Irresistible Nutella Muffins: Easy Homemade Recipe for the Perfect Chocolate Hazelnut Swirl
There’s something truly magical about homemade muffins. They’re not just a delicious treat; they’re a comforting staple, perfect for a quick breakfast, a delightful snack, or even a satisfying dessert. If you’ve followed my culinary adventures for a while, you know about my deep-seated muffin obsession. Over the years, I’ve shared countless recipes, each designed to bring a little extra joy to your kitchen.
Muffins are incredibly versatile, ideal for stocking your freezer, ensuring a simple, grab-and-go breakfast any day of the week. While my son’s ultimate favorite remains classic Chocolate Chip Muffins (and my freezer is often filled with them!), I also love to explore healthier alternatives. My Chocolate Oatmeal Banana Blender Muffins are a fantastic go-to, being naturally gluten-free, butter-free, oil-free, and free of refined sugar. They offer a guilt-free indulgence.
But then there are these Nutella Muffins. Oh, these Nutella Muffins! These are 100% pure indulgence, a celebratory treat that I happily work into my life whenever the craving strikes. They are soft, tender, and feature an exquisite swirl of Nutella that elevates them from a simple muffin to a truly extraordinary experience. Prepare yourself for a new favorite!
The Ultimate Nutella Muffins: Soft, Tender, and Full of Flavor
This specific Nutella muffin recipe builds upon the foundation of my popular chocolate chip muffins, ensuring a consistently delicious result. The texture is perfectly balanced—dense enough to feel substantial, yet wonderfully moist and tender with every bite. The real magic, of course, comes from the generous swirl of Nutella nestled within each muffin. This rich, chocolate-hazelnut spread transforms a simple muffin into a decadent delight.
My love for Nutella knows no bounds. Whether it’s in these glorious muffins, or other incredible creations like Homemade Nutella, or even a batch of irresistible Nutella Oreo Truffles, I’m always looking for new ways to incorporate its unique flavor. The Nutella in these muffins isn’t just mixed in; it’s carefully swirled, creating pockets of melty, gooey goodness that make each bite an absolute dream. These aren’t just muffins; they’re a joyous celebration of chocolate and hazelnut.
Gather Your Ingredients for These Delicious Muffins
Crafting these delectable Nutella muffins requires a few simple, everyday ingredients. Chances are, you already have most of them in your pantry, making this an easy recipe to whip up whenever a craving hits. Here’s a detailed look at what you’ll need:
- All-Purpose Flour: The foundation of our muffins, providing structure and a tender crumb.
- Granulated Sugar: Sweetens the muffins and contributes to their moist texture.
- Salt: A pinch of salt enhances all the other flavors, balancing the sweetness and richness.
- Baking Powder: Our leavening agent, responsible for giving the muffins their beautiful rise and light, airy texture.
- Vegetable Oil: Adds moisture to the muffins, keeping them soft and tender without the need for butter. You can also use other neutral oils like canola oil.
- Egg: Acts as a binder, contributing to the structure and richness of the muffins.
- Milk: Provides necessary liquid to bring the batter together and ensures a moist result. Whole milk works best, but 2% or even non-dairy milk can be used.
- Nutella: The star of the show! This chocolate-hazelnut spread provides the iconic swirl and incredible flavor that makes these muffins so special.
Step-by-Step Guide: How to Make Perfect Nutella Swirl Muffins
For the exact measurements and a convenient printable recipe card, please scroll to the bottom of this post!
Making homemade muffins is a straightforward process, but a few key techniques ensure a perfect batch every time. The most crucial rule for tender muffins is to avoid overmixing the batter. Overmixing develops the gluten in the flour too much, leading to tough, chewy muffins instead of light and fluffy ones. Follow these steps for delightful results:
- Prepare Your Muffin Tin: Begin by preheating your oven to 375°F (190°C). Then, prepare a 12-cup muffin tin by greasing it thoroughly or lining each cup with paper liners. This prevents sticking and makes for easy cleanup.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, salt, and baking powder. Ensure they are well combined, as this even distribution is key to a uniform rise and flavor.
