Banana Nutella Muffins
There always seems to be a few over ripe bananas on the counter just waiting to be put to use. This Banana Nutella Muffins recipe is one I grab when that happens! Moist, tender banana muffins with a swirl of chocolate hazelnut spread ribboned through every bite. They come together in about 35 minutes and make the whole kitchen smell like something wonderful is happening.
Why You’ll Love These: These are the kind of muffins that work for breakfast, an afternoon snack, or tucked into a lunchbox. They are simple enough for a weekday baking impulse and good enough to share with friends! My banana streusel muffins is another recipe that uses up ripe bananas deliciously!
Ingredients
Overripe bananas the riper the banana, the more natural sugar has developed, and the more banana flavour the muffin will have. Choose a banana with plenty of brown spotting on the peel, as a completely yellow banana will give you a much milder result.
The milk and lemon juice combination is a simple way to make a quick homemade buttermilk. You can certainly substitute with 1 cup of buttermilk if you have it on hand.
Melted butter rather than softened butter gives these muffins their moist, dense crumb. You can substitute with a half cup of vegetable oil. However, the texture may be a bit different but the flavour will equally delicious.
Two leavening agents work together give the muffins a nice even rise.T
The Nutella chocolate hazelnut spread does not get mixed fully into the batter. It gets swirled just enough to create ribbons of chocolate running through each muffin rather than disappearing into the batter entirely.
How to Make Banana Nutella Muffins
See full ingredient list and instructions in the printable recipe card below!
BEFORE YOU BEGIN – preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit, line muffin tins with liners or spray with non-stick spray, add lemon juice to milk, and melt butter to allow it time to cool.
- STEP ONE – in a large mixing bowl whisk together all dry ingredients
- STEP TWO – in a medium mixing bowl beat eggs with sugar and melted butter
- STEP THREE – stir in mashed bananas
- STEP FOUR – add all wet ingredients to the flour mixture and gently stir just until combined and divide between prepared muffin tins
- STEP FIVE – Drop a rounded teaspoon of chocolate hazelnut spread onto the top of each filled muffin cup. Use a toothpick or the thin tip of a knife and drag it through the spread and into the batter in a figure eight or a simple S shape.
- STEP SIX – Bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for about 18 minutes, until tooth pick inserted comes out clean, allow to cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack
The Most Common Muffin Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
Even baker’s like me who make muffins weekly (sometimes even twice a week) can run into trouble from time to time. Here are the things most likely to go wrong and how to avoid them.
Not measuring the flour correctly. Spooning in and level the flour ensures the right amount is used. Missing this step can add an extra 1/4 cup of flour or more and result in tough, dry muffins.
Overmixing the batter. This is the most common mistake and the one with the most noticeable consequences. The more you stir, the more gluten develops, and the tougher and denser your muffins become. Stir only until the dry ingredients are just incorporated. The batter should look a little lumpy and rough. And stir only by hand – never use a mixer!
Filling the cups too full. Any more than that and you risk the batter spilling over the edges as it rises, giving you muffins with flat, spread-out tops rather than that nice rounded dome.
Opening the oven door to check on them. This is tempting, but opening the oven door in the first 15 minutes of baking can cause muffins to sink in the centre as the sudden drop in temperature interferes with the rise. Wait until you are at least three-quarters of the way through the baking time before you check.
Not letting the butter cool before adding the eggs. If your butter is too hot when added to the sugar and eggs, you risk scrabbling them! Melt the butter first, then set it aside and let it cool to room temperature while you prepare everything else.
Using cold eggs straight from the fridge. Room temperature eggs mix more evenly into the batter. If you forget to take them out ahead of time, place them in a bowl of warm water for about 10 minutes.
Storage Tips
Allow the muffins to cool completely before storing. Place them in an airtight container lined with a sheet of paper towel, which absorbs excess moisture and keeps the tops from becoming sticky. They will keep well at room temperature for up to 3 days.
To freeze, arrange the completely cooled muffins in a single layer on a baking sheet and freeze until solid, about 2 hours. Then transfer them to a zip-top freezer bag or airtight container. They will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature for an hour or two, or warm them individually in the microwave for about 30 seconds. My morning glory muffins freeze just as well using this same method, and they are wonderful to have on hand for busy mornings.
Banana Nutella Muffins
Equipment
- 2 mixing bowls
- muffin tins
- wire whisk
- rubber spatula or wooden spoon
- measuring cups for dry and liquid
Ingredients
- 1 cup milk
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup butter, melted or ½ cup vegetable oil
- ⅔ cup sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 cup mashed bananas over ripe bananas
- 1/2 cup chocolate hazelnut spread Nutella or other brand
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375℉. Line 12 muffin tins with paper liners or spray with non-stick spray, set aside.
- Measure one cup of milk in a glass measure and add 1 tablespoon lemon juice, set aside.
- Melt butter in a small saucepan or microwave and allow to cool.
- Into a large bowl sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
- In a medium bowl whisk together cooled butter, sugar and eggs. Stir in mashed banana. Add to flour mixture along with the milk/lemon mixture and stir gently just until combined.
- Scoop batter into muffin tins until ⅔ full. Top each with a spoonful of chocolate hazelnut spread and swirl gently with a toothpick or thin blade knife.
- Bake for 18-20 minutes or until cake tester inserted in the centre comes out clean.
- Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes before turning out onto cooling rack.
Notes
Notes
Room temperature ingredients make a difference. Take your eggs out of the refrigerator about 30 minutes before you plan to bake, or use the warm water trick described above. Measuring your flour correctly matters more than most people realize. Spoon the flour into your measuring cup and level it off with a straight edge rather than scooping directly from the bag. Scooping compacts the flour and can result in up to 20% more flour than the recipe intends, which leads to dry, dense muffins. You will know they are done when a toothpick or cake tester inserted into the centre of a muffin comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs attached. If it comes out with wet batter, give them another 2 to 3 minutes and check again.
Hi Maureen! I have a couple blankets/quilts I would be happy to donate. What about hats, sweaters, etc? Where can I drop them off?