Irresistible Banana Nutella Muffins: Your Ultimate Easy Weekend Treat
Jump to Recipe
Looking for the perfect blend of fruity sweetness and decadent chocolate-hazelnut goodness in a comforting baked treat? Look no further than these incredibly soft and utterly delicious Banana Nutella Muffins. Bursting with the natural sweetness of ripe bananas and swirls of rich, creamy Nutella, these muffins are a surefire family hit that will vanish from your kitchen counter almost as quickly as you can bake them. What’s even better? They require minimal effort and come together in no time, making them an ideal choice for a delightful breakfast, a satisfying snack, or a sweet dessert.
If you’re searching for an effortless yet incredibly satisfying recipe to brighten up your weekend mornings or satisfy an afternoon craving, these classic banana Nutella muffins are an absolute must-try. Their super soft texture and rich flavor profile make them irresistible. From mixing the simple batter to pulling warm, fragrant muffins from the oven, the entire process takes less than 30 minutes. Imagine that: a warm, homemade treat ready to enjoy in half an hour!
These muffins aren’t just easy; they are packed with the comforting taste of ripe bananas and the luxurious sweetness of Nutella. Each bite offers a harmonious combination that makes them a perfect indulgence. Whether enjoyed with a cup of coffee for breakfast, as a quick pick-me-up during the day, or as a sweet ending to any meal, these muffins are guaranteed to bring a smile to everyone’s face.
For more easy and delightful cake and muffin recipes that are perfect for any occasion, be sure to explore our Lemon Pistachio Cake, the comforting Pumpkin Sheet Cake, and our wonderfully rustic Peach Crumble Muffins.
[feast_advanced_jump_to]
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS
These Banana Nutella Muffins stand out for several compelling reasons, making them a go-to recipe for home bakers of all skill levels. Here’s why this recipe deserves a spot in your favorites:
- Incredibly Easy to Make: From the moment you start gathering your ingredients to the second you pull a golden-brown muffin from the oven, this recipe is designed for speed and simplicity. The entire process, including baking time, clocks in at just about 30 minutes. This means you can whip up a batch of warm, homemade muffins even on the busiest mornings or when a sudden craving strikes. No complicated techniques or extensive waiting periods are involved, making it ideal for beginners and seasoned bakers alike.
- The Magical Combination of Banana and Nutella: Some flavor pairings are simply legendary, and banana with Nutella is undoubtedly one of them. The natural sweetness and moist texture of ripe bananas perfectly complement the rich, creamy, and slightly nutty notes of Nutella. In this recipe, we take that divine combination to the next level by incorporating Nutella not only as a delectable surprise in the center of each muffin but also swirled onto the top for an extra touch of visual appeal and intense flavor in every bite. This dual application ensures maximum enjoyment.
- No Mixer Needed – Just a Hand Whisk: Forget about lugging out heavy stand mixers or dealing with multiple attachments. This recipe is wonderfully fuss-free and requires only a simple hand whisk and a couple of mixing bowls. This not only simplifies the cleanup process but also makes the recipe incredibly accessible. It’s perfect for those who are just starting their baking journey or anyone looking for a quick and easy method without specialized equipment. The gentle hand-mixing technique also helps prevent overmixing, which is key to achieving tender, soft muffins.
INGREDIENT NOTES
While the full list of ingredients with precise measurements can be found in the recipe card below, understanding the role of a few key components will help you achieve the best possible Banana Nutella Muffins. Here’s a closer look at what makes these muffins so special:
- Bananas: The star of the show! For the most flavorful and moist muffins, it’s crucial to use very ripe bananas. Look for bananas with plenty of brown spots or even entirely brown skins. These bananas are sweeter and softer, making them easier to mash and imparting a richer banana flavor to your muffins. Approximately 2-3 medium-sized ripe bananas are needed for this recipe. If your bananas aren’t quite ripe enough, don’t worry – check our FAQ section for a quick ripening trick!
- Nutella: This beloved chocolate-hazelnut spread is what elevates these muffins from good to utterly irresistible. We use Nutella in two strategic ways: a generous dollop is tucked into the center of each muffin, creating a gooey, molten core as it bakes, and another swirl is added to the top for an extra layer of flavor and a beautiful finish. This ensures that every bite is bursting with that classic Nutella taste.
