Strawberry Nutella Linzer Cookies Recipe tastes like a chocolate-covered strawberry wrapped in a buttery shortbread hug, with a crisp edge and soft, jammy center. This recipe works well for bakers who want a showy holiday cookie plate or a fun weekend baking project, and it takes about 1 hour of active time plus chilling. I tested these while my neighbor “taste-tested” half the batch, so you can say they passed quality control.
Why Strawberry Nutella Linzer Cookies Recipe Is Worth It
These Strawberry Nutella Linzer Cookies hit that perfect balance of fancy and doable. The dough rolls easily, the cutouts look bakery-level, and the combo of Nutella and strawberry jam tastes rich, fruity, and nostalgic.
You also bake and assemble them in stages, so the recipe fits busy schedules. Kids love cutting the shapes, adults love eating the results, and everyone loves the smell of toasted hazelnut-chocolate and butter in the kitchen.
“These Strawberry Nutella Linzer Cookies taste like a grown-up sandwich cookie that still feels fun and cozy. The buttery cookie melts in your mouth, the Nutella adds a lush chocolate hazelnut layer, and the strawberry jam cuts through with bright sweetness. They look impressive on a cookie tray, yet they disappear before anything else. I would happily bake these every holiday season.”
Ingredients You Need
Dry ingredients
- 2 ¼ cups (270 g) all-purpose flour
- Use a standard unbleached all-purpose; King Arthur or Gold Medal both work well.
- ½ cup (50 g) finely ground almond flour
- You can swap with hazelnut flour for extra Nutella vibes.
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional, but it adds warmth)
Wet ingredients
- 1 cup (2 sticks / 226 g) unsalted butter, softened to cool room temperature
- Use real butter, not margarine; European-style butter adds extra richness.
- ⅔ cup (135 g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon almond extract (optional, but it boosts the nutty flavor)
Fillings
- ½ cup Nutella (or any chocolate-hazelnut spread you like)
- ½ cup good-quality strawberry jam or preserves
- Use a thick jam so it does not ooze out; seedless works nicely for a smooth look.
Finishing
- Powdered sugar, for dusting the tops
- Extra strawberry jam, if you want more filling in the centers
Pantry shortcuts & notes
- Use store-bought Nutella to keep things simple; generic chocolate-hazelnut spreads also work.
- Use store-bought strawberry jam; homemade jam tastes great too, but you do not need it.
- If your jam looks runny, simmer it for 5–7 minutes to thicken, then cool before using.
Equipment list
- Mixing bowls (one large, one medium)
- Hand mixer or stand mixer with paddle attachment
- Rubber spatula
- Measuring cups and spoons or a kitchen scale
- Plastic wrap or reusable silicone wrap
- Rolling pin
- 2–3 baking sheets
- Parchment paper or silicone baking mats
- Linzer cookie cutter set or round/ fluted cutters plus a small cutter for the centers
- Cooling racks
- Fine-mesh sieve for dusting powdered sugar
- Small offset spatula or butter knife for spreading Nutella and jam
Quick Tips & substitutions
- Chill the dough at least 1 hour so the cookies keep their shape and bake with clean edges.
- Roll the dough between two sheets of parchment to prevent sticking and extra flour.
- Work with half the dough at a time and keep the rest in the fridge so it stays firm.
- Use almond flour or hazelnut flour interchangeably; both give a tender crumb.
- Swap Nutella with any chocolate spread if needed, or use a thick ganache.
- Use raspberry jam, cherry jam, or mixed berry jam if you do not have strawberry.
- Dust only the top cookies with powdered sugar before assembling so the centers stay bright.
- Bake one test cookie to check spread and timing, then adjust by chilling longer if it spreads.
- If the dough cracks while rolling, press it back together with your fingers and keep going.
- Store filled cookies in a single layer or with parchment between layers so they do not stick.
How to Make Strawberry Nutella Linzer Cookies Recipe
Step 1: Mix the dry ingredients
Add the all-purpose flour, almond flour, salt, and cinnamon to a medium bowl. Whisk until everything looks evenly combined and no clumps of almond flour remain. Set the bowl aside.
Step 2: Cream butter and sugar
Place the softened butter and granulated sugar in a large mixing bowl. Beat with a hand mixer or stand mixer on medium speed until the mixture looks light, fluffy, and slightly paler, about 2–3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl once so everything mixes evenly.
Step 3: Add egg and extracts
Crack the egg into the butter mixture and add the vanilla and almond extract. Beat on low speed until the egg fully incorporates and the mixture looks smooth and creamy. Scrape the bowl again to pull in any streaks.
Step 4: Combine wet and dry
Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture in two additions. Mix on low speed just until the dough comes together and no dry pockets remain; stop as soon as it looks uniform. Use a spatula to fold in any flour stuck at the bottom of the bowl so you avoid overmixing.
Step 5: Chill the dough
Divide the dough into two equal portions and shape each into a flat disc. Wrap each disc tightly in plastic wrap or reusable wrap. Chill in the fridge for at least 1 hour, or up to 2 days, so the dough firms up and the flavors develop.
Step 6: Prep the oven and pans
Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line 2–3 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Gather your Linzer cutters or round cutters so you can work quickly once the dough rolls out.
Step 7: Roll the dough
Unwrap one disc of dough and place it between two sheets of parchment. Roll the dough to about ⅛–¼ inch thickness; aim for even thickness so the cookies bake uniformly. If the dough softens and sticks, slide the parchment and dough onto a baking sheet and chill for 10 minutes, then continue.
