeared in like 10 minutes. Multiple people asked for the recipe. One person said they tasted like something from a fancy French bakery. I didn’t have the heart to tell them it was basically just Nutella and butter.

Serving and Storage Ideas :

These cookies are perfect for:

• Holiday cookie trays
• Afternoon tea or coffee
• Gifting (they look expensive in a nice tin)
• Midnight snacking when you can’t sleep (no judgment here)
• Impressing your in-laws

They also pair really well with:

• Strong black coffee
• Hot chocolate
• A glass of cold milk
• Champagne if you’re feeling fancy

And if you have leftovers (unlikely), they actually taste even better the next day after the flavors have had time to meld together. Something about the Nutella filling soaking slightly into the cookies. Magic.

Wait, I almost forgot—these freeze beautifully. Just layer them between parchment paper in an airtight container and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature for about 30 minutes before serving. Perfect for emergency cookie situations.

People keep asking for this recipe, so I guess I did something right. These hazelnut shortbread cookies are buttery, nutty, chocolate-y, and honestly just really good. They’re not complicated, but they taste like you tried really hard.

If I can make these without burning down my kitchen (and while my kids are asking me for snacks every five minutes), anyone can.

Let me know how yours turn out! And seriously, if you try the coffee version, tell me what you think.

Happy baking! 🍪