Vanilla Melting Moments Cookies with Nutella Filling — These vanilla sandwich cookies are so soft and they literally melt in your mouth! Perfect for Christmas, Easter, and family gatherings!
Perfect Christmas Sandwich Cookies
These cookies remind me of cookies on Christmas cookie platters that I ate growing up. But those were just plain cookies. I enhanced these with Nutella. Why not?
The melting moments cookies are so soft, they literally melt in your mouth. I always wondered what it was that made this particular type of cookie have a melting-away sensation, but now I know what it is: cornstarch.
Cornstarch is a true workhorse in cookie-baking because it helps create a super soft texture and softbatch-style results. A couple teaspoons is all I’ve ever used for soft, supple, tender cookies.
I’ve used cornstarch in about 20 cookies recipes, including Lofthouse-Style Soft Peanut Butter Chip Sugar Cookies, Pumpkin Spice Cookies, Peanut Butter Coconut Oil Cookies, M&M’s Cookies, Snickers Cookies, Twix Bar Cookies, Caramel Corn Chocolate Chip Cookies, S’mores Cookies, Lofthouse Soft Sugar Sprinkles Cookies, and more.
These cookies also use cornstarch, but rather than 2 teaspoons, I used one-half cup. That’s what gives them their buttery soft, melt-away qualities.
The dough is extremely easy to make and it’s egg-free, and it’s also free from baking soda or baking powder. Although I haven’t tried the dough using vegan butter or margarine, I’ve seen recipes that call for ‘either butter or margarine’, so I think you’d be safe to keep these vegan.
These cookies are on the large size for sandwich cookies (way bigger than an Oreo), but since I never eat just 1 cookie at a time and always need at least two, I have my requisite two cookies, bundled together with a creamy, rich, Nutella-cream cheese filling.
When you pick up a cookie, they feel solid and dense in your hand, but upon biting into one, they softly crumble and melt away into a smooth, buttery haze. They’re feathery soft and tender.
The buttery cookies are a great blank canvas for the chocolate intensity of the filling. The flaky cookie crumbs, contrasted with the smooth creaminess and robustness of the slightly tangy filling, is a great texture and taste contrast.
Cornstarch. A winner every time.
What’s in Melting Moments Cookies?
To make the vanilla sandwich cookies and the Nutella filling, you’ll need:
- Unsalted butter
- All-purpose flour
- Cornstarch
- Confectioners’ sugar
- Vanilla extract
- Nutella
- Cream cheese
- Cream or milk
How to Make Melting Moments Cookies
Simply beat the butter, then add flour, cornstarch, confectioners’ sugar, vanilla, and mix until the dough comes together. My dough started out very dry and crumbly, but after a couple minutes, it came together perfectly, to the point it was quite soft.
I made exactly 12 cookies using my medium 2-inch cookie scoop, using about 2 tablespoons of dough per cookie.
I love small batch cookie recipes. I don’t want dozens of the same cookie, and I definitely don’t want it all at once. I’m ready for a change by cookie #10 with most recipes.
I made the filling by using 3/4 cup Nutella, 1/4 cup light cream cheese, confectioners’ sugar, vanilla, and a splash of cream. You’ll need to play with the cream ratio to get your frosting to combine.
I find that not all jars of Nutella are the same. Sometimes the Nutella is very dry and sometimes very gloppy and runny.
I had a dry jar this time around so needed to compensate by adding more cream that you may, and in the process made about 1 cup of filling and had some leftover. You will probably, too.
Do I Have to Chill the Cookie Dough?
Yes! Because there are no eggs or chemical leaveners, both help cookies rise and stay thicker while baking, it’s mandatory you chill the dough. Cold dough is the only thing that will prevent the cookies from spreading into flat pancakes while baking, and is a must.
How to Store Melting Moments
Unfilled melting moments cookies will keep airtight at room temperature for up to 5 days. Unbaked cookie dough can be stored airtight in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, or frozen for up to 4 months.
Once filled, the sandwich cookies will keep airtight at room temperature for up to 5 days. I personally am comfortable storing the cookies (the filling has cream cheese) at room temperature, but if you prefer to store cookies in the fridge, that’s fine, but note the fridge will dry them out much more quickly.
