Strawberry Nutella Cheesecakes

Drizzling caramel sauce on top of a single strawberry nutella cheesecake cupcake.

5 from 2 votes

Strawberry Nutella Cheesecakes

Strawberry Nutella Cheesecakes are a creamy lemon cheesecake topped with Nutella ganache, fresh strawberries and salted caramel sauce for a truly irresistible mini dessert!

Total Time1 15

Course: Christmas Recipes, Dessert, Holiday Baking

Cuisine: American

Servings: Mini Cheesecakes

Calories: 270kcal

Author: Jessica

Ingredients

Graham Cracker Base

1 ½ cups Graham Cracker Crumbs
2 Tablespoons Granulated Sugar
¼ cup Butter melted

Cheesecake Filling

2 packages (8oz each) Cream Cheese room temperature
2 Large Eggs room temprature
½ cup Granulated Sugar
2 Tablespoons Lemon Juice
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

Nutella Ganache

½ cup Nutella
2 Tablespoons Heavy Cream
1 teaspoon Butter room temperature
2 oz Semi-Sweet Bakers Chocolate chopped

Salted Caramel Sauce

⅔ cup Granulated Sugar
3 Tablespoons Butter room temperature
⅓ cup Heavy Cream
½ teaspoon Vanilla Extract
½ teaspoon Flaky Sea Salt

Fresh Strawberry Layer

1 ¼ cups (8-10 large strawberries) Fresh Strawberries diced

Instructions

Graham Cracker Base

Preheat the oven to 325°F. In a medium-sized bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, and sugar, mixing with a fork until it is a sandy-like texture. Portion 2 Tablespoons per cupcake liner and, using a small glass, like a shot glass, flatten the crust into an even layer that runs up the sides of the liners by about half. Bake for 5 minutes.

Cheesecake Filling

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment or a large bowl with a hand mixer, beat the cream cheese until it is fluffy, about 1-2 minutes. Scrape down the sides and add the sugar. Run the mixer on medium speed, adding one egg at a time, continually scraping down the sides as needed. Next, add the lemon juice and vanilla, mixing until it is creamy and smooth with no lumps remaining.
Fill the prepared cupcake liners with about a ¼ cup of filling each. Bake for 22 minutes. When the cheesecakes are done baking, they will still feel slightly wobbly but firm to the touch. Let them cool in the muffin tin for at least 30 minutes before adding the ganache.
Prepare the Nutella ganache and caramel sauce while the cheesecakes are cooling.

Nutella Ganache

In a double broiler*, warm the Nutella, heavy cream, and butter until melted and warmed. Don't overheat it or the chocolate will burn. Remove it from the heat and add the chopped baker's chocolate, gently coating it with the Nutella mixture without stirring. Let it sit for 5 minutes, then whisk it until it is smooth and velvety.

Caramel Sauce

In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, whisk the sugar continuously until it melts and turns a deep amber color. This takes around 5-7 minutes, or until it reaches 220°F on a candy thermometer. Sugar burns quickly, so keep a close eye on it. Remove from the heat and whisk in the butter until it is fully melted. Slowly add the heavy cream and vanilla, continuing to whisk. The caramel sauce will bubble rapidly, so use caution. Pour the caramel sauce into a heatproof container (like a mason jar) and let it cool completely to room temperature.
Never taste or touch hot caramel sauce. Freshly made, it is extremely hot and can easily cause burns.

Assembling The Strawberry Nutella Cheesecakes

After the mini cheesecakes have cooled, add a dollop of Nutella ganache to the top of each cheesecake. Top with a small handful of fresh strawberries and finish with a drizzle of salted caramel sauce.
Chill or serve and enjoy!

Notes

* If you do not have a double broiler, you can make one using a heat-proof mixing bowl (stainless steel is best) and placing it over a saucepan with a little bit of water at the bottom. The water should not touch the bottom of the bowl.

Graham cracker crumbs can be substituted for chocolate graham crumbs, crushed Oreo's or Biscoff crumbs.
Use brick-style cream cheese for this recipe. Spreadable cream cheese can not be used to make cheesecake.
Any fresh berries can be used as a topping.
To make this a full-sized cheesecake, follow these instructions.
Use room temperature cream cheese and eggs for the smoothest texture.
Use silicone or foil cupcake liners to avoid the cheesecake sticking.
If the ganache or salted caramel sauce firms up, gently rewarm it. Rewarm the ganache over a double broiler for about a minute, or warm the sealed caramel jar in a bowl of warm water until it is smooth and drizzly again.
To clean the utensils and pot that the caramel sauce was made in, fill it with water, add all utensils and heat until the caramel sauce dissolves.
Store assembled mini cheesecake cupcakes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Click here for more make-ahead instructions.
If you halve this recipe, do not halve the caramel sauce. In my experience and testing, this is the smallest amount of caramel sauce that can be made without it burning. Extra caramel sauce can be used as a topping for other desserts, and even ice cream!

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