Nutella Pancakes

Let’s be honest, some mornings just need something special. A breakfast that feels less like a routine and more like a celebration.

For me, that’s a warm stack of fluffy pancakes. And when you bring Nutella into the mix? Well, that’s a whole other level of happy.

Pancakes have been around forever, starting as simple flatbreads cooked on hot rocks. And that amazing hazelnut spread we all love, Nutella, has its own cool story. It was invented in Italy after World War II when a baker named Pietro Ferrero got creative during a chocolate shortage. He used hazelnuts and just a little cocoa to make a delicious paste. And thank goodness he did!

But this recipe is a little different. A lot of recipes just tell you to slop some Nutella on top of a plain pancake. Not us. We’re doing something way better.

We’re putting the Nutella inside the batter.

And we’re adding a secret ingredient—coffee—to make the chocolate flavor deeper and richer. Every single bite is packed with a complex, mocha-like taste. It’s not just a pancake with Nutella; it’s a true Nutella pancake.

I first made these on a rainy Saturday morning, thinking I’d just try something new. My family went absolutely wild for them. Now, it’s our go-to for special occasions, or just when we need a little pick-me-up.

So, grab your whisk. Let’s make a breakfast you’ll be thinking about all week.

Recipe Overview

Prep and Cook Time

• Prep time: 10 minutes
• Cook time: 10 minutes
• Total time: 20 minutes

Yep, that’s it. Just 20 minutes from start to finish. It’s the perfect weekend treat that doesn’t require you to wake up at the crack of dawn.

Servings and Scaling Tips

This recipe makes about 6 good-sized pancakes. The original recipe confusingly calls them “muffins” in one spot, but trust me, we’re making pancakes!

Need to make more for a crowd? Or maybe just a few for yourself? No problem. The batter is super easy to adjust.

Servings	Flour	Sugar	Cocoa	Nutella	Milk	Eggs
Half (3 Servings)	¾ cup	2 tbsp	1 ½ tbsp	¼ cup	½ cup	1
Full (6 Servings)	1 ½ cups	¼ cup	3 tbsp	½ cup	1 cup	2
Double (12 Servings)	3 cups	½ cup	6 tbsp	1 cup	2 cups	4

Difficulty Level

• Super Easy. Honestly, these are pretty hard to mess up. The biggest challenge is knowing exactly when to flip the pancakes, and I’ll walk you right through that part. You’ve got this.

Equipment You’ll Need

You don’t need a bunch of fancy gadgets for this. Here’s what I use:

• Electric Griddle: These are great because the heat stays nice and even, and you can cook more pancakes at once.
  • What if I don’t have one? A good non-stick frying pan or a cast-iron skillet works just as well.
• Cookie Scoop: This is my secret weapon for perfectly round, same-sized pancakes. A ¼-cup scoop is ideal.
  • What if I don’t have one? No worries. A regular ¼-cup measuring cup or a small soup ladle gets the job done.
• Rubber Spatula: You need this for scraping every last bit of that amazing batter out of the bowl. We waste nothing!
• Whisk: Perfect for mixing your dry ingredients together.

Make-Ahead Tip for a Lazy Morning

I do this all the time. If you want to get a head start, mix all the dry ingredients—flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt—in a bowl. Then, just store it in an airtight container. It’ll be ready and waiting for you for up to a month. When you’re ready for pancakes, all you have to do is add the wet stuff.

The Ingredients

The real magic here is how a few simple things come together to create something incredible. Let’s talk about what you’ll need.

First, the dry stuff. This is the foundation of our pancakes. You’ll need:

• 1 ½ cups of all-purpose flour to hold everything together.
• ¼ cup of sugar for a bit of sweetness that lets the Nutella shine.
• 3 tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa powder for that deep chocolate flavor. Make sure you use the regular kind, not Dutch-processed.
• 2 teaspoons of baking powder and ½ teaspoon of baking soda. This is the tag team that makes your pancakes light and fluffy.
• ½ teaspoon of coarse kosher salt might not seem like much, but it’s the key to balancing all the sweetness.

Now, for the wet ingredients. This is where the fun begins. You’ll need:

• 1 cup of whole milk for richness.
• ½ cup of Nutella. This is the star of the show!
• 3 tablespoons of coffee. Here’s the secret trick. Don’t worry, they won’t taste like coffee. It just makes the chocolate flavor pop. You can use regular or decaf.
• 2 large eggs to bind it all together.
• 3 tablespoons of a neutral oil, like vegetable or canola oil.
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract for a little extra warmth.

And for the fun part—the toppings! Have some extra Nutella for drizzling, some chopped hazelnuts for a great crunch, and some fresh fruit, like sliced strawberries or raspberries.

