Strawberry Nutella Linzer Cookies Recipe tastes buttery and nutty with a rich chocolate-hazelnut and strawberry jam center, crisp edges, and a tender crumb. If you crave a classic linzer cookie with a twist and need a bake you can finish in about 1 hour 45 minutes, this batch fits the bill. I baked a test batch at 10 p.m. and ate two before they cooled.
Why Strawberry Nutella Linzer Cookies Recipe Is Worth It
Strawberry Nutella Linzer Cookies Recipe gives you a bakery-level cookie with familiar pantry ingredients. The dough bakes up crisp-tender, the Nutella adds creamy richness, and the strawberry jam brings bright, fruity contrast. The cutout window looks fancy without extra effort.
You can mix the dough in one bowl and roll between parchment for easy cleanup. The cookies hold their shape well, so the edges stay neat. Your kitchen will smell like toasted nuts and butter, which counts as aromatherapy.
Ingredients You Need
- All-purpose flour: 2 cups plus 2 tablespoons (270 g)
- Finely ground almond flour or hazelnut flour: 1 cup (96 g) for tender texture and nutty flavor (use almond for classic, hazelnut for extra Nutella vibes)
- Granulated sugar: 2/3 cup (135 g)
- Unsalted butter, softened: 14 tablespoons (200 g)
- Egg yolk: 1 large
- Vanilla extract: 1 1/2 teaspoons
- Almond extract: 1/4 teaspoon (optional, boosts the linzer profile)
- Fine sea salt: 1/2 teaspoon
- Ground cinnamon: 1/4 teaspoon (optional, adds warmth)
- Lemon zest: 1 teaspoon (optional, brightens the jam)
- Strawberry jam or preserves: about 1/2 cup, seedless if you want a clean look (microwave 10 seconds to loosen)
- Nutella or chocolate hazelnut spread: about 1/2 cup (Nutella gives the classic flavor; any smooth chocolate-hazelnut spread works)
- Powdered sugar: for dusting
Pantry shortcuts and notes:
- Use pre-ground nut flour for the finest crumb; avoid grinding nuts at home unless you add a bit of sugar to prevent paste.
- Buy seedless strawberry jam if you want a clear window; otherwise any good-quality jam works.
- Stir Nutella to loosen. If stiff, warm the spoon, not the jar, to keep the spread silky.
Equipment:
- Rolling pin
- Two sheets of parchment paper
- 2 or 3 baking sheets
- 2-inch round or fluted cutter and a 3/4-inch mini cutter for windows (hearts, stars, and circles all work)
- Offset spatula
- Cooling racks
- Fine-mesh sieve for dusting
- Plastic wrap
Yield: About 22 to 26 assembled cookies, depending on cutter size.
Quick Tips & substitutions
- Weigh flour for best texture; if you use cups, fluff, scoop, and level.
- Chill the dough until firm; warm dough spreads and loses sharp edges.
- Roll between parchment to prevent sticking and reduce extra flour.
- Cut the same number of bottoms and tops; keep a tally so you avoid extras.
- Dust the tops with powdered sugar before assembly to keep the windows clean.
- Bake one sheet at a time for even color.
- Use raspberry, cherry, or apricot jam if you run out of strawberry.
- Swap in gluten-free 1:1 baking flour; keep the nut flour the same.
- For dairy-free, use a plant butter with high fat content; chill longer to help structure.
- Freeze unfilled cookies up to 2 months; fill the day you serve.
How to Make Strawberry Nutella Linzer Cookies
Prep: 30 minutes active, plus 45 to 60 minutes chilling
Cook: 10 to 12 minutes per batch
Total: about 1 hour 45 minutes
- Cream the butter and sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes with a hand mixer.
- Add the egg yolk, vanilla, and almond extract; mix until smooth.
- Whisk the flour, nut flour, salt, cinnamon, and lemon zest in a separate bowl; add the dry mix to the wet ingredients.
- Mix on low until the dough forms clumps and starts to gather. Stop before it turns sticky.
- Divide the dough into two equal pieces. Flatten each into a disk and wrap tightly in plastic. Chill 45 to 60 minutes until firm.
- Heat the oven to 350°F. Line baking sheets with parchment.
- Roll one dough disk between two sheets of parchment to about 1/8 inch thick. Slide the sheet onto a baking pan and chill 5 minutes if it feels soft.
- Cut as many 2-inch rounds as you can for bottoms. Transfer them to a parchment-lined sheet, spacing about 1 inch apart.
- Reroll the scraps once and cut more bottoms. Keep the sheet in the fridge while you cut the tops from the second dough disk.
- Roll the second disk to 1/8 inch. Cut 2-inch rounds for tops, then cut a window in the center of each top with the mini cutter. Chill the cut cookies 10 minutes to hold shape.
- Bake one sheet at a time for 10 to 12 minutes, until edges look just golden. Rotate the sheet at the 7-minute mark for even color.
- Let cookies sit on the sheet 2 minutes, then move them to a rack to cool completely.
- Dust the tops with powdered sugar while they cool on the rack. Keep the bottoms undecorated.
- Stir the strawberry jam to loosen. Spoon about 1/2 teaspoon onto each bottom cookie and spread gently, leaving a small border.
- Spoon or pipe a thin ring of Nutella around the jam to frame the window and keep the jam from spreading too far.
- Place a sugared top over each bottom and press lightly to sandwich. Let the cookies sit 15 minutes to set before serving.
Variations
- Go all hazelnut: swap almond flour for hazelnut flour to double down on Nutella flavor.
- Cocoa twist: replace 2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour with cocoa powder for a chocolate cookie.
- Citrus pop: use orange zest instead of lemon and pair with strawberry or cherry jam.
- White chocolate spread: swap Nutella for white chocolate hazelnut spread and keep the strawberry jam.
- Sprinkle finish: add a few finely chopped toasted hazelnuts around the window before the sandwich sets.
Ways to Serve Strawberry Nutella Linzer Cookies
- Pair with hot coffee, espresso, or a latte.
- Serve with black tea or chai to play with the spice notes.
- Add to a dessert board with fresh berries and dark chocolate squares.
- Crumble one over vanilla ice cream and drizzle extra strawberry jam.
- Pack in gift tins or wrap pairs in cellophane for sweet party favors.
Storage
Store assembled cookies in an airtight container at cool room temperature for 2 to 3 days. For the crispest texture, keep layers separated with parchment and add a silica gel food-safe packet if your climate runs humid. Refrigerate up to 1 week if needed, but let the cookies come to room temp before serving. Freeze unfilled cookies up to 2 months and fill the day you serve for the best bite.
Strawberry Nutella Linzer Cookies
Delicious Linzer cookies filled with Nutella and fresh strawberry jam, perfect for special occasions.
Ingredients
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
- Beat in the egg and vanilla extract until combined.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and almond flour.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until a dough forms.
- Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill for at least 1 hour.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Roll out the dough on a floured surface to about 1/4 inch thick.
- Cut out rounds using a cookie cutter.
- On half of the rounds, cut out smaller shapes in the center to create a window.
- Place solid rounds on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes until golden.
- Allow cookies to cool completely.
- Spread Nutella on the solid cookie bases.
- Spread strawberry jam on the cookies with the cut-out centers.
- Sandwich the cookies together, cut-out side on top.
- Dust with powdered sugar if desired.
Notes
Make sure the dough is well chilled before rolling to prevent sticking. Use high-quality Nutella and fresh strawberry jam for the best flavor. Store cookies in an airtight container.