These Nutella Swirl muffins are moist, tender, and full of chocolate-hazelnut flavor. With my straightforward step-by-step method you can make bakery-style muffins with domed tops in about 10 minutes of hands-on prep.
These muffins are a complete winner! They are moist and flavorful. Beth has the BEST tips to take your muffins to the next level. Follow her instructions for muffins that look (and taste) like they’ve come from a professional bakery!
-Marie B.
The Absolute Best Nutella Swirl Muffins Recipe
After months of testing muffin recipes, I’m sharing the techniques that produce tall, bakery-style Nutella swirl muffins. In eight easy steps you’ll learn how to layer batter and Nutella for perfect pockets of hazelnut-chocolate spread and finish each muffin with a pretty Nutella swirl on top.
The base is a simple, tender muffin batter. Dollops of warmed Nutella are layered between spoonfuls of batter, creating ribbons and pockets of chocolate-hazelnut goodness throughout each muffin. The method focuses on a thick batter, a short rest, and an initial high oven temperature so the muffins rise and develop domed tops.
Follow the simple instructions below and you’ll have bakery-style Nutella muffins that taste like a treat from your favorite shop. Keep reading for tips on getting tall domes and how to store or freeze the muffins so they stay fresh.
If you enjoy Nutella desserts, try other chocolate-hazelnut treats for variety.
Why You’ll Love These Nutella Swirl Muffins
These muffins are a crowd-pleaser. Highlights include:
- Quick prep — about 15 minutes
- Multiple layers of Nutella in each muffin
- Perfect for snacks, dessert, or a late-night treat
- Moist, soft crumb
- Tall, domed, bakery-style tops
What You’ll Need for Nutella Swirl Muffins
The recipe uses common pantry ingredients plus Nutella (or another chocolate-hazelnut spread). For exact measurements see the recipe card below. Ingredients include:
- All-purpose flour
- Granulated sugar
- Baking powder
- Salt
- Ground cinnamon
- Ground nutmeg
- Eggs
- Buttermilk
- Vegetable oil
- Vanilla extract
- Nutella (or similar spread)
How to Make Nutella Swirl Muffins
These muffins come together quickly. The key points are a thick batter, a brief rest, layering warmed Nutella between batter portions, and starting the bake at a high temperature to create domes.
Eight simple steps summarize the process—see the full instructions in the recipe card below:
- Combine dry ingredients. In a bowl whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Set aside.
- Combine wet ingredients. In a large bowl whisk the eggs, buttermilk, vegetable oil, and vanilla until combined.
- Mix batter. Gradually stir the dry ingredients into the wet just until combined. The batter will be thick.
- Rest the batter and preheat oven. Cover and let the batter rest 15 minutes while you preheat the oven to 425ºF (220ºC).
- Prep the muffin pan. For bakery-style domes, line a 12-cup pan with 6 liners and fill every other cup. Spoon about 2 tablespoons of batter into each liner.
- Add Nutella and more batter. Warm the Nutella until soft. Drop about 1 teaspoon into each cup and spread gently. Add another 2 tablespoons of batter to cover that layer, then add a second teaspoon of Nutella. Top with additional batter so each cup is roughly 4 tablespoons full.
- Top each muffin. Add a small spoonful of Nutella on top and swirl gently with a toothpick. Sprinkle with sanding sugar if desired.
- Bake and cool. Bake one pan in the center of the oven at 425ºF (220ºC) for 7 minutes. Without removing the pan, reduce the oven to 350ºF (180ºC) and bake another 16–20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow muffins to cool in the pan. Repeat with remaining batter, reheating the oven to 425ºF before the next batch.
How to Create Bakery Style Muffins
To get that tall dome, follow a few simple techniques I used to achieve bakery-style results at home.
1. The Rest Period
Let the batter rest 15 minutes before scooping. During this short rest the flour hydrates and the batter thickens, which helps the muffins rise evenly and form higher domes.
