Few things remind me more of my husband than Nutella. The chocolate hazelnut spread is his absolute favorite. So much so, that when he deployed, I shipped him containers of the stuff. He told me he’d spend evenings doing schoolwork and eating Nutella with a spoon straight from the jar. While the latter grossed me out- I don’t share his obsession with it- the fact that it made him happy by sending it brought a smile to my face. Since I know he loves Nutella, as well as cheesecake, I decided to surprise him with a dessert combining the two. He’s been a rockstar through this “let’s build a new house that takes us a year to even start” transition. So, why not? The result is this Nutella Cheesecake.
Fair warning: this cheesecake is extremely rich and decadent. As a matter of fact, I had to save some of last night’s slice for tonight’s dessert. Normally, I’m not that weak, but, like I said, this is an indulgent recipe. As a result, I’m recommending you make it for your Boo for Valentine’s Day. Nothing says, “You’re my everything,” quite like this dessert, which has everything you could want in a sweet treat.
What, exactly, is Nutella?
Nutella is a spread made from cocoa and hazelnuts. Originally from Italy, the topping grew in popularity all throughout Europe before those of us in the States were blessed with its introduction. I learned of its existence while I was an intern in Ireland and grew fond of it. Unlike Hector, though, I can’t eat it by the spoonful. Nutella is rich and thick and a lot to handle on its own. Whipping it into this Nutella Cheesecake is one of the best ways to enjoy it, so let’s get started.
What’s needed to make Nutella Cheesecake
As always, my cheesecake recipes are broken down in stages. To start, you’ll need about a cup and a half of Nutella. That, along with room temperature (soft) cream cheese, eggs, sugar, cocoa powder, sour cream, salt, and vanilla are what makes up the batter. A crust, made from crushed chocolate animal crackers and butter will hold that decadent cheesecake. Chocolate Ganache is what tops the cheesecake with along a drizzle of even more nutella. Finally, we’ll top the cheesecake with a few Ferrero Rocher candies.
Prepare the Nutella Cheesecake Crust
First, prepare the cheesecake crust. Because I want to keep this a full-on chocolate dessert, I’m using chocolate animal crackers. Chocolate graham crackers are another option. I stay away from the whole “separate, then scrape off the cream of oreos” method. To me, it’s a waste of time and cream. Pulse whichever chocolate crackers you decide to use until you have a very fine crumb.
In a mixing bowl (or the bowl of your food processor) stir the melted unsalted butter into the crumbs. When the mixture comes together, you’re ready to pack it into the pan.
Use the bottom of a measuring cup to press the cheesecake crust into a 9″ springform pan. The mixture should hold its shape when packed. If it doesn’t, you need to add more melted butter. If, on the other hand, you see butter seeping up from the crust, add more crushed crackers to absorb the excess fat.
Once your crust is pressed into the pan, bake it in a 350°F oven for 10 minutes. When you smell the chocolate’s aroma, you’ll know it’s baked properly. Remove the pan from the oven and allow it to cool to the touch. Once cool enough to handle, carefully wrap the bottom and side of the pan in two layers of heavy-duty aluminum foil.
Afterwards, set a pot- filled with 4 cups of water- on the stove to heat. You will need this later to create the baking environment for your Nutella cheesecake.
Mix the Nutella Cheesecake Batter
There really is no point in having a chocolate hazelnut cheesecake that’s not rich and full of chocolaty goodness. It’s just a set-up for disappointment. We don’t do disappointment here, do we, my friend? No, no we don’t. Because we don’t half-a$$ anything, we’re going to boost the chocolate in this Nutella cheesecake with the help of cocoa powder. Not a lot, mind you, but enough to put some stank on it.
In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the sugar, cocoa powder, and salt.
In a separate, larger mixing bowl, use an electric hand mixer to blend the softened cream cheese and cocoa-sugar mixture, on medium-low speed, until smooth. This step should take about 6 minutes and you should scrape down the bowl and beaters at least twice during mixing. If you have one, you can also use your stand mixer for this step.
Add the eggs to the cream cheese mixture, one at a time. Once an egg is blended in, stop the mixer and scrape down the bowl. Scraping down your mixing bowls and beaters are crucial when mixing batters or doughs of any kind. Doing so ensures a well-balanced end product.
Give the Nutella a hearty stir prior to adding it to the batter. Straight from the jar, Nutella is pretty stiff and will take a while to blend in properly. Once the Nutella has a bit of flow to it, add it to the cheesecake batter. Add the vanilla extract, as well, and blend the mixture on low for 3 minutes.
Finally, mix in the last ingredient: sour cream. This tangy addition will cut through the sweetness to mellow out the flavors spectauclarly.
Bake, then Chill the Cheesecake
Scrape the prepared Nutella cheesecake batter into your springform pan. Give the pan a few taps to expel any air bubbles that may be caught in the batter. Put the cheesecake pan into a larger, shallow pan. Fill the outer pan half-way with the water you began heating earlier.
