Chocolate Nutella Pancakes - Pull Apart the Stack and Watch the Magic Happen!

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Chocolate Nutella Pancakes — Pull Apart the Stack and Watch the Liquid Nutella Pour Out!

By The Kitchenette Bite | Brunch Recipes | Easy Chocolate Breakfast Ideas

There are pancakes. And then there are these. Giant thick chocolate Nutella pancakes stacked four high with a generous spread of liquid Nutella between every single layer, the whole tower so tall and dramatic that it barely fits on the plate. Pull the top pancake apart while everything is still warm and liquid Nutella pours out from between the layers in a thick dark glossy river that runs down the side of the stack and pools on the plate. This is not breakfast. This is a full theatrical experience that happens to be served at brunch.

The secret to this recipe is using Nutella in two completely different ways simultaneously. Nutella goes directly into the pancake batter — replacing much of the fat and adding both the chocolate and hazelnut flavor that gives these pancakes their distinctive deep mahogany color and impossibly rich taste. Then warm Nutella is spread between every layer of the stack immediately after cooking while everything is still hot, turning each interlayer into a liquid molten filling. The result is a pancake stack where every single bite hits batter and filling at the same time — fluffy chocolate pancake and liquid hazelnut chocolate in every mouthful.

This post covers the complete batter technique, the layering method, and the TOP Reddit questions about Nutella pancakes — all answered! Click the Visit Site button for the full printable recipe card!

Ingredients List

For the Chocolate Nutella Pancake Batter (makes 4 to 5 large pancakes):

  • 1 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

  • 2 tbsp dark cocoa powder

  • 2 tsp baking powder

  • 1/4 tsp salt

  • 2 tbsp granulated sugar

  • 2 large eggs, room temperature

  • 1 cup whole milk, room temperature

  • 1/3 cup Nutella, warmed slightly for easy mixing

  • 2 tbsp melted unsalted butter

  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

For the Nutella Filling Between Layers:

  • 1/2 cup Nutella warmed until pourable

  • Extra warm Nutella for drizzling on top

Optional Toppings:

  • Dark chocolate chips scattered over the finished stack

  • Powdered sugar dusted over the top

  • Fresh strawberries or raspberries for a fruit contrast

  • Extra warm Nutella drizzle from a squeeze bottle

Equipment:

  • Large non-stick skillet or griddle

  • Offset spatula for flipping

  • Small saucepan or microwave for warming Nutella

Step-By-Step Instructions

Step 1: Make the Nutella Batter

The most important thing to know about this batter is that the Nutella needs to be warm and fluid before it goes in. Cold Nutella straight from the jar is too thick to fully incorporate into the batter and will leave streaks and lumps. Microwave the Nutella in a small bowl for 20 to 30 seconds until it is loose and pourable, stirring once. In a large bowl whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, salt, and sugar. In a separate bowl whisk together the eggs, milk, warmed Nutella, melted butter, and vanilla until completely smooth and uniform. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and whisk until just combined — the batter will look thick, smooth and deeply chocolatey, the color of dark milk chocolate. Do not overmix — a few small lumps are completely fine and actually preferred. Overmixed pancake batter develops gluten and produces tough flat pancakes rather than the fluffy thick result this recipe needs. Let the batter rest for 5 minutes while the pan heats.

Step 2: Cook Each Pancake Individually

Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium heat until a drop of water flicked onto the surface sizzles and evaporates immediately — this temperature test is more reliable than any timer. Add a small amount of butter and let it melt and foam. Pour a generous ladleful of batter into the center of the pan — for a full pan-sized pancake like the ones in this recipe use about 3/4 cup of batter per pancake. The batter is thick and will not spread much on its own — use the back of the ladle to gently guide it outward in a spiral from the center if needed. Cook on medium to medium-low heat for 3 to 4 minutes until bubbles form across the entire surface and the edges look set and matte rather than shiny and wet. This longer cook time on medium-low heat versus a short hot cook is what creates the thick fluffy interior rather than a flat dense pancake. Flip in one confident motion and cook for 2 more minutes until the second side is equally set. Remove to a warm plate.

Step 3: Build the Nutella Layer Stack

This step is all about timing and temperature — the Nutella layers need to go on while each pancake is still hot from the pan so the filling stays liquid and pourable rather than setting into a solid layer. Place the first cooked pancake on the vintage plate. Immediately spread a generous tablespoon of warm Nutella across the entire surface right to the edges — work quickly so it does not start setting. Place the second pancake on top and press very gently. Repeat the Nutella layer. Continue stacking and spreading until all pancakes are used. The Nutella between each layer stays liquid from the residual heat of the pancakes — as long as you work while everything is warm the filling will remain pourable.

