Since I bake desserts pretty much every other day, many of the leftovers go to my coworkers. The other day one of my fellow nurses requested that I make a peanut butter cheesecake. I did some research, and stumbled across this recipe .
It looked so good on the screen I just wanted to eat a piece right then. However, I felt like the cheesecake needed a little something more so I added peanut butter frosting and little mini Reese’s cups. I absolutely love these little mini cups because they are so stinkin’ cute. Plus, you can eat like 10 of them and not feel as guilty.
This cheesecake is easy to make but requires time to chill. Trust me, it is worth it in the end!
Slice of heaven!
This recipe is forgiving since the cheesecake is covered in chocolate. This means no water bath is required but I strongly recommend it. A water bath is used to create humidity in the oven to help prevent cracks on cheesecakes. If you do not want any cracks, wrap your springform pan in aluminum foil and place inside of a larger pan or dish filled with hot water. Another way to prevent cracking is to let the cheesecake cool in the oven instead of bringing it directly out to room temperature. If you turn off your oven after the cheesecake is done baking, let the cheesecake cool for 1 hour in the oven with the door cracked open, then take out to cool on a wire rack. Sally has an excellent post about preventing cracks and it is worth a read.
The most difficult part about baking this cheesecake is waiting for it to be finished cooling! It needs to set up in the refrigerator overnight, then have the chocolate poured over it, and then has to set again for 3-5 hours. It is SO worth it, I promise you.
This Reese’s peanut butter cheesecake was a huge hit with my coworkers and went great with our coffee during night shift. This cheesecake would be perfect for any occasion and definitely has a huge wow factor. Happy Baking!
She’s a beaut!
- 22 Oreo cookies
- 4 tbsp Unsalted Butter (melted)
- 16 oz Philadelphia Cream Cheese (softened)
- 1 1/2 cups Granulated Sugar
- 1 cup Creamy Peanut Butter (I used Jif Natural)
- 5 Large Eggs (room temperature)
- 1/2 cup Sour Cream (Light is ok)
- 2 tbsp Lemon Juice
- 1 1/2 cups Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
- 1/2 cup Heavy Cream
- 1/2 cup Unsalted Butter, softened
- 1 cup Creamy Peanut Butter
- 3 tbsp Half and Half
- 4 cups Confectioner's Sugar
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 9 inch springform pan with baking spray. Set aside.
- With a food processor, grind the Oreo cookies into crumbs. With a rubber spatula, mix the melted butter with the cookies until combined. Press the mixture into the bottom of the springform pan.
- Let the crust bake in the oven for 5-6 minutes. Let cool while making the cheesecake.
- With a hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat softened cream cheese, peanut butter, and sugar on high until smooth. Add eggs one at a time, beating on low until combined. Do not overmix.
- Add in sour cream and lemon juice. Pour the mixture over top of the cooled Oreo crust.
- Smooth out the top of the cheesecake with the back of a spoon to release any air bubbles.
- Bake the cheesecake for 15 minutes at 350°F. Lower the temperature to 300°F and bake another 60-70 minutes. When done, the edges should be light brown and the middle should look just underdone, but not liquidy.
- Let the cheesecake cool in the oven for 1 hour with the oven door cracked, then let it finish cooling on a wire rack for 1 hour. Place in refrigerator overnight to set.
- Mix chocolate chips and heavy cream in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave mixture in 2 minute intervals, stirring in between. When chocolate is melted, let cool for 1 minute and then pour over cooled cheesecake. Place cheesecake in refrigerator for 3-5 hours or until chocolate is hardened.
- With a hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream butter and peanut butter until smooth. Add in sugar, one cup at a time, alternating with tablespoons of half and half. Pipe peanut butter frosting on top of cooled cheesecake and top with mini Reese's. Enjoy!
That cheesecake looks yummy, but I don’t think I could have too many or I’ll get fat.
Thanks Jenny!