no-bake nutella cheesecakes.

So, we’re doing this week a bit in reverse — bear with us. Tina and I are rolling with the punches… which, if you know either of us and how big of planners we each are, we aren’t SUPER great at in the first place. That said, let’s start the final week before Christmas with a dessert, shall we?

I made these no-bake nutella cheesecakes for a little get-together I had a couple weeks ago and, boy, were they a hit. They were also a hit with my dad, who happily enjoyed a few extra leftovers. I am not a nutella fan (I KNOW), but I know how many people are so these were a no-brainer.

No-Bake Nutella Cheesecakes.
via Mel’s Kitchen Cafe

Crust:
18 Oreo cookies, crushed into crumbs
2 tbsp butter, melted

Cheesecake:
12 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 small jar of nutella
1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 cups heavy whipping cream, very cold
3 tbsp powdered sugar

Combine Oreo cookie crumbs and melted butter in a small bowl, and then divide crumbs among your mini dessert dishes.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese until light and smooth. Add the nutella and mix until smooth. Add the vanilla and mix to combine. In another bowl, whip the cream until soft peaks form. Add powdered sugar and whip until stiff peaks form. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold the whipped cream into the nutella mixture until well blended and no streaks remain.

Spoon the filling into individual serving dishes on top of the crust. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until serving, at least 2 hours or overnight.

If desired, garnish with additional whipped topping, chocolate shavings, and/or toasted, chopped hazelnuts.

Now, y’all, the recipe said it makes 6. I got 12 reasonable servings out of it by making a bit more crust, and the portions seemed to be plenty for everyone.  Also, if you’ve never whipped cream before, make sure your cream is extra cold or else it isn’t going to do much but foam a little. You may find yourself on the voxer late in the evening with Christina when you both ought to be in bed, trying to figure out what in the heck you’ve done wrong. Stick the bowl, beater, cream… everything you’ve got in the fridge and let it sit a bit. In this case, patience is indeed a virtue.

Don’t forget to enter our Ina Garten cookbook giveaway here!

I’m surprised my dad hasn’t requested these for Christmas… yet,
jcristg