Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheesecake (Printable)
Creamy chocolate and peanut butter cheesecake with a rich ganache topping — pure indulgence in every bite.
# What You Need:
→ Crust
01 - 7 oz chocolate sandwich cookies (such as Oreos), finely crushed
02 - 2 oz unsalted butter, melted
→ 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
08 - 1 tsp vanilla extract
09 - 5.3 oz dark chocolate, melted and cooled
→ Ganache Topping
10 - 4.2 oz dark chocolate, finely chopped
11 - 7 tbsp heavy cream
12 - 2 tbsp creamy peanut butter
# How To Make It:
01 - Preheat oven to 325°F. Grease a 9-inch springform pan and line the base with parchment paper.
02 - Combine crushed chocolate sandwich cookies with melted butter until evenly moistened. Press mixture firmly into the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake for 10 minutes, then set aside to cool slightly.
03 - Beat softened cream cheese and granulated sugar with an electric mixer until completely smooth. Add peanut butter and sour cream, blending until uniformly combined.
04 - Add eggs one at a time, mixing on low speed until just incorporated after each addition. Stir in vanilla extract. Avoid overmixing to prevent cracks.
05 - Pour half of the filling over the baked crust. Drizzle half of the melted dark chocolate over the batter and swirl gently with a knife. Add the remaining batter and repeat with the remaining melted chocolate.
06 - Bake for 50 to 55 minutes, until the edges are firmly set but the center still has a slight jiggle. Turn off the oven, crack the door open, and let the cheesecake cool inside for 1 hour.
07 - Remove from the oven and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight for best results.
08 - Heat heavy cream in a small saucepan until hot but not boiling. Pour over chopped dark chocolate and let stand for 2 minutes. Stir until smooth and glossy, then mix in peanut butter until fully blended.
09 - Spread ganache evenly over the chilled cheesecake. Allow to set for at least 30 minutes before slicing and serving.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The swirl technique makes every slice look like it came from a bakery, even if your knife work is a mess.
- That ganache topping with peanut butter mixed in is basically liquid heaven poured over cream cheese.
- It sounds complicated but most of the time you are just waiting for it to chill.
02 -
- Overmixing the eggs is the fastest way to get cracks on top, so mix on low and stop the second each egg blends in.
- The cheesecake will look underdone in the center when you pull it from the oven and that is exactly right because it sets as it chills.
03 -
- Run your knife under hot water and wipe it clean between every single slice for those bakery perfect edges.
- The overnight chill is not optional if you want clean slices because patience is the secret ingredient nobody talks about.