Butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar beaten creamy, then egg and vanilla beaten in, before flour, baking soda and salt mix in just until combined and chocolate chips fold through.
Half the dough presses into a pie plate, Nutella spreads over it leaving a half-inch border, and the rest of the dough flattens into pieces that seal the filling in before the pie bakes until golden on top with a centre that is set but still soft.
Why This Recipe Works
- The dough is mixed "just until combined" once the flour goes in, the same caution any cookie dough needs — overworking it develops more gluten than a tender cookie crust wants.
- The half-inch border around the Nutella is deliberate, not decorative. It gives the top dough pieces solid cookie dough to pinch against when sealing, rather than trying to seal against wet filling at the very edge.
- The top layer is FLATTENED pieces of dough, pressed together and pinched at the seams, rather than one solid rolled sheet. That patchwork is easier to seal fully around an already-filled pie than trying to lay one intact top layer over a spread of Nutella.
- "Set but still soft" is the actual doneness cue, not a fully firm centre. This is meant to read as gooey when sliced, and baking until the middle feels completely solid would push it past that point.
- Thirty minutes of cooling is a genuine minimum. A pie this warm, cut too soon, will have a filling too loose to hold a slice shape — the cooling time is what lets it firm up just enough.
Built In Three Layers, Sealed At The Edge
This is a cookie dough with a filling sealed inside it, which means the order and the sealing at the edge matter more than in an ordinary bar cookie.
The seal
The remaining dough flattened into pieces and arranged over the Nutella, pinched together at the edges to fully enclose the filling.
The filling
Three-quarters of a cup of Nutella spread over the dough, stopping a half-inch short of the edge.
The base
Half the cookie dough pressed evenly into the greased pie plate as the bottom layer.
How to Make It
Heat the oven, prepare the plate
Heat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9-inch pie plate.
Beat the base
Beat butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until creamy. Beat in egg and vanilla.
Finish the dough
Mix in flour, baking soda, and salt just until combined, then fold in chocolate chips.
Press the bottom layer
Press half the cookie dough into the pie plate. Spread Nutella over the dough, leaving a 1/2-inch border.
Seal the top
Flatten pieces of remaining dough and arrange them over the Nutella, pinching edges to enclose the filling.
Bake
Bake 24 to 28 minutes until the top is golden and the center is set but still soft.
Cool
Cool at least 30 minutes before slicing.
Ingredient Notes
- Nutella
- Three-quarters of a cup, the entire filling of the pie, spread with a deliberate border so the dough above it has somewhere to seal.
- Semisweet chocolate chips
- Three-quarters of a cup, folded into the dough itself, on top of the Nutella filling already inside — two separate chocolate elements in one pie.
- Unsalted butter, softened
- Half a cup, softened so it beats creamy with the two sugars before the egg and vanilla go in.
- All-purpose flour
- One and a quarter cups, mixed in just until combined — the point at which the dough comes together without being overworked.
Success Tips
- Beat the dough only until combined once the flour is added.
- Leave the full half-inch border when spreading the Nutella.
- Pinch the edges firmly where the top and bottom dough meet.
- Watch for a golden top with a centre that is set but still soft, not fully firm.
- Give the pie its full thirty minutes to cool before the first slice.
Serving Ideas
Serve slightly warm or at room temperature, with whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream if you like — the filling stays soft enough to pair well with either.
Storage and Reheating
Refrigerate
Cover loosely and store at room temperature for up to 2 days, or refrigerate for up to 5.
Freeze
Freeze the whole cooled pie, well wrapped, for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature before serving.
Reheat
A few minutes in a low oven brings back a warm, soft centre. A microwave works in short bursts but can make the filling very hot quickly.
Frequently Asked Questions
My Nutella leaked out during baking.
The most likely cause is too little border left around the filling, or the top dough pieces not being pinched firmly enough at the seams to fully seal the edge.
The centre seems very soft even after cooling.
That is largely expected — the recipe's own cue is set but still soft, not firm. If it seems genuinely underbaked rather than gooey, a few more minutes in the oven next time, watching the top for golden colour, should help.
Can I use a different chocolate-hazelnut spread?
Any similar spread with a comparable consistency to Nutella will work the same way structurally; a thinner spread may need less to avoid a runnier filling.
Can I make this a day ahead?
Yes — it keeps well covered at room temperature or in the fridge, and a short reheat brings back some of the fresh-baked softness.