- Butter: For this recipe, melted butter is used, which contributes to the muffins’ tender crumb and rich flavor. After melting the butter, it’s important to let it cool slightly. Adding hot butter to your batter, especially with eggs, can cause the eggs to scramble or the batter to become greasy. Allow it to sit while you prepare other ingredients to reach a slightly cooled, but still liquid, state.
- Sour Cream (or Full-Fat Plain Greek Yogurt): This ingredient is a secret weapon for incredibly moist and tender muffins. Sour cream adds richness and a slight tang that balances the sweetness, while its acidity helps to activate the baking soda, promoting a light and airy texture. For the best results, ensure your sour cream is at room temperature. Cold sour cream can cause the batter to seize up and become lumpy. If you don’t have sour cream on hand, an equal amount of full-fat plain Greek yogurt makes an excellent substitute, providing similar moisture and tenderness.
- **All-Purpose Flour:** The base of our muffins. Make sure to measure it correctly, preferably by weight, to avoid a dense or dry muffin.
- **Baking Powder & Baking Soda:** These leavening agents work in conjunction to give our muffins their beautiful rise and light texture. Baking soda reacts with the acidic sour cream and bananas, while baking powder provides an additional lift.
- **Granulated Sugar:** Sweetens the muffins and contributes to their moistness and tender crumb.
- **Large Egg:** Acts as a binder, providing structure and richness to the muffins.
- **Vanilla Extract:** A touch of vanilla enhances all the other flavors, adding warmth and depth to the muffins.
- **Salt:** A pinch of salt is crucial for balancing the sweetness and intensifying the overall flavor profile of the muffins. Don’t skip it!
STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS
Making these delightful Banana Nutella Muffins is a straightforward process that doesn’t require any fancy equipment – just your hands and a whisk! Follow these detailed steps for perfect, fluffy, and flavorful muffins every time.
The complete recipe with exact measurements is conveniently located in the recipe card further down this page.
Before you begin mixing, preheat your oven to 220ºC/425ºF (conventional oven setting). Next, prepare a 12-cup cupcake or muffin tray by lining 6 of the cupcake holes with paper liners. A helpful tip for achieving perfectly domed muffins is to line only every other cupcake hole. This allows more air circulation and heat distribution around each muffin, encouraging them to rise taller and create that desirable bakery-style dome.
STEP 1: Prepare Dry Ingredients and Bananas. In a medium-sized bowl, sift together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Sifting helps to aerate the flour and remove any lumps, ensuring a smooth, evenly mixed batter. Give the dry ingredients a quick whisk to ensure they are thoroughly combined. In a separate bowl, mash your very ripe bananas with a fork until mostly smooth but with a few small lumps remaining for texture. Set the mashed bananas aside.
STEP 2: Combine Wet Ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, pour in the slightly cooled melted butter. Add the granulated sugar and the large egg. Whisk these ingredients together by hand until they are well combined and the mixture is light yellow and slightly creamy. This step incorporates air and begins to dissolve the sugar.
STEP 3: Add Remaining Wet Ingredients. To the butter, sugar, and egg mixture, add the room-temperature sour cream (or Greek yogurt), the mashed bananas, and the vanilla extract. Whisk everything together thoroughly until all these wet ingredients are fully incorporated and the mixture is smooth and consistent. Ensure there are no streaks of sour cream or unmixed banana.
STEP 4: Gently Fold in Dry Ingredients. Now, add the sifted flour mixture to the wet batter. Using a spatula, gently fold the ingredients together. It’s crucial not to overmix at this stage; mix only until the flour streaks have just disappeared. A few small lumps are perfectly fine and even desirable, as overmixing can develop the gluten in the flour, leading to tough, chewy muffins instead of soft, tender ones.
STEP 5: Fill Muffin Liners with Nutella Surprise. Divide approximately half of the prepared muffin batter evenly among the 6 lined cupcake holes. This will create the base for our Nutella filling. Once the first layer of batter is in, add a generous teaspoon of Nutella right into the center of each portion of batter. This will create a delightful, melted Nutella core in your baked muffins.
STEP 6: Top with Batter and Nutella Swirl. Carefully spoon the remaining half of the muffin batter on top of the Nutella layer in each liner, ensuring the Nutella is mostly covered. To finish them off with a beautiful flourish and extra flavor, add another small teaspoon of Nutella on top of each muffin. Use a toothpick, a small spoon, or a knife to gently swirl the Nutella into the top of the batter. Don’t overmix the swirl – just a few gentle passes will create an attractive marbled effect.
