Madeleines with Nutella

Easy and delicious Madeleines with Nutella. This is a classic French madeleine recipe with tips on how to make madeleines perfectly every time.

madeleines with nutella on saucer with coffee cup

I have a real soft spot for madeleines. It could be because I have very early memories of eating these dainty little madeleine cakes, their light sponginess making them the perfect snack for little hands.

The madeleines of my childhood were always plain or lemon flavoured. These days, recipes abound with countless variations of flavours for these little cakes, both sweet and savoury. And I love them all!

plate of madeleines with nutella with cups of coffee in background

One particular variation which I make perhaps a bit too often is with Nutella, another great love of mine from my childhood. Growing up, I was made to believe that Nutella was unhealthy and, anyway, none of my school friends ate Nutella. You see, the “good kids” ate Vegemite so I was usually only given a little sachet of Nutella once in a blue moon as a treat.

Since meeting my husband, well, I don’t think he grew up eating Nutella but a lot of his friends certainly did. I recall one weekend where we were at brunch together and his friends were making themselves large bowls of hot chocolate and slathering thick spoonfuls of Nutella onto their slices of white bread. I watched in amazement, thinking to myself, “Is this really their breakfast?!”

It was a revelation for me, a confirmation that the French really do have it right most of the times when it comes to food 🙂

And since that time, I have been happily tucking into my jar of Nutella at breakfast and even branching out into more gourmet variations from specialty stores, making up for lost opportunities when I was younger.

I am a bit anxious to reveal photos of my madeleines here because my father-in-law has lay claim to making the best madeleines in the family. Once upon a time (yes, I think it was that long ago!), he made his first attempt at baking madeleines and claimed to have produced the most beautifully risen cakes with perfect little humps that no one else in the family had ever achieved, nor been able to replicate since. Alas, he achieved his goal with that one attempt and has since retired from any further baking.

grey plate with stack of madeleines

Below is a classic madeleine recipe; the Nutella is really optional. It is hard to say how many madeleines this recipe produces because madeleine moulds vary so much.

I make about 20 madeleines from this recipe, and often make one batch plain and the other batch with Nutella.

The batter can be made in advance and should rest for at least 1 hour in the fridge, but you can also leave it there overnight or even for a few days. This means they are perfect for when you have guests over as the batter can be prepared well in advance.

madeleines with nutella step by step photo
Print

Madeleines with Nutella

madeleines with nutella coffee

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

5 from 1 review

  • Author: Thanh | Eat, Little Bird
  • Prep Time: 15 mins
  • Cook Time: 10 mins
  • Total Time: 25 minutes
  • Yield: Makes 12 cakes
  • Category: Dessert
  • Method: Oven
  • Cuisine: French

Easy and delicious Madeleines with Nutella. This is a classic French madeleine recipe with tips on how to make madeleines perfectly every time.

Ingredients

Instructions

For step-by-step photos on how to make madeleines, please see my recipe for French Madeleines.

  1. Melt the butter in a small saucepan on low heat and leave aside to cool.
  2. In a large bowl (or the bowl of a KitchenAid), whisk together the eggs and the caster sugar.
  3. Add the plain flour, baking powder, the cooled and melted butter, and the lemon zest.
  4. Whisk until everything is well incorporated and the batter is thick in consistency.
  5. Leave the batter to rest in the fridge for at least 1 hour.
  6. Preheat the oven to 270°C (518°F).
  7. Generously grease the madeleine mould with butter, even if it is non-stick.
  8. Place a small amount of batter in each mould, just enough to cover the bottom.
  9. Then add a drop of Nutella in the centre of the batter, using a small teaspoon. It is best if the Nutella is cold so it is easier to manage. One trick is to place a tablespoon of Nutella into a small plastic bag (such as a freezer bag) and then snip off the corner and use this like a piping bag to squeeze small amounts of Nutella onto the batter. Try not to use too much Nutella, otherwise it will sink to the bottom of the cake.
  10. Cover the Nutella with some more batter to fill the mould.
  11. Place the tray in the oven and immediately turn the temperature down to 210°C (410°F).
  12. Bake until the madeleines have puffed up and are golden brown on top. For large madeleine moulds, this might take about 7 minutes. For mini madeleine moulds, they only take a few minutes, so it is best just to keep a diligent eye on the oven.
  13. Leave them to cool on a wire rack (the ridge-side facing down), and serve them warm or cold.

Kitchen Notes

OVEN TEMPERATURES
All recipes on this website state temperatures for a regular oven (i.e. a conventional oven without fan). If you have a convection oven with a fan, please consult the manufacturer’s handbook on how to adjust the temperature and baking time accordingly.

CONVERSIONS
To convert from cups to grams, and vice-versa, please see this handy Conversion Chart for Basic Ingredients.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1
  • Calories: 202
  • Sugar: 12.6g
  • Sodium: 19.9mg
  • Fat: 11.5g
  • Carbohydrates: 22.3g
  • Fiber: 0.3g
  • Protein: 3g
  • Cholesterol: 73.4mg

Did you make this recipe?

Please leave a comment below and share your photos by tagging @eatlittlebird on Instagram and using #eatlittlebird

#eatlittlebird

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe rating 5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

38 comments

  1. Caroline 2 October 2011

    I tried your recipe recently Thanh and it was a bit of a revelation! A batter that can sit in the fridge for days, be baked straight from the fridge and one that rose and peaked beautifully in mere minutes? Too good, but so true! Absolutely fantastic!

    Love your FIL’s story!!!

