Nutella Pancakes Quick And Easy Recipe
If you have a jar of Nutella sitting in your pantry and a lazy morning ahead of you, this recipe was made for that exact moment. These are not fancy restaurant pancakes. They are simple, homemade, and genuinely good in the way that only a weekend breakfast can be.
The batter comes together in about five minutes. The Nutella goes inside, on top, or both — depending on how you are feeling that morning. Either way the result is a warm, chocolatey stack that feels like a treat without being complicated.
This recipe works for kids, works for brunch with friends, and works just as well for one person eating alone at the kitchen counter on a Saturday morning. No judgment here.
What You Will Need
For the pancake batter:
1 cup all purpose flour 2 tablespoons sugar 1 teaspoon baking powder Half teaspoon baking soda Pinch of salt 1 cup buttermilk (or regular milk with a teaspoon of white vinegar stirred in and left for five minutes) 1 large egg 2 tablespoons melted butter 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the Nutella part:
Half cup Nutella, slightly warmed so it is easier to work with
For topping (optional but recommended):
Sliced bananas Sliced strawberries Whipped cream Powdered sugar Extra Nutella drizzled on top Chopped hazelnuts
How to Make Nutella Pancakes
Step 1 — Mix the dry ingredients
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Just a quick mix to combine everything evenly. Set it aside.
Step 2 — Mix the wet ingredients
In a separate smaller bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, egg, melted butter, and vanilla extract. Make sure the butter is not too hot when you add it or it will scramble the egg.
Step 3 — Combine wet and dry
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir gently until just combined. Do not overmix. A few lumps in the batter are completely fine and actually give you fluffier pancakes. Overmixing makes them tough and flat.
Let the batter rest for five minutes while your pan heats up. This step makes a noticeable difference in the texture.
Step 4 — Warm your Nutella
Spoon your Nutella into a small microwave safe bowl and heat it for about fifteen to twenty seconds. Stir it. It should be slightly runny and easy to drop by the spoonful. Not boiling hot — just loose enough to work with.
Step 5 — Cook the pancakes
Heat a non stick pan or griddle over medium heat. Add a small pat of butter or a light spray of cooking oil. You want the pan warm enough that a drop of water sizzles when it hits the surface.
Pour about a quarter cup of batter onto the pan for each pancake.
Here is where you have two options.
Option A — Nutella swirl inside: Drop a small teaspoon of warmed Nutella right in the center of the wet batter after you pour it. Use a toothpick or skewer to swirl it gently. Then cook as normal.
Option B — Nutella stuffed: Pour a small round of batter, add a spoonful of Nutella in the center, then pour a little more batter over the top to cover it completely. This gives you a melty Nutella center when you cut into it.
Cook each pancake for about two to three minutes on the first side. You will know it is ready to flip when bubbles form on the surface and the edges start to look set. Flip once and cook for another one to two minutes.
Do not press down on the pancakes with your spatula. It deflates them and you lose all the fluffiness.
Step 6 — Stack and serve
Stack your pancakes and add your toppings. A drizzle of warmed Nutella on top, some sliced banana, a dusting of powdered sugar, and maybe some whipped cream if you are going all in.
Serve immediately. Nutella pancakes are best eaten hot off the pan.
A Few Tips That Actually Help
Do not skip the resting time. Five minutes of batter rest makes the pancakes noticeably fluffier. It lets the baking powder activate properly.
Keep the heat at medium. Too high and the outside burns before the inside cooks through. Too low and they spread out too much and go flat. Medium and steady is the right call.
Warm your Nutella before using it. Cold Nutella straight from the jar is too thick to swirl or stuff properly. A quick fifteen second microwave fixes that.
Use buttermilk if you can. Regular milk works fine but buttermilk gives the pancakes a slight tang and a better texture. The quick substitute with regular milk and vinegar works surprisingly well if you do not have buttermilk on hand.
Make them ahead if needed. Cooked pancakes keep well in a low oven (around 200 degrees) on a baking sheet while you finish the rest of the batch. They stay warm and do not get soggy.
Common Questions
Can I add Nutella directly into the batter? You can stir a few tablespoons into the batter but it tends to make the pancakes denser and can cause them to burn faster because of the sugar content in Nutella. The swirl or stuffed method gives better results.
Can I make these without buttermilk? Yes. Add one teaspoon of white vinegar or lemon juice to one cup of regular milk, stir, and let it sit for five minutes. It mimics buttermilk well enough for pancakes.
Can I make the batter the night before? The batter is best used fresh but you can mix the dry and wet ingredients separately the night before and combine them in the morning. Pre-mixed batter stored overnight loses some of its lift.
How do I store leftover pancakes? Stack them with a small piece of parchment between each one and store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to two days. Reheat in a toaster or a warm pan. The microwave makes them a little soft but it works in a pinch.
Nutella Pancakes Worth Making Again
These are the kind of pancakes that become a weekend habit. Once you make them the first time you will find yourself reaching for the Nutella jar every Saturday morning without even thinking about it.
The recipe is forgiving, the ingredients are simple, and the result is always good. That is really all a breakfast recipe needs to be.
Make the batter, warm the Nutella, and enjoy a slow morning. You earned it.
