Chocolate Hazelnut Cookies (My Third Trimester Obsession)

If there's one thing I learned during my third trimester with baby number three, it was: whatever the baby wants, the baby gets. And what this baby wanted, relentlessly, was Nutella. So I started experimenting with a new recipe, and these cookies were the result.

I'll be honest — these are not my healthiest recipe. But they are genuinely one of the best things I baked all pregnancy, and they disappeared in under a day every single time I made them. The base is hazelnut butter, so you're getting that deep, nutty chocolate flavor without actually using Nutella — and the dark chocolate chips push it completely over the edge.

Now that baby has arrived and the cravings have passed, I look back at this recipe with nothing but love. These were a total crowd pleaser and they'll be a staple in our house long past the third trimester.

Why You’ll Love These

• Rich, fudgy texture with crispy edges

• Made with hazelnut butter instead of actual Nutella — same vibe, cleaner ingredients

• Naturally sweetened with coconut sugar

• Gluten-friendly with almond flour as the base

• Done in under 15 minutes in the oven

Ingredients

• 1 cup natural hazelnut butter

• ½ cup coconut sugar

• 2 large eggs

• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract

• 3 tbsp raw cacao powder

• ½ tsp baking soda

• ¼ tsp fine sea salt

• ¼ cup almond flour

• ½ cup dark chocolate chips (70%+)

• 1 pinch flaky sea salt, for topping

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. In a large bowl, stir together the hazelnut butter, coconut sugar, eggs, and vanilla until smooth and well combined.

3. Add the cacao powder, baking soda, almond flour, and fine sea salt, and mix until a thick dough forms. Fold in the dark chocolate chips.

4. Scoop the dough into balls (about 1.5 tablespoons each) and place on the prepared baking sheet, spacing them 2 inches apart.

5. Gently press each ball down slightly with your palm. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt.

6. Bake for 10–12 minutes, until the edges are set but the centers still look slightly underdone — they'll firm up as they cool.

7. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for at least 10 minutes before transferring.

Tips & Variations

• Don't overbake — pulling them while the center looks slightly underdone is the secret to that fudgy texture

• Any natural nut butter works here if hazelnut is hard to find; almond butter gives a slightly milder flavor

• Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days, or freeze the dough balls and bake straight from frozen (add 2 minutes to bake time)

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