Easy Nutella Banana Muffins

*Post and recipe were updated November 2024

Yes, you read that right. Nutella Banana Muffins. Nutella and banana belong together, and these muffins are incredibly easy to make. All you need is a couple of ripe bananas, and just one mixing bowl! You’ll have them in the oven in about 20 minutes.

They’re lightly sweet with a little Nutella for fun – all the yum without the guilt. Not that I ever want you to feel guilty about your food choices. Never! But I can assure you, this recipe delivers on all the good stuff.

There’s nutrition in every bite

These little darlings are packed with nutrition, and are light on fat. Baking with bananas creates a tender crumb in baked goods naturally. This means you can use much less oil. But there’s lots more to love about this recipe.

Here’s the lowdown on the nutrition profile for Nutella Banana Muffins:

• Using just 1/2 cup of oil means there’s onnly 2 teaspons of oil per muffin!
• Whole wheat flour adds fiber, vitamin B6, and magnesium
• Nonfat/lowfat milk adds protein without upping the fat content much
• Bananas deliver on fiber and a hefty dose of potassium as well
• Nutella? That just gives your mouth a reason to open wide 🙂

Want to Pin this to save it for later? ↓↓

Grab your overripe bananas and get cooking!

We always have a container of ripe bananas in the freezer. Somehow, despite years of practice, we have never figured out our banana needs accurately. We buy a bunch to ‘last the week’ LOL. They go from almost ready to whoops, too ripe! in about 24 hours. So, into the freezer they go.

But that’s ok! They’re great for baking AND smoothies. That’s why my Chocolate Peanut Butter Smoothie is on repeat here, as well as my daughter’s favorite – Coconut Nutella Banana Bread. That’s a showstopper, that one.

However, if you don’t happen to have a freezer stuffed with mistreated produce, that’s okay! Just head to the nearest grocery store, and look for the yuckiest bananas you can find (like maybe the discount produce rack). Remember, you want them verrrry ripe for this muffin recipe.

How to make bananas ripen faster

If all you can find is yellow-ish bananas, don’t worry! Did you know you can speed up the ripening process? Just store them in a loosely closed paper bag for a couple of days. This traps the ethylene gas they give off as they ripen, which, in turn, quickens the ripening process.

Keep an eye on them, and when they start to get little brown spots, they are ready for baking!

Print

Easy Nutella Banana Muffins

Tender banana muffins with a sweet swirl of chocolate hazelnut spread. Even your sleepiest breakfast eaters will get out of bed for these Nutella Banana Muffins! 

Course Breakfast, Snack

Cuisine American

Keyword banana muffins, nutella

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 18 minutes

Total Time 38 minutes

Servings 12 muffins

Author Julia Robarts

Ingredients

• 2 med ripe bananas (about 1 cup mashed)
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 cup non-fat or low fat milk cow's milk, soy, and almond all work well
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons Nutella or any chocolate hazelnut spread

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Prepare a 12-cup muffin pan with spray oil.

2. Mash the bananas in a the bottom of a large mixing bowl with the back of a fork. Add the egg, and beat lightly to mix in. Then, stir in the sugar, milk, oil, and vanilla extract until well combined.

3. Add all the flours to the bowl of wet ingredients. Sprinkle the baking powder and salt across the top. Stir the mixture just until the dry ingredients are fully incorporated. Be careful not to overmix, or the muffins will be tough.

4. Fill each muffin cup about 3/4 full, distributing the batter evenly into the 12 cups.

5. Top each muffin with about a teaspoon of Nutella, swirling it a bit with a toothpick to spread it out. Tip: if your Nutella is too thick, microwave it for about 10 seconds to loosen it up and make it easier to transfer to the muffin tops.

6. Bake at 350 for about 16-18 minutes. They're done when the muffins are lightly golden and the tops are no longer tacky (except where there is Nutella!) Remove from the oven, and allow them to cool in the pan for a few minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack.

7. These muffins will stay fresh in an airtight container for 4-5 days. They freeze well, too. Put them in a tightly sealed container or ziploc bag, and they'll keep in the freezer for up to 6 months.

Recipe Notes

*No whole wheat flour? Use just all-purpose flour (2.5 cups total) for the entire recipe. It will turn out nearly the same.

*I've tried this recipe with cow's milk, soy milk, and almond milk, and the difference is virtually unnoticeable. 

*Both brown sugar and white sugar work in this recipe. 

ENJOY!