Nutella Buttercream Cupcakes with Hidden Cadbury Egg
⏲ ~35 min total · prep 16 · cook 19 · 4 servings
Lunch⏱ 70 min total🔥 3.0g net carbs⚡ ≈512 kcal/serving~17% of calories from carbs
By the KFI Test Kitchen · Tested & approved by Jason Lieu, KFI recipe editor
Published Sep 15, 2026 · Updated Sep 15, 2026
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups almond flour
- 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 3/4 cup granulated erythritol
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 1/3 cup butter, melted and cooled
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 10 sugar-free chocolate creme eggs (about 1 inch each)
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 3 cups powdered erythritol
- 1/4 cup sugar-free chocolate hazelnut spread
- 2 tbsp heavy cream
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line 10 cups of a muffin tin with paper liners.
- Whisk the almond flour, cocoa, erythritol, and baking powder; in a second bowl whisk the eggs, melted butter, and vanilla, then fold the wet into the dry until a thick, smooth batter forms.
- Divide the batter among the liners, filling each 3/4 full, and bake 18-20 minutes, until the tops spring back and a toothpick comes out with moist crumbs.
- Cool in the tin 10 minutes, then transfer (in liners) to the freezer 15 minutes — cold cupcakes core cleanly without crumbling.
- For the buttercream, beat the softened butter 2 minutes until fluffy, add the powdered erythritol a cup at a time, then beat in the hazelnut spread and cream until thick but pipeable.
- Cut a 1-inch-deep hole in the center of each cupcake (an apple corer or paring knife works); save the plugs for snacking.
- Nestle one creme egg into each hole, then pipe a swirl of Nutella buttercream over the top, fully sealing the egg inside.
- Chill 10 minutes so the frosting sets before serving.
Why this recipe works
- The 15-minute freeze Chilled cupcakes core cleanly, with smooth walls around the hole. Room-temperature crumb crumbles and the plug comes out ragged.
- Almond flour crumb Ground almonds keep the cupcake moist and sturdy enough to hold a hollow. A fragile crumb could not carry a buried egg.
- The seal A piped swirl covers the egg completely, so nothing gives away what is underneath. Chill sets the frosting and holds the shape.
Tips for making this recipe well
Look for moist crumbs
At 18 to 20 minutes, the toothpick should come out with moist crumbs attached, not wet batter. A clean toothpick means the cupcakes have gone a minute too far.
Eggs at room temperature
Cold eggs stiffen the melted butter when they meet, and the batter turns lumpy. Fifteen minutes in a bowl of warm water fixes the timing.
Beat the butter alone first
Two minutes of beating before the powdered erythritol goes in builds the fluff. Add the sweetener a cup at a time or the bowl turns into a snow globe.
Core cold, fill cold
The apple corer or paring knife goes in straight and twists. Save the plugs; they are a fair payment for the cook.
Chill before serving
Ten minutes in the fridge sets the buttercream and keeps the egg centered. Warm frosting slides and the egg peeks out early.
Serving suggestions
Serve the cupcakes cool from the 10-minute chill, when the buttercream holds its swirl and the creme egg inside is still firm. Peel the liner back as you eat, or plate them bare with a dusting of cocoa; either way, the egg stays hidden until the fork breaks through. At 3.0 net carbs per serving, one cupcake rarely stays a single-serving event. The saved cores are the cook's treat. Nobody needs to know.
Storage and meal prep
Store the cupcakes covered in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days; the buttercream firms in the cold, so let one sit out for a few minutes before serving if you want the frosting soft. The almond flour crumb stays moist far longer than a wheat cupcake would. For longer storage, freeze the unfrosted, uncored cupcakes wrapped well for 2 to 3 months, then thaw, core, fill, and frost fresh. Assembled cupcakes can turn soggy around the egg with long storage. Frosting seals, but it does not stop time.
Variations worth trying
- Peanut butter swirl Swap the chocolate hazelnut spread for a sugar-free peanut butter in the buttercream. The hidden egg works with either.
- Mint chocolate A small drop of peppermint extract in the frosting turns the batch cool and sharp. Go easy; extract runs strong.
- No hidden egg Skip the coring and the candy, and frost the cupcakes as they are. The bake and the buttercream stand on their own.
- Different center Any 1-inch sugar-free chocolate fits the core. Firmer fillings survive room-temperature serving better than soft ones.
Frequently asked questions
Why freeze the cupcakes before coring?
Cold crumb cuts cleanly, so the hole keeps smooth walls and the plug pops out whole. Warm cupcakes crumble around the corer and shed into the frosting.
Can I use regular flour instead of almond flour?
The recipe is built around almond flour, and a direct swap changes both the texture and the carb count. If you experiment, weigh the substitution carefully and expect a different crumb.
My buttercream is too stiff to pipe. Now what?
Work in the heavy cream a teaspoon at a time until it moves through the tip. If it goes too far the other way, a few minutes in the fridge tightens it back up.
How many net carbs per cupcake?
3.0 net carbs per serving as written, with the erythritol keeping the count down despite the chocolate and frosting.
Do the cupcakes need refrigeration?
Yes, because of the heavy cream in the frosting. Covered, they keep 3 to 4 days, and a few minutes at room temperature softens the swirl before serving.
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