Banana Nutella muffins are a classic banana muffin with Nutella spooned in the middle and swirled on top. They're a delicious buttery treat! Use over-ripe bananas for the best flavour and sweetest muffin.
Have plenty of ripe bananas? Make chocolate chip banana pancakes, pantry-friendly vegan banana bread, or banana oatmeal muffins.
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Ingredients
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
- Bananas: the bananas should have lots of black spots on the outside, or even be completely black! The more ripe and mushy the banana, the sweeter the fruit, and more banana flavour.
- Butter: a good quality margarine can be substituted for butter.
- Sour cream: use full-fat Greek yogurt in stead of sour cream if you want. Don't use light sour cream to make banana Nutella muffins. It doesn't contain enough fat and your muffins will be dry.
- Nutella: peanut butter, or any other nut butter you like, would be a good choice if you don't want to use chocolate hazelnut spread.
- Add-ins: add 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon, chai spice, or pumpkin spice. Fold in ½ cup (60g) of chopped hazelnuts or a handful or two of chocolate chips.
Method
Step 1: mix the dry ingredients and set aside.
Step 2: beat the sugars and butter, then mash the bananas into the mix.
Step 3: mix the remaining wet ingredients.
Step 4: add the dry ingredients to the banana mixture and stir to combine.
Step 5: fill the muffin cups halfway, then add dollops of Nutella.
Step 6: fill with the remaining muffin batter and press lightly to seal.
Step 7: top each muffin with warmed Nutella.
Step 8: bake until golden, cool, and serve.
Top Tips
- Use one bowl: you don't have to mix the dry ingredients in a separate bowl. Measure them right into the bowl of banana mixture if you want to cut back on dirty dishes.
- Use any hazelnut spread: you don't have to use Nutella, which is just a name brand for a specific chocolate hazelnut spread. Any off-brand or generic version should give you the same tasty results.
- Melt the Nutella: before adding the Nutella to the middle and the top of the muffins, heat it up a bit. Heating the Nutella doesn't make it melt, but it does make it smoother and easier to handle.
Recipe Notes
If the two layers of muffin batter are not well sealed, you will end up with a muffin that naturally splits between the two layers. We actually like this because that's where all the Nutella is! To help prevent this, gently press the layers of batter around the edges when you're flattening it out to help seal.
We use a small cookie dough scoop to portion out the banana muffin batter, but you can use a spoon just as well – it won't be as accurate, but will work.
As bananas ripen, sugars develop in the fruit. The more ripe the banana the sweeter it is! These naturally occurring sugars mean that we don't have to use as much granulated sugar in a recipe to achieve a lovely sweet taste.
How To Store Nutella Muffins
Storage: the muffins will keep on the counter, stored in an airtight container with a lid, for up to two days. Please note they are best eaten when fresh.
Freezing: once cool, transfer to an airtight container and store them in the freezer like this for up to one month. To defrost, simple let sit at room temperature, or defrost gently in the microwave until heated through.
FAQ
Why is my banana muffin hard?
If your muffins are hard or tough, it's because they've been over-mixed or over-baked. Make sure to mix until the flour is just combined into the wet ingredients, and set a timer for the baking.
Is Nutella and banana a good combination?
Just like chocolate and banana is a classic combo, Nutella and banana are the perfect pairing. Chocolate, hazelnut, and banana work so well together, it's a natural combination.
Is it OK to have Nutella for breakfast?
It's up to you what you have for breakfast, but we consider these muffins to be more of a treat than the ideal way to start your day. Nutella is delicious, but high in sugar, and can cause a bit of sleepiness.
If you make this Banana Nutella Muffin recipe or any other muffin recipes on the Baked Collective, please take a moment to rate the recipe and leave a comment below. It’s such a help to others who want to try the recipe. For more baking, follow along on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube.
Banana Nutella Muffins
Equipment
- 12-cup muffin tin
- pastry brush
- Whisk
- Rubber spatula or wooden spoon
- 2 Mixing bowls
- Heat-safe bowl
- Hand or stand mixer
- Potato masher or a fork
- Measuring cups and spoons or a digital kitchen scale
- Wire rack
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ cup + 1 teaspoon butter room temperature to soft
- â…“ cup brown sugar
- â…“ cup granulated white sugar
- 2 large mushy overripe bananas if you are weighing the bananas, remove the skins before weighing
- ½ cup sour cream
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup Nutella or generic chocolate hazelnut spread
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425ºF (220ºC). Lightly grease a standard 12 cup muffin tin with 1 teaspoon of butter (or more if needed) then line the tin with muffin cups. Set aside.
- Whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt in a bowl until well combined. Set aside.
- Place the butter, brown, and white sugar in another mixing bowl. Use a handheld or stand mixer to beat the butter and sugars together until light and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add the bananas to the bowl of butter and sugar. Use a potato masher or a fork to mash the bananas directly in the bowl.
- Add the sour cream and vanilla. Once again, beat the mixture with the handheld or stand mixer until fluffy and well combined.
- Dump the flour into the bowl of wet banana mixture. Use a rubber spatula to gently fold everything together until just mixed with a few streaks of flour remaining. The batter will be quite thick.
- Use a small cookie scoop or spoon to portion about 1 tablespoon of banana batter into each muffin cup in the prepared tin. Lightly wet a fingertip to gently smooth the top of the batter in the tin.
- Place the Nutella in a heatproof measuring cup or bowl. Heat the Nutella in the microwave for 45 to 60 seconds to loosen. Heating the Nutella won’t melt it per se, but will make it smoother and easier to handle.
- Use a small spoon to dollop about 1 teaspoon of Nutella in the middle of each muffin cup in the tin.
- Divide the remaining banana batter evenly among the 12 muffin cups, and again, gently smooth the top of the batter with a barely wet fingertip.
- Drizzle a little remaining Nutella on top of each muffin until all of the Nutella is gone. Use a toothpick to swirl the Nutella on the muffin top if you are feeling a little creative.
- Place the muffins in the preheated oven and bake them for 16 to 18 minutes, or until the muffin tops are golden. Keep in mind the Nutella will not melt, but will become smooth and probably look a bit cracked on top of the muffin.
- When the muffins are golden, remove the tin from the oven and set it on a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes.
- Remove the muffins from the tin and transfer to the wire rack to cool completely.
- Once cool, serve immediately, store in an airtight container on the counter for two days, or store them into a reusable large zip top bag in the freezer for up to one month.