Nutella Cupcakes

Today is World Nutella Day, so you knew there was no way I’d forgo posting something that utilizes this delicious Chocolate Hazlenut spread. As I have stated once or twice, I love Nutella and I’m pretty certain you could smear the stuff on a piece of cardboard and I’d be completely content!
Taking a simple chocolate cupcake recipe and filling the middle with that awesome Nutella lusciousness, definitely quenches that hazelnut craving that I get more frequently than I’d like to admit. Top off with Nutella buttercream, and these are truly irresistible to those Nutella fanatics that I know are plentiful! Just a word of caution…these babies are rich, so have a glass of milk near by and don’t be tempted to eat more than one in a single sitting.
This post is not your typical MBA post; meaning it’s not a complete recipe. This is more like a framework which will help you to build your Nutella masterpiece. Essentially, you’ll bake 24 chocolate cupcakes using your fave recipe and I’ll walk you through the rest! Sound like a plan? Alright, let’s get to it.

The Method:
I made one of my favorite chocolate cupcake recipes according to the recipe directions (you’ll see my fave in an upcoming fundamentals post). Use whatever recipe floats your boat. Cool them completely.
- Hollow out a small circle in the center of each cupcake; I use an apple corer because I am anal and obsessed with symmetry. You can also use this piping tip from Wilton which allows you to inject things into cupcakes.
- Fill a piping bag with one 13-ounce jar of nutella. This sounds like a lot, but trust me, you’ll need to fill all of the cupcakes.
- Pipe the nutella into each hollowed center of the cupcake or if you’re using the tip method, simply push the tip down into the center of the cupcake, pipe in the filling until the cupcake swells slightly on the top.
- Prepare the Nutella Buttercream Recipe below and pipe it on your cupcakes.
- Top each frosted cupcake with a piece of chocolate hazelnut candy bar.
A Few Notes:
- New to making buttercream frosting? Check out my Fundamentals: Buttercream post.
- I piped the frosting using the large round tip.
- You can check out my video piping tutorial found in this post.
Looking for more Nutella Deliciousness? Check out these posts:
Mocha Shortbread with Nutella from My Baking Addiction
Nutella Crepes from Dine & Dish
Nutella Fudge Brownies from Wenderly
Recipe edited 7/1/12: Due to several readers have issues with the thickness of the frosting, we have adjusted the amount of confectioners’ sugar to 1.5 pounds. The thickness of the Nutella Buttercream will depend on the amount of heavy cream that is added.
Nutella Buttercream Frosting

Ingredients:
- 2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
- 1 13-ounce jar of Nutella
- pinch of fine grain sea salt
- 1 tablespoon clear vanilla extract
- 1.5 pounds confectioners’ sugar, sifted
- 6-8 tablespoons heavy cream or milk
Directions:
- In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and Nutella until well combined, thick and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
- Slowly add in confectioner’s sugar, and continue mixing until well blended.
- Add salt, vanilla, and 3 tablespoons of heavy cream or milk. Blend on low speed until moistened.
- Add an additional 3-5 tablespoons of heavy cream or milk until you reach the desired consistency.
- Beat at high speed until frosting is smooth and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
Notes:
- This recipe will make enough frosting to generously frost 24 cupcakes or one 9 inch layer cake.
- You can easily adjust the consistency of this recipe by simply adding in more heavy cream or milk.
- Covered and refrigerated frosting can be stored for up to three days. Simply bring it to room temperature and beat with an electric mixer until smooth. You may need to add a couple of teaspoons of heavy cream or milk to revive the consistency.
- Recipe edited 7/1/12: Due to several readers having issues with the thickness of the frosting, we have adjusted the amount of confectioners’ sugar to 1.5 pounds. The thickness of the Nutella Buttercream will also depend on the amount of heavy cream that is added.
Follow Jamie on Instagram. We love to see what you're baking from MBA! Be sure to tag @jamiemba and use the hashtag #mbarecipes!
This post may contain affiliate links. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
thanks so much for you recipe
I made these for my dance friends the weekend of my dance recital for after the show. They LOVED them! And I have to say…that Nutella buttercream is the best frosting I have ever had! Love this recipe :)
Hi Jamie
I love your blog and everything you are doing. I just want to say thank you for the delicious Nutella Buttercream recipe, I adapted it slightly when making my own cupcakes and it was amazing. I hope you don’t mind, I gave a shout out to you in the post. http://www.gigidiaries.com/2011/07/test_24.html
Thank you for inspiring me and so many other!
Katrina
I just googled for a nutella cupcake recipe and I found your blog! I can’t wait to give this recipe a shot :)
What do we do after mixing the nutella and butter
Is it bad I’ve never tried nutella? I feel like the photo of those cupcakes has convinced me I need to change that…
I just made these to take to a Christmas party at church tonight and of course I had to test one out. It was SOOO yummy! The frosting is to die for! Thanks for sharing. :)
Thanks so much for this recipe. Just made these for my brother and his girlfriend for Christmas — they are going to FLIP OUT.
