Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheesecake (Printable)
Creamy cheesecake swirled with chocolate and peanut butter, finished with a rich ganache topping.
# What You’ll Need:
→ Chocolate Cookie Crust
01 - 7 oz chocolate sandwich cookies (such as Oreos), finely crushed
02 - 2 oz unsalted butter, melted
→ Peanut Butter Cheesecake Filling
03 - 17.6 oz cream cheese, softened to room temperature
04 - 7 oz creamy peanut butter
05 - 5.3 oz granulated sugar
06 - ½ cup sour cream
07 - 3 large eggs, at room temperature
08 - 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
09 - 5.3 oz dark chocolate, melted and cooled
→ Chocolate Peanut Butter Ganache
10 - 4.2 oz dark chocolate, finely chopped
11 - ⅓ cup plus 1½ tablespoons heavy cream
12 - 2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
# How To Make:
01 - Preheat the oven to 325°F. Grease a 9-inch springform pan and line the base with parchment paper.
02 - Combine the crushed chocolate sandwich cookies with melted butter until the mixture resembles wet sand. Press firmly and evenly into the base of the prepared pan. Bake for 10 minutes, then set aside to cool slightly.
03 - Using an electric mixer, beat the softened cream cheese and granulated sugar on medium speed until completely smooth and free of lumps. Add the peanut butter and sour cream, blending until fully incorporated.
04 - Add the eggs one at a time, mixing on low speed until each is just incorporated. Stir in the vanilla extract. Avoid overmixing to prevent excess air in the batter.
05 - Pour half of the cheesecake batter over the cooled crust. Drizzle half of the melted dark chocolate over the surface and gently swirl with a butter knife. Add the remaining batter and repeat with the remaining melted chocolate, creating decorative swirls throughout.
06 - Bake for 50 to 55 minutes, until the edges are set and the center still has a slight jiggle. Turn off the oven, crack the door open, and allow the cheesecake to cool gradually inside for 1 hour.
07 - Remove the cheesecake from the oven and transfer to the refrigerator. Chill for at least 4 hours or preferably overnight until fully set.
08 - Heat the heavy cream in a small saucepan until hot but not boiling. Pour over the chopped dark chocolate and let stand for 2 minutes. Stir until smooth and glossy, then blend in the peanut butter until fully combined.
09 - Spread the ganache evenly over the chilled cheesecake. Allow the topping to set for at least 30 minutes before slicing into portions.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The swirl technique makes every single slice look different, so it genuinely feels like a bakery creation without needing any artistic talent.
- That ganache topping with peanut butter mixed straight in will ruin every other dessert for you, and I make no apologies for it.
02 -
- Opening the oven door too early or skipping the slow cool down step will almost certainly cause cracks across the top, and no amount of ganache can fully hide a deep one.
- Overmixing after adding the eggs incorporates too much air, which causes the cheesecake to puff up dramatically and then collapse into a sunken, dense disappointment.
03 -
- Run your knife under hot water and wipe it clean between every single slice for those perfect, bakery style edges that make people gasp.
- Taste your peanut butter before you start, because sweeter brands will change the overall sweetness of the filling more than you might expect.