Nutella Peanut Butter Banana Bars

I have been meaning to try out this recipe I found on The Spiffy Cookie for ages...it was worth the wait.  Easy to make and just plain tasty.  I will definitely be making this treat again.  Who can resist the glory of Nutella?

I tweaked the recipe a bit because I had extra bananas on hand and no hazelnuts....not that I usually need an excuse for tinkering...ehehehe.


Nutella Peanut Butter Banana Bars

1/2 cup butter, melted
1 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/4 cup unbleached all purpose flour
1 cup bananas, mashed
1/2 cup creamy natural peanut butter
1/2 cup lightly salted peanuts
1/4 cup Nutella

Mix melted butter with brown sugar until smooth. Beat in egg and vanilla.  Add salt and flour. Mix in bananas, peanut butter, and peanuts. Pour into greased 8 inch pan.  Melt the Nutella briefly in the microwave and drop by spoonfuls over the batter, and swirl in with a knife.  Bake for 20-25 minutes.  Cool before slicing.

My swirl could have looked a little better...I think I was distracted by the bowl of dreamy Nutella in my hand.  That's my story and I'm sticking to it.  ;)

Cherry Nutella Brownie Cake

Sometimes you just want to make a cake with brownies.  This was so incredibly rich and good....it just wasn't natural I tell you.  This cake was also insanely full of chocolate.  I actually ended up double glazing this puppy.  I hated the look of the first glaze so I added a dark chocolate glaze on top.....when your cake won't do you what you want....glaze it into submission!

I intended to garnish this cake with chocolate covered tart cherries and small cherry clusters.  One cup of tart cherries, however, is almost the entire 6oz bag and I only had one. Solution...glaze mania.  ;)


Cherry Nutella Brownie Cake

1 cup Smart Balance 50/50 butter blend
4 oz (squares) unsweetened chocolate
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1 tsp baking soda
2 cups all purpose unbleached flour
Filling:
8 oz reduced fat cream cheese
4 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup Nutella
1 cup dried tart cherries, chopped fine

Melt butter and chocolate together in the microwave. Stir often and be careful not to overheat. Add in sugar and vanilla. Beat the eggs lightly in a small bowl before adding them to the chocolate mixture. Stir in flour and baking soda. Pour batter into three greased 9 inch rounds.  Bake at 350 for 10 to 12 minutes.  Remove from pans and cool.

Mix together cream cheese and nutella until creamy.  Beat in powdered sugar. Add in cherries.  Put one brownie round on a plate and top with half of the cream cheese mixture.  Add another brownie round and top with remaining cream cheese.  Top with final brownie round.

First Chocolate Glaze:
14 oz non fat sweetened condensed milk
6oz milk chocolate chips
6oz semi sweet chocolate chips
1 tsp vanilla
 
Mix together sweetened condensed milk, chocolate chips, and vanilla. Heat on high in the microwave for 30 second intervals, stirring after each interval until mixture is melted and smooth.  Pour glaze over top of the brownie cake, spooning it down the sides.  Chill until chocolate sets.

Second Chocolate Glaze:
14 oz non fat sweetened condensed milk
12oz dark chocolate chips
1 tsp vanilla
1 tbls milk
 
Mix together sweetened condensed milk, chocolate chips, and vanilla. Heat on high in the microwave for 30 second intervals, stirring after each interval until mixture is melted and smooth.  Stir in milk to thin the glaze a bit.  Using a spoon, spread chocolate along the top edge and sides of the cake.

Spoon some of the glaze into a ziplock back with one tip cut off and drizzle lines across the top of the cake.  Chill cake until chocolate sets.  (You will only use about half of this chocolate batch, but the remainder will freeze nicely if you don't find an immediate use for it.)

A couple more pics....

Put this wedge on my plate and just walk away...just....walk...away.  ;)

Just another interior view.  I am wondering how this cake would turn out with some super, fudgy brownies.  I added some baking soda to this version to give the brownies a little poof.  I'm not sure it's possible to make this cake richer...ehehehe.