These are some of the best cupcakes I’ve ever made; glorious little things, they are. I’m cooking from a cramped dorm space, so I used box cake mix (with cooled hazelnut cream coffee subbed for the water). Delicious.
Oh WOW! I’ve never use Nutella but after seeing these yummy cupcakes I’ve already put it down on my grocery list for this weekend…lol
Love, Love, Love, this recipe. Thanks so much for your blog “fantastic”. Can you please tell me where I can find a cupcake tin like yours or where I might get one with straight sides?
Thanks….Patti
Patti-
Thanks for stopping by, the tin was actually purchased at an antique shop. Have a great day.
-Jamie
YUM! This looks amazing. I’m a huge nutella addict… have made a few recipes on my blog as well! Thanks so much for sharing. VIsiting from Fab Fatale.
Hi I was just wondering exactly how much is 2 pounds of icing sugar? Message asap please and thank you!
It’s about 7.5 cups. Hope this helps.
-Jamie
I made these tonight for my friend at work. We are celebrating her birthday early.
She is crazy about Nutella. The buttercream frosting is awesome.
I had to use significantly more milk for the frosting. It turned out just fine!
Will make this again!
These look heavenly.. but I’m wondering, 2 lbs of powdered sugar is a lot….
Ascia,
I know it seems like a lot, but I assure you, that’s how much powdered sugar you need to make the frosting the perfect consistency. Trust me on this one.
– Jamie
I tried the frosting and I find the icing sugar is too much and even though I have put less and added more cream for the right consistency the sugar was too much , but we like it?please find a solution to the quantity of the confection sugar.thanks
Zubeida, I don’t know what to tell you. We like our frosting sweet in the United States, and the frosting recipe here is pretty standard. You could try looking on English or Australian blogs where I hear sugar is used more sparingly to see if you find a frosting recipe you like better.
– Jamie
Pingback: Some Crafty Things « Go Dansker
Is it possible to do these without filling them with nutela for a less heavy cupcake?
Maddie-
You can pretty much do whatever you want – make it your own. Have fun and enjoy!
-Jamie
Delicious frosting recipe. I will give it a try this weekend. Thanks for sharing.
I made the frosting last night…everyone loved the cupcakes at work.
These are wonderful! My family and I LOVE them! Very nice and simple and VERY rich! Just make sure you have a nice tall glass of milk beside you, but all in all ver delicious, rich, simple, and easy to make! Thank you so much for this recipe- their truly an all-time favorite!(:
do you think I can submit a photo of mine as well to add to the photos? (:
Thanks
– Ani
I used 1.5 lbs of confectioners sugar and still thought it was too thick! I ended up not using all that I had measured out. But it was very delcious and my whole family loved it!!
I’m so glad I read the notes and thankful that you add an “edited” field. I did not need 1.5 lbs of confectioner’s sugar and if I had not read that I might have been in a hurry, like I usually am since becoming a new mom, and just dumped the whole thing in. Good stuff, but we all agreed… there wasn’t as much nutella presence as we expected. I used the real stuff too. Still very tasty and didn’t last long at all on my counter.
I just made these cupcakes for my sister’s bridal shower, which will be tomorrow afternoon. Hoping they hold up overnight without refrigeration. The taste test was AmAzInG!!!! This is a great recipe, definitely will do it again! Thank you for sharing. And the piping was definitely harder than I thought….next time I will get the tip you suggested for the ones pictured, which look like perfection. Awesome job!! =D
Kristin-
I am so happy to hear the cupcakes turned out so well! Thanks for coming back and commenting on your experience with the recipe. Have a great day!
-Jamie
I made these cupcakes this afternoon with my go-to Black Magic Cake recipe. I only have one thing to say about this Nutella Buttercream—perfection. Think about it…is there anything better than Nutella in this world? Not in my book. Jamie, every recipe I have tried of yours has turned out magnificent, and this one is just the icing on the (cup)cake! I really am grateful to have found you and your exceptionally delicious recipes on the web, and I hope that you will continue sharing your tasty treats and tips with us all! Thank you so much!
Anna Claire-
I am so happy to hear that you enjoyed the cupcakes – thanks so much for stopping back and leaving your feedback on the recipe! Have a great day.
-Jamie
YUM! I’ve been looking for a good Nutella cupcake recipe, and yours is perfect – thanks!
I made chocolate cupcakes with Nutella filling & frosting. I found a gadget at Sur La Table that easily takes a piece of cupcake out so you can add the filling. I think next time I will mix Nutella with a little butter for the filling. How do I make the frosting a little less sweet? I used your recipe. Would like to send you a pic. They are really nice ( not as pretty as yours though)
Hi Jamie!
You have a superb blog ! I made the nutella frosting for chocolate cupcakes , it was fab and everyone loved it . Thank you for the recipe. Hope to try more recipes from your blog.
I just made these and they were FANTASTIC!
