This recipe for chocolate hazelnut cupcakes is chocolate cupcakes filled with milk chocolate hazelnut spread, then finished off with chocolate hazelnut frosting and fresh berries. The perfect treat for a special occasion!
It is celebration season in my family – between April and July we have a ton of birthdays, anniversaries and other special occasions! My husband recently had a birthday and he is a chocolate lover, so I knew some kind of chocolate cake was in order. I decided to make these chocolate hazelnut cupcakes to celebrate his special day. These are no ordinary cupcakes – they’re stuffed with chocolate hazelnut spread and are also topped off with a chocolate hazelnut frosting. These cupcakes are a decadent treat that are actually quite simple to make.
How do you make chocolate hazelnut cupcakes?
This recipe starts with a basic chocolate cupcake. The next step is to cut a hole in the middle of the cupcakes – I have a little cupcake coring tool that I bought for less than $5 at a kitchen store, but you could also use the back of a piping tip or a small cookie cutter to cut the holes. The cupcakes are filled with Chocmeister® milk chocolately hazelnut spread which makes for a fun surprise when you bite into them.
Have you tried Chocmeister® milk chocolatey spread yet? It’s a chocolate hazelnut spread with 25% less sugar and double the protein of other chocolate hazelnut spreads. It’s perfect in desserts like these cupcakes but also wholesome enough that I feel good about feeding it to my kids. We use Chocmeister® milk chocolately hazelnut spread as a dip for fruit, spread on toast or topping for pancakes.
After the cupcakes are stuffed with Chocmeister®, it’s time to make the frosting. The frosting is a simple buttercream that’s flavored with a healthy dose of Chocmeister® milky chocolately hazelnut spread which makes a great complement to the cupcake base. The finish touch is an assortment of fresh berries – the kids helped me decorate these chocolate hazelnut cupcakes and were so excited to show them to their dad!
These cupcakes are perfect for any special occasion, and can be made up to a day in advance. You’re sure to get plenty of smiles and rave reviews when you serve up these elegant treats!
Still hungry? Follow Dinner at the Zoo on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest for more great recipe ideas!
MORE FABULOUS DESSERTS
Chocolate Hazelnut Cupcakes
Ingredients
For the cupcakes
- 1/2 cup Chocolate hazelnut spread
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder
- 3/4 cup all purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
For the frosting
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 cup Chocolate hazelnut spread
- 3 tablespoons milk or more if needed
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- For garnish: fresh berries and mint sprigs
Instructions
- For the cupcakes:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a muffin pan with 12 paper liners.
- Stir together the cocoa powder, flour, baking soda, and baking powder together in a medium bowl until thoroughly combined.
- In a second bowl, whisk the eggs, granulated sugar, brown sugar, oil, and vanilla together until smooth. Whisk in the buttermilk until completely incorporated. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir until just combined.
- Pour the batter into the liners until each cup is halfway full.
- Bake for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from pan and cool on a wire rack.
- Cut a hole into the top of each cupcake with a cupcake corer, small cookie cutter or the back of a piping tip. Reserve the cupcake cores. Spoon 2 teaspoons of Chocmeister® milk chocolately hazelnut spread into each hole. Place the cupcake cores back into the holes - you may need to trim a bit off the bottom so that they fit.
- For the frosting:
- Beat butter at medium speed with a stand mixer or hand mixer for 2-3 minutes until smooth and creamy. Add the powdered sugar and continue to beat on medium speed until combined. Add the Chocmeister® milk chocolately hazelnut spread and beat for 30 more seconds. Add the milk and vanilla and beat until combined. If you need to thin the frosting you can add more milk, 1 teaspoon at a time, until desired consistency is reached.
- Pipe the frosting onto the cupcakes with a piping tip and bag. I used an open star tip. Decorate the cupcakes with fresh berries and mint sprigs as desired.
Notes
Nutrition
This post is sponsored by Peanut Butter & Co. – thank you for supporting the brands that make Dinner at the Zoo possible!
Debbie says
I have made these multiple times and everyone loves them!
Hillary says
Pretty good. Everyone that tried them really liked them. I personally wasn’t a fan of how sweet the frosting was, and mine did not get as dark or pipe as well as the ones shown. All in all a good recipe for a sweet tooth
DJ says
I would love to make chocolate banana bread.
beth says
I would probably make a chocolate cinnamon roll.
Ally says
As tempting as these look, I’m not huge on making cupcakes. I think I’d do fancypants grilled cheese with this and brie. Nom nom nom!!
Bee Gianni says
These look yummy, can’t wait to make them.
patricia caradonna says
I’d cover it in milk chocolate and make round bite size balls.
Susan P. says
I would use it like peanut butter and make cookies, muffins and spread it on toast or in a sandwich.
David says
I am not very creative in the kitchen, so I would probably just use it as a spread.
Chris Scheuer says
These are drop dead gorgeous Sara and look like a chocolate lover’s dream come true. I know your husband was thrilled with them!
Melanie Kathryn says
These are gorgeous! I just want to sink my teeth into one. Pinning!
Janet Morrissey says
The first thing would be to just take a spoonful all by itself! They I’d spread it on bread with a sliced banana.
Beatrice says
These cupcakes look so amazing and I love hazelnut spread!
Maggie | Omnivore's Cookbook says
Hazelnut flavor is my mom’s favorite so she’ll love this recipe! Can’t wait to make these for our next family gathering 🙂
Robyn @ Simply Fresh Dinners says
Wow, I fell in love with the outside but when I saw the inside, Ialmost fell over. These are such beautiful cupcakes, Sara! I am truly blown away.
sue|theviewfromgreatisland says
These are bakery window worthy! These look like the prefect celebration cupcakes, pinning and sharing <3
Jennifer @ Seasons and Suppers says
Absolutely beautiful and I love the chocolate hazelnut filling, because you can never have too much chocolate!
Tricia @ Saving room for dessert says
These look so creamy – and I love a good hazelnut spread. Perfect for the chocolate lover in my family … me!