This ultimate peanut butter cheesecake starts with a nutter butter crust, is lined with peanut butter cups, and then filled with a creamy peanut butter packed cheesecake batter. It is topped with peanut butter chip ganache + peanut butter whipped cream for the ultimate peanut butter indulgence.
The ultimate in peanut butter decadence, this 6-inch cheesecake is everything peanut butter dreams are made of. Nutter butter cookies + butter + sugar make up this drool worthy crust. The crust is then lined with peanut butter cups before being filled with a truly peanut butter packed cheesecake batter. Once baked and cooled, this cheesecake is topped with a peanut butter chip ganache, peanut butter whipped cream, crushed peanut butter cups, and salted peanuts. This ultimate peanut butter cheesecake will be your new go-to for a peanut butter craving, so let’s make it.
What you’ll need to make this ultimate peanut butter cheesecake:
Nutter Butters (with the fillings removed)
Salted Butter
Granulated Sugar
Cream Cheese
All Natural Creamy Unsweetened Peanut Butter
Heavy Cream
Pure Vanilla Extract
Large Egg
Powdered Sugar
The Crust
I love a good cookie crust. This Easy Oreo Crust is a common go-to in my baked goods {including this 6-Inch Oreo cheesecake}, and this nutter butter cookie crust is a variation of the ratios in that recipe.
To begin, scrape the filling out of 28 Nutter butter cookies. This will be just about 1 ¾ cups when processed. If you have a medium to large food processor, it is easy to combine all of the ingredients into the processor. If not, you can use a large ziplock bag and a rolling pin to crush the cookies into fine crumbs.
Melt the butter either in a microwave-safe container on high for 30-45 seconds, or on the stovetop in a small pan on high heat for 5-10 minutes (or until fully melted but not bubbling).
Into your bowl of cookie crumbs (or into your food processor), add the melted butter, and granulated sugar. Gently mix with a fork to combine, or set your food processor on until the mixture is fully combined (about 20 seconds or so).
Press the crust into a 6” spring foam pan. Use the bottom of a glass to press down around the sides and bottom if needed. Line the bottom of the pan with peanut butter cups. Set aside while you make the filling.
The Cheesecake Filling
This filling is also an offshoot of many of my other cheesecake recipes. My philosophy in recipe development is to create the best base recipe possible, and then build on that with as many flavor combinations as possible. This cheesecake takes plenty of creamy unsweetened natural peanut butter and adds it to a perfectly balanced cheesecake.
So why do we use room temperature ingredients? Room temperature cream cheese and eggs can allow the batter to blend earlier, resulting in a smoother cheesecake.
To make the filling, beat the cream cheese and sugar on medium speed until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the peanut butter and mix another 30 seconds. Add the heavy cream and vanilla extract, and mix again until incorporated. Add the egg, mixing for about thirty seconds. Do not overmix this part.
Pour the cheesecake batter into the prepared pan. Place foil around the bottom and place the pan in a larger baking dish {I used a 10” baking pan since I had it easily accessible}. Add about an inch of water to the pan. Bake at 350° for 70-90 minutes. If your cheesecake is browning too quickly, loosely cover it with foil at the 30-minute mark.
Cheesecake should be mostly set and golden on the edges but slightly jiggly in the middle. It will set up further as it cools. Allow it to cool in the pan / water bath for 20 minutes. Gently remove the cheesecake from the water bath and place it on a towel to dry the bottom.
Refrigerate for 2-3 hours or overnight until chilled and fully set.
The Toppings
It’s time to dress this stunner up! This cheesecake is topped with a peanut butter chip ganache, peanut butter whipped cream, more peanut butter cups, and crushed peanuts. It’s just about as fabulous a set of toppings as the actual cheesecake, because that whipped cream is gold standard.
What is ganache? Essentially ganache is any ratio of chocolate and cream that results a thick and rich yet still pliable chocolate. The best ratio of ganache is two parts chocolate to one part heavy cream, and that is what we stuck to for this peanut butter chip ganache.
Place the Heavy cream in a small bowl and warm in the microwave on high for 30 seconds. Be cautious as the cream and the bowl could be hot. Alternatively, you can heat it on the stove top in a small pan on medium heat until it becomes hot and almost starts to bubble.
Remove the bowl of cream and place the peanut butter chips into the bowl, ensuring that they are completely covered by the cream. Allow this to sit untouched for five minutes. Whisk well until completely smooth. Pour over your chilled cheesecake and allow it to set up in the fridge for an additional 30 minutes.
While the ganache is setting up, you can make the whipped cream. Place all of the ingredients in a small to medium sized bowl, and with a standing one hand mixer, beat on high for 2 to 3 minutes or until stiff peaks form.