I just finished making this recipe. The cupcakes themselves were delicious, but the buttercream had a little too much vanilla extract for my taste. However, this is my first time making a buttercream frosting from scratch, so maybe it was me. In the future, I will try to use less vanilla and see how that works. (I am not a big frosting eater, but my sister-in-law loves the stuff) I halved the frostng recipe and still had more than enough to generously frost all 24 of my cupcakes.
I made these for a family in my area who just had a baby and has a couple of other kids as well. I took half to the family and half to my co-workers. My co-workers LOVED them! I bake often but they said “these were the best cupcakes I’ve ever made” and “they are to die for”! I will definitely be adding this recipe to my “keep” file!
These turned out awesome! I made these for a high school bake sale and they were gone so fast! Check out how mine turned out! http://cannella-vita.blogspot.com/2013/02/nutella-cupcakes.html#
Sooooooo good! And I LOVE that cupcake pan! Where did you get it?
Kristen-
I am so glad you enjoyed the recipe. The cupcake pan is vintage from a flea market. Have a great day!
-Jamie
My Nutella buttercream frosting came out liquidy. I followed all the intructions /:
Xiomara-
If anything, the buttercream should be a little thick, so I am unsure how it would turn out liquidy. I have made these cupcakes countless times and never had the issue of the buttercream being liquidy. I am sorry I am not of more assistance. Thanks so much for stopping by and reporting your experience with the recipe – have a great day!
-Jamie
Hi!
I’ve been asked to make these for a friends party, she tried one the last time I made them and LOVED it! I’m running into a dilemma, because I will be out of town the weekend of her party, which is on a Saturday, and would have to make them on Thursday night. Is there an effective way to store cupcakes for two whole days while preserving the taste/texture as if they were fresh?
Thanks!
Nicole-
I would place them in the refrigerator and set them out to room temperature for about 1.5 hours before serving. I hope this helps. I think they’ll be just fine. Thanks so much for stopping by – have a great day!
-Jamie
I made these over the weekend and they were beyond amazing!!!!! Thank you so much for posting this goodness!!!!
Claire,
I’m thrilled that you loved the recipe! Thank you for stopping back and have a wonderful day!
Jamie
hi fabulous combo! – err.. but how much is a stick of butter in grams? thanks!!!
Hi Karen,
Thanks for your comment! We don’t have many ingredients that are weighed in grams in the US, only ounces, dry or wet. However, a quick google search tells me that a stick of butter is about 113 grams. Hope that helps.
– Jamie
Oi,amei o seu cupcake,mas quando fui anotar a receita eu não entendi algumas coisas,é que sou brasileira e a tradução ficou um pouco esquisita para entender.Por exemplo,o que quer dizer adicionar 2 varas e 1 13 onças de nutella?Poderia usar um outro termo que possa indicar a medida,por exemplo xícaras,gramas,colheres,assim eu entenderia mais.Pode me ajudar?Adoraria fazer os cupcakes e estou muito envergonhada por não entendê-la.
Is this a crusting buttercream? Can it be used for piping designs in cakes and/or icing a cake which is to be covered in fondant? I worried that the Nutella might make the icing too soft and the fondant will slide of the cake or the design won’t hold. Any insight u can provide would be great! Thanks.
Hi Jennifer, I would definitely consider this a crusting buttercream. I think it would hold up for what you need.
– Jamie
How much is 2 sticks of butter? Is that 2 blocks? How many grams or cups?
Amanda-
2 sticks of butter would be the equivalent of one cup or about 226 grams. Thanks so much for stopping by! Have a wonderful day!
-Jamie
Sorry just read the answer in previous comment thanks
Hi!
This recipe sounds delicious, and I definitely want to try it, but can I use regular pure vanilla extract rather than clear vanilla extract?
Thanks!
Jessica-
Thanks so much! That substitution is perfectly fine. Please stop in and let us know your experience with the cupcake recipe! Happy holidays and thank you for following MBA!
-Jamie
Can I substitute the clear vanilla extract fort regular vanilla extract?
Hailey-
Yes, that substitution will work just fine! Thanks so much for stopping by and have a great day!
-Jamie
How many grams of Nutella actually do we need to make this frosting? 1 13-ounce jar of Nutella?!? Thanks.
Kenny,
You use an entire jar of Nutella in this recipe.
– Jamie
Hi; I can’t find the cupcake pan you used anywhere. Can you let me know where you got yours. I just have to have it!!!
Thanks so much. Your recipes are so good!
Sue
Sue-
The pan is actually vintage and was purchased at an antique store.Thanks so much for stopping by.
-Jamie
Hi Jamie,
1 13 ounces of Nutella means how many grams.
Thanks:)
Hi Siyo,
According to Google, the 13 ounce jars are 400 grams. Hope that helps!
– Jamie
Looks delicious…
Thank you!
These look amazing, I will be trying this frosting this weekend for my mothers birthday.
Let me know how it goes, Terry!
Quick and easy cupcakes!..filled them with nutella as well! Came out well…Thanks for the recipe :)
The Nutella filling sounds amazing, Arthi!