Bursting with all natural peanut butter and an abundance of cream cheese, this perfectly decadent, no-bake peanut butter cheesecake will be your go-to when you need a dessert with no oven time.
I absolutely love cheesecake, if that’s not totally evident by the number of cheesecake flavors I have steadily growing on this site! And while cheesecakes can be a labor of love, cheesecake bars and no-bake cheesecakes are much easier and still embody that full cheesecake flavor. I specifically wanted to create a no-bake cheesecake for those of us in the heat of summer who wanted a creamy cheesecake but just don’t want to turn the oven on. Enter my no-bake peanut butter cheesecake. A buttery no-bake Oreo crust is filled with creamy peanut butter cheesecake, and then topped with semisweet ganache and peanut butter whipped cream. It’s absolute peanut butter chocolate decadence personified, and it’s easier than pie! {I mean, pie can be tricky at times…}. 😉 Let’s make it.
What you’ll need for this No-bake peanut butter cheesecake:
Double stuffed Oreos
Salted butter
Cream cheese
Powdered sugar
Creamy unsweetened peanut butter
Pure vanilla extract
Heavy cream
Chocolate chips (semisweet, milk, or dark. Dairy free is fine too)
The Crust
I created a brand new Oreo crust that is fully no-bake, and requires only two ingredients: double stuffed Oreos and melted, salted butter.
Now if you want to use regular Oreos, I would probably add a bit of extra butter because you are lacking a good amount of fillings, but definitely make it as is first and then add the butter {one melted teaspoon at a time} if you feel like it’s a little bit too dry.
Begin by adding your 28 double stuffed Oreo cookies and the melted butter to a large food processor, and process until smooth and only small chunks remain. The crust should be buttery to the touch and roughly the texture of wet sand, and it should press easily into your springform pan without flaking at all.
Press the crust into your parchment lined 9-inch springform pan, and use the bottom of a glass to gently press down around the bottom and along the sides. Set the crust pan aside while you make your filling.
The Filling
This creamy filling took only two recipe tests to get right because I basically knew exactly what I wanted and how much of each ingredient to add in after making so many baked cheesecakes! The main difference is you are going to omit the eggs, and the cream cheese mixture will stiffen once it is refrigerated. You definitely want the cream cheese and the sugar to mix well, which is why we substitute powdered sugar for granulated sugar. You can absolutely try it with granulated sugar, just know that it will be a bit more grainy, although I don’t necessarily think that is a bad thing. I love a good grainy texture on occasion, especially when it comes to my brown sugar butter cream. It reminds me of the true texture of cookie dough before you add the flour.
Begin by creaming the cream cheese for one to two minutes in a standing mixer or by hand, ensuring that the cream cheese has been softened to room temperature and is blending up lump free. Add the peanut butter and vanilla and cream for another 30 seconds. Add the sifted sugar and mix until combined. Set aside while you whip the heavy cream.
Whip the heavy cream until stiff peaks form in a standing or handmixer, about 2 to 3 minutes. Fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture, blending until no whipped cream remains unmixed, and the cheesecake is lump free. That should take about 1 to 2 minutes.
Pour the no bake cheesecake into the prepared crust, smoothing the top with a spatula to ensure an even finish. Placed the cheesecake in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 hours or overnight.
The Toppings
This semisweet chocolate ganache is the same ganache that you will find on many of my cheesecakes. It is a simple ganache, meaning that one part cream to two parts chips are used. This is true of most chocolates or chips; I have use this ratio with dark, semisweet and milk chocolate (both dairy and dairy free), along with peanut butter chips and white chocolate chips.
Heat the heavy cream on high in the microwave for one minute, or warm on the stovetop in a saucepan on medium to high heat until bubbles just begin to form. Carefully remove cream. Add the chocolate chips and let it sit for 5 minutes. Whisk well until smooth. Pour the ganache over the chilled cheesecake, and with a spatula, gently spread evenly over the top. Refrigerate to allow the ganache to set while you make the whipped cream.
While the ganache is setting up, make the peanut butter whipped cream. Combine the heavy cream, peanut butter, and sugar. Whip on high until stiff peaks form, about 1-2 minutes. Pipe or spread onto the cheesecake. Top with beautiful chocolate curls if desired (they are quite easy and look so lovely on many different desserts!). Serve immediately.
The Products
Here is one link to all of the products I used in making this cheesecake. I linked the 9-inch springform pan (which comes with pre-cut parchment liners!), the water bath liner (in 6-inches and 9-inches, I have both and love them), the piping bags, and piping tip.
Peruse my entire storefront for the items that I bake and style with daily! My promise to you is to never share a product that I don’t personally use and love.
The 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.
Oreo makes a gluten free cookie that is also dairy free. If you need to go this route, simply mix in three tablespoons of creamy unsweetened peanut butter and proceed with the recipe as directed.
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.
Silk Dairy Free Heavy Cream is a great option for the cheesecake base.
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Tag @heathershomebakery on Instagram if you upload a pic too, because I want to see your creations.
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XO,
Heather
No-Bake Peanut Butter Cheesecake
Ingredients
For the Crust:
- 30 Double Stuff Oreo Cookies (with fillings)
- ½ Cup Salted Butter, melted
For the Filling:
- 24 Ounces Cream Cheese, softened to room temperature
- 2 Cups Powdered Sugar, sifted
- ½ Cup Creamy Unsweetened Peanut Butter
- 1 Tablespoon Pure Vanilla Extract
- 1 Cup Heavy Cream, whipped to stiff peaks
For the Ganache:
- ½ Cup Semisweet Chocolate Chips (milk or dark would work too, along with dairy free)
- ¼ Cup Heavy Cream
For the Peanut Butter Whipped Cream:
- ½ Cup Heavy Cream
- 2 Tablespoons Creamy Unsweetened Peanut Butter
- 2 Teaspoons Powdered Sugar
Instructions
- To make the crust: If you have a medium to large food processor, it is easy to combine the ingredients into the processor. If not, you can use a large ziplock bag and a rolling pin to crush the cookies into 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 Oreo crumbs (or into your food processor) add the melted butter. 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 9” spring foam pan. Set aside while you make the filling. To make the filling: In a medium bowl, beat the heavy cream on medium to high until stiff peaks form, 2-3 minutes. Set aside while you make the cream cheese mixture. Sift the powdered sugar. Blend the cream cheese with a standing or hand mixer until smooth, about two minutes. Slowly add the powdered sugar until fully incorporated, about 30 seconds. Add the peanut butter and vanilla. Mix well. Fold the whipped cream into the cheesecake mixture until combined, about 30 more seconds. Spread the cheesecake into the prepared crust pan and refrigerate 3-4 hours or overnight.To make the ganache:Heat the heavy cream on high in the microwave for one minute, or warm on the stovetop in a saucepan on medium to high heat until bubbles just begin to form. Carefully remove cream. Add the chocolate chips and let it sit for 5 minutes. Whisk well until smooth. Pour the ganache over the chilled cheesecake, and with a spatula, gently spread evenly over the top. Refrigerate for 30 minutes before serving to allow the ganache to set. For the whipped cream: While the ganache is setting up, make the peanut butter whipped cream. Combine the heavy cream, peanut butter, and sugar. Whip on high until stiff peaks form, about 1-2 minutes. Pipe or spread onto the cheesecake. Top with beautiful chocolate curls if desired (they are quite easy and look so lovely on many different desserts!). Serve immediately. Store any leftovers in the refrigerator for four days. Best stored without the whipped cream.
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