Peanut Butter & Chocolate Cheesecake. Everything peanut butter and chocolate is gorgeous. And luscious. For six personal-sized luscious cheesecakes, see info at the end of this recipe about small springform pans.
Peanut Butter & Chocolate Cheesecake
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Peanut Butter Crust
- 12 peanut butter sandwich cookies
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 stick unsalted butter, melted
Crush cookies in a food processor. Add sugar, salt, and melted butter. Process until similar to wet sand texture.
Spray a 10-inch springform pan with baking spray (or coat with butter) and press the cookie mixture into the bottom of the pan. Bake in the oven for about 15 minutes then remove and set aside.
Reduce oven to 325°F.
Peanut Butter Cheesecake Filling
- 2 1/2 pounds cream cheese
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 4 eggs
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 3/4 cup peanut butter
Cream together cream cheese and sugar. Add remaining ingredients and mix until well-combined batter.
Pour cheesecake batter on top of the graham cracker crust into a 10-inch springform pan. Place that springform pan in about a little bit larger cake pan (about 11-inch pan). Most recipes say to use foil to protect your cheesecake from the water bath but I have never, ever had luck with foil.
Place about 1 inch of water in a large pan (a roasting pan works well for this) the doubled pans can fit into.
Bake until a knife poked into cheesecake comes out nearly clean – about an hour. The top of the cheesecake will be light golden brown. Allow cheesecake to sit in the pan until cool. (It will continue baking for awhile while cooling).
Chocolate Ganache Topping
- 8 ounces semi-sweet chocolate
- 1 cup heavy cream
Pour 1/2 inch of water into the bottom saucepan. Place the smaller saucepan on the bottom pan to create a double boiler. Making sure chocolate doesn’t touch water, place chocolate and heavy cream in the top pan. Turn heat on high but watch closely. When the water in the bottom pan starts to boil, turn off heat but leave the double boiler over the burner. Whisk occasionally until all ingredients are melted together. Spread chocolate ganache over chilled cheesecake while it is still in a springform pan. Refrigerate until the chocolate has set.
Once the chocolate has set, remove the cheesecake from the refrigerator and run a knife around the edges to loosen from the pan. Remove sides from pan carefully. Run a knife under cheesecake to make sure crust also removes from the pan easily then place on serving plate.
Top each piece with whipped cream and chocolate-covered almonds, mini Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, or decadent, large malted milk balls if desired.
Mini Cheesecakes
For personal-size cheesecakes, use about 6 of these cuties instead of the large springform pan… but we all know size doesn’t really matter.