- Prepare Wet Ingredients: In a separate liquid measuring cup (a 1-cup capacity is ideal), pour in the vegetable oil. Crack in the egg, and then add enough milk to bring the total liquid volume up to 1 cup. Whisk these wet ingredients lightly until just combined.
- Gently Combine Wet and Dry: Pour the liquid mixture into the bowl with your dry ingredients. Using a spoon or spatula, stir *just* until the ingredients are moistened. A few lumps are perfectly normal and actually preferred; overmixing is the enemy of tender muffins!
- Fill Muffin Cups: Evenly divide the muffin batter among the prepared muffin cups. An ice cream scoop works wonders for this step, ensuring all your muffins are uniform in size and preventing mess around the edges of your muffin tin.
- Add the Nutella Swirl: This is where the magic happens! Spoon about 1 tablespoon of Nutella directly into the center of each muffin cup, on top of the batter. Then, using a toothpick, a thin knife, or a bamboo skewer, gently swirl the Nutella into the batter. The goal is a beautiful marbled effect, not a fully incorporated mix.
- Bake to Perfection: Place the muffin tin in your preheated oven and bake for 14-18 minutes, or until a wooden tester (like a toothpick or skewer) inserted into the muffin (away from any visible Nutella swirl) comes out clean. If you insert it directly into a Nutella pocket, it will come out with chocolate, which is fine, but you want to ensure there’s no raw batter. The tops should be golden brown and lightly domed.
- Cool Before Enjoying: Once baked, remove the muffins from the oven and let them cool in the muffin tin for about 5 minutes. This allows them to set slightly. After 5 minutes, carefully transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. Or, if you can’t resist, enjoy one warm!
Expert Tips for Your Best Nutella Muffins
Achieving bakery-quality Nutella muffins at home is easier than you think, especially with a few insider tips. Pay close attention to these details, as they can make all the difference in the final texture and appearance of your delicious treats.
- The Art of the Gentle Nutella Swirl: This is perhaps the most critical tip. The Nutella is meant to be *swirled* into the batter, not vigorously mixed. If you mix it in too much, the Nutella can cause the muffins to become dense, collapse in the center, or even become hollow. After scooping your batter into the muffin cups, add a dollop of Nutella and use a toothpick or small knife to create delicate, appealing swirls. Think of it as painting a beautiful marble pattern. This ensures pockets of rich Nutella throughout the moist muffin.
- Do NOT Overmix Your Batter: This cannot be stressed enough! Muffin batter is far more delicate than it appears. Overmixing develops the gluten in the flour too quickly and excessively, which results in tough, rubbery muffins rather than the desired light and fluffy texture. Stir the wet and dry ingredients together only until just combined – a few lumps are perfectly acceptable and even desirable. This gentle handling is also why we add the Nutella *after* the batter is in the muffin cups, to prevent further mixing of the main batter.
- Don’t Like Nutella? No Problem!: While Nutella is the star here, this base muffin recipe is incredibly adaptable. If chocolate-hazelnut isn’t your preference, or if you simply want to try something different, feel free to substitute the Nutella with another spread of similar consistency. Peanut butter, almond butter, biscoff spread, or even a fruit jam can create equally delightful variations. Just ensure your chosen spread is soft enough to swirl easily.
- Fill Muffin Liners Correctly: For beautifully domed muffins, fill your muffin cups about two-thirds full with batter. If you underfill, your muffins might be flat; if you overfill, they could spill over. An ice cream scoop helps with consistent portioning.
- High Initial Oven Temperature: Starting the muffins at a slightly higher temperature (as specified in the recipe) for the first few minutes can help activate the leavening agents quickly, contributing to a better rise and those coveted domed tops, before settling to finish baking.
