Nutella Cupcakes

Nutella lovers take notice: these Nutella Cupcakes are the BEST Chocolate Hazelnut Cupcakes out there since they’re literally filled with gooey Nutella and topped with chopped hazelnuts!

Made with simple pantry staple ingredients, these cupcakes are cored and filled with Nutella, filling every bite with mouthwatering flavor!

 

Let Me Tell You About These Nutella Cupcakes

I understand there’s a balance of enjoying Nutella IN a dessert without creating a treat that’s much too sweet to eat. Since I’ve already invested time and recipe trials in perfecting my Nutella Stuffed Cookies and Nutella Cake I had a good starting point on how to balance the flavor of Nutella in this cupcake recipe.

After all, what’s the point of putting Nutella in a dessert if the result is a dessert that’s so sweet you can’t even enjoy it? The good news is these cupcakes turned out perfectly balanced in flavor with a pleasing texture that’s sure to be a new crowd favorite!

The secret to balancing the flavor in these cupcakes is to use dark, unsweetened cocoa powder; we use Hershey’s Special Dark in this recipe. This adds a depth of chocolaty flavor that pairs incredibly well with the gooey hazelnut chocolate filling and smooth chocolate buttercream frosting.

To ensure these cupcakes have a delicious flavor and a satisfying crumb texture, I used whole milk in the cupcake batter to deliver a tender, melt-in-your-mouth cupcake!

The base of these tender cupcakes is made with pantry staple ingredients and brought to chocolate perfection with the addition of unsweetened cocoa powder. I made this recipe using Hershey’s special dark cocoa but feel free to use whatever is on your pantry shelf.

Once baked the cupcakes are cored out and filled with scrumptious Nutella and then frosted with a 4-ingredient homemade chocolate frosting that’s velvety smooth. Chopped hazelnuts finish them off with a wonderful crunch and nutty flavor!

Substitutions & Variations

• Unsalted butter – If you already have salted butter on hand, you can use that and just omit the 1/4 teaspoon of salt that the recipe calls for.
• Vanilla extract – An equal amount of vanilla bean paste can replace the pure vanilla extract in the homemade chocolate cupcake recipe.
• Whole milk – The fat from whole milk provides these chocolate cupcakes with a softer crumb and richer taste. If necessary, you can replace the whole milk with what’s already in your fridge but keep in mind it may slightly alter the texture and taste of the cupcakes.
• Cupcake Filling – Though we love these cupcakes filled with Nutella you can swap the Nutella out for peanut butter, small candies such as Reese’s Pieces, caramel, or fruit preserves.
• Frosting Variation – Feel free to experiment with what frosting you top these Nutella filled cupcakes with! Try making them with Vanilla Buttercream, Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Frosting, or Raspberry Frosting! You may also enjoy Nutella Buttercream Frosting for even more Nutella flavor in these cupcakes!
• Topping – A Ferrero Rocher Candy would make a great topping for these cupcakes!

How To Make Nutella Cupcakes

Step 1: Whisk the all-purpose flour, unsweetened cocoa powder, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a medium-sized bowl.

Step 2: Add the softened unsalted butter to the mixing bowl and reverse cream until the mixture becomes sandy in texture.

Step 3: Add the eggs, milk, and vanilla to the mixture. Mix until combined.

Step 5: Pour the chocolate cupcake batter into cupcake liners in a muffin tin.

Step 6: Bake the cupcakes in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center of one comes out clean.

Step 7: Allow the cupcakes to cool in the cupcake pan before transferring them to a wire rack to finish cooling completely.

How Do You Fill Cupcakes With Nutella?

Step 8: To get filling in the middle of a cupcake, some of the middle must first be removed. This can be done with my favorite cupcake corer, a small knife, or even a piping tip.

Step 9: To fill the center of cupcakes with Nutella you can use a small spoon or a piping bag. If you don’t have a piping bag you can transfer the Nutella to a Ziploc bag, squeeze the excess air out of it, and then seal it.

Then, snip a small corner of the bag and fill the cupcakes with the Nutella using your homemade piping bag.

Once filled, tap each cupcake gently on the counter to ensure that the Nutella has gotten all the way down into the hole.

Step 10: Prepare the frosting by beating the unsalted butter in a large mixing bowl until creamy.

Step 11: Add the powdered sugar, unsweetened cocoa powder, and milk to the bowl of butter. Beat until the chocolate frosting becomes smooth.

Step 12: Use the homemade chocolate frosting to frost each cupcake. Then, sprinkle the top of the frosted cupcakes with chopped hazelnuts if desired.

Do I Need To Use A Stand Or Electric Mixer To Make Cupcakes?

It’s easier to reverse cream the butter and prepare the frosting for this cupcake recipe when using a stand mixer fitted with both a whisk and a paddle attachment. However, you can also use an electric hand mixer or mix by hand with some elbow grease.

How To Serve Nutella Cupcakes

Nutella Cupcakes should be enjoyed at room temperature. Serve them up at the birthday party of a Nutella lover! Or bring them as a decadent treat to the office, potluck, or as a little pick-me-up to a friend!

I usually whip up a batch for our family to enjoy as a weekend treat and then indulge in the leftovers as the weekdays trickle in. There’s really no wrong time to enjoy a chocolaty Nutella-filled cupcake!