Peanut butter cheesecake is a rich and creamy no bake peanut butter cheesecake made with an Oreo cookie crust, topped with a peanut butter chocolate ganache and chopped pb cups. Make this chocolate and peanut butter cheesecake the next time you need a wonderfully easy to make and deliciously decadent dessert.
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Why Should You Make This Recipe
I have a few cheesecake recipes on the blog that I absolutely adore. My Tiramisu Cheesecake, Creme Brulee Cheesecake, Biscoff Cheesecake and Chocolate Chip Cheesecake are all incredibly delicious no bake and baked cheesecake recipes from the blog. I know you’ll love this peanut butter no bake cheesecake recipe because:
- You need an easy and decadent dessert. From start to finish, you can prep this wonderfully easy peanut butter and chocolate cheesecake in about 20 minutes. All that’s left is to chill the cheesecake, top with ganache and peanut butter cups and enjoy.
- You love peanut butter desserts. Imagine a peanut butter cup as a cheesecake. That’s exactly how this no bake peanut butter cheesecake tastes. Make this for your peanut butter loving friends.
Ingredients
This peanut butter cheesecake recipe requires only a handful of ingredients to make and you probably already have them in your pantry and fridge. Here’s what you’ll need to make this easy cheesecake with chocolate and peanut butter.
Peanut Butter Cheesecake
- Oreo Cookie Crust: Gather Oreo cookies and melted butter.
- Peanut Butter Cheesecake: Gather cream cheese, creamy peanut butter, powdered sugar, vanilla extract and heavy cream.
Peanut Butter Chocolate Ganache Topping
Gather heavy cream, chocolate chips, creamy peanut butter and chopped peanut butter cups (optional).
Substitutions
Here are my recommended substitutions to make this cheesecake tiramisu if you need them.
- Cream Cheese: This peanut butter filled cheesecake is made with full fat Philadelphia cream cheese. It is important to use full fat versus reduced fat for this cheesecake recipe. I personally love using Philadelphia for all my cheesecake recipes. Mascarpone cheese would be the easiest substitute for cream cheese.
- Creamy Peanut Butter: Feel free to use any creamy peanut butter (no stir) you like. Natural peanut butter (the kind you have to stir) can also work as long as the peanut butter is every thoroughly mixed.
- Heavy Cream: This is combined with the peanut butter and cream cheese filling to cerate a creamy, rich and light filling that’s similar to baked peanut butter cheesecake.
- Powdered Sugar: I like using powdered sugar for no bake cheesecakes. The cornstarch in the powdered sugar helps to keep the filling stabilized. Feel free to use regular extra fine sugar instead.
- Vanilla Extract: This provides a lovely background flavor for the cheesecake filling. Omit if you don’t have this ingredient.
- Oreo Cookies:: Feel free to use any chocolate sandwich cookie you like. This recipe uses about Use about 26 - 28 Oreo cookies mixed with 5 tablespoons melted butter.
- Peanut Butter Chocolate Ganache: This topping is optional, but highly recommended.
Variations
- Peanut Butter Whipped Cream: Top this peanut butter cheesecake with peanut butter whip cream by mixing ½ cup heavy cream with 2 tablespoons peanut butter and 2 - 3 tablespoons powdered sugar on medium speed until medium-stiff peaks form.
- Sunflower Butter Cheesecake: To make this peanut butter nut free and still close to the flavors of the peanut butter cheesecake, I recommended using sunflower butter such as Sunbutter.
How To Make
Learn how to make peanut butter cheesecake in a few easy steps.
Make the Cheesecake
- Lightly grease and line the bottom of the springform pan. If you would like, line the sides of the springform pan as well. Make the Oreo cookie crust by crushing Oreo cookies into fine crumbs. Add the melted butter and mix until the cookies start to clump together. Press the chocolate cookie crust along the bottom of a 9” springform pan. Chill in the fridge while making the pb cheesecake filling.
- In a mixing bowl fitted with whisk attachment, whip the heavy cream to medium-stiff peaks. Transfer the whip cream to another bowl or use another mixing bowl to prepare the cream cheese and mascarpone filling.
- Switch to a paddle attachment. Cream the cream cheese and creamy peanut butter on low until very smooth. Scrape the bowl and repeat mixing as needed until the cheeses are well combined. On low, mix in the sugar and vanilla extract until well combined. Scrape sides and bottom of the bowl again. Fold in the whipped cream until smooth and well combined. Evenly spread the filling into the prepared pan with the cookie crust. Cover the pan and transfer the peanut butter chocolate cheesecake to the fridge to chill for at least 8 hours.
Make the Chocolate Ganache Topping
4. When it’s time to serve make the peanut butter ganache. Heat the heavy cream and creamy peanut butter to a very light simmer either in a small sauce pan over low heat or by heating the cream in the microwave for 45 - 60 seconds. Pour the cream over a bowl filled with chocolate chips or finely chopped chocolate. Cover the bowl with a dish towel for about 3 - 5 minutes and allow the chocolate to melt. Stir well to fully combine and create the ganache. Cool the ganache for 5 - 15 minutes as needed until room temperature.
Assemble the Cheesecake
5. Top the chilled peanut butter cheesecake with the room temperature chocolate ganache. If you like, top the ganache with chopped peanut butter cups. Return the cheesecake to the fridge for 1 hour to set the ganache. Then slice and enjoy the best no bake peanut butter cheesecake. If you would like to top the no bake pb cheesecake with peanut butter whipped cream, do so after the 1 hour chill time and reserve the pb cups for topping the whipped cream right before serving.
