Inspired by the viral Dubai chocolate bar, these Chocolate & Pistachio Easter Nest Cheesecakes are a trendy and delicious dessert to make this Easter! Each crunchy chocolate nest is filled with creamy pistachio cheesecake, topped with silky chocolate ganache, and finished with mini eggs. Easy to make and totally irresistible!
This recipe is created in partnership with Menier Chocolate. I only recommend products that I love, use and trust!
Your Ingredients List
Gather the following ingredients to make these Easter Nest Cheesecakes:
- Shredded wheat: This cereal is perfect for making chocolate easter nests. It’s also an easier-to-find and cheaper alternative to the kataifi pastry used in the Dubai pistachio chocolate bar filling, whilst delivering the same signature crunch!
- Milk and dark chocolate: Melted and mixed with the Shredded Wheat to make the chocolate nests. For baking, I always use Menier Chocolate for its delicious flavour and creamy texture.
- Salted butter: Binds the nests together, balances sweetness, and draws out the chocolate flavour even more.
- Golden syrup (optional): Gives the nests a lovely shiny appearance and softens them a little, so they’re not break-your-teeth rock solid! I believe golden syrup is called light treacle in the US.
- Cream cheese: The main ingredient in cheesecake! Use full-fat cream cheese for the best results.
- Pistachio cream: Gives the cheesecake an incredible nutty, sweet and creamy pistachio flavour.
- Icing sugar: Adds a little extra sweetness to the cheesecake filling.
- Double cream: Whisked until thick, then folded into the pistachio cheesecake mixture for a light and fluffy texture. Double cream is called whipping cream in the US.
- Chocolate ganache: A simple combination of milk chocolate, dark chocolate and double cream. The ganache adds a silky, rich topping for the easter nest cheesecakes.
- Mini chocolate eggs: The finishing touch for your Easter nests! Top each cheesecake with your favourite type of mini chocolate eggs.
About these Chocolate & Pistachio Easter Nest Cheesecakes
- FLAVOUR: Rich chocolate meets nutty pistachio, with a pop of vanilla sweetness from the Mini Eggs.
- TEXTURE: Enjoy similar textures to the Dubai chocolate bar in this dessert! Crunchy, smooth and creamy.
- SKILL: Super simple ā no baking involved, just some melting, whisking and piping.
- SERVES: This recipe makes 10 easter nest cheesecakes. Perfect for a Sunday lunch dessert, and Easter parties, or you can even scale the recipe down to make a half-batch for small gatherings.
Easy Chocolate Nests
The first step is to make the Easter chocolate nests. The viral Dubai chocolate bar is known for its iconic crunchy filling, usually made with kataifi pastry ā but itās expensive and hard to find. My solution? Good old Shredded Wheat. It delivers the same crisp texture, holds its shape well, and its Easter nest-like look is perfect for holding the cheesecake filling. Plus, it brings back all the nostalgic Easter baking memories making little choccy nests with my Granny š„°
Hereās how to make the chocolate nests:
- Chop the chocolate into fine pieces for smooth melting. Menier is my go-to chocolate for baking, it’s creamy, delicious, and melts like a dream.
- Crumble the shredded wheat into fine strands using your hands.
- Melt the butter and golden syrup in the microwave, then stir in the chopped chocolate until smooth.
- Mix in the shredded wheat stirring until everything is well coated.
- Spoon into cupcake cases and shape into nests using the back of a spoon. Chill in the fridge until set.
Pistachio Cheesecake Filling
Next up is the delicious pistachio cheesecake filling! It comes together using just four ingredients; cream cheese, icing sugar, pistachio cream and double cream. For a thick and fluffy cheesecake, it’s best to use full-fat cream cheese and an electric handheld mixer to whisk lots of air into the mixture.
- Start with the basics ā Whisk cold cream cheese and sifted icing sugar until smooth.
- Add the pistachio magic ā Whisk in pistachio cream. Itās easier to combine when the spread is room temperature and a pourable consistency.
- Whip up the cream ā In a separate bowl, whisk double cream to stiff fluffy peaks.
- Bring it all together ā Fold the whipped cream into the pistachio mix using a figure-of-eight motion until just combined. Take care not to overmix, you want to keep as many air pockets as possible.
- Fill those nests ā Spoon or pipe the pistachio cheesecake into your easter nests and pop in the fridge to chill.
Decorate the Easter Nest Cheesecakes
Chocolate ganache is the perfect topping for these Easter nest cheesecakes, with its silky texture, glossy appearance and rich flavour. Choosing good quality chocolate is key for ganache, and I like to milk and dark chocolate for a balanced flavour. My go-to is Menier Chocolate. It has a sweet but not too sweet flavour, smooth and creamy texture, and melts like a dream.