Nutella Cheesecake Dip

This sweet dip is based on a recipe I ran across over at The Boys Made Me Do It blog.  A tinker here and a tinker there....toss in some of the glory that is Nutella....perfection!  This is ridiculously good.  Seriously...very hard to resist just diving right in with a spoon....or finger.  Ahem.  Serve with pretzels, vanilla cookies, or even gingersnaps.  Some Ritz crackers might make a fun dipper as well.


Nutella Cheesecake Dip

1/2 cup tub margarine, melted
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 8oz packages reduced fat cream cheese
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp rum extract (vanilla would also be fine)
1/2 cup Nutella

Stir together melted margarine, brown sugar, and rum extract.  Microwave 30 seconds.  Let mixture cool.

Mix together cream cheese and powdered sugar until smooth and creamy.  Add in melted margarine mixture and Nutella.  Chill.  Serve with pretzels, cookies, or crackers.

Oaty Nutella Bars

I made this treat for Dessert Wars.  Their theme for the month is Nutella...now how could I resist that?  An excuse to make more goodies with Nutella.....I'm on it!

This is a bit of a busy dessert, but it's quite tasty.  Think of it like a really, really suped-up O'Henry bar with Nutella.  It assembles quickly even though it has four layers.  I actually only intended three layers, but sometimes you just need a finishing touch.  ;)  Each layer has a distinctive texture....which tickles me.

Ahhh Nutella and dark chocolate.....how I love you!.  Nom, nom!


Oaty Nutella Bars

Crust:
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs (one sleeve)
1/4 cup tub margarine, melted
2 tbls sugar

Mix everything together and press into an 8x8 greased pan.  Set aside.

Oaty Layer:
2 cups old fashioned oats
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup tub margarine, melted
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1/2 tsp vanilla

Mix together oats and brown sugar.  Stir in melted margarine, corn syrup, and vanilla.  Spread mixture over top of graham cracker crust and press down.  Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes.

Chocolate Layer:
1/4 cup Smart Balance 50/50 butter blend
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup skim milk
2 tbls dark chocolate cocoa powder
1/4 cup Nutella
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup old fashioned oats, ground fine
2 oz of a dark chocolate with hazelnuts candy bar, chopped roughly

In a saucepan, mix together butter, sugar, milk, and cocoa powder.  Bring to a boil, stirring constantly.  Let cook for one minute.  Remove from heat and stir in Nutella and vanilla  and mix until well combined. Stir in ground oats and chopped dark chocolate.  Spread across oaty layer.

Topping:
1/4 cup Nutella
3oz milk chocolate chips

Stir Nutella and chocolate chips together and heat in the microwave until smooth and melted together.  Spread across top of chocolate later.  Chill before slicing into squares.


A couple more pics....

More fun with my silicone heart shaped molds.  Heart shapes are my current favorite (like that's a surprise) since they are just so cute. These really need some drizzle across the top to finish them off though.

A closer look at the layers.....who wouldn't want to take a bite out of that?  Well....maybe someone who isn't a Nutella fan....I'm pretty sure that is some sort of sin though.  ;)


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O'Henry Bars with Nutella

I adore these bars.  They are, however, dangerously addictive.  You have been warned!  ;)

These bars whip together really fast.  The hardest part is letting them cool and set in the fridge...they taste their best fully chilled....but honestly I struggle not to dig in.  This is also one of those recipes that is easy to cut down in size if you need to.  If you only want a tiny amount....generally so you don't snarfle the entire pan....easy enough to make a 1/4 of the recipe. 


O'Henry Bars with Nutella

Bottom layer:
4 cups old fashioned oats
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup tub margarine, melted
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1 tsp vanilla

Top layer:
6oz milk chocolate chips
1/2 cup Nutella

Mix together oats and brown sugar.  Stir in melted butter, corn syrup, and vanilla.  Spread mixture in bottom of greased 9x13 pan and press down.  Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes.

Mix together milk chocolate chips and Nutella.  Microwave, stirring often, until mixture melts and looks smooth.  Spread over top of baked bars.  Chill for a couple hours before slicing into squares and diving in.


Another pic of the goodies...

