Stuffed Nutella pancakes are a filled pancake: batter poured in two stages with a frozen disc of Nutella sealed between them. The frozen core keeps the filling from bleeding into the pan. You get a clean golden crust and a molten centre on the plate.
Weigh the batter ingredients. Volume measures vary by up to twenty grams per cup, and this batter is sensitive to flour weight. Freeze the Nutella portions at least thirty minutes before you start.
Cook on medium-low heat. High heat browns the outside before the centre sets, and the filling breaks through the seam. Watch the edges for bubbles, then flip once.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
About the Ingredients
260 g (2 cups) all-purpose flour
Weigh flour rather than scooping; a scooped cup can hold 150 g and will thicken the batter. Substitute bread flour for a chewier crumb, but add 20 g extra milk.
24 g (2 tbsp) granulated sugar
Sugar feeds browning, so do not cut it below 15 g or the crust stays pale. Caster sugar dissolves faster if you mix by hand.
12 g (2 1/2 tsp) baking powder
Check the date on the tin; stale baking powder gives flat pancakes. Substitute 3 g (3/4 tsp) baking soda plus 5 g (1 tsp) lemon juice if needed.
3 g (1/2 tsp) fine sea salt
Salt balances the sweet filling; omit it and the pancakes taste flat. Use table salt at 2 g if fine sea salt is unavailable.
2 large eggs, about 100 g, at room temperature
Room-temperature eggs emulsify faster into the milk. Pull them from the fridge 30 minutes ahead, or rest them in warm water for 5 minutes.
360 g (1 1/2 cups) whole milk
Whole milk gives the fluffiest structure; 2% works with a slightly thinner batter. Substitute oat milk 1:1 for a dairy-free version.
56 g (4 tbsp) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
Cool the butter to below 40 C (104 F) before mixing; hot butter cooks the eggs. Substitute neutral oil at 50 g for the same fat content.
300 g (about 1 cup) Nutella, divided into 12 portions of 25 g
Portion with a scale, then freeze on parchment for 30 minutes. Substitute any chocolate-hazelnut spread with a similar firmness.
15 g (1 tbsp) neutral oil, for the pan
Oil handles higher heat than butter and will not burn between batches. Use a pastry brush to apply a thin, even film.
Tips & Tricks
Freeze the filling hard
Nutella must be solid at 25 g per disc, roughly 30 minutes, or it spreads to the seam and leaks.
Rest the batter 10 minutes
Gluten hydrates and the batter thickens, which holds the filling in place during the flip.
Keep the heat medium-low
150 C (300 F) pan surface browns the crust in 3 minutes without burning the sugar.
Seal the seam fully
Press the top batter ring down with a spatula so no gap remains around the frozen disc.
Pro Tips
Step-by-Step Instructions
1. Freeze the Nutella
Scoop 12 portions of 25 g Nutella onto parchment and freeze for 30 minutes (solid discs hold their shape during cooking). The discs are ready when they release cleanly from the paper without smearing.
2. Whisk dry ingredients
Whisk 260 g flour, 24 g sugar, 12 g baking powder and 3 g salt in a large bowl for 20 seconds (even distribution prevents bitter pockets of baking powder). Stop when no streaks of white remain.
3. Combine wet ingredients
Whisk 2 eggs, 360 g milk and 56 g cooled melted butter in a jug (cool butter prevents egg curdling). The mixture is ready when the surface is uniform and slightly foamy.
4. Mix the batter
Pour the wet into the dry and fold with a spatula until just combined, about 15 strokes (overmixing develops gluten and makes the pancakes tough). Small lumps are correct; a smooth batter is overworked.
5. Rest the batter
Rest the batter uncovered for 10 minutes at room temperature (hydration thickens it so the filling stays sealed). It should coat the back of a spoon in a thin film.
6. Cook the bases
Heat a nonstick pan to 150 C (300 F) and brush with oil. Pour 60 g batter per pancake and cook 90 seconds (the base must set before the filling goes on). Edges look matte and bubbles begin to form.
7. Add filling and seal
Place one frozen Nutella disc in the centre of each base. Spoon 40 g batter over the top, covering the disc fully to the edges (an exposed edge becomes a leak). The top batter should just meet the base rim.
8. Flip and finish
Cover the pan and cook 3 minutes, then flip and cook 2 minutes more at 150 C (300 F) (covered steam sets the centre). Both sides are golden brown and the pancake springs back when pressed.
9. Rest and serve
Move pancakes to a rack for 2 minutes before serving (the filling is above 70 C (158 F) and will burn your mouth). Cut one open to confirm the centre flows.
Delicious Variations
Banana Nutella
Lay three thin banana slices around the frozen disc before sealing for a fruit centre.
