Heavenly Nutella Cheesecake Recipe

This post may contain affiliate links. Please see my full disclosure for details.

Hi Bold Bakers!

WHY YOU’LL LOVE THIS RECIPE: Heavenly Nutella Cheesecake elevates the traditional creamy, tangy dessert with the addition of deep chocolate and rich nutty flavor. This mouthwatering confection hits the perfect spot between elegance and over-the-top decadence.

• Irresistible chocolate hazelnut spread is whipped into the cream cheese batter, and the cheesecake is topped with a thick coating of rich ganache.
• A luscious chocolate crumb crust grounds the cheesecake in a buttery, crunchy cocoa layer.

Cheesecake is a dessert loved by millions: its creamy sweetness and range of flavors make it a guaranteed crowd-pleaser. Cheesecake starts with a simple list of ingredients, but the varieties (including baked and no-bake types) are endless. Be sure to try other Bigger Bolder Baking favorites, including  Gemma’s Best-Ever New York Cheesecake, Easy No-Bake Chocolate Cheesecake Recipe,  No-Bake Strawberry Cheesecake Recipe, and Peanut Butter & Chocolate Cheesecake with Oreo Crust.

Table of Contents

• What is Heavenly Nutella Cheesecake?
• Tools You Need
• Key Ingredients and Why
• How to Make Heavenly Nutella Cheesecake
• Can I Make Heavenly Nutella Cheesecake in Advance?
• How to Store Heavenly Nutella Cheesecake
• FAQs
• Gemma’s Pro Chef Tips
• More Chocolate Hazelnut Recipes

What is Heavenly Nutella Cheesecake?

• Heavenly Nutella Cheesecake is a traditional baked cheesecake. Hazelnut chocolate spread, hazelnut liquor, and unsweetened cocoa powder flavor the batter.
• The cheesecake has a buttery chocolate-wafter crust and is topped with bittersweet chocolate ganache and toasted hazelnuts.
• An early form of cheesecake was made in ancient Greece. But it wasn’t until 1872, when a New York dairyman named William Lawrence accidentally invented cream cheese, that the dessert became the type of cheesecake we know and love now.

Tools You Need

• Mixing bowl
• Measuring cups
• Measuring spoons
• Glass measuring jug
• Kitchen scale (optional)
• 9-inch (23cm) springform pan
• Large roasting pan
• Kettle (optional)
• Heavy-duty aluminum foil
• Food processor (optional)
• Stand mixer with a paddle attachment (optional) or a hand mixer
• Silicone spatula
• Small saucepan
• Offset spatula

Key Ingredients and Why

• Chocolate wafers

  • Chocolate wafers are simple, crisp chocolate cookies that are like Oreos without the cream. You can use any plain chocolate biscuit in this recipe.
  • Chocolate wafers can be found in most grocery stores, but in a pinch, I’ve used Oreos and just scraped out the cream.

• Brick-style full-fat cream cheese

  • Cream cheese comes in brick and tub and forms. The brick-style cream cheese tends to be firmer (with less air and liquid whipped in) and will yield a better cheesecake with more consistent results.
  • Always use full-fat cream cheese for the best texture and flavor.
  • Make sure your cream cheese is softened before using it.  If your cream cheese is cold, warm it in the microwave at 20-second intervals until soft and at room temperature.
  • Use a paddle attachment to beat out the lumps. It needs to be smooth and lump-free before adding eggs.
  • If you cannot buy cream cheese, you can easily make your own with my recipe.

• Granulated sugar

  • Granulated sugar sweetens the cheesecake filling and perfectly balances the tanginess of the cream cheese.
  • The sugar molecules bond with the proteins in the dairy ingredients which prevents them from coagulating and keeps the mixture smooth and creamy.
  • Sugar attracts and holds moisture, helping the cheesecake stay moist.

• Unsweetened cocoa powder

  • Unsweetened cocoa powder gives this cheesecake a bold chocolate flavor.
  • Learn all about chocolate and cocoa in Our Ultimate Guide to the Different Types of Chocolate.

• Nutella

  • Nutella is a sweet, smooth spread made from chocolate and hazelnuts. However, you can use any brand of chocolate and hazelnut spread you like.
  • You can also make your own homemade chocolate and hazelnut spread using my recipe.
  • If your Nutella seems very firm, soften it slightly in the microwave or over a pan of simmering water.

• Eggs

  • Eggs bind the cheesecake ingredients together and give the dessert a consistent structure and texture.
  • Make sure your cheesecake ingredients are at room temperature so that they’ll blend properly. Here’s how to get your eggs to room temperature.

• Heavy Cream

  • Heavy whipping cream or heavy cream is just natural FRESH CREAM skimmed from milk. Its fat content of around 36% gives heavy cream the ability to whip up well.

• Toasted Hazelnuts

  • For the best flavor, we always toast nuts before using them.
  • To toast, place the nuts in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake at 350°F (180°C) for 10 to 12 minutes, until lightly brown and fragrant.

• Hazelnut Liqueur

  • If you have Frangelico on hand, add a splash to your batter. It will reinforce the hazelnuts’ flavor and give the cheesecake a little kick.

How to Make Heavenly Nutella Cheesecake

• Prepare to bake:

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
  • Boil a kettle of water and keep it hot.
  • Flip the bottom of the springform pan over so that the lip of the pan isn’t sticking up. Having the smoother side facing upwards will make it much easier to remove the cheesecake after it’s baked.
  • Cover the springform pan’s base and sides with heavy-duty aluminum foil. Place in a roasting pan and set aside.

