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    Home » Brownies & Bars

    Nutella Caramel Swirl Cheesecake Bars

    Published: Feb 17, 2012 · Modified: Jun 3, 2020 by thekitchenprep · This post may contain affiliate links ·

    One of my favorite bloggers, Jessica at The Novice Chef, has a category of recipes on her blog called "Ass Friendly" {meaning healthy or low calorie, in case you didn't pick up on that}. It's one of the many reasons why I love reading her stuff. {Plus, I'm pretty sure she likes wine as much as I do. Which is a lot. Instant bond.}

    Anyway, if Jessica's healthy recipes are considered "Ass Friendly", then the recipe I'm about to share with you would be part of the polar opposite category we'll call "Ass Hostile". Except that sounds absolutely terrible and a bit like an adjective that would be used to describe a horrible virus you might get if you don't wash your hands. So, let's go with "Elastic Waistband Friendly" instead. In short, this is to be enjoyed in moderation.

    No, friends. This is not one serving.

    Remember that Nutella Caramel Sauce I posted a few days ago? Well, I had a lot left over. And since I know I am not to be trusted with large quantities of anything even remotely related to Nutella, I had to find a way to use it up fast.

    And so, Nutella Caramel Swirl Cheesecake Bars were born.

    These little babies are rich. Buttery. Sweet. They are unassumingly dangerous. And one too many will bring the elastic waistband pants out of their drawer. So share. {Even though you won't want to.}

    They've got a brown sugar shortbread crust, a not-too-thin, not-too-thick layer of cheesecake, and of course... a seductive swirl of Nutella Caramel running throughout.

    Good stuff. And by good, I mean bad. Very, very bad.

    So, get some Ass Friendly recipes from Jessica's blog, and then come back here when you want to treat yourself for all the healthy eating you've done. These bars will be waiting. 😉

    Nutella Caramel Swirl Cheesecake Bars
    a Kitchen Prep original recipe

    For Nutella Caramel Sauce

    • Click here for recipe

    For crust:

    • 2 cups all-purpose flour
    • ½ cup firmly packed brown sugar
    • 1 ½ sticks butter, cut into small pieces
    Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 13x9x2 inch baking pan with foil and set aside.
    In the bowl of a stand mixer or a medium bowl, combine sugar and flour. Using paddle attachment, or with a pastry blender or fork by hand, incorporate pieces of butter until the mixture is crumbly. {Will hold it's shape when a clump is pinched.}
    Press mixture evenly into foil lined baking pan.
    Bake for 15 minutes until crust is slightly golden. Set aside.
    For cheesecake:
    • 1 - 8oz. block cream cheese {you can use reduced fat if you're already feeling guilty}
    • ⅓ cup sugar
    • 1 egg
    • ½ to 1 teaspoon vanilla
    • ¼ cup Greek Yogurt {once again, trying to healthy up the unhealthy}

    In a medium bowl, combine cream cheese and sugar until fluffy and incorporated. Add egg, and beat until combined. Add vanilla and Greek yogurt and mix until smooth.

    Pour into crust.

    Spoon globs of Nutella Caramel sauce onto cheesecake batter, dotting throughout the mixture. With a skewer, toothpick, or tip of a knife, carefully swirl caramel throughout cheesecake to create marbleized effect.

    Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, until filling is mostly set {not super jiggly}. If caramel is cooking too rapidly or becoming too bubbly, cover lightly with a sheet of aluminum foil for the last 10 minutes.

    Cool to room temperature, then refrigerate and let cool completely before cutting into bars.

    « Caramel Nutella Sauce
    Mini King Cakes »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. MyFudo™ says

      February 20, 2012 at 6:16 am

      Looks so intriguing! I cannot resist those swirls, girl! Will have to try this...i don't mind the little bulges as long as I get to bite this heavenly treats! Thanks for sharing!

      Reply
      • The Kitchen Prep says

        February 20, 2012 at 7:49 pm

        I agree. Some treats are worth an extra pound or two! 😉 Plus, I always think about the fact that I'm burning calories with all the hours I log on my feet in the kitchen, so it's got to counteract some of those little bulges & dimples... right? 😉 Thanks for reading & enjoy!

        Reply
    2. Lannie says

      February 20, 2012 at 10:58 pm

      looks so tasty!! such pretty work with the swirls.

      Reply
      • The Kitchen Prep says

        February 20, 2012 at 11:51 pm

        Thank you! They taste even better than they look! 😉

        Reply
    3. TastefullyJulie says

      April 27, 2012 at 1:36 pm

      Wow. These look absolutely amazing. I'll pin them to make later when I'm self-loathing 🙂

      Reply
    4. The Kitchen Prep says

      April 27, 2012 at 2:51 pm

      Hi Julie! Thanks so much... they are indeed delicious & a wonderful treat for a "calorie splurge". 😉 Would love to know how you like them when you get around to making them! P.S. I took a peek at your blog & can't wait to have time to sit down and browse.. looks fantastic!

