Mascarpone Nutella Creme

This recipe for Mascarpone Nutella Creme ticks all three boxes in my ultimate dessert trifecta…

• Make ahead – say no more!
• Simple – dangerously simple.
• And…drumroll please…calories that are totally worth it!

That last point is a big one for me personally. If I am going to have dessert, it had better be worth the calories! As for simple, all you need is a mixing bowl and a spoon! This Mascarpone Nutella Creme is a bit like a mousse, but it’s thicker and more decadent because there is no whipped cream – which means no mixer either. Check out my step-by-step photos to see how easy this nutella dessert is!

Ingredients for mascarpone nutella creme

• Nutella
• Mascarpone cheese (can substitute spreadable cream cheese – more on that later)
• Vanilla bean paste (can substitute vanilla essence)
• Instant coffee
• Fresh raspberries to serve

How to make mascarpone nutella creme – step-by-step

• Place approx 1/4 cup of mascarpone in a bowl – see Image 1.
• Add the instant coffee to the mascarpone and mix to blend well – see Image 2.

• Then add remaining mascarpone and mix to incorporate – see Image 3.
• Mix in vanilla paste – see Image 4.

• Finally, add nutella and mix well to combine – see Image 5.
• This is your end product – see Image 6. Just spoon into serving dishes then refrigerate.

What is mascarpone cheese?

Mascarpone is a soft, spreadable Italian cream cheese. You will find it in most good grocery stores, usually near the other fresh cheeses such as feta, fresh mozzarella, and block cream cheese.

What is a substitute for mascarpone in this recipe?

Spreadable cream cheese will work fine in this recipe, just get it out of the fridge for a while first – this will make it easier to mix in. The end texture will be very similar, and the taste will be a little more tangy than the mascarpone. Both are good!

My top tips for making mascarpone creme

• You could make this recipe up to 2 days ahead – just spoon it into the serving dishes, cover and refrigerate until you want to use it. Then top it with the raspberries to serve.
• If your instant coffee has large granules like mine in the photo, I like to give it a good mix to start them dissolving using a small silicone spatula to “crush” the granules.
• Mascarpone is best left in the fridge until you need to use it – especially if the weather is a bit hot.
• You can substitute vanilla extract for the vanilla bean paste.
• If you can’t find mascarpone, you could substitute spreadable cream cheese (room temperature).
• A fancy serving suggestion would be to use stemless wine glasses to serve this in. I did this for a dinner party here at home recently. I piped the creme into the glasses for a neat finish, then refrigerated as usual and added the raspberries when I served it. Super impressive!

Other nutella recipes you may enjoy

Peanut Butter Nutella Brownies – yep, all the good stuff in one brownie!

Other mascarpone recipes you may enjoy

Chocolate Cherry Ganache Parfaits – a great date night dessert.

Orange Mascarpone Dessert Sauce – a simple, easy mix dessert sauce.

Lemon & Raspberry Mascarpone Tart – a quick biscuit base with a lemony cheesecake filling.