The BEST Nutella Swirl Banana Muffins (Easy Recipe)

These Nutella swirl banana muffins are intensely moist, loaded with ripe banana flavor, and feature gorgeous ribbons of rich Nutella in every single bite. Trust me when I say one batch disappears incredibly fast in my kitchen. They are like a richer, more decadent version of classic banana bread in convenient muffin form, perfect for breakfast or a quick treat.

Golden brown banana muffins topped with a luscious Nutella swirl, ready to be savored.

Ingredients You’ll Need

Gathering your ingredients is the first step to making these delicious banana muffins. You’ll need a mix of pantry staples and, of course, those spotty brown bananas.

Delicious banana muffins with a glossy Nutella swirl on top.

All-Purpose Flour: This gives the muffins their basic structure.
Baking Soda: A leavening agent that helps the muffins rise beautifully.
Baking Powder: Works alongside baking soda for that perfect lift.
Salt: A little salt balances the sweetness and enhances all the flavors. You can use fine sea salt, kosher salt, or even regular table salt here.
Melted Butter: I usually use salted butter in my baking, but unsalted butter works just as well if that is what you have on hand. Just make sure it is fully melted.
Ripe and Browned Bananas: You need 6 whole bananas for this recipe. Using very ripe bananas (the ones with lots of brown spots) is key to getting that amazing, intense banana flavor and sweetness that makes these muffins special. The uglier the banana, the better it is for baking. This amount of bananas gives you about 2 cups once mashed.
Light Brown Sugar: Adds moisture and a lovely depth of flavor.
Granulated Sugar: Provides sweetness and helps with the texture.
Large Eggs: Make sure they are at room temperature for best results. They help bind everything together.
Vanilla Extract: Pure vanilla extract really makes a difference in baked goods. It adds a wonderful warmth and aroma that imitation vanilla cannot quite replicate.
Nutella: The star of the swirl. Make sure you have enough for generous swirls in each muffin.

Golden brown banana muffins with a decadent Nutella swirl topping.

Making Heavenly Nutella Swirl Banana Muffins

Creating these moist and flavorful muffins is a straightforward process, even though the result feels incredibly indulgent. Just follow these steps, and you will have a batch of amazing muffins ready to enjoy.

First, get your oven ready. Preheat it to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Prepare two muffin pans, the kind with 12 cups each. Line each cup with paper or parchment liners and set the pans off to the side for now.
Next, combine your dry ingredients. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, add the all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Use a wire whisk to gently stir these ingredients together until they are well blended. Set this bowl aside.
Now, prepare the wet banana mixture. Get out a large mixing bowl or use the bowl of your stand mixer. Add the mashed ripe bananas, melted butter, the light brown sugar, the granulated sugar, the room temperature eggs, and the vanilla extract.
If using a stand mixer, turn it to medium speed. If using a hand mixer and a regular bowl, use medium speed as well. Beat this wet mixture for a full 3 minutes. Setting a timer helps make sure you beat it for the correct amount of time. This step is important for incorporating air and getting everything thoroughly combined.
It is time to combine the wet and dry ingredients. Carefully add the dry ingredients from the medium bowl into the wet ingredients in the mixer or large bowl.
Mix on low speed just until all the dry ingredients are incorporated into the wet batter. Be very careful not to overmix at this stage. You are looking for no visible dry flour spots or streaks remaining.
Use a rubber spatula to give the batter a quick scrape down the sides and bottom of the mixing bowl. This helps make sure everything is evenly mixed without needing to turn the mixer back on.
Prepare the Nutella for swirling. Place the Nutella you plan to use into a small microwave-safe bowl. Warm it in the microwave for about 30 to 35 seconds. You want it to be thinner and easier to pour and swirl.
Start filling your prepared muffin cups. Spoon the muffin batter into each lined cup, filling it about three-quarters of the way full.
Now for the best part, the Nutella swirl. Place a dollop of the warmed Nutella onto the top of the batter in each muffin cup. A teaspoon or so is usually about right.
Grab a toothpick or a small sharp knife. Gently swirl the Nutella into the muffin batter on top. You can make patterns or just simple swirls. The Nutella will spread beautifully as it bakes.
Carefully place the filled muffin pan into your preheated oven. Bake the muffins for 15 to 18 minutes. To check if they are done, insert a toothpick into the center of one of the muffins. It should come out clean when they are ready.
Once baked, remove the pan from the oven. Allow the muffins to cool inside the warm muffin pan for about 15 minutes. This helps them set up properly.
After the initial cooling time in the pan, carefully move the muffins from the pan to a wire cooling rack. Let them cool completely on the rack before you store any leftovers. Of course, they are absolutely wonderful enjoyed warm.

It is totally normal to have questions when you are trying a new recipe. Here are some of the most common things people ask about making these delicious Nutella banana muffins. I hope these answers help make your baking experience a total success.

Fluffy banana muffins with a glossy Nutella swirl on top, placed on a white plate.

Helpful Tips for Perfect Muffins

Making these Nutella banana muffins is pretty easy, but having a few simple tips in mind can make sure yours turn out absolutely perfect every single time. I have made these more times than I can count, and these are the things I have learned along the way that really make a difference.