    Reply
    • eat little bird 2 October 2011

      Hi Carrie! I’m so happy to hear that you and your family enjoyed this recipe. It is a pretty simple recipe, isn’t it? It’s a favourite stand-by of mine. I can’t wait to see your photos! 🙂

      Reply
      • Caroline 22 October 2011

        Coming soon…though mine aren’t as delicately pale as yours! Didn’t stop me eating them though!

        Reply
  2. manu 2 October 2011

    Hi, these madeleines sound so yummy!!!
    Have a nice week end

    Reply
  3. Claudine 2 October 2011

    I adore the main photo here and you know how much I love this recipe Thanh – I have made these on many an occasion now both with and without the Nutella and still feel that, without a shadow of doubt, this is by far and away the best Madeleine recipe ever…

    It makes you appreciate why Marcel Proust was inspired so heavily by them!

    Thank you once again for sharing one of my favourite recipes ever 🙂

    Claudine x

    Reply
    • eat little bird 2 October 2011

      You are more than welcome, Claudine 🙂 When I first shared the recipe a year ago, little did I know that anyone would even attempt it, so I’m just thrilled that this recipe has become a favourite of yours 🙂

      And that main photo also remains my favourite. I can’t believe I took it nearly a year ago!

      Reply
  4. Dawn 2 October 2011

    Oh my, madeleines batter that can be made in advance and sit happily in the fridge, to be baked whenever I want a nice warm madeleine (or four)? That spells trouble! And these sames madeleines with Nutella?! Double trouble!!!

    A beautiful, inspiring post – as always – cremebrulee.

    Reply
    • eat little bird 2 October 2011

      Hi Dawn! Indeed, this batter can be kept in the fridge for a few days (I haven’t tried it past a few days) and still rises beautifully in the oven. The Nutella filling is, of course, a real treat 🙂

      Reply
  5. Liz Headon 3 October 2011

    These sound lovely. I’ve only ever had shop-bought madeleines, which can be very dry: I assume these are anything but…

    Reply
    • eat little bird 3 October 2011

      Hi Liz! There are some pretty good shop-bought madeleines – I know because I grew up eating them! 🙂 Of course, home-baked is always better and these are pretty light, not dry at all.

      Reply
  6. Jo 3 October 2011

    Creme you are the Queen of Beautiful Simplicity! What with the design of your blog, uncluttered writing and clear recipes lest we forget the stunning crockery you rock, girl! Nutella was a childhood treat of mine I’m ashamed to say on a much more regular occasion than for you but sadly I only discovered madeleines after hubby gave me a pan for our first wedding anniversary this august. I must try these, I just *know* I’ll love them without even tasting one! Can I say, I just adore the white coffee cup and saucer with a perfect space for a lil sumfin-sumfin sweet with ones coffee 😉

    Reply
    • eat little bird 3 October 2011

      Aww, thank you Jo 🙂 What a lovely first anniversary gift from your husband!!! Super thoughtful, I say. Have you christened it yet? If you ever pop by for a cuppa, I’ll be sure to have this tea set out for you 😉

      Reply
  7. Lemon 3 October 2011

    I love madeleines, and especially I am a big fan of the different sorts and ideas that have come up recently. The nutella madeleines sound yummy!
    Well, and I also have to say, this is a very beautiful blog, I like it!

    Reply
    • eat little bird 3 October 2011

      Hallo Lemon! Thank you so much! I see you that you are also a fan of French cuisine so you must be quite familiar with these gorgeous madeleines.

      I just visited your blog and am so impressed that your posts are in both English and German! Perfect for me! Ich freue mich auf deine nächste Blog-Post 🙂

      Reply
  8. Natalie 24 May 2012

    Bonsoir
    Le secret de bonnes madeleines gonflées à souhait est le temps de repos de la pâte. Laissez votre pâte 30 mn à température ambiante avant de cuire les madeleines, vous verrez la différence !
    By the way, vos photos sont réellement appétissantes.
    Bien @ vous
    Natalie

    Reply
    • eat, little bird 25 May 2012

      Merci pour votre conseil! J’essaierai la prochaine fois. En matière de madeleines, je suis convaincue que la réussite se mesure principalement à la taille de la bosse 🙂

      Reply
  9. Camilla 21 June 2012

    Love the whole concept of these and will defo bake tomorrow. My daughter eats Nutella most mornings so these will be a big hit with her.

    Reply
    • eat, little bird 21 June 2012

      Oh wonderful! These madeleines are definitely a hit with children … well, for any lover of Nutella really! Enjoy!

      Reply
  10. Christine 8 August 2013

    I have just made these and they are lovely. Left the mixture in the fridge for 4 days and it was fine – good to know that it will keep.

    Reply
    • eat, little bird 9 August 2013

      I’m glad you enjoyed this recipe! It’s a great one to have which you can make in advance 🙂

      Reply
  11. Christine 13 August 2013

    I’ve just adapted this recipe to make lime and blueberry madeleines and both these recipes are going down a storm with the lads on the early shift at work 🙂

    Reply
    • eat, little bird 15 August 2013

      Oh that’s wonderful to hear!! And I love the changes which you have made – I’ve never thought to add blueberries to the madeleine batter before but it sounds perfect.

      Reply
  12. Emily 16 June 2015

    My french boyfriend had an out-of-the-blue craving for madeleines with nutella the other day, luckily for me I found your website! These madeleines were the best I’ve ever made, absolutely perfect! I’ve made them twice now, and a third time with chocolate chips as we had finished the nutella 🙂 Thank you so much! Will definitely try some of your other recipes now!

    Reply
    • Eat, Little Bird 16 June 2015

      I’m so glad to hear! Thank you for your lovely feedback 🙂 Madeleines with chocolate chips sound great too!

      Reply
  13. Julia 12 April 2018

    WOW…how deliciously does this look! So cute!! Thanks for the great recipe!






    Reply