Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 325°F (170°C). Butter an 8" × 8" (20 × 20 cm) baking dish, line it with parchment paper so the paper comes up the sides, and press the paper into the corners. Set the prepared pan aside.
• In a medium bowl, combine the 2 cups Oreo crumbs and the 1/4 cup melted unsalted butter until evenly moistened. Press the mixture firmly and evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan to form the crust.
• Bake the crust on the center rack for about 12 minutes, until set. Remove from the oven and let the crust cool completely in the pan on a cooling rack.
• While the crust cools, make the cheesecake base: in a food processor or with an electric mixer, combine the 16 oz (455 g) room-temperature cream cheese, 2 room-temperature eggs, 1/2 cup granulated sugar, 1/4 cup heavy cream, and the scraped seeds from 1 vanilla bean (or 1 tsp vanilla extract). Process or beat until the mixture is smooth and homogenous.
• Transfer approximately two-thirds of the smooth cream cheese mixture into a separate bowl—this will be the plain cheesecake layer. Leave the remaining one-third of the mixture in the processor or mixing bowl for the Nutella layer.
• To the remaining one-third of the cream cheese mixture, add 1/3 cup Nutella and 1 tablespoon heavy cream. Process or beat until the Nutella mixture is smooth and fully combined.
• Assemble the bars: spread the plain cheesecake mixture evenly over the cooled Oreo crust, smoothing the surface without disturbing the crust. Pour the Nutella cheesecake mixture over the plain layer and spread gently into an even layer.
• Bake on the center rack for about 35 minutes, or until the edges are set and the center still jiggles slightly when the pan is gently shaken.
• Remove from the oven and cool completely on a cooling rack. Once cooled to room temperature, refrigerate the pan for at least 3 hours to fully set.
• When chilled, lift the bars from the pan using the parchment paper, place on a cutting board, and cut into 16 squares. Serve chilled.