Tips for Making Vanilla Sandwich Cookies
You don’t have to make sandwich cookies with this recipe, but they’re a very blank-canvas cookie, and may be a little on the boring side without a filling.
You could also add lemon zest or lemon extract, or peppermint extract, to the dough to jazz them up. If going the lemon route, a tangy lemon buttercream would be great. But I don’t love lemon as much as I love Nutella.
You’ll likely wind up with extra filling. It’ll keep in the fridge for at least 1 month. Make sure you forget about the leftovers about midnight when you, a spoon, and the jar want to become BFFs. Eating Nutella that’s doctored up with cream cheese and sugar is the best midnight snack ever.
You can also just add a smear of Nutella, peanut butter, or Cookie Butter/Biscoff and skip the step of making a filling. However, without adding the cream cheese and confectioners’ sugar, those spreads on their own won’t have as much thickness, body, and Nutella especially can be pretty runny, but they’ll work if you’re in a rush.
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Vanilla Melting Moments Cookies with Nutella-Cream Cheese Filling
These vanilla sandwich cookies are so soft and they literally melt in your mouth! Perfect for Christmas, Easter, and family gatherings!
Ingredients
Cookies
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened (1 1/2 sticks; margarine may be substituted
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup cornstarch
- 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Nutella-Cream Cheese Filling (makes about 1 cup)
- 3/4 cup Nutella
- 1/4 cup cream cheese, softened (light cream cheese is okay)
- 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- about 3 tablespoons cream or milk or as needed, adjust to desired filling consistency
Instructions
Cookies:
- To the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or large bowl and electric hand mixer), beat the butter on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
- Stop, scrape down the sides of the bowl, and add the remaining cookie ingredients. Mix on low speed until incorporated, about 2 to 3 minutes. Dough will progress from very crumbly and sandy, to soft and combined. After dough has combined; don’t overmix. Dough will be soft, and on the sticky and tacky side.
- Using a medium 2-inch cookie scoop, form 2-tablespoon mounds (I made 12). Place mounds on a large plate, flatten slightly with the tines of fork to create a criss-cross pattern (or use your palm or a flat drinking glass bottom if you don’t want a pattern). Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 3 hours, or up to 5 days, before baking. Do not bake with warm dough because cookies will spread and bake thinner and flatter (there are no leaveners or eggs to help them stay thicker; you’re relying on chilled dough).
- Preheat oven to 350F, line baking sheets with a Silpat or spray with cooking spray. Place mounds on baking sheet, spaced at least 2 inches apart (I bake 8 cookies per sheet).
- Bake for about 9 minutes, or until edges have set and tops are just beginning to set, even if slightly undercooked, pale and glossy in the center. They should not be ‘browned’ and should stay a pale white/cream shade. Do not overbake because cookies will firm up as they cool.
- Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to finish cooking.
Nutella-Cream Cheese Filling:
- To the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or large bowl and electric hand mixer), combine first four ingredients (through vanilla), and beat on medium-high speed to incorporate.
- With the mixer running, slowly add the cream 1 tablespoon at a time, until filling combines and desired consistency is achieved. Note that Nutella seems to vary and some jars are dry and some are very runny; this significantly effects how much cream to add.
- Spread a generous 2+ tablespoons of filling on 6 cooled cookies, and match them up with the 6 unfrosted halves, and join together to create sandwiches.
Notes
Storage: Unfilled cookies will keep airtight at room temperature for up to 5 days. Unbaked cookie dough can be stored airtight in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, or frozen for up to 4 months, so consider baking only as many cookies as desired and save the remaining dough to be baked in the future when desired.
You’ll likely have leftover filling. It will keep airtight in the refrigerator for up to 1 month. Eat with a spoon or use for a future baking project.
Once frosted, sandwich cookies will keep airtight at room temperature for up to 5 days. I personally am comfortable storing the cookies at room temp, but if you prefer to store cookies in the fridge, that’s fine, but note the fridge will dry them out much more quickly.
More Cookie Exchange Recipes:
Buttery Sugar Wafer Sandwich Cookies — These sugary wafter cookies are buttery, delicate, and literally melt-in-your-mouth. They’re sandwiched with vanilla buttercream frosting.