2. Fill Every Other Muffin Cup
Use only six liners in a 12-cup pan and fill every other cup. This gives each muffin room to expand upward without touching its neighbor, encouraging a rounded top and even browning.
3. Fill Them To The Top
Fill the liners close to the top. It may feel like too much batter, but this helps create height rather than flat-topped muffins.
4. Start with High Heat
Begin baking at a high temperature (425ºF) for a short time, then lower it. The initial burst of heat makes the batter rise rapidly and sets the exterior, forming a dome.
How to Properly Measure Flour
The most accurate method is a kitchen scale and grams. If you don’t have one, use this spoon-and-level technique:
- Aerate the flour by whisking or fluffing it before measuring.
- Spoon the flour into the measuring cup rather than scooping directly from the bag; do not tap the cup or compact the flour.
- Level with the back of a knife to remove excess.
Tips for the Nutella Swirl Muffins
A few practical tips to ensure success:
- Warm the Nutella. Softening it makes it easy to drop and spread for clean swirls.
- Don’t skip the rest time. The 15-minute rest improves texture and rise.
- Optional topping. Sprinkle sanding sugar on top for a bakery finish.
- Use the every-other-cup trick. This promotes high domes and even browning.
- Start hot, then lower. The initial high temperature helps the muffins gain height quickly.
Substitutions & Variations
These muffins are versatile. A few ideas to customize them:
- Swap the spread. Use peanut butter, cookie butter, or another chocolate-hazelnut spread instead of Nutella.
- Gluten-free option. Substitute a 1:1 gluten-free measure-for-measure flour if you need to avoid gluten.
- Any chocolate-hazelnut spread. Brand-specific Nutella isn’t required; similar spreads will work well.
Storing & Freezing Nutella Swirl Muffins
If you’ll eat them within 24 hours, muffins can sit uncovered at room temperature. For longer storage (2–4 days), place muffins in a single layer in an airtight container lined with paper towels. Add a layer of paper towels on top to absorb excess moisture and replace them if they get damp.
How to Freeze Muffins
Individually wrap muffins in plastic wrap, place in a freezer bag or airtight container, and freeze up to 3 months. To thaw, leave at room temperature for about an hour or warm briefly in the microwave at 20-second intervals.
I made these muffins & they were amazing & had a “super dome”!! The family sure enjoyed them too! These were actually the 2nd muffins I tried from Beth’s Bakery Style Muffins book!
So easy to follow all her instructions! Looking forward to trying another amazing muffin recipe!!-Debbie H.
More Muffin Recipes
- Applesauce Muffins
- Pumpkin Muffins
- Chocolate Chip Muffins
- Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins
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Nutella Swirl Muffins Recipe
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Equipment
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Bakery Style Muffins Cookbook
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Sanding Sugar (optional)
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Muffin Pan
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Mixing Bowls and a Spatula
Ingredients
- 3 ¾ cups (450g) all-purpose flour
- 1 ¾ cups (350g) granulated sugar
- 3 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- 2 large eggs
- 1 ¼ cup (300ml) buttermilk
- ½ cup (118ml) vegetable oil
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- ⅔ cup (200g) Nutella
Instructions
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Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg in a bowl and set aside.
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Whisk eggs, buttermilk, oil, and vanilla in a large bowl until combined.
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Gradually mix dry into wet ingredients until just combined; batter will be thick.
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Cover and let batter rest 15 minutes while preheating oven to 425ºF (220ºC).
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Line a 12-cup pan with 6 liners and fill every other cup with 2 tablespoons batter.
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Warm Nutella, drop 1 teaspoon into each cup and spread gently. Add 2 tablespoons batter, add another teaspoon Nutella, then top with more batter so each cup holds about 4 tablespoons.
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Top with a small spoonful of Nutella and swirl with a toothpick. Sprinkle with sanding sugar if using.
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Bake one pan at a time: 7 minutes at 425ºF (220ºC), then lower to 350ºF (180ºC) and bake 16–20 minutes more or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool in the pan and repeat with remaining batter.
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