I used silicone cupcake forms to make the hearts.  Most of the time I'm content to do the 9x13 pan and slice into squares.  ;)  If you want to do a quick drizzle across your squares, spoon some of the chocolate/nutella mixture into a ziplock bag with the corner nipped off.  After you have spread your chocolate across your bars, drizzle away.

Sweet as Sugar Cookies has a Sweets for Saturday post with a ton of glorious goodies listed.  I spent quite a while drooling over all that glory.  ;)  I don't think you will regret having a lookie lew. 

Nutella & Peanut Butter Granola 3.0

This is the final version of this recipe.  I'm finally happy with it.  ;)  Meanwhile, I got the cutest pack of silicone cupcake cups as a present.  They were perfect for making adorable little granola servings.  I left the usual...press into a 9x13 pan instructions in the recipe...but have fun with your granola if you have any cute silicone forms laying around. 


Nutella & Peanut Butter Granola Bars 3.0

2 1/3 cups old fashioned oats
1 cup unsalted dry roasted peanuts
3/4 cup wheat germ
3/4 cup unsalted sunflower seeds
2 tbls tub margarine
1/2 cup raw honey
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup natural creamy peanut butter
1/3 cup Nutella

Pour your peanuts in a 9x13 pan. Crush them up a bit with the bottom of a cup, or whatever you have handy for crushing purposes. Add wheat germ, oats, and sunflower seeds and mix everything together. Pop pan into the oven for 10 minutes at 400 degrees for a quick toast. Stir the ingredients in the pan a couple times just to make sure nothing gets overdone. When the 10 minutes are up turn off oven and pour the toasted mixture into a mixing bowl. Set aside.

In a saucepan mix together the honey, margarine, and brown sugar. Cook over medium heat stirring constantly. Bring mixture to a boil and then continue to cook for 4 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the peanut butter and Nutella. Pour over the mixture you just set aside. Mix until everything is well combined. Spray a 9x13 pan and pour the granola spreading it out evenly. With a piece of wax paper protecting your hand press down firmly to compact the granola. Toss the wax paper when your done. Let cool before turning out granola on a board for cutting. Cut into 20 pieces.


Another pic of the cuters...

Still cute.....but they cry out for the dark chocolate stripes.  Dark chocolate being healthy for us and all...it's a crime to leave it off....snicker.  A small amount of dark chocolate goes a very long way.  Melt it in the microwave and then use a ziplock bag with the corner cut off as a handy piping bag.

Nutella & Peanut Butter Granola 2.0

The last batch was a little heavy on wet ingredients.  I went too far in the opposite direction this time....a little too heavy on the dry.  It's pretty close to where it should be though.  If I put the oats at 2 1/3 cups I think it will be about right.  The most important factor though is it still tastes yummy.  ;)


Nutella & Peanut Butter Granola Bars 2.0

2 3/4 cups old fashioned oats
1 cup unsalted dry roasted peanuts
3/4 cup wheat germ
3/4 cup unsalted sunflower seeds
2 tbls tub margarine
1/2 cup raw honey
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup natural creamy peanut butter
1/3 cup Nutella

Pour your peanuts in a 9x13 pan. Crush them up a bit with the bottom of a cup, or whatever you have handy for crushing purposes. Add wheat germ, oats, and sunflower seeds and mix everything together. Pop pan into the oven for 10 minutes at 400 degrees for a quick toast. Stir the ingredients in the pan a couple times just to make sure nothing gets overdone. When the 10 minutes are up turn off oven and pour the toasted mixture into a mixing bowl. Set aside.

In a saucepan mix together the honey, margarine, and brown sugar. Cook over medium heat stirring constantly. Bring mixture to a boil and then continue to cook for 4 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the peanut butter and Nutella. Pour over the mixture you just set aside. Mix until everything is well combined. Spray a 9x13 pan and pour the granola spreading it out evenly. With a piece of wax paper protecting your hand press down firmly to compact the granola. Toss the wax paper when your done. Let cool before turning out granola on a board for cutting. Cut into 20 pieces.


One more pic of the glory that is Nutella granola....

It crumbles just slightly, but still holds together well.  Of course this not quite right batch gives me an excuse to make more lovely granola....it's a win/win.  My Nutella bonanza goes on!

