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Nutella Cheesecake Bars
Creamy Nutella cheesecake over a hazelnut shortbread crust and topped with Nutella ganache. These bars are a chocolate-hazelnut lover's dream! They are irresistible and easy to make.
Ingredients
Hazelnut shortbread crust:
- ¼ cup (30g) whole roasted hazelnuts
- ¾ cup plus 1 tbsp (115g) all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup (55g) packed light brown sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 5 tablespoon (70g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
Nutella cheesecake batter:
- 9 oz (250g) brick cream cheese, softened
- ⅓ cup (65g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- ⅓ cup (80ml) Nutella
- 2 tablespoon (12g) cocoa powder (I prefer this Dutch cocoa or this one)
- 1 teaspoon (5ml) pure vanilla extract
- ¼ cup (60ml) plain full fat yogurt or sour cream
Chocolate hazelnut ganache:
- 6 oz (170g) semisweet dark chocolate
- 4 tablespoon (60ml) whole milk
- 3 tablespoon (45ml) Nutella
For topping:
- 3 tablespoon finely chopped roasted hazelnuts
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line an 8x8-inch square metal baking pan with parchment paper leaving a 2-inch overhang at each side and secure the sides down on the edge of the pan with ¾-inch binder clips.
- Make the crust. Place roasted hazelnuts in a food processor and pulse until finely ground. Combine flour, ground hazelnuts, brown sugar and salt in a medium bowl and mix to blend well and break up lumps of brown sugar. Add melted butter and blend it in with your fingertips until it is evenly incorporated and it holds together in clumps. Turn it out onto the prepared pan and press it into an even layer, then smooth it out with an offset spatula. Bake for 12-15 minutes until golden on top. Set aside to cool slightly while you make the filling.
- Reduce oven temperature to 325°F.
- Make the filling. Combine cream cheese and sugar in a large bowl and beat with an electric hand mixer until smooth. Mix in egg until well incorporated. Add Nutella, cocoa powder, vanilla and yogurt and mix until smooth.
- Pour the mixture over the pre-baked crust and bake for about 25 minutes until set and puffed at the edges and still slightly glossy in the middle. It won’t jiggle in the middle since it’s a thin layer, but it should still have a slight sheen. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely and then refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
- Make the ganache. Combine chopped chocolate, Nutella and milk in a heatproof bowl and place it over a sauce pot with an inch of simmering water. Make sure the bowl is large enough to just sit over the pot and the base is not touching the water so that it heats it gently. Whisk gently until smooth and glossy. You can also heat it in the microwave in short 20 second bursts, stirring after each interval. Pour it over the chilled cheesecake and spread it out evenly, then sprinkle with chopped roasted pistachios. Place it back in the fridge and chill for another 30 minutes until the ganache has set. Slice with a hot dry knife and serve!