How To Store, Freeze and Thaw
- Store: Keep this chocolate pb cheesecake covered in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- Freeze: Chill the prepared no bake cheesecake for the 8 hours. Do not top with the ganache. Wrap the entire cheesecake in plastic wrap and foil. Store it in the freezer for up to 2 months.
- Thaw: Transfer the frozen cheesecake to the fridge to thaw overnight. Once thawed, prepare the ganache topping. Follow the rest of the recipe as written.
M’s Expert Tips
- Bring the cream cheese to room temperature. This allows the cheese and other ingredients to mix together more evenly and without lumps.
- Make sure the heavy cream is whipped to stiff peaks. This is essential setting the peanut butter cheesecake filling.
- Helpful tip. If the cream cheese is too cold to easily cream into a smooth even texture after sitting out for 1 - 2 hours, heat up a damp dish towel in the microwave for 30 - 45 seconds. Carefully remove the towel and wrap it around the bottom of the mixing bowl. Mix the cream cheese and mascarpone on low. The heat from the towel will soften the cheeses while it’s mixing.
- Go low and slow: Mix the ingredients at the lowest speed and just until they are mixed well.
- Make sure to chill the cheesecake cake for at least 8 hours. Chilling this creamy and decadent peanut butter dessert for less time could result in filling that isn’t properly set.
FAQs
The best way to keep a no bake cheesecake firm and to cut the most perfect slices is to make sure the filling has had enough time to set. Most no bake cheesecakes need at least 6 - 8 hours. However, 12 hours chill time is the best length to get the best no bake cheesecake.
I am a firm believer that Philadelphia Cream Cheese is the best cream cheese to make the best cheesecake.
Use an 10” springform pan or a 9 x 9 pan for pb cheesecake bars. You can also make this recipe in cups by layering broken oreo cookies with the creamy peanut butter cheesecake filling, chilling and topping with the ganache and pb cups right before serving.
Other Peanut Butter Recipes to Try
- Peanut Butter Brownies
- Peanut Butter and Jelly Cookies
- 4 Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies
- Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Bars
If you try this Peanut Butter Cheesecake recipe please rate the recipe and leave a comment below. Doing so helps other readers decide if this is a great recipe to bake. Don’t forget to tag me on Instagram using @olivesnthyme so I can see what you’re baking! Happy Baking! - M
Peanut Butter Cheesecake Recipe
Equipment
- 1 parchment paper
- 1 stand mixer with paddle and whisk attachment or electric hand mixer with beaters
- 1 heat safe bowl
Ingredients
Oreo Cookie Crust
- 2½ cups crushed Oreo cookies about 28 cookies
- 4 - 5 tablespoons melted butter
Peanut Butter Cheesecake
- 1 cup (240 ml) cold heavy cream
- ¼ cup (30 g) powdered sugar
- 3 8 oz. (678 g) blocks cream cheese, room temperature
- 1 cup (256 g) creamy peanut butter
- ¾ cup (90 g) powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Peanut Butter Chocolate Ganache
- ½ cup (120 ml) heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon creamy peanut butter
- 4 oz. chocolate chips
- 16 peanut butter cups, quartered
Instructions
- Lightly grease and line the bottom of the springform pan. If you would like, line the sides of the springform pan as well.
- Make the Oreo cookie crust by crushing Oreo cookies into fine crumbs. Add the melted butter and mix until the cookies start to clump together. Press the chocolate cookie crust along the bottom of a 9” springform pan. Chill in the fridge while making the peanut butter cheesecake filling.2½ cups crushed Oreo cookies , 4 - 5 tablespoons melted butter
- In a mixing bowl fitted with whisk attachment, whip the heavy cream to medium-stiff peaks. Transfer the whip cream to another bowl or use another mixing bowl to prepare the cream cheese and peanut butter filling.1 cup (240 ml) cold heavy cream, ¼ cup (30 g) powdered sugar
- Switch to a paddle attachment. Cream the cream cheese and creamy peanut butter on low until very smooth. Scrape the bowl and repeat mixing as needed until the cheeses are well combined. On low, mix in the sugar and vanilla extract until well combined. Scrape sides and bottom of the bowl again. Fold in the whipped cream until smooth and well combined.3 8 oz. (678 g) blocks cream cheese, room temperature, 1 cup (256 g) creamy peanut butter, ¾ cup (90 g) powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Evenly spread the filling into the prepared pan with the cookie crust. Cover the pan and transfer the peanut butter chocolate cheesecake to the fridge to chill for at least 6 hours.
- When it’s time to serve make the peanut butter ganache. Heat the heavy cream and creamy peanut butter to a very light simmer either in a small sauce pan over low heat or by heating the cream in the microwave for 45 - 60 seconds. Pour the cream over a bowl filled with chocolate chips or finely chopped chocolate. Cover the bowl with a dish towel for about 3 - 5 minutes and allow the chocolate to melt. Stir well to fully combine and create the ganache. Cool the ganache for 5 - 15 minutes as needed until room temperature.½ cup (120 ml) heavy cream, 1 tablespoon creamy peanut butter, 4 oz. chocolate chips
- Top the chilled peanut butter cheesecake with the room temperature chocolate ganache. If you like, top the ganache with chopped peanut butter cups. Return the cheesecake to the fridge for 1 hour to set the ganache. Then slice and enjoy the best no bake peanut butter cheesecake.16 peanut butter cups, quartered
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