M&M’s Chocolate Chip Cookies — If you’re looking for a new M&M’s cookie recipe, this is THE ONE! Soft, buttery, and irresistible M&M’s Christmas cookies!
Softbatch Funfetti Sugar Cookies — These funfetti cookies are essentially sugar cookies from scratch that have been loaded with sprinkles. They have that nostalgic boxed cake flavor but are 100% homemade!
Chocolate Peanut Butter Stacks — If you need a ridiculously easy, no-bake dessert for a party, holiday cookie exchange, or just have a spur of the moment craving for chocolate and peanut butter, these Ritz cookies are perfect!
Softbatch No-Roll Holiday Sprinkles Cookies — These tender, buttery holiday cookies use a no-roll dough with the sprinkles baked right in so you don’t even have to decorate them!
Sugar Doodle Vanilla Cookies — Part soft sugar cookie, part chewy snickerdoodle, with tons of rich vanilla flavor! The best vanilla cookies you’ll ever make!
Santa’s Kitchen Sink Cookies — Santa and everyone else won’t be able to resist these AMAZING cookies loaded with everything but the kitchen sink!! EASY, festive, salty-sweet treats with a FUN ingredients list!!
i add cornstarch to mashed potatoes too and makes huge difference –in a positive way–also Hersheys has a Nutella knockoff and sadly i switched-it is smoother and easier to work with.
simple yet tasty! hey i love this recipe so much, seems the nutella will also melts my heart :)
i’ll try this at home…
hey, how long time do i need to make this recipe ?
I definitely want to eat this.
You’ll want to chill the dough so you need to plan on 3-4 hours, total time.
Could you substitute/add peanut butter for the butter in this recipe?
I haven’t tried it so can’t say for sure but these are a very buttery, delicate cookie and I don’t think peanut butter would behave the same way as butter does here.
I made these tonight and they turned out perfectly! Your instructions were on point – I had no problems what so ever and they taste incredible! Thanks for the recipe! :)
Glad they came out great for you! Thanks for trying the recipe!
I’m planning to try these this weekend! Question–what’s the best way to store the cookies if they’re not all eaten in one sitting? Do they have to be refrigerated because of the cream cheese?
Yes, that’s probably the safest bet but under about 48 hours, I store things with cream cheese-based frosting at room temp, i.e. cinnamon rolls, cakes, etc. but do what you’re most comfortable with.
Hi averie,
I just wanted to let you know I made these yesterday for my family and they came out perfectly. I used King Arthur flour. Refrigerated them for 2.5 hours and froze them the last half hour just to be safe. Beautiful texture. Love your blog and recipes.
Thank you for the compliments, trying the recipe, stating exactly what you did, and so happy they worked out beautifully for you and that you’re happy!
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I totally agree with Averie Sunshine!! Anyone who doesn’t think baking with particular name brands just simply doesn’t bake very often. The brand of flour, eggs, sugar, etc. you use will have a HUGE impact on the final product!!!!
Glad you can appreciate my logic :) It’s like saying that the generic version of xyz item will give you the same exact results as the brand name – sometimes, sometimes not! Even something as simple as a Qtip. Generic ones are kind of flimsy and skimpy and I want the brand name!
Hi! Huge fan of yours! I made the dough for these last night and went to make them a bit ago however when I pulled the cookies out of the oven the spread into a giant cookie! I followed the recipe to a T and chilled the dough overnight… I am at a loss since your recipes are normally AMAZiNG! Any idea?
Hi Sarah sorry that these spread for you. Honestly, don’t know what to say. The recipe is adapted from these http://www.argostarch.com/recipe_details.asp?id=432 which given that Argo is a cornstarch company I trust their recipe for these and I had no issue with them, to the point mine were pretty puffy. Are you using a high quality flour like King Arthur? All other brands have less protein/gluten and things will spread more, rise less, and I highly recommend using KAF. Butter, I always use TJ’s. Some brands have more water in them. That could do it. The type of cornstarch could do it. All of these things are little nuance things but maybe if enough nuances added up, they could become bigger deals. But the biggest is the flour, and chilling the dough. And silly as this sounds, are you 100% sure you measured correctly? I have so many people who think they grabbed a 1/4 cup measure when they really grabbed the 1/3 cup type of thing. It happens to me too. Not saying that’s what you did, but maybe just being in a rush? Just trying to troubleshoot with you b/c sounds like you’ve made lots of my stuff and I hope you can try these with success. LMK what you come up with…
Very disappointed with the cookie! Followed the recipe exactly and the cookies spread out into mush. Pictures are very misleading. This recipe absolutely does not work. Brand of ingredients would not have that large of an impact.
