Nutella Muffins
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These easy Nutella muffins start with a simple buttermilk base that gets swirled with Nutella in every bite for the perfect balance of sweet, chocolatey, and nutty.
THE PERFECT “SWEET” TO MY FAVORITE BUTTERMILK MUFFIN BASE
Back in 2018, my monthly series was muffins, and these Nutella beauts were in that lineup. Though it’s been many years since I first published this recipe, it still frequently draws people in with its whimsical swirls and the idea that Nutella is stuffed into every bite.
And it’s true– we’re basically taking everyone’s favorite chocolatey, nutty spread and throwing it into what can be considered breakfast (just pair it with a protein and it’s a-ok in my book). The base of these muffins is a basic buttermilk muffin recipe, one I use over and over in my muffin recipes. It’s somewhat of a base flavor, but nothing special on its own, so it’s the perfect vehicle for a little swirly chocolate hazelnut action.
GRAB THESE INGREDIENTS
The base of these muffins is the same as the base for our very berry muffins, and, as all of my recipes go, it’s nothing complicated or tricky. Here’s a visual of the ingredients you’ll need. Scroll down to the recipe card to find exactly how much of each you’ll need and how to prepare them (some will need to be at room temperature).
HOW TO MAKE NUTELLA SWIRL MUFFINS
Preheat the oven: while there is a rest period for the batter here, you want this oven hot hot hot, so give it ample time to reach its 425ºF (218ºC). Remember, when it says its ready, it’s usually lying. I give my oven about 10-15 minutes after its “beep!” to actually get to temperature.
Make the muffin batter: this batter is very simple. You don’t even need a mixer. Just be sure you’re not overmixing the batter, which can lead to a tough crumb. The batter will be thick, but keep this tip in mind while preparing it.
Let the batter rest: resting the batter allows the flour to hydrate and the leaveners to start working before they ever hit the heat. This creates tall muffins with a fluffier texture compared to muffins that are baked right away.
Layer the batter + Nutella: batter, Nutella, batter, Nutella. Easy peasy! I link the scoops I use for this layering in the recipe card below.
Swirl the batter: these swirls don’t have to be perfect. In fact, they should definitely be messy, because some spots will have a small swirl of Nutella, and others will be so full of Nutella, you’ll wonder if it’s legal to call this a muffin.
IMPORTANT RECIPE NOTE
This batter is thick. So swirling isn’t some magical, beautiful, flawless thing. It’s a little stickier than that, but to be perfectly honest, it swirls all the same as a more liquidy batter. That said, I use a metal cake tester to swirl the Nutella, but you’re welcome to use something a little sturdier like a butter knife if that’s giving you some trouble.
Bake for an initial 5 minutes: why just 5 minutes? This forces the muffins to bake up quickly, creating a nice tall dome on top.
Reduce the oven temperature and bake fully: the muffins will bake best at a lower temperature, so after that initial 5 minutes, just reduce the oven temperature without opening the oven door. If you have to bake subsequent pans, you’ll want to increase the temperature again to repeat the process.
SERVING SUGGESTIONS
These muffins are, in my opinion, top notch when juuuuust a touch warm. I like to spread mine with peanut butter or almond butter, cream cheese, more Nutella, or salted butter.
If you’re a fan of Nutella, it’s time to swirl some into your muffins. Because your muffin game will never be the same, and you’ll wish you had made some sooner.
CAN I ADD A STREUSEL TOPPING?
You sure can! Use the streusel topping from my coffee cake muffins for an extra special touch to these Nutella muffins.
MORE NUTELLA RECIPES
- Nutella Cookie Cake
- Nutella Peanut Butter Chip Cookies
- Nutella Cinnamon Rolls (coming soon)
Nutella Muffins Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups (240g) all-purpose flour be sure to measure properly
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup (57g) unsalted butter melted and allowed to cool
- ¼ cup (56mL) vegetable oil1
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- ½ cup (120mL) buttermilk2 room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup (148g) Nutella
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425ºF (218ºC). Spray 8 wells of a 12-count muffin pan with non-stick spray or line the wells with cupcake liners. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, toss together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.2 cups (240g) all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, ½ teaspoon salt
- In a medium size bowl, whisk together the melted cooled butter, oil, and granulated sugar until smooth. Add the eggs, buttermilk, and vanilla extract and whisk again until everything is combined.¼ cup (57g) unsalted butter, ¼ cup (56mL) vegetable oil1, 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar, 2 large eggs, ½ cup (120mL) buttermilk2, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir gently with a spatula until just combined. Allow the muffin batter to rest for 15-20 minutes (you do not need to cover it).
- After the batter has rested, spoon approximately 3 Tablespoons of the batter evenly into the prepared wells. I use two this #50 cookie scoop to drop two scoopfuls of batter. Top each mound of batter with 1 teaspoon of Nutella. I use this #110 cookie scoop.½ cup (148g) Nutella
- Using a toothpick, swirl the Nutella into the batter. Top with another 3 Tablespoons of batter and an additional teaspoon of Nutella. Swirl again.
- Bake the muffins for 5 minutes, then, without opening the oven door, reduce heat to 350ºF (177ªC) and bake for an additional 12-13 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely on a wire rack. Muffins will stay fresh in an airtight container at room temperature up to 5 days. Muffins freeze well, up to 2 months. Thaw in microwave for 45-60 seconds before eating.
Notes
- Oil: you can use vegetable oil, canola oil, or melted coconut oil in this recipe.
- Buttermilk: If you don’t have buttermilk, you can easily make your own– see my post about homemade buttermilk.
Nutrition Disclosure
All nutritional values are approximate and provided to the reader as a courtesy. Changing ingredients and/or quantities will alter the estimated nutritional calculations.
Can Chocolate Chips be added to thevNutella Swirl Muffins? Just Curious, thanks
Sure thing, if that’s what you’d like to do! That’s certainly a lot of chocolate, but let me know if you try it!
These were super yummy! My coworkers still request these months later! They were soft and the swirl turned out great. Just the right balance of muffin to chocolate.
I love this!!
Super easy recipe! Delicious!
Thanks so much!
Made these yesterday. They are moist, light but filling. I substituted orange extract for the vanilla. Chocolate, hazelnut and orange. Delicious! Thanks for sharing.
How yummy! Thanks for sharing, Tina!
Loved every bite mam.. One small doubt can we use oil alone instead of butter mam.. If so how much to add mam…
Hi, Vidya– it would be a 1:1 swap, though I’ve never tried it, so I can’t speak on whether or not the flavor would be the same. Without butter, there’s no butter taste!