Can You Freeze Nutella Muffins for Later?
Absolutely! One of the best qualities of homemade muffins, especially these delicious Nutella muffins, is how wonderfully they freeze. Freezing muffins is a fantastic way to prepare ahead, ensuring you always have a delightful treat or a quick breakfast option ready to go. Stashing a batch in the freezer means you’re never more than a few minutes away from a warm, freshly-tasting muffin.
How to Properly Freeze and Reheat Muffins
To ensure your frozen Nutella muffins retain their moist texture and incredible flavor, follow these simple steps:
- Cool Completely: Before freezing, it is paramount that your muffins cool down entirely to room temperature. Freezing warm muffins will trap moisture, leading to ice crystals and potentially soggy muffins when thawed.
- Prepare for Freezing: Once fully cooled, place the muffins in a single layer in a freezer-safe plastic bag or an airtight container. If stacking them, place a piece of parchment paper between layers to prevent them from sticking together. Remove as much air as possible from the bag before sealing.
- Freeze: Your Nutella muffins will last beautifully in the freezer for 2-3 months. Label the bag or container with the date for easy tracking.
- To Serve/Reheat: When you’re ready to enjoy a muffin, you have a couple of options. For a quick thaw, microwave a single muffin for about 30 seconds, or until warmed through. Alternatively, you can let them thaw gradually on the counter for a couple of hours. For a “freshly baked” experience, warm thawed muffins in a preheated oven at 300°F (150°C) for 5-10 minutes.
Explore More Delicious Breakfast Recipes
If you loved these Nutella muffins and are looking for more ways to brighten your mornings or impress at brunch, check out some of my other fantastic breakfast creations. From fluffy pancakes to savory quiches, there’s something for every palate.
- Lemon Pancakes
- Chocolate Pancakes
- Breakfast Tacos
- Cinnamon Roll Pancakes
- Baked Oatmeal Cups
- Sausage Quiche
- Chocolate Chip Scones
- Pancake Muffins
Nutella Muffins
Pin Recipe
Rate Recipe
Print Recipe
Video
Equipment
-
Muffin Tins
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup white sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil
- 1 egg
- 1/3 cup milk
- 1 cup Nutalla
Instructions
-
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190°C). Grease 12 muffin cups or line with muffin liners.
-
In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, salt and baking powder. Whisk until well blended.
-
In a 1-cup measuring cup, pour in vegetable oil. Add the egg and then fill the rest of the cup with milk until it reaches the 1-cup mark. Whisk these wet ingredients together. Add the wet mixture to the dry flour mixture, and stir until just combined. Be careful not to overmix; a few lumps are fine!
-
Divide the batter evenly among the 12 prepared muffin cups, filling each about two-thirds full.
-
Spoon about 1 tablespoon of Nutella onto the center of the batter in each muffin cup. Using a toothpick, a thin knife, or a bamboo skewer, gently swirl the Nutella into the batter to create a marbled effect.
-
Bake for 14-18 minutes, or until a wooden tester inserted into the muffin (away from any Nutella swirl) comes out clean. The tops should be golden brown.
-
Remove muffins from the oven and let cool in the muffin tin for 5 minutes before carefully transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Additional Info
Love this recipe? Share your thoughts below!
I’ve created a fantastic community on Facebook, and I’d be absolutely thrilled for you to join us! It’s a vibrant space where you can share YOUR favorite recipes, ask questions, get cooking inspiration, and stay updated on all the new and exciting recipes from Dinners, Dishes and Desserts. Don’t miss out on any delicious updates!
Make sure to follow me on Instagram and remember to tag #dinnersdishes so I can see all the wonderful DINNERS, DISHES, AND DESSERTS recipes YOU create! Your culinary creations inspire me and the entire community.
Stay connected and never miss a delicious post! Be sure to follow me across all my social media platforms:
Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Instagram