      Reply
    5. Dori says

      April 27, 2012 at 7:21 pm

      Oh wow these look amazinging. I love nutella!

      Reply
    6. Daniela says

      April 27, 2012 at 3:36 pm

      pinning this to my must makes, even thought it's ass hostile 😀 😀 😀

      Reply
      • The Kitchen Prep says

        April 27, 2012 at 3:46 pm

        Haha! "Ass Hostile" = Tastebud Friendly!! 😉 Enjoy & let me know if you think they're worth the calories when you make them!

        Reply
    7. The Kitchen Prep says

      April 27, 2012 at 11:54 pm

      Thank you, Dori! I am a huge Nutella fan as well... as I'm sure you might have been able to tell. 😉 Thanks for stopping by!

      Reply
    8. Katrina says

      May 10, 2012 at 1:49 pm

      I was just browsing some food porn on pinterest and found these! This is happening this weekend. I think that ass hostile maybe the funniest thing I have read on a food blog, ever. Thanks for sharing this glorious recipe!

      Reply
      • The Kitchen Prep says

        May 10, 2012 at 2:00 pm

        I NEVER thought those two words would appear side by side in a food blog... but they did. Haha! Please let me know how yours turn out {and start deciding right now who you will be sharing them with or you will definitely run the risk of eating them all yourself}! Thanks for reading, Katrina! 🙂

        Reply
    9. Alyssa says

      May 15, 2012 at 4:16 pm

      You are a LIFE SAVER.

      I had a horrible recollection this morning that I have to have a cheesecake or some other dairy dessert made by tonight for a Jewish shindig.

      I had no idea what I was going to make until I saw this on Foodgawker. I have half a jar of Nutella that I need to get out of my apartment, because I still have an unopened bag of pretzels in my possession as well. Now, I can make my dairy dessert, AND save myself from blacking out and finishing the jar. Thanks, girl!

      P.S. Love your blog. Literally laughed out loud while reading it. Being filed on my favorites bar? I think yes.

      Reply
      • The Kitchen Prep says

        May 15, 2012 at 4:22 pm

        Yay! I'm so glad I could help with both coming up with a dessert idea AND avoiding certain Nutella destruction! Nutella and pretzels is one of my absolute favorite snacking combos, too. I know how hard it can be to put down the jar & "just say no". Haha!

        Thanks so much for the sweet comment, so glad you stopped by! Please let me know how everyone at the shindig likes the bars! 🙂

        Reply
    10. shelley c. says

      November 03, 2012 at 11:51 pm

      WOW. Those look sinfully delicious in the most delightful way possible! Awesome job with the Willow Bird challenges, and amazingly innovative cheesecake.

      Reply
      • The Kitchen Prep says

        November 04, 2012 at 3:08 pm

        Thanks, Shelley! They are definitely a sinful treat for special occasions! And thanks for checking out my creations for the Challenge! 🙂

        Reply
    11. Loretta E. says

      November 07, 2012 at 2:28 am

      This is absolutely GORGEOUS! I want to print it and put it on the wall of a coffee shop or something.

      Reply
    12. The Kitchen Prep says

      November 07, 2012 at 5:45 pm

      @Loretta - Haha! That's so sweet! 🙂 Thank you for stopping by!

      Reply
    13. Danny says

      November 28, 2012 at 2:18 pm

      Dianna, I love that you use greek yogurt in this to make it healthier. I'm such a Nutella fanatic that you have to keep it away from me or I'll eat it all up with a spoon and never bake with it. This sounds great with the caramel combo - yummmm!

      Reply
    14. thekitchenprep says

      December 02, 2012 at 2:43 pm

      @Danny - Thank you! The use of Greek yogurt is sort of "in vain" as there are copious amounts of sugar & butter in this, but it does make it a little better in my brain to know that I saved a handful of calories. 😉 I do the exact same thing with Nutella... it doesn't last long in my house!

      Reply
    15. Humphrey Addison says

      March 13, 2014 at 12:02 pm

      This is so beautiful and I’m sure it’s all super delicious! Looks so pretty, so good and sounds so awesome!
      Home Chef

      Reply
    16. Allie BakingAMoment says

      May 25, 2014 at 1:55 pm

      Omg, I'm lol-ing over here, Dianna! Too funny- especially the ass-hostile part. <-- No, that sounds dangerous. But the bars look phenomenal! Love the cheesecake/Nutella combo 😉

      Reply

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    Hi! I'm Dianna. I used to think cooking had to be complicated to be good, so I never considered it "my thing." Now I know that's far from true, and my mission is to create & share easy, mouthwatering recipes - from weeknight dinners to simple bites for entertaining - that anyone can make! Join me in my South Florida kitchen and let's get cooking!

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