No-Bake Nutella Cheesecake is a perfectly easy dessert recipe for any occasion. The filling doesn't rely on gelatin or whipped cream and contains just three ingredients!
I am so excited about today's recipe. It's been requested by so many of you over the last year and I finally got around to making it.
As I write this I'm watching snow flurries fall from the sky. It is mid-April and it's snowing!! Can we get warm weather that wants to stick around?!
Typically on a cold day like today, I'd crank up the oven and churn out all the baked goods. But instead, I'm sitting in front of the fire with a slice of No Bake Nutella Cheesecake.
It's totally the cure for these dreary day blues!
You may remember the baked version of Nutella cheesecake that I shared over a year ago. It went wild on social media and has remained one of my top posts ever since.
Thanks to every one of you who make my recipes and share your experience!
My no-bake Nutella cheesecake recipe has all the creaminess of the baked version but requires less time and very few ingredients. It's ultra-rich, silky, and will definitely make you swoon.
I worked on this recipe for so long. I didn't want to bring you a cheesecake that required gelatin or the use of whipped cream in order to keep its shape. Plus I wanted the texture to be just right.
If you've been around long enough you know I'm the queen of dense, lush, creamy cheesecakes. I'm actually pondering the idea of a cookbook filled with cheesecake recipes. How does that sound to you?
Through my recipe testing, I learned that no-bake Nutella cheesecake filling can actually be made with just THREE ingredients. Can you believe it?
All you need for the filling is cream cheese, Nutella, and confectioners' sugar. MIND BLOWN!
How to Make No-Bake Nutella Cheesecake
- Make the crust with crushed Oreos and melted butter
- Make the filling with cream cheese, Nutella, and confectioners' sugar
- Make the ganache with heavy cream and semisweet chocolate
- Spread the ganache over the filling
- Sprinkle chopped hazelnuts over the ganache
- Refrigerate the cheesecake overnight
Now that you understand the process, let's discuss why this no-bake Nutella cheesecake works.
No-Bake Nutella Cheesecake Without Gelatin
There is only one hurdle when making no-bake cheesecakes: getting the filling thick enough to keep its shape when slicing the cheesecake. But, to do this without the use of additives like sweetened condensed milk, gelatin, or whipped cream/cool whip.
I tried to make the no-bake filling every which way possible and came close to sharing a version that used whipped cream. While it was great at giving the cheesecake body and making it easy to slice through, I felt that it diluted the flavor of the Nutella.
I wanted the no-bake version to taste just like the baked version and whipped cream took that away.
Sweetened condensed milk made the cheesecake too runny and overly rich. Like, too rich for me even. And gelatin just gave the cheesecake a not so lush texture. It was firm but not melt in your mouth creamy.
All of this led me to try just cream cheese and Nutella. I liked the flavor but it still felt like the texture was too loose. It would have been perfect for little cheesecake jars but that wasn't my goal for the recipe.
Then I got the idea to add confectioners' sugar. This works with frosting right? It thickens the frosting so you can pipe it and it will hold its shape. So why wouldn't it work for cheesecake?
It did! It worked beautifully and I couldn't be more pleased with the taste, texture, and presentation.
No-Bake Nutella Cheesecake Topped with Chocolate Ganache
This is where I did things a bit different from the original Nutella cheesecake. That recipe calls for a Nutella ganache to be poured all over the finished cheesecake. But, I opted to do something simpler for the no-bake version.
Instead, I made a spreadable chocolate ganache and topped it with chopped hazelnuts. If you want more Nutella flavor, you can certainly use the Nutella ganache from the baked version. I know it will be just as delicious!
No-Bake Nutella Cheesecake
No-Bake Nutella Cheesecake is a perfectly easy dessert recipe for any occasion. The filling doesn’t rely on gelatin or whipped cream and contains just three ingredients!
