Rich and creamy no-bake Nutella cheesecake is simple to make and tastes unbelievable. It’s light and fluffy with a mousse-like texture – everyone loves this cake and it’s great for any get together or celebration!
You have probably noticed by now how much I absolutely love Nutella, and today, I’m sharing another recipe with you. Some of my favorite Nutella recipes include chocolate Nutella cake, hazelnut Nutella sandwich cookies, and Nutella brownies, and this Nutella cheesecake is just another delicious dessert I’m adding to my list of favorites.
This cheesecake has a crunchy, Oreo crust and a silky smooth, light, mousse-like texture. It’s not overly sweet and every bite is full of chocolatey, hazelnut goodness.
How to make Nutella cheesecake
Note: I prefer using gelatin to stabilize the cheesecake, but it’s optional. If you don’t use gelatin, omit the ¼ cup of water from the recipe, without changing anything else. The cake will be a bit softer and have less structure, but will still delicious.
This irresistible Nutella cheesecake has 3 components:
- Oreo cookie crust
- Nutella cheesecake filling
- Chocolate ganache topping
Make the crust
- Grind up Oreos. Pulse whole Oreos, including the filling, in a food processor until finely ground.
- Combine with butter. In a medium bowl, mix the Oreo crumbs and melted butter until fully combined and crumbs are moistened. Press the mixture onto the bottom of a 9-inch or 8-inch springform pan using your fingers or the bottom of a cup to form a crust layer.
Make the filling
- Bloom the gelatin. Sprinkle gelatin powder over cold water. Let stand for 10 minutes to gelatinize.
- Combine cream cheese, powdered sugar, cocoa powder, and Nutella. In an electric stand mixer with the paddle attachment or using a handheld mixer, beat the cream cheese, sifted powdered sugar, and sifted cocoa powder together. Then, mix in the Nutella.
- Add the gelatin. Melt the gelatin in the microwave for 20-30 seconds until liquified – be careful not to overheat or boil. Then pour into the Nutella mixture and combine well.
- Whip heavy cream. Using an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whisk heavy cream until soft peaks form (they should hold their shape but have a soft texture). Using a rubber spatula, gently fold half of the whipped cream into the Nutella mixture, then fold in the other half.
- Fill the pan. Pour the filling on top of the crust and smooth the top with a knife or offset spatula. Cover the cheesecake with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for 2 hours before glazing with ganache.
Make the chocolate ganache topping
- Heat together the Nutella and heavy cream. Place Nutella and heavy cream in a medium bowl. Heat in the microwave until melted and whisk until smooth.
- Pour over cheesecake. Allow the ganache to cool slightly. Once it’s cooled down but still viscous, pour over the top of your cheesecake and evenly spread with a knife.
- Chill. Allow the cake to chill for at least 4 hours before serving.
Garnish: You can certainly serve this cake as is, but feel free to garnish with Ferraro Roche truffles, toasted hazelnuts, or whipped cream to dress it up.
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Tips for making Nutella cheesecake
-You can omit the gelatin if you want. I prefer using gelatin to stabilize the cake, but it’s optional. If you don’t use gelatin, omit the ¼ cup of water as well, without changing anything else in the recipe. The cake will be a bit softer and have less structure, but will still delicious.
-Don’t let the gelatin get too hot. When melting your gelatin, don’t let it get too hot or boil. Once gelatin reaches this temperature, it starts to lose strength and won’t stabilize the cheesecake as well.
-Use room temperature cream cheese. Take the cream cheese out of the fridge 30-45 minutes before beating in the mixer. This will help it whip up and emulsify with the rest of the ingredients.
-Sift the powdered sugar and cocoa powder. This helps prevent any lumps from forming in the Nutella mixture.
-Whip the heavy cream when it’s cold. Heavy cream whips much more easily when it’s cold. Keep it in the fridge until right before you are ready to whip.
-It’s important for the cheesecake to chill before serving. I know it can be tempting to taste a freshly made cheesecake, but allow it chill for 2 hours after pouring the filling on top of the crust, and another 4 hours after topping with chocolate ganache.
Commonly asked questions
How long will my cheesecake stay fresh?
The cheesecake will keep in the fridge for 5 days.
Can I freeze the Nutella cheesecake?