Pipe or spread the whipped cream over the ganache layer of the cheesecake, and top with peanut butter cups and chopped peanuts. Serve immediately. Store any leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to four day.
Dietary Substitutions
I love providing gluten and dairy free substitutions so that those with alternate dietary needs can enjoy my recipes to their fullest! These are subs that I have either used and continue to stock in my own home, or that have come highly recommended from others. I want your baking experience to be the best it can be, and avoiding gluten or dairy shouldn’t hinder that process in the slightest.
As always, here is a list of tried and true dietary substitutes, so that you can enjoy this recipe without the additions of gluten or dairy.
Miyokos butter is a plant based brick that closely resembles dairy butter not only in its look, but it’s taste as well. It melts, browns, and spreads just like real butter, and truly is a fantastic substitute in this recipe. Use it as a 1:1 ratio sub, same as the flour, so the recipe measurements will not change.
Miyokos also makes a wonderful cream cheese that would be an excellent dairy free base in this recipe.
Kite Hill makes a dairy free sour cream for those wanting to recreate the topping without dairy.
Silk Dairy Free Heavy Cream is a great option for both the cheesecake and the whipped topping.
These Nut Butter Stuffed Sandwich Cookies by Simple Mills are gluten free and vegan. They would be a great option in leu of the Nutter butters.
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XO,
Heather
Ultimate Peanut Butter Cheesecake
Ingredients
For the Nutter Butter Crust:
- 1 ¾ Cups Nutter Butter Cookies, crushed and fillings removed
- 2 Tablespoons Granulated Sugar
- ½ Cup Salted Butter, melted
For the Cheesecake Filling:
- 8 Ounces Cream Cheese, softened to room temperature
- ½ Cup All Natural Creamy Unsweetened Peanut Butter
- ¾ Cup Granulated Sugar
- ⅓ Cup Heavy Cream
- ½ Tablespoon Pure Vanilla Extract
- 1 Large Egg, room temperature
For the Peanut Butter Chip Ganache:
- ½ Cup Peanut Butter Chips (I used Reese’s)
- ¼ Cup Heavy Cream
For the Peanut Butter Whipped Cream:
- ½ Cup Heavy Cream
- 2 Tablespoons All Natural Creamy Unsweetened Peanut Butter
- 2 Tablespoons Powdered Sugar
Toppings:
- 2 Tablespoons Crushed Salted Peanuts, optional
- ¼ Cup Chopped Peanut Butter Cups, optional
Instructions
- To make the crust: Melt the butter either in a microwave safe container on high for 30-45 seconds, or on the stovetop in a small pan on high heat for 5-10 minutes (or until fully melted but not bubbling). Into your bowl of cookie crumbs (or into your food processor), add the melted butter, and granulated sugar. Gently mix with a fork to combine, or set your food processor on until the mixture if fully combined (about 20 seconds or so). Press the crust into a 6” spring foam pan. Set aside while you make the filling.
- Make the cheesecake filling:To make the filling, beat the cream cheese and sugar on medium speed until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the peanut butter and mix another 30 seconds. Add the heavy cream and vanilla extract, and mix again until incorporated. Add the egg, mixing for about thirty seconds. Do not overmix this part. Pour the cheesecake batter into the prepared crust pan. Place foil around the bottom and place the pan in a larger baking dish {I issued a 10” baking pan since I had it easily accessible}. Add about an inch of water to the pan. Bake at 350° for 70-90 minutes. If your cheesecake is browning too quickly, loosely cover it with foil at the 30 minute mark. Cheesecake should be mostly set and golden on the edges but slightly jiggly in the middle. It will set up further as it cools. Allow it to cool in the pan / water bath for 20 minute. Gently remove the cheesecake from the water bath and place it on a towel to dry the bottom. Refrigerate for 2-3 hours or overnight until chilled and fully set.
- To make the ganache: Place the Heavy cream in a small bowl and warm in the microwave on high for 30 seconds. Be cautious as the cream and the bowl could be hot. Alternatively, you can heat it on the stove top in a small pan on medium heat until it becomes hot and almost starts to bubble. Remove the bowl of cream and place the peanut butter chips into the bowl, ensuring that they are completely covered by the cream. Allow this to sit untouched for five minutes. Whisk well until completely smooth. Pour over your chilled cheesecake and allow it to set up in the fridge for an additional 30 minutes.
- To make the whipped cream: While the ganache is setting up, you can make the whipped cream. Place all of the ingredients in a small to medium sized bowl, and with a standing one hand mixer, beat on high for 2 to 3 minutes or until stiff peaks form. Pipe or spread the whipped cream over the ganache layer of the cheesecake, and top with peanut butter cups and chopped peanuts. Serve immediately. Store any leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to four day.
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