Ingredients
For the crust
- 2 1/2 cups (250 g) Oreo cookie crumbs, about 30 cookies
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
For the filling
- 24 ounces (680 g) cream cheese, softened
- 2 cups (600 g) Nutella
- 1 1/2 cups (180 g) confectioners’ sugar
For the topping
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) heavy cream
- 4 ounces (113 g) semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
- 2 cups (120 g) roasted hazelnuts, roughly chopped
Instructions
Make the crust
- Line the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan with foil or parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, combine the cookie crumbs and melted butter. Mix until crumbs are well coated with butter.
- Press the crust mixture into the bottom and on inch up the sides of the prepared pan. Set in the freezer while you make the filling.
Make the filling
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or with a handheld electric mixer, beat the cream cheese on medium speed until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes.
- Add the confectioners' sugar and mix on low speed until the sugar is moistened. Then turn the speed up to medium and continue mixing until well combined, about 2 minutes.
- Add the Nutella and mix on medium speed until well incorporated, about 2 minutes.
- Pour the filling over the crust and spread to the edges of the pan. This filling will be very thick and sticky. Set in the freezer while you make the topping.
Make the topping
- In a small saucepan, bring cream to a simmer over medium-low heat.
- Pour the warm cream over the chocolate in a bowl and let stand for 3 minutes. Whisk until the chocolate is melted and smooth.
- Spread the ganache over the cheesecake. Sprinkle the top with chopped hazelnuts.
- Refrigerate the cheesecake overnight, about 6-8 hours.
- Just before serving, gently run a knife around the outer edge of the cheesecake to loosen it from the pan. Then remove the sides of the springform pan.
Notes
Slicing the cheesecake: Use a sharp chef knife to get clean slices. Run the knife under hot water for a few minutes, carefully wipe the blade with a clean towel, then make a cut. Repeat after each cut.
Try it with Nutella ganache! Use the Nutella ganache recipe from my original Nutella cheesecake recipe.
Make ahead tip
- The cheesecake will keep for up to 1 week covered tightly and stored in the refrigerator.
- The cheesecake will keep for up to 2 months covered tightly and stored in the freezer. Cut frozen and let the slices sit at room temperature for 15-30 minutes before serving.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 20 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 436Total Fat: 29gSaturated Fat: 13gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 14gCholesterol: 44mgSodium: 373mgCarbohydrates: 35gFiber: 1gSugar: 17gProtein: 11g
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet. Since different brands of ingredients have different nutritional information, the values shown are just an estimate.
Rebecca Tyler-Rose says
Oh, my.....this was beautiful and delicious! I have to be honest, I thought the ganache was going to be overkill with that much Nutella and the oreo crust.....but, oh, no such luck! I kept saying this for hubby, for HIS birthday dessert. We have been discussing how long we should wait before it's been an appropriate amount of time to wait before I make again. (We ate this every day/eve with coffee in AM or dessert @ PM til we polished it off!) Oh, the shame LOL! It was incredibly good, and I prefer savory to sweet these days. What a great recipe! People should stop trying to change this recipe before they try as is! P.S. don't skimp on the hazelnuts, you'll be sorry!! Thanks again!
Hina Nafe says
Hi Jen
Will the ganache survive if i have to transport the cake for an hour?
Jen Sobjack says
It's best to keep it cold. I suggest transporting the cheesecake in a cooler with ice packs.
Hina Nafe says
Hi i am planning to make the cheesecake with some gelatin. My concern is for the ganache. I have to transport the cake for an hour. Its quite cold in new zealand at the moment. Can you guide me if the ganache will stay fine? Or if i should add anything to it to stabilise it?
Jen Sobjack says
My suggestion is to transport the cheesecake in a cooler with ice packs to keep it cold. The cheesecake and ganache should both be fine as long as it doesn't get warm.