The Step-by-Step Method

Alright, time to head to the kitchen. I’ll break down every step.

Step 1: Mix the Dry Stuff

Grab a large bowl. Dump in your flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Now, take your whisk and mix it all together for about 30 seconds. Don’t skip this! Whisking everything really well makes sure you don’t get a surprise mouthful of baking soda and helps every pancake rise perfectly.

Step 2: Make the Nutella Base

This is my favorite part. The whole kitchen starts to smell amazing.

In a separate, microwave-safe bowl, pour in your milk. Heat it in the microwave for about 30-45 seconds. You just want it warm, not boiling hot. Add the Nutella and coffee to the warm milk. At first, the Nutella will just be a stubborn blob. Just keep stirring. The warm milk will melt it down into a smooth, creamy, chocolatey dream.

Once it’s smooth, whisk in the eggs, vanilla, and oil until it’s all one beautiful, liquid mixture.

Step 3: Bring It All Together (Gently!)

This is the most important step for getting fluffy pancakes. So pay attention!

Pour the wet Nutella mixture into the dry ingredients. Put down the whisk. Grab your rubber spatula.

Now, gently fold everything together. And I mean gently. Stir only until you don’t see any more big patches of dry flour.

Stop! The biggest mistake people make is overmixing. If you stir until the batter is perfectly smooth, your pancakes will be tough and rubbery. You want the batter to be lumpy. Lumps are your friends. A few streaks of flour are totally fine. Seriously, stop mixing.

Step 4: Time to Cook

Let’s make some pancakes! Get your griddle or skillet over medium heat. How do you know when it’s ready? Drop a little bit of water on it. If it sizzles and disappears right away, you’re good to go.

Brush the pan with a little butter or cooking spray. Use your cookie scoop or measuring cup to drop batter onto the hot surface. Make sure you leave some space between them so they have room to spread out.

Now, watch closely. After a minute or two, you’ll see little bubbles start to form and pop on the surface. The edges will also start to look a little dry. That’s your signal.

Slide your spatula under the pancake and give it a confident flip. The cooked side should be a beautiful, deep brown. Let it cook for another minute or two on the other side. That’s it! Keep going until all that amazing batter is gone, stacking them on a plate as you go.

Want to Mix It Up?

This recipe is a great starting point, but feel free to play with it and make it your own. Here are a few ideas.

For Gooey, Nutella-Filled Pancakes

You know those pancakes with the melted Nutella center? They’re actually easy to make.

1. Before you start, scoop spoonfuls of Nutella onto a plate lined with parchment paper.
2. Flatten them into little discs and freeze them for about 20 minutes until they’re solid.
3. When you’re cooking, pour a little batter onto the pan, place a frozen Nutella disc in the middle, and quickly cover it with a bit more batter.
4. Cook like normal. The result is an awesome, gooey surprise inside!

Making it Gluten-Free or Vegan

• Gluten-Free? Just swap the regular flour for a good “cup-for-cup” gluten-free baking flour.
• Dairy-Free/Vegan? This is a little trickier, but you can do it. Use a creamy plant-based milk (like oat or soy) and a vegan Nutella alternative. For the eggs, try using a flax egg. The texture will be a little different, but still delicious.

Fun Flavor Twists

• Add a ½ teaspoon of cinnamon for a warm, spicy flavor.
• Toss in a little orange zest with the wet ingredients. Chocolate and orange are amazing together.
• Fold in a handful of mini chocolate chips right before you cook for even more chocolatey goodness.

Serving and Storing

Now for the best part—eating them!

How to Serve Them

Stack them high! A tall stack of these dark, chocolatey pancakes just looks incredible.

To make them extra special, warm up a little extra Nutella in the microwave (about 15 seconds) until it’s easy to pour, and drizzle it all over the top. Sprinkle on those chopped hazelnuts for crunch and scatter some fresh berries around the plate. The tartness from the berries cuts through the richness of the pancakes perfectly.

A glass of cold milk or a cup of hot coffee is all you need to complete the meal.

Storing Leftovers

If you have any leftovers, they save really well.

• In the Fridge: Let them cool down completely, then pop them in an airtight container. They’ll be good for up to 3 days.
• In the Freezer: Let them cool, then stack them with a small piece of parchment paper between each one so they don’t stick together. Put the whole stack in a freezer-safe bag. They’ll last for up to 2 months.

The best way to reheat them? Skip the microwave, which can make them rubbery. The best way is to pop them in your toaster or a toaster oven until they’re warm and a little crispy.

I really hope you love making—and eating—these pancakes. Happy cooking!

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