You can keep this cheesecake frozen for up to 2 months; just be sure to wrap it tightly in plastic wrap. To thaw, place it in the fridge overnight.
Can I substitute sheet gelatin for powdered gelatin?
Yes. If you decide to use sheet gelatin, substitute 4 sheets of gelatin for the 1 tablespoon of powdered gelatin the recipe calls for. To bloom the gelatin, place the gelatin sheets in a bowl filled with 3 cups of cold water and let sit for 5-10 minutes. Remove the sheets without the water once they are completely soft and gelatinous and melt them in the microwave in a heat-proof bowl. Then, add the melted gelatin to the cream cheese-Nutella mixture as directed in the recipe.
More of my favorite Nutella recipes
- No-Bake Nutella Peanut Butter Bites: Creamy, decadent bites of heaven.
- Super Creamy Nutella Tart: Crunchy cookie crust filled with creamy Nutella custard.
- Nutella Stuffed Cinnamon Sugar Muffins: Adorably delicious mini muffins.
- Nutella Cupcakes: Moist chocolate cupcakes topped with dreamy Nutella frosting.
- Nutella Swirl Cheesecake: Rich, creamy cheesecake swirled with gobs of Nutella.
No Bake Nutella Cheesecake
This no-bake Nutella cheeecake has a creamy, mousse-like filling, crunchy Oreo cookie crust and topped with a layer of rich chocolate ganache.
Ingredients
Crust:
- 20 Oreo cookies (with their filling)
- 5 tablespoons (70g) unsalted butter, melted
Cake:
- 1 tablespoon unflavored powdered gelatin , optional
- ¼ cup (60 ml) water (omit if you don’t use gelatin)
- 2 and ¼ cups (500g) cream cheese , at room temperature
- ¾ cup (85g) powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons (12g) cocoa powder
- 1 cup (320g) Nutella
- 1 cup (240 ml) heavy cream
Nutella Ganache:
- ½ cup (160g) Nutella
- ¼ cup (60 ml) heavy cream
Instructions
-
Make the crust: Pulse Oreos (the whole cookie, with the filling) in a food processor until finely ground. In a medium bowl, mix crumbs and melted butter until fully combined and crumbs are moistened. Press the mixture onto the bottom of a 9-inch or 8-inch springform pan using your fingers or the bottom of a cup to form a crust layer.
-
Make the filling: For the gelatin mixture, combine gelatin and water in a small bowl. Let stand for 10 minutes to soften. After 10 minutes, microwave gelatin for a few seconds, just until melted and syrupy (avoid heating it any more as that will ruin it).
-
Using an electric mixer fitted with the whisk or paddle attachment, combine cream cheese, powdered sugar and cocoa powder until smooth, then beat in Nutella. Add gelatin and whisk mixture until combined. Set aside.
-
Using an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whisk heavy cream until soft peaks form (they should hold their shape but have a soft texture). Using a spatula, gently fold half of the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture, then fold in the other half. Pour filling into the pan and smooth the top. Cover pan with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for 2 hours before glazing with ganache.
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Make the ganache: Place Nutella and heavy cream in a medium bowl. Heat in the microwave until melted. Whisk until smooth. Let cool slightly before pouring over cheesecake.
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Cool cake completely before serving, at least 4 hours. Decorate cake with Ferrero Rocher or chopped hazelnuts , if desired. Serve cold.
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Cheesecake will keep in the fridge for 5 days. It can also be frozen, wrapped tight, for 2 month. To thaw, place overnight in the fridge.
Recipe Notes
Note: I use gelatin to stabilize the cake but it’s optional. If you don’t use gelatin, omit the ¼ cup of water as well, without changing anything else in the recipe. The cake will be softer with less structure, but just as delicious.
Nabila says
Hey shiran! Can you help me out? I’d like to make this nutella cheesecake in 4 oz cups instead like your layered biscoff cheesecake. I need to make 20 cups, should I double or triple this recipe to achieve my goal?
Thanks!
Shiran says
Hi Nabila, I’m not sure how many cups the recipe yield. You can measure the capacity of a 9-inch pan and estimate it.
יסמין says
היי שירן, תודה על מתכון מדהים. האם אני יכולה להשמיט את הג’לטין ולהמשיך באותו המתכון? ואם כן, כמה זמן העוגה תחזיק לדעתך?