Carefully place the pan into the hot oven and bake for 1 hour. When the baking time is up, turn the oven off, prop the door open 3″ or 4″ inches and allow the cheesecake to cool gradually for an hour inside the oven. This is the best way to prevent a huge crack from forming in the cheesecake’s center.
Once cooled in the oven for an hour, remove the cheesecake from the water-filled pan, then remove the foil. Leave the pan on the counter to cool to room temperature for another 30 minutes. Place a piece of plastic film directly on the cheesecake’s top and refrigerate the Nutella cheesecake for at least 4 hours. I prefer to chill mine overnight so I can get those really sharp cuts and that pillowy interior.
Prepare the Chocolate Ganache
About an hour and a half before you plan to ruin your diet with it, prepare the chocolate ganache. In a saucier bring the heavy cream and vanilla to steaming point over medium heat. Don’t allow the cream to simmer, at all.
When steam begins to rise from the surface, add the semi-sweet chocolate chips. Shake the pot a little to disperse the chocolate chips and leave them to melt for 5 minutes. 
Whisk the cream and chocolate together for 1-2 minutes. It’ll go from looking like cream flecked with chocolate to what’s pictured above. Leave the chocolate ganache to cool for 10 minutes before topping the Nutella cheesecake.
Decorate the Nutella Cheesecake
When the chocolate ganache has had a chance to firm a little, spread half of it over the cheesecake using a small offset spatula. You’ll notice I’ve left the collar on the springform pan. This helps to keep the chocolate ganache looking neat.
After you’ve topped the cheesecake, return the it to the fridge to give the ganache a chance to harden. Leave the rest of the ganache on the counter to continue setting up, which should take about 10 minutes.
When the chocolate ganache is at room temperature, use an electric hand mixer to whip the ganache. On high speed, beat the ganache for five minutes- scraping down the bowl occasionally- until it resembles a thick frosting. The beater should leave marks in the ganache when it’s fully whipped. Let the ganache sit on the counter for now.
After about 15 minutes, the ganache on the cheesecake should be firm to the touch. Stir about a 1/4 cup of Nutella before spooning it into a piping bag. Cut a small piece of the piping bag’s tip off and drizzle the Nutella over the surface of the cheesecake.
After the cheesecake has been drizzled with Nutella, fit a 1M tip into a piping bag. Fill the piping bag with the whipped chocolate ganache. Try not to handle the piping bag too much. The heat from your hands will cause the chocolate to melt and become runny. Pipe 8 rosettes of ganache onto the top of the Nutella cheesecake.
Top with Hazelnut Chocolates
Top each of your rosettes with an unwrapped Ferrero Rocher hazelnut chocolate.
Return the decorated Nutella cheesecake to the fridge until you’re ready to cut into it.
Serve and Enjoy your Nutella Cheesecake
And, OH!!! When you are ready, HUNTY!!! It will be all sorts of sassiness waiting for you to cut into it, like, “How YOU doin’?”
In a day and age when marriages are falling apart left and right, I know that mine is secure if only because I make Hector these types of desserts. Seriously, he can go crazyy and leave me if he wants, it’ll be the saddest day of his life!
There’s not a restaurant in town that can touch this Nutella Cheesecake. So, why bother with the craziness of going out to eat? I say, save your sanity and make this dessert instead. Be sure to begin the day before to bake the cheesecake, though.
Pin and share this recipe with your Valentine, or, better yet, make it for yours.
Nutella Cheesecake
at Sense & EdibilityEquipment
- 9" springform pan
- electric mixer
Ingredients
Chocolate Cheesecake Crust
- 2 1/2 cups (180g) chocolate animal cracker crumbs or chocolate graham cracker crumbs
- 1/2 cup (113g) unsalted butter, melted
Nutella Cheesecake
- 4 8 ounce packages (904g) cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup (205g) granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup (35g) dutch processed cocoa powder
- 1/2 teaspoon (3g) kosher salt
- 4 large eggs
- 1 cup (293g) nutella, stirred (plus more for drizzling)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup (110g) sour cream
Chocolate Ganache
- 2 cups (326g) semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 2 cups (480ml) heavy cream
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Optional Garnish
- 8 Ferrero Rocher hazelnut chocolates
Instructions
Prepare and Bake the Cheesecake Crust
- Preheat your oven to 350°F.In a mixing bowl (or the bowl of your food processor) stir the melted unsalted butter into the chocolate animal cracker crumbs.
- When the mixture holds its shape when squeezed, use the bottom of a measuring cup to press the cheesecake crust into a 9" springform pan. *If the mixture doesn't hold its shape when packed add more melted butter to it before remixing. If, on the other hand, you see butter seeping up from the crust, add more crushed crackers to absorb the excess fat.
- Once the crust is pressed into the pan, bake it for 10 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and allow it to cool to the touch. Once cool enough to handle, carefully wrap the bottom and side of the pan in two layers of heavy-duty aluminum foil.
- Afterwards, set a pot- filled with 4 cups of water- on the stove to heat. You will need this later to create the baking environment for the Nutella cheesecake.
