No Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheesecake
This easy no-bake peanut butter cheesecake is rich, creamy, and decadent. With a chocolate cookie crust, a creamy peanut butter filling, and topped with a simple chocolate ganache, the combination of chocolate and peanut butter is utterly dreamy.
This rich and indulgent cheesecake is creamy, decadent, and crave worthy – and no one will believe its an easy no-bake recipe! While it does need some time to chill and set properly, this make ahead recipe is very simple to make.
Chocolate and peanut butter is always a winning combination, but this no bake cheesecake is seriously top notch. With a chocolate oreo crust, an ultra creamy peanut butter cheesecake fling that is light and fluffy, and a decadent chocolate ganache topping – its hard to not love this dessert.
No bake cheesecakes are ultra simple, which means you don’t have to worry about the oven, water baths, or what to do if your cheesecake cracks.
Try these other fun cheesecake recipes:
Ingredients needed:
- Oreos – you need a standard sized package of oreos, about 30 cookies worth. Leave them whole, you want the cream filling for sweetness and to help with the texture.
- Butter – Use unsalted butter that has been melted, and is cooled. Using warm butter will cause the crust to turn greasy.
- Cream Cheese – Use a full fat cream cheese that is room temperature. Reduced fat or fat free have too much water content that will make the filling thinner and not set properly. Using cream cheese that is too cold will cause clumps to form in your cheesecake. Let it sit out for a few hours before starting.
- Creamy Peanut Butter – I have found the best peanut butters to use for this no-bake cheesecake are conventional creamy peanut butters. The all natural, organic ones that you need to stir tend to have too much oil separation to work well in this recipe and will cause funny texture issues. We want one that is soft and smooth for this.
- Powdered Sugar – Don’t substitute with granulated or brown sugar, or sugar alternatives. To get the right texture, you need powdered sugar.
- Vanilla Extract – pure vanilla extract will give you the best flavor
- Heavy Cream – you use the heavy cream in the cheesecake filling and in the ganache. Use a good quality, high fat, fresh cream.
- Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips – Your ganache needs to have a good quality chocolate that doesn’t have a lot of additives. Cheaper brands tend to have waxier textures that aren’t as flavorful and don’t melt well.
How to make a peanut butter cheesecake
There are three main parts to this recipe – the oreo crust, the creamy peanut butter filling, and the simple chocolate ganache. Each step is easy! The hardest part if waiting for it to chill and set all the way.
Make the oreo cookie crust
Start by greasing the springform pan with butter or baking spray so the crust slides out easily.
In a food processor, combine together the oreos and the cooled melted butter. Put the whole oreo in there, don’t separate out the cream filling. Process until the cookies are crushed and combined with the butter. It should look like chocolate sand with no big pieces.
Press the cookie crumbs into a springform pan, using a flat bottomed glass to help you really press up the sides of the pan and to even out the bottom. Chill while you prepare the cheesecake filling.
Mix the peanut butter cheesecake filling.
In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the cream cheese and peanut butter until smooth and fluffy. Then add in the powdered sugar and mix until combined. Mix in the vanilla extract, and scrape down the sides of the bowl.
Add in the heavy cream, and whisk on high until stiff peaks form. Evenly spread in the pan and chill for 1 hour.
Make the chocolate ganache.
In a medium saucepan, add the heavy cream and bring to a simmer over medium-low heat. Turn off the heat, and add in the chocolate. Whisk until the chocolate melts and becomes smooth.
Allow it to cool to room temperature before you pour it over the cheesecake (about 5 to 10 minutes). Then put the cheesecake back in the fridge to set for at least 5 hours, or overnight.
Questions you might have:
How long does the cheesecake need to chill? This cheesecake needs an hour to set before you put the ganache on top, and then another hour to set the ganache. You can slice and eat it then, but its really great if you let it sit 5-6 hours or even overnight.
How long does it keep? Once the cheesecake has fully set, you will want to keep it covered in plastic wrap in the refrigerator. It will keep well for up to 5 days.
How do you cut nice slices? Get a big sharp knife and run it under hot water. Wipe off the water and make one nice long slice in the cheesecake. Repeat in between each cut to get nice even slices.
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No Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheesecake Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
Crust:
- 1 package of chocolate sandwich cookies 30 cookies.
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter melted and cooled
Peanut Butter Cheesecake:
- 24 ounces full fat cream cheese room temperature
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup heavy cream
Chocolate Ganache:
- ½ cup heavy cream
- ⅔ cup semi sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
Crust:
- In a food processor, combine together the cookies and the melted cooled butter.
- Process until the cookies are evenly crushed and the mixture resembles chocolate sand.
- Press into a 9” springform pan, evenly along the bottom and up the sides. Use a flat bottomed glass to help you.
- Chill in the fridge while you prepare the filling.
Cheesecake:
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the cream cheese and peanut butter until smooth and fluffy.
- Add in the powdered sugar, mixing until smooth and scraping down the sides of the bowl.
- Add in the vanilla extract and mix until combined.
- Slowly add in the heavy cream and mix until you get stiff peaks.
- Add the mixture to the prepared pan and evenly spread over the crust. Make sure the top is even and smooth so you have a nice surface to pour the ganache on later.
- Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge to chill for 1 hour.
Chocolate Ganache
- In a small saucepan, bring the heavy cream to a simmer.
- Remove the pan from the heat and add in the chocolate chips.
- Whisk until the chocolate has melted and the mixture is smooth.
- Allow to cool to room for 5-10 minutes, and then pour over the peanut butter cheesecake.
- Chill for at least 1 hour (or overnight), or until the chocolate ganache is set.
