Nutella Cupcakes

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These Nutella Cupcakes are made with Nutella in the cupcake, a Nutella filling, and fluffy Nutella buttercream! They are east to make, moist, and bursting at the seams with amazing chocolate-hazelnut flavor!

Why You’ll Love This Nutella Cupcake Recipe

Nutella is like heaven in a jar. It’s dangerous for me to open a jar because I just want to eat it with a spoon, but then I’d never stop. So instead, let’s bake it into these cupcakes. They are almost like eating Nutella from the jar because they are so full of Nutella flavor. They’re amazing and here’s why.

• Loaded with Nutella flavor. I did not skimp on the Nutella here folks. From the batter to the frosting to the pure Nutella filling, these cupcakes are bursting the chocolate-hazelnut goodness.
• A sweet surprise. I cored these cupcakes and filled them with Nutella before covering the evidence with buttercream. It makes them so fun to bite into. No one will expect the Nutella surprise in the center.
• So moist. These cupcakes are wonderfully moist and tender and will stay that way for days.
• Simple recipe. The mixing method for the cupcake batter is as simple as it gets. Combine the dry ingredients, then the wet ingredients, and then mix it all together. That’s it! Quick and easy!

What You’ll Need

Here’s what you’ll need to make this delicious Nutella cupcake recipe. Be sure to scroll to the recipe card below for precise measurements.

For the Nutella cupcakes

• All-purpose flour – Be sure to measure the flour correctly so you don’t end up with a dry cake. I always recommend a food scale for accuracy, but you can use the spoon and level method as well.
• Baking powder and baking soda – Using both baking powder and baking soda gives the cake the best rise and tender texture. Learn more about baking soda and baking powder.
• Salt and Vanilla extract – Both add flavor to the cake. Be sure not to leave out the salt or you’ll end up with a bland cake.
• Unsalted butter – You’ll use melted butter in these cupcakes, since we aren’t creaming anything together. I use unsalted butter, but if you only have salted butter on hand, just leave out the added salt.
• Sugar – For sweetness, but also for added moisture and a tender texture.
• Eggs – Be sure to use large eggs, not medium or extra large.
• Sour cream – The sour cream adds extra fat and moisture to help make these cupcakes nice and moist.
• Nutella – The star here!
• Milk – I recommend either 2% or whole milk. Milks with less fat will make your cupcakes less moist and tender.

Filling, Frosting, and Decorating

• Unsalted butter – The butter should be at room temperature. Using butter that is too cold will make it hard to combine.
• Nutella – For our amazing Nutella flavor, of course! You’ll need some for the buttercream and the filling.
• Powdered sugar – Powdered sugar helps to sweeten and thicken the frosting. You can adjust it, if desired, but keep in mind that adjustments change the consistency of the frosting.
• Heavy cream – To make the buttercream nice and creamy.
• Ferrero Rocher candies – The candies are optional but they make a lovely garnish.

How to Make Nutella Cupcakes

You’re going to love how quickly and easily these cupcakes come together. Here’s a brief look at how to do it. Don’t forget to scroll to the recipe card below for more detailed instructions.

Make the cupcakes

• Prep. Preheat oven to 350°F and line a cupcake pan with cupcake liners.
• Combine the dry ingredients. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
• Combine the wet ingredients. Whisk together the melted butter, sugar, and vanilla extract. Whisk in the eggs followed by the sour cream and Nutella and then, finally, the milk.

• Put it all together. Whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients.
• Bake. Fill the cupcake liners a little more than 1/2 full and bake for 16-20 minutes.
• Cool. Set the cupcake pan on a cooling rack to cool.

• Make the buttercream. Whisk together the butter and Nutella. Whisk in half of the powdered sugar followed by 2 tablespoons of cream and then the remaining powdered sugar. Whisk in the remaining cream, 1 tablespoon at a time, if the buttercream is too thick.
• Core the cupcakes. Use a cupcake corer to remove the centers from the cupcakes.
• Fill, frost, and decorate. Fill the cored cupcakes with the additional Nutella and then pipe the buttercream on top of the cupcakes. Garnish with half a Ferrero Rocher candy and finely chopped hazelnuts, if desired.

Tips for Success

Set yourself up for success and read these simple tips and tricks before getting started. You’ll be glad you did it because they will help you achieve some of the best cupcakes you’ve ever tasted!

• Measure your flour correctly. I highly recommend using a food scale. If not, check out my post on how to properly measure your flour, to be sure you don’t over measure and end up with dry cupcakes.
• Don’t over-mix. When combining the wet and dry ingredients, do not overmix. Mix just until everything is incorporated. Mixing much beyond that can cause the glutens in the flour to overdevelop which can end you with tough, dense cupcakes.
• Scrap down the sides of the bowl. When adding and mixing ingredients into the batter and the frosting, scrape down the sides of the bowl intermittently to ensure all of the ingredients make it into the mix, so you don’t end up with lumps.
• Cool completely. Allow the cupcakes to cool completely before coring, filling, and frosting them. If they are too warm, the frosting will slide off.
• Invest in a cupcake corer. You can use a small knife or a cupcake corer to fill the cupcakes. Both work well, but the corer does make the job quicker and easier.

Best Tools for the Job

Here are my favorite things to use for making these cupcakes just right.

• Cupcake Pan – I like this lighter colored muffin/cupcake pan from Wilton.
• Cupcake corer – I’ve mentioned it a few times, but this cupcake corer works great.
• Piping bags – For a reusable bag, I like this piping bag. If looking for disposable ones, I use these piping bags.
• Piping Tip – I used the Ateco 847 tip for these cupcakes.

How to Store Cupcakes

Arrange the cupcakes in an airtight cupcake carrier or in a single layer in an airtight container (just make sure there’s enough room for the frosting!). They can be stored at room temperature for up to 24 hours, in the fridge for up to 4-5 days.

Store them in the freezer for up to 3 months. If you choose to freeze them, allow the cupcakes to thaw in the fridge before indulging.

More Nutella Desserts

Obsessed with Nutella? You aren’t alone. Here are some of my other yummy Nutella desserts.

• Nutella Cheesecake
• Nutella Biscoff Icebox Cake
• Nutella Fudge Brownies
• No Bake Nutella Cheesecake
• Nutella Chocolate Cake
• Caramel Macchiato Tiramisu Trifle with Nutella

This recipe was updated January 2024. For the original recipe, download this recipe PDF.

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