Meet the tastiest Nutella muffins you’ll ever have! These cinnamon Nutella muffins are on the healthier side, made with applesauce and whole wheat flour, and they are full of flavor!
You know I love Nutella. I even created my own version of it (here). I also love cinnamon. LOVE cinnamon. I usually add 3 times the amount of cinnamon to a recipe that it actually calls for, just because I love it so much! No one seems to mind….
SO. I created these muffins last year sometime, and the recipe didn’t quite work as I had hoped, so I shelved it and moved onto other things, as I usually do. But these were always in the back of my mind to go back and perfect! These swirly, cinnamon-y, beautiful muffins are the end result of a lot of testing (and eating)!!
I wanted these to have the decadence of the Nutella swirled in, but with a bit of a healthier base to balance it out. It’s not often that I bake with just all-purpose flour for my kids, nor do I love to use a lot of refined sugars. So, for these muffins, I used half whole wheat flour and maple syrup to sweeten them up. Obviously, if you’re using Nutella from the jar, it’s got some refined sugars in there! But I am all about balance, and a few teaspoons of Nutella isn’t the end of the world 😉
How do you make Nutella muffins?
Before starting any recipe, I like to get all of my ingredients out in one place. You wouldn’t imagine the amount of times that I got halfway through a recipe only to realize I didn’t have enough of the key ingredients to keep going. The worst!
Oh – and if you don’t care for whole wheat flour or want a bit of a fluffier, lighter tasting muffin, then using all all-purpose flour is totally fine. I would caution against using all whole wheat flour, however. They’ll be too dense!
Once you have all of your ingredients in place, and your wet ingredients combined with your dry, spoon about 1 1/2 tbsp of muffin batter into each prepared baking cup, followed by 2 tsp or so of Nutella. Use a toothpick to swirl the Nutella around through the muffin batter, then divide the remaining muffin batter between the muffin cups, followed by more swirled Nutella on top. The Nutella inside the muffin when you take a bite makes for the most delicious surprise!
You don’t have to be super precise with your Nutella measurements or your toothpick swirling styling. Just giving it a bit of movement with the toothpick creates a nice swirly look when it bakes up!
How long do the muffins last?
At room temperature, in an airtight container, these muffins will last about 2-3 days. I actually found that they tasted better on the second day! In the fridge, you’ll get 4-5 days out of them, and in the freezer, up to 2 months! I love baking a big batch of muffins and freezing half for a quick round of snacks when I need them some day in the future.
Substitutions
I’ve played around with this recipe a LOT. If you’re not a fan of any of the ingredients, chances are there is a suitable alternative. I’ve listed a few below to make it easy for you!
- Butter: can substitute for coconut oil
- Applesauce: can substitute for more butter/oil
- Maple syrup: can substitute for honey
- Almond milk: can substitute with virtually any other milk
- Whole wheat flour: can substitute with all-purpose
But Nutella? There’s no substitute for that…except of course, my homemade version!
On an ending note – guys – my house is a bit of a whirlwind right now. We decided to repaint the walls in our living area, so we’ve got stuff EVERYWHERE at the moment. My husband is giving me the eyes right now to hurry up and finish my blog post so I can help with the chaos. So, I bid you adieu.
Try these muffins! And happy Monday!
Don’t forget to try my own version of Nutella (here). And here’s a few more ways to use it!
And a few other muffins you don’t want to miss out on!
Or these cranberry-orange overnight muffins from Crumb Top Baking!
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Nutella Muffins
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 12 muffins 1x
Description
Meet the tastiest nutella muffins you’ll ever have! These cinnamon nutella muffins are on the healthier side but are full of flavor!
Ingredients
- 1 cup whole wheat flour
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
- 3 tbsp unsweetened applesauce
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp unsweetened almond milk
- 1/2 cup Nutella
- sparkling sugar (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 F and line a 12-count muffin pan with liners, or spray the cavities well with nonstick spray.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flours, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. In another bowl, whisk together the melted butter and applesauce before adding in the eggs and maple syrup, and mixing well again. Slowly pour in the almond milk, whisking to combine. Add the dry ingredients to the wet, mixing gently with a large spoon just until there are no visible streaks of flour left.
- Using a cookie dough scoop or a spoon, add 1 1/2 tbsp of muffin batter to the bottom of each muffin cavity. On top of the muffin batter, drop 2 tsp of Nutella on each muffin. Using a toothpick, swirl the Nutella with the muffin batter. Divide the remaining muffin batter amongst the cavities, followed by the remaining Nutella (about 1 tsp each) on top of the batter. Swirl again with a toothpick. Sprinkle the muffins with sparkling sugar (optional) and place in the oven to bake for 20-22 minutes. Check the muffins at 20 minutes with a toothpick; if there is still muffin batter on the toothpick, bake for an additional 2 minutes before checking again. Remove the muffins from the oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes in the pan before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.
Muffins can be stored at room temperature, in an airtight container for up to 3 days, or 4-5 days in the fridge. Muffins also freeze well, up to 2 months.
Notes
*See blog post above for substitution options
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
Keywords: Nutella swirl muffins // cinnamon swirl muffins // cinnamon Nutella muffins
Nutella for breakfast is always a good thing :). These look delicious and they’re so pretty–I’m glad you didn’t give up on them! Have a great week, Katherine!
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Thank you Kelsie!! Nutella for breakfast is ALWAYS a treat!!
I love that you’re balancing out the nutella with a healthier muffin base! We love nutella and cinnamon too, so I know these would be a hit in my house. Also loving the nutella swirl on top. They look so professional! Good luck with the painting!