STEP 7: Bake and Cool for Perfect Muffins. Place the muffin tray into your preheated oven. Bake at 220ºC/425ºF for exactly 5 minutes. This initial burst of high heat helps the muffins rise rapidly, contributing to their signature domed tops. After 5 minutes, reduce the oven temperature to 175ºC/350ºF (without opening the oven door if possible) and continue baking for another 11-13 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the center of a muffin (avoiding the Nutella pocket) comes out clean. Once baked, remove the tray from the oven and let the muffins cool in the hot pan for 3-5 minutes. This allows them to set slightly. Then, gently remove the muffins from the pan and transfer them to a wire rack to cool down completely. Enjoy them warm or at room temperature!
EXPERT BAKING TIPS FOR PERFECT MUFFINS
Achieving bakery-quality muffins at home is easier than you think with a few simple tricks up your sleeve. These expert tips will help ensure your Banana Nutella Muffins turn out perfectly moist, tender, and beautifully domed every single time.
- Use a Kitchen Scale for Precision: While cup measurements are common, they can be notoriously inaccurate due to variations in how ingredients are scooped and packed. My recipes, including this one, default to grams for a reason. Using a kitchen scale to measure your ingredients, especially flour, sugar, and butter, is the most precise way to ensure consistent results. This accuracy guarantees the correct ratio of wet to dry ingredients, which is crucial for the perfect muffin texture – preventing them from being too dry, dense, or crumbly.
- Avoid Overmixing Your Batter: This is perhaps the most crucial rule for tender muffins. Once you add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, mix only until the flour has just disappeared. Overmixing develops the gluten in the flour, leading to a tough, rubbery texture instead of a soft, fluffy one. I always recommend finishing the mixing process with a spatula, giving the batter one final gentle fold. This ensures that any flour pockets hiding at the bottom of the bowl are fully incorporated without overworking the batter. Remember, a few small lumps are perfectly acceptable and even preferred!
- Understand the Impact of Baking Pan Color: The type and color of your baking pan can significantly affect the final outcome of your muffins. For the best result and a consistently soft crumb, I highly recommend using an aluminum baking pan. Light-colored aluminum pans reflect heat, which means your muffins will bake more gently and evenly. This gentle baking leads to a softer interior and a less aggressive crust. In contrast, dark-colored baking pans absorb more heat, which can cause the muffins to bake faster, potentially resulting in a darker, tougher crust and a drier interior. If you only have a dark pan, you might need to slightly reduce the oven temperature or baking time.
- **Don’t Overfill Muffin Cups:** While it might be tempting to fill your muffin liners to the very top, resist the urge! Overfilling can cause the muffins to spill over the sides during baking, creating an uneven shape or sticking to the pan. For beautifully domed muffins, fill each liner about two-thirds full. The batter will rise perfectly without overflowing.
- **Room Temperature Ingredients Matter:** For wet ingredients like eggs, sour cream, and even softened butter (if not melted), bringing them to room temperature before mixing can make a big difference. Room temperature ingredients emulsify more easily, creating a smoother, more uniform batter. This leads to a better texture and rise in your baked goods. Plan ahead by taking these items out of the fridge about an hour before you start baking.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQ)
Got questions about these delicious Banana Nutella Muffins? We’ve got answers to help you troubleshoot and ensure your baking experience is a complete success.
Very ripe bananas are key for maximum sweetness and moisture in these muffins. If your bananas are still green or firm, you can quickly ripen them in the oven. Simply place unpeeled bananas on a baking sheet and bake at 200ºC/390ºF (conventional oven) for 5-10 minutes, or until their skins turn completely dark brown or black. This process softens the banana and concentrates its sugars, enhancing the flavor. Let them cool down completely to room temperature before peeling and mashing them for the recipe.
The best way to tell if your muffins are perfectly baked is by using a cake tester or a wooden skewer. Once the recommended baking time has passed (around 11-13 minutes after the initial high-heat bake), insert the cake tester into the center of one of the muffins. Make sure to avoid hitting any visible Nutella pockets, as melted Nutella will always appear wet. If the cake tester comes out clean, with no wet batter clinging to it, then your muffins are done. The tops should also be golden brown and spring back lightly when gently touched.