Buckwheat Version
Swap 80 g of the flour for buckwheat flour and add 20 g milk for a nuttier crumb.
Mini Stack
Make 30 g bases with 12 g filling portions and cook 2 minutes per side for brunch platters.
How to Store Stuffed Nutella Pancakes
Refrigerator
Store cooled pancakes in an airtight container for up to 3 days; layer with parchment so the filling does not stick.
Freezer
Freeze flat on a tray for 1 hour, then bag for up to 2 months; reheat without thawing.
Reheating
Reheat in a 160 C (320 F) oven for 8 minutes from frozen, or 3 minutes from the fridge; the centre returns to molten.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Why did my Nutella leak out of the pancakes?
The filling was not frozen solid or the top batter did not reach the base rim. Freeze discs for a full 30 minutes and spoon 40 g batter over each one, pressing the edges to seal.
Q: Can I make stuffed Nutella pancakes ahead of time?
Yes, cook them fully, cool on a rack and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for 2 months. Reheat in a 160 C (320 F) oven so the centre melts again without drying the crumb.
Q: How do I know when a stuffed pancake is cooked through?
The sides look set and dry, the surface springs back when pressed, and the internal temperature reaches 90 C (194 F). If the centre feels soft and wet under your finger, give it another minute on low heat.
Q: Can I use a different filling instead of Nutella?
Any firm chocolate-hazelnut or chocolate spread works if it freezes solid. Peanut butter, dulce de leche and thick jam also freeze well; avoid runny syrups because they leak at the seam.
Q: Why are my pancakes flat and not fluffy?
The batter was overmixed or the leavening is old. Fold until just combined, rest 10 minutes, and check the baking powder date before you start.
Weigh the flour, freeze the filling, and keep the pan at 150 C (300 F). Make a batch this weekend and tell me how the centre turned out. Weigh, watch, repeat.
Stuffed Nutella Pancakes
Stuffed Nutella pancakes: fluffy buttermilk batter wrapped around a molten hazelnut centre, golden in the pan and ready in 50 minutes flat.
🧂 Ingredients
- 260 g (2 cups) all-purpose flour
- 24 g (2 tbsp) granulated sugar
- 12 g (2 1/2 tsp) baking powder
- 3 g (1/2 tsp) fine sea salt
- 2 large eggs, about 100 g, at room temperature
- 360 g (1 1/2 cups) whole milk
- 56 g (4 tbsp) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- 300 g (about 1 cup) Nutella, divided into 12 portions of 25 g
- 15 g (1 tbsp) neutral oil, for the pan
📋 Instructions
- 1Freeze the Nutella — Scoop 12 portions of 25 g Nutella onto parchment and freeze for 30 minutes (solid discs hold their shape during cooking). The discs are ready when they release cleanly from the paper without smearing.
- 2Whisk dry ingredients — Whisk 260 g flour, 24 g sugar, 12 g baking powder and 3 g salt in a large bowl for 20 seconds (even distribution prevents bitter pockets of baking powder). Stop when no streaks of white remain.
- 3Combine wet ingredients — Whisk 2 eggs, 360 g milk and 56 g cooled melted butter in a jug (cool butter prevents egg curdling). The mixture is ready when the surface is uniform and slightly foamy.
- 4Mix the batter — Pour the wet into the dry and fold with a spatula until just combined, about 15 strokes (overmixing develops gluten and makes the pancakes tough). Small lumps are correct; a smooth batter is overworked.
- 5Rest the batter — Rest the batter uncovered for 10 minutes at room temperature (hydration thickens it so the filling stays sealed). It should coat the back of a spoon in a thin film.
- 6Cook the bases — Heat a nonstick pan to 150 C (300 F) and brush with oil. Pour 60 g batter per pancake and cook 90 seconds (the base must set before the filling goes on). Edges look matte and bubbles begin to form.
- 7Add filling and seal — Place one frozen Nutella disc in the centre of each base. Spoon 40 g batter over the top, covering the disc fully to the edges (an exposed edge becomes a leak). The top batter should just meet the base rim.
- 8Flip and finish — Cover the pan and cook 3 minutes, then flip and cook 2 minutes more at 150 C (300 F) (covered steam sets the centre). Both sides are golden brown and the pancake springs back when pressed.
- 9Rest and serve — Move pancakes to a rack for 2 minutes before serving (the filling is above 70 C (158 F) and will burn your mouth). Cut one open to confirm the centre flows.
Tomasz writes precise, method-first recipes for breads, ferments, and slow braises, drawing on Polish and Central European home cooking. He cares about weights, temperatures, and timing, and explains the reason behind each step so cooks can repeat results. His angle is turning fussy techniques into clear, checkable instructions.