Step 8: Cut the base cookies
Use your larger cutter to cut as many solid shapes as possible from the rolled dough. Transfer the shapes to the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 1 inch apart. Gather the scraps, press them together, chill briefly if needed, and roll again.
Step 9: Cut the top cookies with windows
Roll the second disc of dough the same way. Cut the same shapes for the tops, then use the smaller cutter to cut a window in the center of each top cookie. Transfer the tops to the baking sheets, keeping tops and bottoms on separate sides so you track them easily.
Step 10: Chill the cut cookies
Place the baking sheets with cut cookies in the fridge for 15–20 minutes. This step helps the Strawberry Nutella Linzer Cookies keep sharp edges and prevents spreading. Use this time to stir the Nutella and jam so they loosen slightly.
Step 11: Bake the cookies
Slide one sheet into the oven and bake 9–12 minutes, until the edges look lightly golden and the centers look set. Rotate the pan halfway through baking for even color. Pull the cookies from the oven and let them cool on the sheet for 5 minutes, then move them to a cooling rack.
Step 12: Cool completely
Allow all cookies to cool completely on the racks before filling. Warm cookies will melt the Nutella and jam and cause sliding. Take a quick count and match tops and bottoms by size so you pair them neatly.
Step 13: Dust the tops
Place the top cookies (the ones with windows) on a sheet of parchment. Use a fine-mesh sieve to dust them lightly with powdered sugar. Keep the bottoms plain so the filling sticks well.
Step 14: Spread Nutella on the bottoms
Flip the bottom cookies upside down so the flat side faces up. Spread a thin layer of Nutella on each one, about ½ teaspoon to 1 teaspoon depending on cookie size. Leave a small border around the edge so the Nutella does not ooze out when you sandwich them.
Step 15: Add strawberry jam
Spoon a small dollop of strawberry jam in the center of the Nutella on each bottom cookie. Use the back of the spoon to nudge it slightly outward, but keep most of it centered so it shows through the window. Aim for enough jam to peek through without spilling over.
Step 16: Sandwich the cookies
Place a powdered-sugar-dusted top cookie over each filled bottom. Press gently until the filling reaches the edges and the jam shows nicely in the cutout window. Line them up on a tray and let them sit 15–20 minutes so the fillings settle.
Step 17: Serve or chill
Serve the Strawberry Nutella Linzer Cookies at room temperature so the cookie stays tender and the Nutella stays creamy. If your kitchen runs warm, chill the tray for 10–15 minutes to firm the centers slightly. Bring them back to room temperature before serving for the best texture.
Recipe Variations
- Gluten-free version
- Use a 1:1 gluten-free all-purpose baking blend and check that your Nutella and jam carry gluten-free labels.
- Vegan version
- Use vegan butter sticks, a flax egg (1 tablespoon ground flax + 3 tablespoons water), and a dairy-free chocolate-hazelnut spread.
- Low-sugar tweak
- Use a lower-sugar jam and reduce the sugar in the dough to ½ cup; the texture stays tender, just slightly less sweet.
- Extra nutty
- Swap half the almond flour with hazelnut flour and add a sprinkle of chopped toasted hazelnuts on the edges of the filling.
- Citrus twist
- Add 1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest to the dough and use strawberry-orange jam if you find it.
- Different shapes
- Use hearts, stars, or flowers for holidays or birthdays; just keep the size similar so baking time stays the same.
Ways to Serve Strawberry Nutella Linzer Cookies Recipe
- Stack them on a tiered dessert stand for holidays, baby showers, or birthdays.
- Pack a few in a small box or tin with parchment for teacher gifts or neighbor treats.
- Serve them with hot chocolate, coffee, tea, or cold milk for a cozy afternoon snack.
- Add them to a cookie board with plain shortbread, chocolate chip cookies, and fruit for contrast.
- Crumble one over vanilla ice cream for a quick dessert upgrade.
Storage Success
Store Strawberry Nutella Linzer Cookies in an airtight container at cool room temperature for 2–3 days. Place parchment between layers so the powdered sugar does not smudge and the cookies do not stick. If your kitchen runs warm, keep them in the fridge up to 5 days and let them sit at room temperature 15 minutes before serving. Freeze unfilled cookies for up to 2 months, then thaw, fill with Nutella and strawberry jam, and enjoy fresh-tasting sandwich cookies without extra baking.
Strawberry Nutella Linzer Cookies Recipe
Ingredients
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, cream the softened butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy.
- Beat in the egg and vanilla extract until well combined.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing just until a soft dough forms.
- Divide the dough into two discs, wrap each in plastic wrap, and chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll out one disc of dough to about 1/8-inch thickness.
- Cut out cookies using a round or fluted cookie cutter, then cut a small shape (such as a heart or circle) out of the centers of half of the cookies to create the tops.
- Transfer cookies to the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 1 inch apart. Re-roll scraps as needed.
- Bake for 10–12 minutes, or until the edges are just lightly golden. Let cookies cool on the sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Once cooled, spread Nutella on the bottom side of each solid cookie and strawberry jam on the bottom side of each cut-out cookie top.
- Gently sandwich one Nutella-coated cookie with one jam-coated cookie, aligning the edges so the jam shows through the cut-out center.
- Dust the tops lightly with powdered sugar before serving, if desired.
Notes
Approximate per 1 cookie (24 cookies total): 150 calories; fat 8 g; saturated fat 4 g; carbohydrates 18 g; fiber 1 g; sugars 10 g; protein 2 g; sodium 60 mg. Values will vary based on brands, exact fillings, and portion size.
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