No nest is complete without some toppings, so finish your Easter nest cheesecakes by adding your favourite type of mini eggs on top. Terry’s Chocolate Orange, Milkybar, or the OG… Cadbury Mini Eggs for pops of pretty pastel colour.
Recipe F&Q’s
Absolutely! The chocolate nests will keep for 7+ days in the fridge. Once filled with cheesecake, they will last for up to 3 days in the fridge ā just store them in an airtight container or baking tin.
Pistachio cream is a sweet, nutty spread – think Nutella, but pistachio-flavoured. You can find it in M&S, some of the larger supermarkets or even online from Amazon. I used Black Milk Pistachio Cream for this recipe.
It happens! Just stir in a little more cream, then pop the bowl in the microwave for 5-10 seconds and whisk vigorously until it comes back together.
Sure, press the chocolate nest mix into a springform tin, fill with cheesecake and ganache. This may be slightly more difficult to serve, you can use a hot knife to help with slicing.
Yes, wrap loosely in clingfilm and store in an airtight container, in the freezer, for up to 1 month.
This post contains affiliate links which means I will make a small commission if you purchase through those links. I only recommend products that I know, trust and use myself.
Chocolate & Pistachio Easter Nest Cheesecakes
Ingredients
For the chocolate nests:
- 150 grams Menier Milk Chocolate
- 150 grams Menier 70% Dark Chocolate
- 200 grams Shredded Wheat
- 75 grams Salted butter
- 30 grams Golden syrup optional
For the pistachio cream cheesecake:
- 150 grams Full-fat cream cheese I used Philadelphia
- 30 grams Icing sugar sifted
- 150 grams Pistachio cream I used Black Milk
- 150 millilitres Double cream
For the chocolate ganache:
- 40 grams Menier Milk Chocolate
- 40 grams Menier 70% Dark Chocolate
- 80 millilitres Double cream
For the decoration:
- 100 grams Mini chocolate eggs
Instructions
Start by making the chocolate nests:
- Line a muffin tin with 10 cupcake cases.
- Finely chop both chocolates into very small chunks (the smaller the better!). Set aside for now.150 grams Menier Milk Chocolate, 150 grams Menier 70% Dark Chocolate
- Use your hands to crumble up the shredded wheat into a large bowl.200 grams Shredded Wheat
- In a separate bowl, add the butter and golden syrup (if using). Microwave for 1 minute or until the butter is fully melted and piping hot. Stir to combine.30 grams Golden syrup, 75 grams Salted butter
- Add the chopped chocolate to the melted butter and cover with an upside plate to trap the heat inside. Leave for 1 minute. Remove the plate and stir until the chocolate has fully melted. If there are still a few lumps, pop the bowl in the microwave for 10 seconds and stir again. Repeat if needed, but be careful not to overheat the mixture.
- Pour the melted chocolate mixture over the shredded wheat. Mix until the cereal is fully coated.
- Divide the mixture evenly between the cupcake cases. Use the back of a spoon to press the mixture in the base and sides of the cases to create nests. Place in the fridge to set.
Meanwhile, prepare the pistachio cheesecake:
- Whisk the cream cheese and icing sugar together until just combined. Whisk in the pistachio cream. Take care not to over-whisk.150 grams Full-fat cream cheese, 30 grams Icing sugar, 150 grams Pistachio cream
- In a separate bowl, whisk the double cream until thick and fluffy (roughly 5 minutes using an electric mixer).150 millilitres Double cream
- Spoon the cream into the pistachio mixture and fold in a figure-of-eight motion until the mixture is thick, fluffy, and combined.
- Spoon or pipe the pistachio cheesecake into the nests, filling each one to the top. Place in the fridge to set.
Meanwhile, make the milk chocolate ganache:
- Finely chop both chocolates and place in a glass bowl.40 grams Menier Milk Chocolate, 40 grams Menier 70% Dark Chocolate
- Pour the cream into a small saucepan and place over medium heat. Stir continuously until the cream is piping hot but not boiling.80 millilitres Double cream
- Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and cover with an upside plate to trap the heat inside. Leave for 1 minute.
- Stir until the ganache looks smooth, combined, and glossy. Looking split or slimy? Don't worry, we can fix it (see note 1 below).
Decorate the Easter Nest Cheesecakes:
- Top each cheesecake with a teaspoon of ganache, spreading it out with the back of a spoon.
- Arrange three mini eggs on top to finish. Your Easter Nest Cheesecakes are now ready to serve, or pop them in a baking tin and store them in the fridge for up to 3 days.100 grams Mini chocolate eggs
Video
Notes
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Fixing broken ganache – First, whisk in 1 tablespoon of double cream. Then, microwave for 5-10 seconds and whisk vigorously to bring it back to a smooth and glossy consistency. Repeat if needed.Ā