Nutella No-Bake Cheesecake
This delight includes the King of Desserts.
On a weekend I suggest that, along with the The Contrarian bunch, we all actively eschew kings on No Kings Day, I ask that we make one exception to the rule and consider Nutella, the king of desserts.
You know, maybe we don’t even need a king of desserts. What I did need, when I started work on this recipe, was a Nutella cheesecake. I opted to create a no-bake recipe, which makes it a nifty summertime treat, as no oven is involved.
You know what else would be nifty? If our tax dollars weren’t being spent on a military parade. A military parade, for lawd’s sake. I really didn’t want to hash out the news and risk curdling the cheesecake. My many angry and sad thoughts about the shift to authoritarianism in this country negatively impact so much of my life. And I honestly would hate if terrible thoughts infringed upon the pure, unadulterated pleasure that is this cheesecake.
Nutella and cream cheese balance each other perfectly. Cream cheese brings tanginess and cuts the sweetness of the Nutella. I added cocoa to boost the chocolate flavor. I worked hard to make sure this wasn’t too sweet and instead would be eligible for the Goldilock’s seal of “Just Right” approval.
I hope you enjoy this easy-to-make cheesecake as much as test subjects, aka, my neighbors and family, did.
Notes on the making:
For success, your cream cheese and Nutella need to be at room temperature so they will blend properly.
Why two types of sugar? The granulated sugar helps to break down and smooth out the cream cheese and you beat it. The confectioner’s sugar also contains corn starch, which helps to set the cheesecake.
No-Bake Nutella Cheesecake
Serves 8 generously, 12 politely
What you’ll need:
1 8-inch springform pan
For the crust:
24 (approx 216 grams) Oreos or Oreo Thins cookies
5 tablespoons (71 grams) butter, melted
For the filling:
16 ounces (454 grams) of cream cheese, room temperature
2 tablespoons (25 grams) granulated sugar
2 tablespoons (15 grams) confectioner’s sugar
2 tablespoons (10 grams) cocoa (I use Guittard Red)
13 ounces (1 1/2 cups) Nutella
What You’ll Do:
Butter the bottom and sides of an 8-inch springform pan. Crush the Oreos to a fine crumb. I know it makes one more thing dirty, but I whizz the cookies in my food processor to ensure a fine, even crumb. You can, of course, place the cookies in a plastic bag and bash away at them with a rolling pin, but work to make as uniform a crumb as possible. Stir the crushed cookies together with the melted butter. Press the mixture up the sides and then across the bottom of the pan firmly. Refrigerate the crust while you continue with the next step.
In the bowl of a stand mixer or with a hand-mixer on medium speed, beat the cream cheese with the granulated sugar, confectioner’s sugar and cocoa for 1 minute, scrape down the sides of the bowl. Continue beating until the cream cheese is smooth, the color is uniformly light brown and no lumps of cream cheese remain. Add the Nutella, and blend on medium speed, stopping every 30 seconds or so to scrape down the sides of the bowl and the beaters, to make sure the mixture blends evenly. When the mixture is blended, raise the speed to medium-high and whip for 20 seconds to loosen the mixture and add some air.
Scrape the mixture into the prepared pan, smoothing the top. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 8 to 12 hours, and up to 5 days. When ready to serve, run a knife around the outside of the crust. I decorated my cake with Kinder Bueno pieces just before serving. For pretty slices, cut with a hot, dry knife (run a knife under hot water, then dry and use, repeat for each slice.) Serve with whipped cream and raspberries or strawberries, if desired.
For those of you who know fans of the president, can you predict anything that might make them reconsider their loyalty to the cause? Is this military parade giving pause? Let me know in the comments.
Marissa Rothkopf Bates writes about food for the New York Times, Newsweek (RIP) and Publishers’ Weekly among others. Her newest book, “The Secret Life of Chocolate Chip Cookies,” is available for pre-sale wherever fine books are sold. Find her on Substack here.
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If at all possible, use one of the environmentally sustainable alternatives to Nutella. Nutella contains palm oil, which is a major contributor to deforestation and habitat loss.
Last night I was eating nutella out of the container. This sounds much better!