Description
Deliciously rich and moist Nutella muffins featuring a luscious swirled Nutella center and topping. These muffins combine cocoa, buttermilk, and sour cream for a tender crumb, with a decadent frozen Nutella dollop inside for an irresistible surprise. Perfect for breakfast, dessert, or a special snack, these muffins offer a perfect balance of chocolate and hazelnut flavors with an easy-to-follow baking method.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 2 cups All-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup Unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 1/2 tsp Baking powder
- 1/2 tsp Baking soda
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1 cup White granulated sugar
Wet Ingredients
- 1/2 cup Unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- 1/2 cup Sour cream, room temperature
- 1 tsp Pure vanilla extract
- 2 Large eggs, room temperature
- 3/4 cup Buttermilk, room temperature
Nutella
- 2/3 cup Nutella (divided: for freezing drops and swirling on top)
Instructions
- Freeze Nutella Drops: On a cookie sheet lined with wax paper, scoop 12 heaping tablespoons of Nutella spaced apart. Place the cookie sheet in the freezer and freeze for 1 hour until solid.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, sift together the all-purpose flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and baking soda. Add salt and sugar, then whisk to combine. Set aside.
- Mix Wet Ingredients: In a separate bowl, mix the melted and cooled unsalted butter, sour cream, vanilla extract, eggs, and buttermilk until well blended.
- Combine Wet and Dry: Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold the batter until just combined. Avoid overmixing to ensure tender muffins. Cover the batter and let it rest for 30 minutes.
- Prepare Muffin Pan: Preheat the oven to 400°F (204°C). Line a 12-cup muffin pan with muffin liners. For extra domed tops, fill only every other muffin cup.
- Assemble Muffins: Using a small cookie scoop, drop a dollop of batter into each muffin liner. Firmly press one frozen Nutella drop into the center of each and cover with another dollop of muffin batter. Spread lightly to even out the surface.
- Swirl Nutella Topping: Spoon 1 teaspoon of Nutella on top of each muffin. Use a butter knife or toothpick to lightly swirl the Nutella into the top batter for a marbled effect.
- Bake: Bake the muffins at 400°F for 6 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 350°F (177°C) and bake for an additional 10 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near (not in) the Nutella center comes out clean.
- Cool: Remove the muffins from the oven and let them cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before serving.
Notes
- Freezing the Nutella drops prevents them from melting completely into the batter, giving a gooey center.
- Do not overmix the batter to keep muffins light and fluffy.
- Using every other muffin cup creates the coveted domed muffin tops.
- Room temperature eggs, buttermilk, and sour cream help the batter mix evenly and create a tender crumb.
- For best results, use unsweetened cocoa powder for deep chocolate flavor without added sweetness.
