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.