תודה.
Shiran says
I’m glad you like it 🙂 I recommend serving the cake cold straight from the fridge. It won’t melt but will become soft. If you want to transport it, refrigerate it again when you get to your destination or you can place it in the freezer before.
Anouk says
Hi Shiran! I am planning on baking your amazing cheesecake, but would like to make it without the gelatine. Won’t there be an issue with the consistency of the cheesecake mixture if I leave it out? Thanks!
Shiran says
Hi Anouk! The cake is quite soft like a mousse, but as long as you serve it cold and don’t leave it outside it will be ok. If you don’t use gelatin, I recommend using brick style cream cheese like Philadelphia brand, which is more stable.
Lia says
Hi there! I am making the cheesecake right now! It’s currently in the fridge chilling. I did stumble upon a small issue. My cream cheese was at room temp, but when I was mixing it, there were like white flakes and lumps left. My mixture ended up being really thick, so I added a few caps of milk. What can I do in the future?! I tasted the mix, and it is oh soooooooo wonderful!!
Thanks!
Shiran says
Hi Lia, it sounds like the cream cheese was still a bit cold. Try to leave it for longer time at room temperature.
Nikki says
Hi,
Can i use mascarpone cheese instead of cream cheese? And another query which cream cheese do you use?
Thanks
Shiran says
Yes, I recommend using half cream cheese and half mascarpone. I use Philadelphia cream cheese.
Bethan Edwards says
Hi Shiran, I’d like to make this for 10 people- how many do you think the original recipe will serve? Thanks! Beth
Irina Deaconu says
Such an excellent cake! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe, very precise and easy to follow! It turned out to be one of the best cheese cakes I ever made!
Sandra says
This cake was very delicious, rich but light. I took some of my first attempt (without the ganache) into work. They said that I needed to keep practicing and bringing it to work for them to taste test 😉 I think they liked it too lol
Luthfiyah says
I made this cheesecake for my husbands birthday. It was delicious and I could tell how much he loved it! Thank you for this amazing recipe!
Sharooza says
Hi..can i use whipping cream instead heavy cream. We dnt get heavy cream here. Thanks
Shiran says
Yes, heavy cream and whipping cream are the same 🙂
Ramlah Bibi says
Hi Shiran,
I have baked it but my Nutella Cheesecake collapse.
I don’t know where goes wrong.
But the cake was very niceee and tasty.
Hina Nafe says
Hi thank you so much for this recipe
Can you tell me if there is a particular reason for using heavy cream in the cheesecake? Is it to add volume and stability?
Also with nutella ganache….i have to transport the cake for an hour….will the ganache stay fine? I am in nz so its pretty cold here
Shiran says
Hi Hina, yes it would be fine for an hour in cold weather, you could also place the cake in the freezer until you leave, to make sure it won’t melt during transportation. The heavy cream is necessary so that the cake would be stable.
Hina says
Beautiful cake…just wondering if i let the cake cool after adding the ganache…how will the ferrero and hazelnuts stick on it? Or should i add them to ganache right after ive poured it to ensure they stick?
Shiran says
If you want them to stick well you can decorate right after using the ganache, but both options are ok because the ganache is quite soft.
Srishti Agarwal says
Hey. If I use a non dairy cream for ths filling..can I skip the additional powdered sugar?
Meena says
Hey there, I’ve made the cheesecake however I mistakenly forgot the whipped cream is this gonna affect the cake majorly? Should I make another batch tomorow
Talia @ Pretty. Simple. Sweet. says
Hi Meena, the whipped cream adds a light and airy texture to the cheesecake, giving it more of a mousse-like consistency. So, without it the texture will definitely be different, but it may still be enjoyable – it all depends on your taste 🙂
Swetha says
I tried this with half the measurements and in a rectangular tart pan for work. Came out too well and was liked by everyone. So easy yet was the showstealer
Khushi wadhwa says
Heyy i tried the recipe without gelatin it tasted really well but it was not setting what is the reason behind it not setting?
Talia @ Pretty. Simple. Sweet. says
Hi Khushi, in my experience the cake sets without gelatin as long as you don’t add the additional water. The cake should will be a bit softer without gelatin but still sliceable. Did you leave out the 1/4 cup of water?