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Thanks Leanne! I figured we don’t need to eat cake for breakfast, haha! The Nutella is a nice treat though, and makes them a bit more decadent. Have a great week!
Love love love a recipe using whole wheat flour, Katherine! And, I often double up on spices I love, too! I have to hold myself back sometimes and realize others might not love them the way I do! But these muffins look perfect!
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Haha exactly! My husband will sometimes comment when I go a little overboard with my spices…but if you call them cinnamon muffins then you can really go crazy with it! Hah! Thanks Laura!
You say Nutella, I say YES, PLEASE!!! And healthy to boot? Heavenly!
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I also say yes please!!! Thanks Annie!
A muffin with Nutella, but with a healthy twist. In my head, I’m now viewing this as guilt-free.
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Hahah I kind of view it as guilt-free too. I mean, Nutella is made with nuts right!?
I’m all about the cinnamon too!! I also always want a healthier muffin. I know my SugarBugs would go crazy for that Nutella swirl. Pinning! Hope the painting project is going well.:-)
Thanks Tasia! I bet they’d love these, and you don’t have to feel like you’re giving them cake for breakfast!! 🙂
Perfect ingredients ! Perfect flavours on the healthy side ? Yes ! I’m in !
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Yay! Thank you!!
What a beautiful nutella swirl in the middle….YUM!!! I want one of these right now with my morning coffee!!! So delicious! Btw, i also add so much cinnamon to my baking recipes as well….so good!!
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Mmm so good with coffee, Haylie! Aaah I”m happy to hear I’m not the only cinnamon crazed baker! Hah it adds so much lovely flavour!
Well, I’m super happy that you finally got these to us because they look and sound FABULOUS!! I definitely have to give these a try 🙂 Nutella & cinnamon? Yeeeees! Good luck with painting! I’m sure it’ll look wonderful when it’s done! XO
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Yaay thanks Dawn! It’s a nice sense of accomplishment to finally get them out to the world! The painting ordeal is just about over, yippee!! 🙂
I know how long these will last in our house….They will be extremely short lived:) I am loving the apple sauce and maple syrup you fold into the mix – such a great layering of flavors!
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Thanks Milena! People seem to be surprised by the applesauce but it really does add so much moisture to the muffin!
the recipe is so homie like i can make it every weekends and my kids wont get bore eating this thanks for helping helpless housewives and moms 🙂
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Nutella swirls in muffins are right down my alley! Love the healthy ingredients to make them healthier with a touch of indulgence of the Nutella. Pinning! xo
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I know you’d be all over these, Kim! Nutella for the win!! Have a great week 🙂
Love those gorgeous chocolatey swirls of Nutella. Between that and the addition of cinnamon (which, hello, yum) is almost enough to make you forget they’re healthy-ish. Totally making these on the weekend!
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Soooo right, Isabelle! When you’re biting into NUtella you definitely don’t think of it as a healthy muffin 🙂
Oh, I do love nutella, too! That’s why we (almost) never buy it unless I’m going to use it for a recipe – it can disappear in one night. I swear I have no idea where it goes! 🙂 Besides, the combo of hazelnuts + chocolate + cinnamon is so goood. Ben approves this recipe 100% 🙂
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I know exactly what you mean, Ben! My Nutella also tends to disappear very quickly 😉 I’m so glad I got the Ben seal of approval!!
These would fly right off the table at our house Katherine! I’m totally drooling and wish I could grab one through my screen!
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Thanks Mary Ann!! They sure disappeared quickly here, and I made two batches back to back! Cheers!
I love getting a new paint color. It always it feel like you’re in a different room. I feel the same way about cilantro as you do cinnamon–I always add WAY more:)
These muffins are just perfect and a great balance of ingredients. They are great for breakfast and snacks!
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It’s amazing the changes that paint can do for a room! I definitely feel like I’m in a different room these days. Thank you Thao!!
Loving the addition of nutella, I would never have thought to put those two together! They look scrumptious.
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It goes sooo well together. Thanks Kristen!
I agree, it’s all about balance. And moderation. I love these muffins, as I am a Nutella lover myself. Actually, I have found some amazing chocolate hazelnut spreads in Italy that are better for you and tastes amazing!! I always have 2-3 in my luggage 😉 . Will try them in your muffins!!
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Ooh next time I might have to get you to bring me one of those back! I have heard from someone else that they found a much better alternative to Nutella in Europe. I go towards Nutella here because it’s easy to find, but I’d love a healthier alternative! Thank you!!!
Don’t get me wrong – I love chocolate and hazelnut – but I’m really delighted to see how you did so much more with the flavour of these. I think a lot of nutella recipes just lean into the one flavour, but you’ve partnered it really nicely here. Cheers!
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Well thank you!! The cinnamon is a nice flavor with the chocolate and hazelnut!
Oh yum! Yay for Nutella – especially for breakfast! Love the pairing of cinnamon and chocolate, too!
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The best when it’s for breakfast 😉 Thank you my friend!
If it’s got Nutella in it, then sign me up hehehe. Plus since it’s in muffin form, I can eat Nutella for breakfast! This is genius!!
Exactly!! It’s like a healthier cupcake…totally appropriate for breakfast!!!
These are gorgeous! What a great idea putting Nutella into muffins — my partners will love these!
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Thank you Marieke!
My kids are nutella crazy and will go nuts for these! I’m glad that they’re healthy too! They look amazing 🙂
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We love our Nutella here too. A lot! Thank you Terri!!
omg this looks so yummy! Thanks for the recipe 🙂
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These may have taken a lot longer to make compared to typical muffins but they turned out delicious! The 2x recipe made 22 large muffins and 12 mini muffins!
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