Step 4: Top and Serve Immediately

Warm the remaining Nutella in the microwave for 20 seconds until completely pourable. Hold the squeeze bottle or spoon above the top of the stack and drizzle in a generous slow pour from the center outward letting it run down the sides of the stack in dramatic dark rivers. Scatter dark chocolate chips over the top, dust with powdered sugar if desired, and serve the entire stack immediately at the table. The pull apart reveal is best executed while everything is still warm — grip the top pancake with two thumbs from either side and pull slowly apart to watch the liquid Nutella pour from between the layers in real time.

Top Chocolate Nutella Pancake Questions — Answered!

Question 1: “My Nutella pancakes are coming out flat and dense instead of thick and fluffy — what am I doing wrong?”

Flat dense Nutella pancakes have three main causes. First and most commonly — batter that was overmixed. Once you combine wet and dry ingredients stop whisking the moment the flour disappears. Active gluten development from overmixing is the enemy of a fluffy thick pancake. Second — pan temperature too high. A pan that is too hot sets the exterior of the pancake before the batter has time to rise and puff from the baking powder. Medium to medium-low heat and a longer cook time produces a taller fluffier result than high heat and a fast cook. Third — baking powder that is past its best. Test yours by dropping a teaspoon into a cup of hot water — if it bubbles vigorously it is active, if it barely reacts it needs replacing. Fresh active baking powder is the difference between a pancake that rises and one that does not.

Question 2: “How do I keep the Nutella layers liquid inside the stack and stop them from setting solid before serving?”

The liquid Nutella layer between pancakes is entirely a temperature game. Nutella sets firm when it cools and stays liquid when warm. Three techniques keep the layers pourable at serving time. First — only spread Nutella between layers while each pancake is still hot from the pan, never on a cooled pancake. Second — warm the Nutella to a genuinely pourable consistency before spreading, not just room temperature softness. Third — serve the stack immediately after the final drizzle. If you need to hold the stack for any reason place the entire plate in an oven at 200 degrees F for up to 10 minutes — the gentle heat keeps the Nutella layers liquid without cooking the pancakes further.

Question 3: “Can I make Nutella pancake batter ahead of time the night before?”

You can refrigerate the batter overnight but with an important modification. Make the batter without the Nutella mixed in — combine all the dry ingredients, all the wet ingredients except the Nutella, cover and refrigerate separately. The next morning warm the Nutella, stir it into the refrigerated batter, and cook immediately. Adding the Nutella to the full batter and refrigerating overnight causes the Nutella fats to solidify and create uneven distribution throughout the batter that does not fully re-incorporate even after stirring. Keeping the Nutella addition as a fresh morning step produces the most uniform deeply chocolatey batter and the fluffiest thickest result.

Pro Tips for the Most Dramatic Nutella Pancake Stack

  • Warm the Nutella before it goes into the batter and before it goes between the layers — cold Nutella in either application ruins the texture and the presentation.

  • Medium-low heat and patience produces taller fluffier pancakes than high heat every single time — resist the urge to rush the cook.

  • The pull apart reveal requires the stack to still be warm — do not let it sit for more than 5 minutes before executing the reveal or the Nutella will have firmed too much to pour dramatically.

  • A vintage or beautiful plate dramatically elevates the visual impact of this recipe — the white floral plate against the deep chocolate brown pancakes is one of the most beautiful food combinations on Pinterest.

  • Use a large pan for maximum pancake size — the bigger the pancake the more dramatic the stack looks and the more surface area there is for the Nutella layer between each one.

  • Let the batter rest for 5 minutes before cooking — this allows the baking powder to activate slightly and the gluten to relax, both of which produce a taller fluffier result.

Delicious Variations

Nutella Banana Pancakes: Add 1 mashed ripe banana to the batter and layer sliced bananas between the Nutella filling layers — the banana and hazelnut chocolate combination is extraordinary.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Pancakes: Replace half the Nutella in the batter with smooth peanut butter and use peanut butter as the interlayer filling — the peanut butter chocolate combination in pancake stack format is genuinely one of the best things you will ever eat at brunch.

Nutella Strawberry Pancakes: Spread a thin layer of strawberry jam alongside the Nutella between each layer — the tartness of the strawberry cuts through the richness of the Nutella in the most perfect way.

Mini Nutella Pancake Towers: Make small 3-inch pancakes and stack 6 to 8 high per person for individual towers — the presentation is even more dramatic than the large stack and everyone gets their own pull-apart reveal.

Pull It Apart. Watch It Pour. Eat Every Single Bite!

The Chocolate Nutella Pancake stack is the brunch recipe that turns an ordinary weekend morning into an event. Thick fluffy chocolate pancakes, liquid Nutella between every layer, a dramatic pour reveal that makes everyone at the table gasp, and a taste that is so good people will talk about it for days. This is the recipe that becomes your signature weekend dish from the very first time you make it.

Save this to your Pinterest board so you always have it ready — and click the Visit Site button for the full printable recipe card at thekitchenettebite.com! 🍫🥞✨

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