I’m sorry that you didn’t have success with them. The pictures aren’t meant to be misleading. They’re what I made and the recipe I used is the one that’s typed out. The cookies have no chemical leaveners so cold dough is very important and I strongly believe in King Arthur all-purpose flour and actually yes, brands of ingredients do vary widely. For example, KA has about an 11% gluten content, Pillsbury/Gold Medal are about 9%. That can be very significant in baking. Thanks for trying the recipe. It’s very similar to the Argo recipe http://www.argostarch.com/recipe_details.asp?id=432
Hi Averie Sunshine,
These sounds like Yummy..!!
This cookie looks delicious and adorable.
I love cookies most.I read your recipe its really unique and easy to make.
You Share creative resource. I really appreciate with it.
Thanks For Sharing….
Simply irresistible! I can tell by the photos that these cookies are melt-in-your mouth perfection, Nutella is just icing on the cake/cookie. :)
I can’t tell you how much I am dying to taste one of these cookies! I can imagine how soft the cornstarch make them and that Nutella frosting looks so dreamy! I will be making these for the holidays without a doubt!
If you try them, LMK!
I think the real part that keeps me excited every time I see a new recipe post from your blog is the moment it captures–that nostalgic, melt-in-your-mouth cookie one from way back when? Such a shared feeling! I’d make these cookies just for the nostalgia of it, but they do sound like an amazing pairing. Thanks for sharing, Averie!
What a nice comment, Ala, and thanks for saying that! :)
Anything with a cookie filling is always a plus in my book! And with Nutella – yes! I haven’t had Nutella in weeks. I think I’m due for a Nutella fix.
Yummy!
Oh my gosh – all your cookies look amazing!
Thanks, Erin!
I’ve never used cornstarch in cookies, but now that I know it adds to the super soft, melt away texture, I will definitely be trying it! Thanks for all the info. Also, it’s hard to beat Nutella and cream cheese!
THIS is a whole different kind of porn. OHHHH MYYYY GOODNESS!
I love your comments, Gigi! Thank you :)
Oh man, if I could eat cookies, these would be a favorite! I love sandwich cookies because I am a dip girl all the way. I love saucy, dippy, creamy anything to go with my cookie, chip or bar. Dry is no thank you! Simeon loves nutella and can also have corn, so I will give these a whirl for him. YUM!
Well that’s a stroke of luck that he’s the one who can have corn AND likes Nutella. If you try them, LMK! :)
Oh my holy sweetness!!!
and thanks for pinning!
I can literally see how creamy and smooth these cookies are, Averie. Just by looking at the photos! Cornstarch = miracle worker.
My mom makes a seriously buttery cookie like this, though I don’t think she uses confectioners’ sugar. THIS is a cookie recipe perfect for the holidays. Truly would steal the show from anything on the dessert table. And the cookie dough ingredient list is so simple and straightforward. The nutella? What a dream. So happy you stuffed that in there.
Yeah with cookies this buttery, they were calling out for something bold and chocolaty – like Nutella :) I am glad you know these types of cookies. I am not surprised your mom makes something similar. She sounds like QUITE the baker!
Woah. That nutella cream cheese filling is calling my name!
I always bake cookies for Christmas and these are definitely going on my list. I keep meaning to try your tip on adding cornstarch to cookies!
I just gave your website URL to my mom, who is giving it to some friends of hers, with sons who are marrying vegans/veggies and they need great recipes to impress their future daughter in laws. I told her your site was at the top of my list :)
These are SO like those classic cookies from trays but WAAAY better because…obviously…nutella
So glad you know the cookies Im talking about and yes, with Nutella, way better :)
Oh my goodness, I want a dozen of these.