Nutella Swirling Suggestions

Getting those beautiful Nutella swirls is one of the fun parts of this recipe. I find using a toothpick or something similar, like a thin skewer or chopstick, works really well for swirling the Nutella into the tops of the batter. How much you swirl and how deep you go into the batter will affect how the Nutella spreads inside the muffin as it bakes. If you do just a quick, shallow swirl on top, most of the Nutella will stay concentrated near the surface. If you swirl more vigorously and go deeper into the batter, the Nutella will disperse more throughout the entire muffin. Experiment to see which you prefer. The most important thing for easy swirling is making sure you warm up the Nutella for a few seconds in the microwave beforehand. It makes a huge difference in how easily it mixes into the batter.

Golden banana muffins with a glossy Nutella swirl, placed on a white plate.

Do Not Skip the 3 Minute Mixing Time

Seriously, this step might seem like an unnecessary detail, but it is truly important for the texture of these muffins. When you beat the wet ingredients (bananas, butter, sugars, eggs, vanilla) for the full 3 minutes, especially on medium speed, you are doing a few key things. You are ensuring the mashed bananas are completely incorporated into the mixture, which helps prevent weird dense pockets. You are also whipping air into the batter, which helps with the muffin’s rise and tenderness. If you use a stand mixer, you can just turn it on and set a timer, which makes it simple. Trust the process on this one, it is worth the time.

The Toothpick Test Is Your Friend

Fluffy banana muffins with a rich Nutella swirl, ready to eat.

Knowing exactly when baked goods are done can be tricky, but the toothpick test is a reliable indicator for muffins. Once the baking time is close to being finished (around 15 minutes or so), gently insert a clean toothpick into the very center of one of the muffins. If the toothpick comes out clean, meaning there are no wet batter crumbs clinging to it, your muffins are done and perfectly baked through. If the toothpick comes out with wet batter on it, they need a little more time in the oven. Muffins that are underbaked tend to sink down in the middle as they cool, which is sad to see after all your hard work.

Only Use Bananas That Are Really Ripe

This might be the single most important tip for amazing banana muffins. The flavor and sweetness of the finished muffins depend almost entirely on how ripe your bananas are. You really want to wait until your bananas look quite brown, spotty, or even almost black on the skin. These overly ripe bananas have the most intense banana flavor and natural sweetness. Trying to make this recipe with bright yellow or only slightly soft bananas just will not give you the same wonderfully delicious result. Embrace the brown bananas, they are perfect for baking.

Moist banana muffins topped with a luscious Nutella swirl, ready to be enjoyed.

Frequently Asked Questions About These Muffins

How much mashed banana comes from 6 medium bananas?

This recipe specifically calls for 6 medium sized ripe bananas. Once you mash them up, this quantity usually gives you about 2 full cups of mashed banana. Using this exact amount helps ensure you get the perfect moist texture and incredible banana flavor in every single muffin. Do not try to use fewer bananas just because you do not have enough ripe ones, the flavor will not be as strong.

What is the best way to store any leftover muffins?

If you somehow end up with leftovers (it is a challenge in my house!), the best way to keep these muffins fresh is to store them at room temperature in a container with a lid. They will stay good like this for about 3 to 4 days. You might notice that the Nutella swirl part on top softens up a bit over time when stored. That is perfectly normal. Just be aware it could get a little messy when you grab one to eat. I find using a deeper container with a proper lid works better than plastic wrap or a plastic bag. That way, nothing sticks to the tops of the muffins and messes up those pretty Nutella swirls. I learned this the hard way the first time I made them and used a plastic bag, it did not end well for the Nutella tops.

Can I put these banana muffins with Nutella in the freezer?

Absolutely yes, you can freeze these muffins. They freeze beautifully and can be kept in the freezer for up to 3 months. Make sure you store them in a bag or container specifically designed for freezing to prevent freezer burn. For easy grabbing later, I like to wrap each individual muffin in a layer of foil before putting them all together in a larger freezer bag. This makes it super simple to pull out just one or two at a time. You can let them thaw out at room temperature, which usually does not take too long, or you can place them in the refrigerator to thaw more slowly. They are great to grab straight from the freezer for lunchboxes too, they will thaw by snack or lunch time.

Why did my muffins turn out dense and tough?

If your muffins end up with a tough or dense texture, it is usually related to how you mixed the batter. There are two common reasons. First, it might be that you did not beat the wet banana mixture for the full 3 minutes mentioned in the recipe steps. That beating time is essential for incorporating air into the batter and getting the ingredients really well combined. It helps create a lighter, fluffier muffin texture. The second reason is overmixing once you add the dry ingredients to the wet. You only want to mix just until the dry flour streaks disappear. Mixing for too long after the dry ingredients are added can overdevelop the gluten in the flour, and that results in tough muffins. Stick to the mixing times and methods described, and yours should turn out wonderfully moist and tender.

The BEST Nutella Swirl Banana Muffins (Easy Recipe)

Ingredients You’ll Need

Making Heavenly Nutella Swirl Banana Muffins