If you like peanut butter, you will LOVE this cheesecake! It has a peanut butter cookie crust, creamy peanut butter cheesecake base and has a layer of Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups in the center. Then it is topped with chocolate ganache and more chopped Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups.
To make this cheesecake, you will first mix together the crust and bake it until just crispy. Then you will make the cheesecake batter and spread half of it over the baked crust. Next you will lay 16-18 Reese’s Cups evenly over the batter, then spread the remaining batter on top of the peanut butter cups. Bake, chill and cover with chocolate ganache and more Reese’s!
Here are a few of my cheesecake tips:
- Use room temperature cream cheese & beat it well. Cold cream cheese will be harder to beat, which will leave lumps in your cheesecake. Make sure to take your cream cheese out of the fridge at least 2-3 hours before beginning baking, or heat it in the microwave for 30 seconds prior to baking.
- Use room temperature eggs. If you need to warm them up quickly, pop the sour cream in the microwave for 15-20 seconds and place the eggs in a bowl of warm water. Warm ingredients are key to keeping the cream cheese from lumping!
- Bake using a water bath. A water bath is simply a pan of hot water that is placed in the oven while baking. It adds moisture to the oven and helps to keep your cheesecake from cracking and helps it to bake more evenly. A water bath also provides a more even bake. TIP: you don’t even need to place the cheesecake IN the water. The water can be on the rack below the cheesecake. This will provide steam & moisture in the oven to prevent cracking. Putting the pan in the water is slightly more effective, but not totally necessary.
- Wrap the outside of your spring-form pan in aluminum foil. These pans are notorious for leaking. So avoid the smoky house and thoroughly cover the bottom and sides of your pan with aluminum foil.
- Make sure that the cheesecake cools slowly. This will also help prevent cracking. I recommend turning the oven off when there is still a 3-inch jiggle in the middle of your cheesecake and then leaving the cheesecake in the oven until it reaches room temperature (at least an additional hour).
Ultimate Peanut Butter Cheesecake
If you like peanut butter, you will LOVE this cheesecake! It has a peanut butter cookie crust, creamy peanut butter cheesecake base and has a layer of Reese's Peanut Butter Cups in the center. Then it is topped with chocolate ganache and more chopped Reese's Peanut Butter Cups.
Ingredients
For the crust
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- ⅓ cup light brown sugar packed
- ⅓ cup creamy peanut butter ~3 ounces
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter softened
- ¼ teaspoon salt
For the cheesecake
- 32 ounces cream cheese softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter 8 ounces
- 3 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 16-18 Full-sized Reese's Peanut Butter Cups for the center filling
For the topping
- ½ cup heavy cream
- ¾ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 4-6 Reese's Peanut Butter Cups chopped, for sprinkling over the ganache
Instructions
To make the crust
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Grease a 9" spring form pan and set aside.
- Add butter, brown sugar and peanut butter to a medium-sized bowl and beat with a hand mixer or stand mixer until combined.
- Add flour and salt. Mix until combined. Use your hands to work the dough if it seems dry and crumbly.
- Use your fingertips or the back of a measuring cup to evenly press the dough throughout the bottom of the pan.
- Bake the crust for 8-10 minutes or until the edges just begin to brown.
To make the cheesecake
- Lower oven temp to 325 degrees.
- Add 1-2 inches of warm water to a roasting pan or large rimmed cookie sheet and place on the bottom oven rack. Allow it to heat up for 5-10 minutes before baking your cheesecake.
- In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or a hand mixer, beat the softened cream cheese until smooth. Scrape down the bowl once complete.
- Add sugar, peanut butter, vanilla extract, flour and salt. Beat on high until smooth. Scrape down the bowl once complete.
- Add in eggs, one at a time, beating on low after each addition until combined. Do not over beat.
- Pour HALF of the filling over the cookie crust. Use a spatula to gently smooth it out.
- Evenly place full-sized Reese's Peanut Butter Cups throughout the pan (16-18 will likely fit).
- Pour the remaining cheesecake batter over the top of the peanut butter cups. Carefully spread the batter so that it evenly covers them.
- Cover the bottom of the outside of the spring-form pan with aluminum foil in case of leaks.
- Bake for 60-75 minutes, or until there is a 3-4 inch jiggle in the center. Then turn off the oven and leave the cheesecake in the oven for another 1-2 hours or until the oven has cooled to room temperature.
- Remove the cheesecake from the oven and let it cool completely to room temperature (another 1-2 hours), then place it in the refrigerator overnight to set.
- Remove the spring form once the cheesecake has cooled to room temperature or after chilling overnight. Run a butter knife around the edges of the pan to loosen it first.
To top the cheesecake
- Heat the heavy cream in a small saucepan on the stove or in the microwave until almost boiling, mixing often.
- Pour in chocolate chips and remove from heat, stirring continuously until the mixture is smooth and all of the chocolate is melted.
- Pour over the top of the chilled cheesecake, using the back of a spoon to gently push the ganache over the edges of the cheesecake for the drip effect.
- Coarsely chop remaining peanut butter cups and sprinkle them over the top of the ganache while it is still warm.
- Place the cheesecake back in the fridge to set the ganache. Serve chilled.
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