Chocolate Hazelnut Cheesecake

You would think that cheesecake couldn’t be any richer, but then you add some chocolate hazelnut spread into the mix and you realize it can reach even deeper into your soul.

After a very painful weekend of moving (literally our whole bodies hurt, right down to the pads of my fingers), all of our belongings are in the new house! Now comes the extra fun part of unpacking and figuring out the best places to put it all in the new space. By fun I mean not at all. Although it is fun to tackle a challenge of making things work in different spaces. The most daunting task will be the kitchen which is currently drowning in boxes. After 8+ years of blogging you accumulate a lot of kitchen stuff, even when you give things away!

I am sure you are wondering how on earth I am sharing this recipe with you today after describing my kitchen. Fun fact: I baked this while packing Friday night and took the photos in between boxes on the new counter just moments before posting. I had to move around several boxes before I found one labeled “plates” and then didn’t bother trying to find any placemats/backgrounds because our new countertops are all wood! I’m both excited and nervous about this prospect. But I digress.

As you can see below from the list of posts on this day in the past, I rarely miss celebrating #WorldNutellaDay with a new recipe using Nutella. Technically I used a different brand of chocolate hazelnut spread for today’s recipe so I stuck with that name in order to not offend the Nutella gods. But I also linked to a homemade version in the recipe should you be ambitious enough to not only make a cheesecake, but to also make the chocolate hazelnut spread yourself to then put into said cheesecake – recipe inception.

One year ago: Nutella Swirl Cheesecake Bars

Two years ago: Weekly Meal Plan: 6

Three years ago: Strawberry Basil Shortcakes with Chocolate Balsamic Drizzle

Four years ago: Two Ingredient Nutella Fondue

Six years ago: Nutella Pecan Pie Bars

Seven years ago: Nutella Chunk Cookies

Eight years ago: Nutella Rice Krispies Treats

CHOCOLATE HAZELNUT CHEESECAKE

Serves 12-16

Ingredients:

CRUST

1-1/4 cup chocolate graham cracker crumbs (approximately 1 sleeve)

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted

FILLING

3 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, room temperature

1 cup light brown sugar, loosely packed

1/2 cup chocolate hazelnut spread

3 Tbsp all-purpose flour

1 cup sour cream or plain Greek yogurt

1 tsp vanilla extract

4 eggs, room temperature

Chocolate sauce for topping (optional)

Directions:

1. Make the crust: Heat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl combine graham cracker crumbs, sugar and butter. Press onto bottom of 9-inch springform pan and set aside.
2. Make the filling: In a large bowl, cream together the cream cheese, brown sugar, chocolate hazelnut spread, and flour on low speed until smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add sour cream (or yogurt) and vanilla and mix on low until combined. Add eggs one at a time, mixing slowly until combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl to make sure everything is combined.
3. Pour the filling into the crust and bake for 45 minutes or until center is almost set. Turn off the oven and leave the cheesecake in the oven with the door closed for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, crack open the door and allow to cool slowly for another 30 minutes. Remove from own and let sit on counter for 15 minutes before refrigerating until cool, at least 4 hours.
4. Remove the spring form, slice and serve with chocolate sauce on top if desired.

Source: Adapted from my Blackberry Swirl Cheesecake and Monster Cookie Dough Cheesecake.