• Make the crust:

  • Using a food processor or a plastic bag with a rolling pin, crush cookies to a fine powder.
  • Mix the crumbs with melted butter and press firmly and evenly into the prepared pan. Place in fridge to firm up.

• Mix the cheesecake batter: 

  • Beat cream cheese, sugar, cocoa powder, and salt for 3 to 4 minutes until smooth and lump-free.
  • Add the eggs one at a time, scraping down the bowl after each addition. Go down to the bottom of your bowl with the spatula to make sure it’s all combined.
  • Add Nutella, heavy cream, and hazelnut liqueur and beat until thoroughly and evenly mixed.
  • Spread mixture onto prepared crust.

• Bake the cheesecake: 

  • Place the cheesecake in the roasting pan in the oven.
  • Carefully pour boiling water into the roasting pan until it comes one-third to one-half of the way up the springform pan.
  • Bake for 50 to 60 minutes until set around the edges, but the center still jiggles.
  • Remove the pan from the water bath and run a thin knife between the cheesecake and the pan.
  • Let the cheesecake cool at room temperature for an hour, and then cover and refrigerate for at least eight hours, until completely cold and set.
  • Transfer the cheesecake to a serving platter.

• Make the chocolate ganache: 

  • Place chopped chocolate in a bowl.
  • Warm cream in a saucepan over low heat.
  • Pour the cream over chopped chocolate and let sit for 5 minutes WITHOUT stirring.
  • After 5 minutes, slowly stir the mixture until smooth.
  • Let the ganache cool until it’s thick but still pourable, pour on the cheesecake, and spread it around the top, allowing it to drip down the sides.
  • Sprinkle with chopped hazelnuts.

Can I Make Heavenly Nutella Cheesecake in Advance?

Yes, you can make Heavenly Nutella Cheesecake in advance. To make elements of the Heavenly Nutella Cheesecake ahead:

• The crust can be made, pressed into the pan, and refrigerated for two days before making the cheesecake.
• Prepare the cheesecake filling and store it in an air-tight container. Refrigerate for up to two days.
• Bring the filling to room temperature (about 30 minutes) before spreading it over the crust and baking as the recipe directs.
• Make ganache and cool to room temperature for about 15 minutes. Pour into a clean and dry airtight container and refrigerate for up to two weeks.
• The hazelnuts can be toasted, chopped, and stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

How to Store Heavenly Nutella Cheesecake

• Store cheesecake, covered well, in the fridge for up to three days.

FAQs

• Why is my batter lumpy when my ingredients are at room temperature?

  • This can happen if you don’t run a spatula around the mixing bowl when beating the cream cheese.
  • If you see lumps, continue to beat the batter at high speed to remove them. If it’s too late to do that, then press the batter through a wide-mesh sieve into a separate mixing bowl to remove any lumps.

• What does “set on the edges but jiggly in the middle” mean?

  • After you take the cheesecake out of the oven, shake the roasting pan gently. You’ll want to see that the edges of the cheesecake are pretty firm and not moving and that the middle jiggles.
  • If it seems as though your cheesecake is too jiggly, then please give it more time in the oven.

• What if my cheesecake cracks?

  • Baking in a water bath ‘should’ avoid these cracks, but even the best-baked cheesecakes can crack a little.
  • Do what we do here: top with the ganache, and don’t worry about it–it will taste and look fine.

• Do I have to bake my cheesecake in a water bath?

  • Do you have to? No but bakers do because a cheesecake is closer to the custard family than the cake family, and the water regulates the temperature as the cheesecake bakes. The results are no cracks, no uneven baking, and no sunken centers.
  • If you don’t have a big enough roasting pan, instead of a water bath, place a pan of boiling water on an oven rack just below the cheesecake to create steam in the oven.
  • Or, skip the water bath entirely and bake low and slow. To bake the cheesecake this way, you will need to lower the oven temperature to 250°F (120°C) and bake for around 2 hours.

Gemma’s Pro Chef Tips

• Play around with variations: instead of ganache and hazelnuts, you can top this cheesecake with fresh berries and whipped cream, dark and white chocolate shavings, caramel, or just leave it plain and simple.
• A springform pan is a necessary piece of equipment for this recipe. This type of pan is made up of two pieces: bottom and a ring that forms sides that’s held together by a clip. Cheesecakes are made in a pan like this so that the sides can be released for easy removal of the cheesecake. Cheesecakes are too soft to be inverted out of a regular cake pan.
• To prevent water from leaking in, make sure you have a tight-fitting springform pan. Double-wrap your cheesecake pan with heavy-duty foil.
• No foil? Use a heat-safe, plastic slow cooker liner or a turkey bag to safeguard against water leaks. Carefully place the cheesecake inside the liner, then twist the extra plastic and knot it up tightly just under the top rim of the springform pan.
• If some water does get in, it isn’t the end of the world!  Your cheesecake will be fine.

More Hazelnut Dessert Recipes

• Rich Chocolate & Hazelnut Torrone
• Hazelnut and Raspberry Roulade
• Nutella Lava Cookies
• Chocolate Pasta with Hazelnut Sauce
• Homemade Ferrero Rocher (Hazelnut Truffles)

Try These Recipes!

Carrot Cake Cheesecake Roll Recipe

Turtle Cheesecake Bars Recipe

Ask Gemma! Your Cheesecake Baking Questions Answered!

Easy No-Bake Chocolate Cheesecake Recipe (100% From Scratch)