Nutella Chocolate Cheesecake

It's possible I have a small Nutella obsession.  ;)  Nutella in a no bake chocolate cheesecake...it's made of win I tell you!  This cheesecake is a little heavy on the powdered sugar but it started out as leftover frosting so I didn't have much control over that element at the time.  You just can't waste good frosting...it's a crime against nature...ehehehe. 


Nutella Chocolate Cheesecake

Crust:
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs (I used one sleeve)
3 tbls tub margarine
2 tbls sugar

Mix everything together and press firmly into pie plate.  Let chill in fridge for 30 minutes to an hour.


Filling:
4oz reduced fat cream cheese
1/4 cup Smart Balance 50/50 butter blend
2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
6oz melted milk chocolate
1/4 cup Nutella

Blend together cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla.  Mix in melted chocolate and Nutella.  Spoon over crust and spread evenly.

Fudge Glaze:
14 oz non fat sweetened condensed milk
6 oz milk chocolate chips
6 oz semi sweet chocolate chips
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup mini marshmallows
1/2 cup evaporated milk (more if you wish a thinner glaze)

In a bowl, stir together sweetened condensed milk, chocolate chips, and vanilla. Heat in the microwave, stirring at 30 second intervals. You should only need about a minute or so for your chocolate to melt. Stir in marshmallows and mix until they melt into your chocolate. You may need to heat just a bit more in the microwave to get the marshmallows fully melted...be careful not to overheat. Spoon as much glaze as you want on top of the cheesecake layer.  You will have plenty leftover, but it freezes nicely to be used on future goodies.

Chill until chocolate sets.  Slice and then serve.


A couple more pics of the yummies....

So pretty with giant wedges of chocolaty goodness....before I did the sensible thing and cut smaller pieces.  Sensible eating.  I feel dirty and not in the good way.  ;)  Honestly I should have put it together in a pie plate instead of a deep plate, but I was in lazy mode so it didn't occur to me to dig one out...ehehehe.

I cut the cheesecake into fairly small slices since it's so rich.  Of course I can always go back for seconds, but I will console myself that the pieces are so tiny it doesn't count....rofl.

Nutella Caramel Stuffed Brownies

These brownies are incredibly rich so a little bit really does go a long way.  The Nutella mixture melts in your mouth.  It does, however, need some graham cracker crumbs next time...about 1/3 cup should do it.  If you find graham cracker crumbs boring you could use some Oreo crumbs instead, but that is going to crank the richness factor even higher.  Why would you take it to that next level?  It's in the name of science!

A note about the caramel...if you don't feel like whipping up a batch of your own, you can use take a package of caramels and melt them down, thinning them with some milk.  You could also use a jar of caramel ice cream topping.


Nutella Caramel Stuffed Brownies

Brownies:
1/2 cup tub margarine
2 squares (2 oz) unsweetened chocolate
1 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 cups unbleached all purpose flour
1 tsp vanilla

Melt margarine and chocolate together in the microwave. Stir often and be careful not to overheat. Add in sugar and vanilla Beat the eggs lightly in a small bowl before adding them to the chocolate mixture. Stir in flour. Pour into a greased 8x8 pan and bake at 350 for 12 to 15 minutes. Be careful not to overbake. Cool.  Cut into 16 squares.  Cut each square in half to form two layers.

Nutella/Caramel Center:
1/2 cup Nutella
2 tbls tub margarine
1 1/4 cup powdered sugar
Thinned Caramel

Mix together Nutella and margarine in a bowl and heat in the microwave until the mixture is smooth and melted together.  Stir in powdered sugar.  (If you decided to add graham cracker or cookie crumbs stir them in here.)

Take a spoonful of the Nutella mixture and shape it into a rope.  Place it along the edges of the bottom layer of a brownie to form a center well for the thinned caramel.  Spoon or pipe the thinned caramel into the well you just made.  Put the top layer of brownie in place and tap it down gently.  Repeat with all the other brownies.