These remind me of alfajores (essentially south american cornstarch cookies). You should try filling them with dulce de leche. Its a great combo.
they look yummy!
Oh my goodness. I have a friend who will swoon at these cookies. She lives for anything Nutella!
Thanks for reading my site…I used to be pretty high-raw. Clearly, times have changed :) But I appreciate your support!
Here’s a culinary irony. Bakers add corn starch to get softness in cookies. southern cooks add corn starch to fried chicken batter to get crunch! GREG
I love food trivia like that, Greg! Thanks!
These look absolutely delicious!
Oh my gosh girl, these look INCREDIBLE and I want one right now. I have a weakness for anything chocolatey in-between a soft cookie. It’s like having a cupcake, but better! :) xoxo, Jackie
My mom made an all chocolate version of these every Christmas when we were kids! I have to try this version ASAP!!!
I’m so glad you know what Im talking about and your mom’s all-choc version sounds incredible!
Hi, I saw this recipe and was wondering if these can be frozen? Would love to make a batch for the holidays! Thanks!
I think you’ll be fine freezing them (don’t frost them until after you unthaw them and are ready to serve). You may want to run a test batch now though since I haven’t tested. It’s a small batch recipe, so that’s good!
Confectioners sugar also does wonders for mouth-feel and texture! My mouth is drooling thinking about one of these little morsels melting away in my mouth.
You’re so right about confectioners’ sugar for mouth-feel and texture!
Oh are these fun! Love that filling :)
These cookies sound to die for! I love all that gooey Nutella filling. And I’m really glad you made these sandwich cookies! More cookie in one bite. :) I can never get cookies to turn out how I want them to, so I’ll have to try them with cornstarch!
Nutella cream cheese frosting? Genius!
These look absolutely amazing, Averie! I know I could easily eat a dozen (or two). YUM!
OH. MY.
Gorgeous cookies! Love your description of the cookies’ texture, and then of course, I love the Nutella filling also! Swoon.
Thanks, Colleen!
I have cookies on the brain too I have already made 4 cookies waiting the fridge for xmas. Gosh I just made a sprinkle cake for the blog but I am sure wanting these cookies in my kitchen right now , more so than my cake!
Perfect puffy bits of heaven these are, Lovely texture pictures too!
You’re all over it with so many cookie recipes already! That’s great! And I bet your cake tastes amazing!
Averie, these look absolutely incredible! Now I want cookies for breakfast… or at least some of that Nutella cream cheese filling!!
Fabulous cookie recipe, Averie! LOVE that you thought of a Nutella filling. I grew up with Melting Moments on the Christmas cookie tray as well. Always a favorite with everyone. And, I’ve been baking with cornstarch in cookie dough since the 1990s. It was due to a recipe I found in a copy the cookbook, Gourmet’s Best Desserts (1987). Cornstarch works fabulously well for both soft and crisp cookies to make them irresistibly melty on the tongue. Thanks for sharing, girl. Pinning to group boards at Pinterest! xo
I love that you know these cookies! You’re the first person who’s said they grew up with them. They’re definitely a page right out of 1987 :) but with Nutella – makes them feel more modern, right! Thanks for the group board pins!
Yum! Nutella and buttery soft cookies! This is the ultimate sandwich cookie.
I can’t keep my eyes offf that Nutella-filling! Looks incredible. I’m thinking of maybe using it as the frosting for my birthday cake. It’s still 2 months away but it’s never to early to start thinking about cake recipes :)
These look amazing!! Here in Dubai they sell a Cadbury chocolate spread that is so good, I honestly can’t buy it or I would probably give myself diabetes. It would be soo good for the filling. Can’t wait to try these!!
I bet that choc spread is heavenly! When I am out of the USA, I always see lots of Cadbury for sale and I bet their spread is so good!
I’ve only used 1-2 T of cornstarch in my recipes, but it is like a magic ingredient for sure. And then adding powdered sugar adds even more cornstarch. I can taste the melting.
I’d go mint with these. Just because mint and meltaway just goes together.
I can taste the melting. <-- GOOD :) I was close to doing mint but Ive already been knee deep in it for other projects so decided on Nutella. More 'season-less' anyway :)
Umm yeah, 5 dozen plzzzz!!