Bonnie says
Hi! I made your bake version of Nutella Cheesecake, it was a hit with my friends and family. I have a question about this recipe, I live in a country where the weather is hot most of the time of the year, so do you recommend in that case I can use gelatin, and the cheesecake can it have it's own shape? . I'm looking forward for your help. Thank you 😊
Jen Sobjack says
As long as the cheesecake remains refrigerated, it will be fine the way it is. I've not added gelatin to this recipe before but if you feel like it would help, you can always give it a try.
Sera says
I made this last nightssooo yum...cheesecake is my fav an the third on of yours I've made..❤
Natalie says
When making the crust, do you use whole oreos and crush them or remove the cream center first and just use the cookie?
Jen Sobjack says
Use the whole cookie. No need to waste the filling.
Amy Annala says
The recipe (and your explanation) say to use confectioner's sugar, but the pop-up video showed powdered sugar. Is it okay to use powdered?
Jen Sobjack says
Confectioners' sugar and powdered sugar are the same things.
Cel says
Hello!
I've tried the exact recipe and it was a huge hit during our NY party! My question is, can I still have the same consistency and firmness if I just keep the cream cheese and powdered sugar as the main ingredients for my filling? Or add a little bit of lemon juice? Thanks again for sharing this lovely recipe
Jen Sobjack says
I suggest using my plain no-bake cheesecake recipe and add lemon zest with a splash of lemon juice.
Sadeen says
can I use regular sugar instead of the confectioners' sugar?
Jen Sobjack says
Not for this recipe. It won't work the same.
Kathy says
So easy and delish!
A huge hit and just one piece left after a huge dinner!
Kiki says
I made this yesterday using a loose base 7-inch pan. Here are the modifications I made:
- Halved all the ingredients, which was sufficient to fit a 7-inch loose base pan
- I used Digestive biscuits as the base rather than Oreos as Digestive biscuits are savoury and would balance the sweetness of the Nutella cream cheese filling.
- I measured out 3/4 cups of icing sugar for the 7-inch cake but only ended up using half of that as it was already quite sweet.
I agree with several other comments that this recipe is too sweet so add the icing sugar a bit at a time and taste as you go along. I'm glad I used Digestive biscuits rather than Oreo cookies as the savoury taste helped to lessen the sickly sweetness of the Nutella.
With the exception of the quantities for the biscuit base, here are recommended adjustments to quantities of ingredients for those wishing to use different size pans:
For 6-inch pan = use 1/3 of the original quantities
For 7-inch pan = use 1/2 of the original quantities
For 8-inch pan = use 2/3 of the original quantities
Jen Sobjack says
Thanks for sharing Kiki!
Alicia Sweatt says
Do you think this would work in a 9x13 pan if I doubled the recipe? I know my family would love this and my family is big!
Jen Sobjack says
A 9-inch springform with 3-inch sides holds 12 cups while a 9x13 pan holds 14 cups. If you double the recipe, you'll need two 9x13 pans.
Tania says
Hi which size springform pain is this?
Jen Sobjack says
I used a 9-inch pan.
Anita nandini says
Hi , how many grams is does the following translate to ( from ur recipe)
Two cups Nutella
One and half cups confectioners sugar
One and half cup cream
Two and half cups Oreo.
Baking works best for me when I know the measures In grams. Have had many disasters what where in I baked using cups ..lol
Thanks in advance
Jen Sobjack says
There's a tab under the ingredient heading for you to switch between US cups and Metric measurements.
Femina Thakwani says
Hey can we use the same quantities for a 22 cm(8.6 inches) pan?
Jen Sobjack says
I'm not sure how much a pan that size will hold. I've never used one. But the cheesecake fills a 9-inch pan pretty close to the top. You could always make a few mini cheesecakes with any leftover filling.
Femina Thakwani says
Thank you!!
Also for how long can I store this cake without slicing and after slicing?
Jen Sobjack says
Slice or not, the cheesecake will keep for up to 1 week covered tightly and stored in the refrigerator. Or up to 2 months covered tightly and stored in the freezer. Cut frozen and let the slices sit at room temperature for 15-30 minutes before serving.