Mix the Nutella Cheesecake Batter
- In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the sugar, cocoa powder, and salt. In a separate, larger mixing bowl, use an electric hand mixer (or a stand mixer) to blend together the softened cream cheese and cocoa-sugar mixture, on medium-low speed, until smooth. This will take about 6 minutes. Scrape down the bowl and beaters twice during mixing.
- Add the eggs to the cream cheese mixture, one at a time. Scrape down the bowl and beaters after each egg has been mixed into the batter.
- Stir the cup of Nutella well until it is semi-fluid. Add it, along with the vanilla extract, to the mixing bowl and mix the batter, on low, for 3 minutes. Finally, mix in the sour cream. Scrape down the bowl and blend on low for another minute after adding the sour cream.
Bake, then Chill the Cheesecake
- Scrape the prepared Nutella cheesecake batter into your springform pan. Give the pan a few taps to expel any air bubbles that may be caught in the batter. Put the cheesecake pan into a larger, shallow pan. Fill the outer pan half-way with the water you began heating earlier.
- Bake the cheesecake for 1 hour. When the baking time is up, turn the oven off, prop the door open 3" or 4" inches and allow the cheesecake to cool gradually for an hour inside the oven.
- After cooling in the oven for an hour, remove the cheesecake from the water-filled pan, and the foil. Leave the pan on the counter to cool to room temperature for another 30 minutes. Place a piece of plastic film directly on the cheesecake's top and refrigerate the Nutella cheesecake for at least 4-12 hours.
Prepare the Chocolate Ganache
- About an hour and a half before you plan to serve the cheesecake, bring the heavy cream and vanilla to steaming point over medium heat in a saucier. Don't allow the cream to simmer.
- When steam begins to rise, add the semi-sweet chocolate chips. Shake the pot a little to disperse the chocolate chips and leave them to melt for 5 minutes.
- Whisk the cream and chocolate together for 1-2 minutes. It'll go from looking like cream flecked with chocolate to a thick chocolate sauce. Leave the chocolate ganache to cool for 10 minutes before topping the Nutella cheesecake.
Decorate the Nutella Cheesecake
- When the chocolate ganache has cooled, use a small offset spatula to spread half of it over the cheesecake. Leave the collar on the springform pan to keep the chocolate ganache neat. Return the cheesecake to the fridge to give the ganache a chance to harden.
- When the remaining chocolate ganache is at room temperature, use an electric hand mixer to whip the ganache, on high speed, for five minutes- scraping down the bowl occasionally. The finished whipped ganache should resemble a thick frosting and the beaters should leave marks in the ganache when it's fully whipped. Leave the ganache on the counter for now.
- When the ganache on the cheesecake is firm to the touch, remove it from the refrigerator. Stir a 1/4 cup of Nutella before spooning it into a piping bag. Cut the tip of the piping bag off and pipe a drizzle of the Nutella over the surface of the cheesecake.
- Once the cheesecake has been drizzled with Nutella, fit a 1M tip into a piping bag. Fill the piping bag with the whipped chocolate ganache. Try not to handle the piping bag too much or heat from your hands will melt the chocolate and cause it to become runny. Pipe 8 rosettes of ganache onto the top of the Nutella cheesecake.
- Top each of your ganache rosettes with an unwrapped Ferrero Rocher hazelnut chocolate.Return the decorated Nutella cheesecake to the fridge until you're ready to cut into it.
- Serve and enjoy your Nutella Cheesecake within 3 days of baking. Be sure to keep it stored in the refrigerator*.
Notes
Nutrition
Here are more of my favorite Cheesecakes:
Coquito Cheesecake
Sweet Potato Cheesecake w/ Pecan Praline Topping
Hi! I don’t have 2 1/2 cups (180g) chocolate animal cracker crumbs or chocolate graham cracker crumbs. I only have regular digestive biscuits and Biscoff cookies. Would either work (knowing that the flavour would be altered)? Would I need to make any adjustments re. the butter or bake time? Thank you.
Monika, you can do 1-for-1 swap for the crust. I recommend you use the Biscoff cookies. They work better with this flavor profile.
Hi. Thank you for replying – that’s really kind of you. Thank you also for sharing this recipe with us. I made it and it is currently baking in the oven. I had to make a few adjustments based on what I had, so I hope it turns out!
You’re welcome, Monika. Good luck!
I tend to stick to easy recipes so I was a little bit nervous about trying this, as it appeared to be more complex than the recipes I usually make, but the instructions were so clear and easy and approachable, and the cheesecake came out so perfectly. I love the balance of sweetness and tartness. This was rich, creamy, and decadent, but it wasn’t overly sweet like many Nutella recipes can be. It was so incredibly delicious!
I’m so glad you tried it and that the instructions helped!
First time making a cheesecake and it turned out really well. The instructions were so helpful! Though I need some practice with the piping…
I’m so glad to hear you made your first cheesecake! Don’t worry about the piping. I’m sure you did great!