Averie, girl, it’s like you made my dream sandwich! The cookies look so soft! Beautiful!
Oh I love these cookies, especially the Nutella filling!
Omigosh these look amazing! I’m a bit worried about the leftover filling though because I’ll definitely be that person who finds herself at the fridge at 2 in the morning with a spoon and a growling stomach.
You and me both!
OH! I bet these would be awesome with your Honey Roasted Butterscotch White Chocolate Peanut Butter ! Pinned
I have never heard of these cookies! Wow, I have been missing out every Christmas. I mean, these look so incredibly soft and perfect. They really look like they would melt in your mouth! And then you went above and beyond with the nutella cream cheese filling! I am going to go out and say that this is one perfect Christmas cookie! I am adding it to my holiday cookie list! It’s a big list but I hope to at least make a few this year!
yes ma’am I will most definitely take a dozen of these.
I LOVE meltaway-like cookies.
Next time you make these try using lime or lemon. Oh so good. But with a different filling of course. LOL
Mentioned the lemon part in the post yes, that it’s something I’d like to try – but that I like Nutella better. LOL :)
I love the ease of these cookies! No egg? I’m so in love! Okay, cornstarch is going in my next batch of cookies, which I want to bake now. See, you derail me. I wasn’t planning on baking again for a few days. I don’t know why I say that – it never works.
I know you’re a big pudding cookie girl and what’s pudding mix? Cornstarch. There you go :) Now you can save $$ and not bother with it anymore (well okay it also adds some sugar and flavor but I digress). You will LOVE adding a couple tsp of CS to your fave choc chip cookie recipe or really any recipe you want to turn out Softbatch-style. Thanks for pinning!
And I am still thinking about your PB caramel corn. Girl. I have been fantasizing about it all day! LOL
Sandwich cookies are so fun to make and even more fun to eat. These look great! Pinned!
Thanks for pinning, Anna!
The most cornstarch I’ve used in cookies is a tablespoon, I can imagine what a whole half cup would do to cookies! Those look so soft and tender, I can just imagine them melting in my mouth! I love that the filling is a cream cheese frosting instead of a buttercream too.
With cookies that were this ‘blank canvas’, the cream cheese really gave some depth that just a plain buttercream couldn’t. Well, that, coupled with 3/4 cup of Nutella :)
The recipe for these cookies is so unique. They look delicious! I want one even though I just ate a giant cookie for dessert.
Thanks, Laura! And that happens to me all the time, too, when I read blogs :)
Found this recipe earlier this afternoon and had to make it. I added lemon zest as I love lemon cookies, but rather than a lemon buttercream, I made a blueberry jam that was quite lovely w/the lemon melt away cookies. Thanks so much for sharing your recipe!
Oh I bet your blueberry jam with the lemon and the melt-away texture was heavenly! Your cookies sound wonderful!
Cornstarch is amazing! I never realized how it can change the texture of cookies until I started baking with it, but it is a life saver! And thank God for Nutella!
thank God for Nutella! <-- you got that right :)
Mmm anything Nutella gets me seriously excited. LOVE these Averie!
I love sandwich cookies…and that filling looks too good for words! I think I could just take a little bowl of that and dip them in it. I’ve never made cookies with that amount of cornstarch but they look pretty incredible (as do all your cookies)! This must be a situation where if some is good, more is better. Oh–regarding Cirque–yes, Skylar would love it!
some is good, more is better = THAT is for sure the case here! :)
And Cirque, yeah, I’ve seen at least 10 of their shows. About 5 in Vegas and then one at Disney, another 2 came thru San Diego, and I think she’s to the age where we could bring her. Have to figure out the travel & entertainment budget. Her tuition each month is more than I paid to go to a private college. And I am not kidding. She’s 6. Paula…it’s unreal! :)
These look great.. like they would truly melt in my mouth :) Love!
Yum! These sound amazing. I’ve never tried a melting moments cookie before, and have never added cornstarch to cookies. You have me sold though, I’m going to have to give it a try.
I love how versatile these cookies can be with different extracts and fillings! I can’t wait for these cookies to melt in my mouth!!