While these Banana Nutella Muffins are undeniably at their absolute best when enjoyed fresh from the oven, they can certainly be made a day ahead. The texture and flavor are most vibrant on the day they are baked. However, they still taste wonderful on subsequent days. Luckily, with their quick preparation and baking time, whipping up a fresh batch whenever you crave them is incredibly easy, making planning ahead less of a necessity.
Yes, these muffins freeze beautifully! Once they have cooled completely to room temperature, place them in a single layer on a baking sheet and freeze for about an hour until firm. Then, transfer the frozen muffins to an airtight freezer-safe bag or container. They can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months. To enjoy, simply thaw them at room temperature or gently warm them in the microwave or oven for a few minutes until soft.
STORAGE
While these Banana Nutella Muffins are best enjoyed on the day they are baked for peak freshness and flavor, they also store very well for a few days. To keep them moist and delicious, store your cooled muffins in an airtight container at room temperature on your kitchen counter. This method will keep them fresh for up to 3 days. For longer storage, refer to the freezing instructions in our FAQ section above.
Other Easy Cake Recipes To Try
If you loved making these delicious muffins, be sure to check out some of our other easy and delightful dessert recipes that are perfect for any baking adventure!
- Red Velvet Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting
- Gooey Pecan Pie Brownies with Brown Butter
- Easy Pecan Pie Upside Down Cake
- Apple Pie Cupcakes with Vanilla Buttercream and Apple Pie Filling
Did you fall in love with this recipe? Make sure to leave a STAR REVIEW in the comments below! We’d love to see your creations too—tag me on Instagram @juliemarieeats to share your baking success. For more delicious recipe ideas and inspiration, be sure to follow me on Pinterest!
Banana Nutella Muffins
Pin Recipe
Equipment
- 12-cup cupcake pan
- Mixing bowls
- Hand whisk
- Spatula
Ingredients
BANANA NUTELLA MUFFIN
- 175 g all-purpose flour (sifted)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 60 g unsalted butter melted and slightly cooled
- 100 g granulated sugar
- 1 large egg (room temperature)
- 50 g sour cream or full-fat plain greek yogurt room temperature
- 200 g very ripe banana about 2 medium bananas, mashed
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 60 g Nutella (divided for filling and swirling)
Instructions
BANANA NUTELLA MUFFIN PREPARATION
- Preheat your oven to 220ºC/425ºF (conventional oven setting). Line a 12-cup cupcake tray with 6 cupcake liners, placing them in every other cupcake hole. This technique helps the muffins achieve a perfect, tall dome during baking by allowing better heat circulation.
- In a medium bowl, sift together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk gently to ensure all dry ingredients are evenly distributed. In a separate bowl, mash the very ripe bananas until mostly smooth with some small chunks; set aside.175 g all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, ¼ teaspoon baking soda, ¼ teaspoon salt
- In a larger mixing bowl, add the slightly cooled melted butter, granulated sugar, and the room temperature egg. Whisk these ingredients together until well combined and the mixture is light in color.60 g unsalted butter, 100 g granulated sugar, 1 large egg
- Next, add the room temperature sour cream (or Greek yogurt), the mashed banana, and the vanilla extract to the wet mixture. Whisk everything together thoroughly until it’s smoothly incorporated.50 g sour cream or full-fat plain greek yogurt, 200 g very ripe banana, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pour the dry flour mixture into the wet batter. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold the ingredients together until just combined. Be careful not to overmix; a few small lumps are fine and will ensure tender muffins.
- Divide half of the muffin batter evenly into the 6 prepared cupcake liners. Then, add a generous teaspoon of Nutella right into the center of the batter in each liner. Spoon the remaining half of the batter on top, covering the Nutella layer. Finish each muffin with another small teaspoon of Nutella on top, and use a spoon or knife to gently swirl it into the batter for a marbled effect.60 g Nutella
- Bake the muffins in the preheated oven at 220ºC/425ºF for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, reduce the oven temperature to 175ºC/350ºF and continue baking for another 11-13 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into a muffin (avoiding Nutella) comes out clean. Allow the muffins to cool in the hot pan for 3-5 minutes before gently removing them and transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Serve these delightful muffins on the day they are baked for the best experience. However, they will also last well for a few days when stored in an airtight container on the kitchen counter.