Gluten Free Nutella Crumble Swirl Bread

If you’ve been looking for a gluten free baking recipe that actually impresses people, this is it. This nutella crumble swirl bread is rich, tender, and absolutely delicious.

The base is a simple butter and sour cream bread that comes out incredibly moist. Then you swirl Nutella through the batter so every slice has those gorgeous chocolate hazelnut ribbons.

On top, there’s a crunchy cookie crumble made with cocoa powder and chopped hazelnuts. It gives the bread a nice contrast in texture that takes it to the next level.

Best of all, it’s completely gluten free. No one will ever guess. It tastes just as good as any regular sweet bread you’ve had before.

The whole thing comes together pretty quickly, and most of the time is just waiting for it to bake. Let me show you how it’s done.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

The Nutella Swirl Is Next Level – Warm ribbons of Nutella create gooey chocolate-hazelnut pockets in every single slice.

That Cookie Crumble Topping Though – A crunchy cocoa-hazelnut crumble on top adds the perfect contrast to the soft bread underneath.

It Tastes Nothing Like Gluten Free – The mix of almond flour and sour cream makes this bread so moist that nobody will ever guess it is gluten free.

Three Textures in One Bread – You get crunchy crumble on top then soft cake-like bread then melty Nutella pockets all in one bite.

Ingredients

For the Cookie Crumble

• 1/3 cup Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour
• 3 tbsp Dark Brown Sugar
• 2 tbsp Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
• 3 tbsp Cold Unsalted Butter, cubed
• 1/4 cup Chopped Hazelnuts

For the Bread

• 2 cups Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour
• 1/3 cup Almond Flour
• 1 tsp Baking Powder
• 1/2 tsp Baking Soda
• 1/4 tsp Salt
• 1/2 cup Unsalted Butter, softened
• 2/3 cup Granulated Sugar
• 2 Large Eggs
• 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
• 1/2 cup Sour Cream
• 2/3 cup Nutella

How to Make

Step 1

Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9×5 inch loaf pan and line it with parchment paper. Make the cookie crumble by combining the 1/3 cup gluten free flour, brown sugar, cocoa powder, and cold butter in a small bowl. Use your fingers to rub it together until coarse crumbs form, then stir in the chopped hazelnuts. Refrigerate until needed.

Step 2

In a medium bowl, whisk together the 2 cups gluten free baking flour, almond flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

Step 3

In a large bowl, beat the softened butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla extract and sour cream until smooth.

Step 4

Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients with a spatula until just combined.

Step 5

Warm the Nutella in the microwave for 15 to 20 seconds until it is easily pourable. Pour half the batter into the prepared pan. Drizzle half the Nutella over the batter in thick ribbons. Top with the remaining batter, then drizzle the rest of the Nutella on top.

Step 6

Use a toothpick or skewer to swirl the Nutella through the batter in large, lazy loops. Don’t overswirl – you want visible pockets of Nutella.

Step 7

Scatter the chilled cookie crumble evenly over the top, pressing it in very lightly.

Step 8

Bake for 55 to 65 minutes, tenting loosely with foil after 40 minutes if the crumble is browning too fast. A toothpick inserted in the center should come out with a few moist crumbs. Let the bread cool in the pan for 20 minutes before removing to a wire rack.

My Tips

Keep the Butter Cold for the Crumble

The cookie crumble only works if the butter stays cold. Cut it into small cubes and keep it in the fridge until the moment you need it.

When you rub the butter into the flour mixture with your fingers, work fast. If the butter warms up and melts into the dry ingredients, you’ll get a paste instead of crumbly pieces.

Once the crumble is done, get it back in the fridge right away. Cold crumble holds its shape in the oven and gives you those nice chunky bits on top instead of a flat layer.

How to Swirl the Nutella the Right Way

When the recipe says “lazy loops,” it really means lazy. Stick a toothpick or skewer down into the batter and drag it in slow, wide figure-eight motions. Three or four passes is plenty.

If you swirl too much, the Nutella blends into the batter and you lose those beautiful ribbons and pockets. You want to still see thick streaks of Nutella when you look at the top.

Warming the Nutella for those 15 to 20 seconds is key here. If it’s too thick it just clumps and won’t drizzle into ribbons that you can actually swirl through the batter.

Don’t Skip the Foil Tent

Set a timer for 40 minutes and actually check the bread at that point. The cookie crumble and hazelnuts on top can go from perfectly toasted to burnt pretty fast.

When you tent with foil, keep it loose so air can still circulate. Don’t press it down onto the crumble or it’ll stick and pull off all those nice crunchy bits when you remove it.

More Tasty Recipes

• Gluten Free Chocolate Babka
• Gluten Free Chocolate Hazelnut Tart
• Gluten Free Cinnamon Swirl Loaf
• Gluten Free Monkey Bread
• Gluten Free Nutella Stuffed Cookies

FAQ

Can I make the cookie crumble ahead of time?

Absolutely. You can make the crumble up to two days in advance and store it in an airtight container in the fridge. Keeping it cold is actually a good thing because it helps the crumble hold its shape and stay chunky on top of the bread while it bakes.

Just pull it out of the fridge right when you’re ready to scatter it on the batter – don’t let it warm up or it might clump together and lose that nice crumbly texture.