Chocolate Glaze:
14 oz non fat sweetened condensed milk
6oz milk chocolate chips
6oz semi sweet chocolate chips
1 tsp vanilla
2 tbls non fat evaporated milk

Mix together sweetened condensed milk, chocolate chips, and vanilla. Heat on high in the microwave for 30 second intervals, stirring after each interval.  The mixture is done when it's smooth.  Stir in evaporated milk to make a thin glaze.  (You can add or reduce milk to make your glaze thicker or thinner.)  Spoon glaze over top of the brownies be sure to drizzle it down the sides.  Chill to set the glaze.


A couple more pics of the process...

The brownie layers all nice and assembled before glazing.  It cries out for the chocolate bath...cries out I say!

I hand formed the Nutella edge, but you can use a pastry bag and pipe it on as well.  I don't recommend trying a ziplock bag though....the mixture is fairly thick and you can blow the seam out of a ziplock super easy.  ;)  Spooning the caramel into the center works great, but can be a tiny bit messy.  Pipe it in if you want to be neat.

Cherry Nutella Brownies

This brownie recipe won during dessert week in the Real Women of Philadelphia cream cheese contest. Cue the happy dance! Stoked? Why yes, I am....ehehehehe. ;) These brownies have a lovely combination of flavors. Honesty, you just can't go wrong when Nutella is involved.

It does take a bit of time to spread the filling between the brownies. If you are in a bind for time you can cheat and use the filling like icing, spreading it across the top of the brownies. Drizzle some chocolate across the top of iced brownies and you are good to go.


Cherry Nutella Brownies

1 cup tub margarine
4 oz (squares) unsweetened chocolate
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
2 cups all purpose unbleached flour
8 oz reduced fat cream cheese
4 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup Nutella
1 cup dried tart cherries, chopped fine

Melt margarine and chocolate together in the microwave. Stir often and be careful not to overheat. Add in sugar and vanilla. Beat the eggs lightly in a small bowl before adding them to the chocolate mixture. Stir in flour. Pour batter into a greased 9x13 pan and bake at 350 for 20 to 25 minutes. You want a fudge like texture for these brownies so you don't want to bake them for too long. Pull them out before they test fully as done. Cool brownies.

Mix together cream cheese, nutella, and powdered sugar. Add in cherries. Cut brownies into squares. Cut each brownie in half creating two layers. Spread a spoonful or so of the nutella filling on the bottom half of each brownie. Press the top brownie layer down lightly over the filling to set it it place. Chill until ready to serve.

Nutella & Peanut Butter Granola Bars 1.0

Yummy Nutella.....how I adore you! A spoonful of Nutella makes everything better...and it's filled with the good fats....snicker. The flavor on these bars is excellent. I did omit the dried fruit to offset the extra sugar from the Nutella. I think I need to increase the amount of oats a bit next time....maybe 3 cups instead of 2....that or take the peanut butter and Nutella additions down to 1/3 cup each. I felt like the ratio of dried ingredients to wet was a little off....just needs a bit of tinkering. This is another variation of my basic granola recipe. If you need a super detailed version of the recipe visit the original post. ;)


Nutella & Peanut Butter Granola Bars 1.0

2 cups old fashioned oats
1 cup unsalted dry roasted peanuts
3/4 cup wheat germ
3/4 cup sunflower seeds
2 tbls tub margarine
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup natural creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup Nutella

Pour your peanuts in a 9x13 pan. Crush them up a bit with the bottom of a cup, or whatever you have handy for crushing purposes. Add wheat germ, oats, and sunflower seeds and mix everything together. Pop pan into the oven for 10 minutes at 400 degrees for a quick toast. Stir the ingredients in the pan a couple times just to make sure nothing gets overdone. When the 10 minutes are up turn off oven and pour the toasted mixture into a mixing bowl. Set aside.

In a saucepan mix together the honey, margarine, and brown sugar. Cook over medium heat stirring constantly. Bring mixture to a boil and then continue to cook for 4 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the peanut butter and Nutella. Pour over the mixture you just set aside. Mix until everything is well combined. Spray a 9x13 pan and pour the granola spreading it out evenly. With a piece of wax paper protecting your hand press down firmly to compact the granola. Toss the wax paper when your done. Let cool before turning out granola on a board for cutting. Makes 20 pieces.