CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER CHEESECAKE

This recipe is every peanut butter lovers dream! It’s a ROLL YOUR EYES BACK IN YOUR HEAD AND SIGH KIND OF AWESOME! I’ve included 3 choices of ganaches.

CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER CHEESECAKE

CRUST
15 chocolate graham crackers
3 tablespoons sugar
PINCH sea salt
4 tablespoons butter, melted

  • Butter 9″ spring form pan and wrap bottom and sides of pan in a double layer of aluminum foil.
  • Set rack in middle of oven and preheat to 350°.
  • In a food processor grind chocolate graham crackers into VERY fine crumbs.
  • Add sugar and salt, pulsing to combine.
  • Transfer crumbs to a medium bowl, add butter, and use fork or fingers to blend mixture until crumbs are evenly moist.
  • Press into bottom and about a third of the way up the sides of spring form pan.
  • Freeze 10 minutes.
  • Place pan on baking sheet and bake crust for 10 minutes.
  • Set on rack to cool and reduce oven temperature to 325°.
  • Bring tea kettle full of water to a boil.

CHEESECAKE
4 8-ounce packages cream cheese, softened at room temperature
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoons PURE vanilla extract
4 large eggs, room temperature
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 cup creamy peanut butter
3/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup sour cream
1 ¼ cups miniature chocolate chips
Reese’s, for garnish

  • In the bowl of a stand mixer using the whisk attachment, beat cream cheese on medium speed, scraping down the bowl as necessary, until completely smooth, 3 to 4 minutes.
  • Add sugar and salt, beating and scraping down bowl as necessary, until smooth and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes.
  • Add vanilla and beat for 30 seconds.
  • Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating after each addition until incorporated and occasionally scraping bottom and sides of bowl.
  • Add lemon zest, beating until combined.
  • Add peanut butter, heavy cream, and sour cream and beat on low until completely combined and smooth, about 1 minute.
  • Fold in mini chocolate chips.
  • Pour cheesecake batter into cooled crust and smooth top evenly.
  • Place cheesecake in deep roasting pan and set on middle rack of oven.
  • Carefully pour enough boiling water into roasting pan to come about halfway up sides of spring form pan.
  • Bake cheesecake until top is just starting to brown and crack, about 1 hour and 30 minutes.
  • Turn off oven, prop door open, and let cheesecake slowly cool in the water bath for 1 hour.
  • Remove roasting pan from oven, carefully lift spring form pan out of water and remove foil.
  • Set on cooling rack and cool to room temperature.
  • Once COMPLETELY cool, loosely cover cheesecake with plastic wrap and refrigerate, AT LEAST 4 hours, or preferably overnight.

CHOCOLATE GANACHE
6 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped (DO NOT USED UNSWEETENED)
3/4 cup heavy cream
PINCH sea salt

  • When ready to serve, carefully remove sides of spring form pan.
  • Place chocolate in a clean, dry medium bowl.
  • In a small saucepan, warm cream until just barely simmering.
  • Pour cream over chocolate and let sit 10 minutes, then add salt and stir until smooth.
  • Pour ganache over cheesecake, spreading it evenly and allowing some to drip down sides of cake.
  • Sprinkle with chopped Reese’s.

CHOCOLATE GANACHE
½ cup heavy cream
1 ½ cups milk chocolate chips, FINELY chopped OR grated

  • When the cake is completely cooled, run a thin knife around the edge and release the ring of spring form pan, then transfer the cake on a serving plate.
  • On a medium heat bring heavy cream to boil.
  • Pour hot cream on top of the chocolate and peanut butter. Cover with a plate for 5 minutes. The heat from the cream mixture will help melt the chocolate in a few minutes.
  • Stir well to combine until smooth.
  • Set aside to cool. The ganache should be pourable, but not too thin.
  • Slowly pour the ganache around the edges and let it drip down the sides.  Let the ganache set slightly then sprinkle with chopped peanuts and pile with coarsely chopped Reese’s.
  • Set in the fridge until ready to serve.

PEANUT BUTTER GANACHE

5 ounces QUALITY dark chocolate, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup CREAMY (NOT chunky OR crunchy) peanut butter
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

  • Place the chopped chocolate and peanut butter in a bowl and set aside.
  • Heat cream and vanilla on the stove and bring to a simmer for 3 minutes.
  • Pour hot cream on top of the chocolate and peanut butter. Cover with a plate for 5 minutes. The heat from the cream mixture will help melt the chocolate in a few minutes.
  • Stir well to combine until smooth.
  • Slowly pour the ganache around the edges and let it drip down the sides.  Let the ganache set slightly then sprinkle with chopped peanuts and pile with coarsely chopped Reese’s.
  • Set in the fridge until ready to serve.

GARNISH (optional)
Chopped Reese’s cups
Crushed roasted peanuts

NOTES: The quality of your chocolate WILL have a HUGE impact on the flavor of your ganache. ALWAYS use the best quality artisan chocolate for the best flavor. Natural peanut butters are more flavorful, but their gritty texture interferes with the formation of a SMOOTH ganache – use the smoothest textured peanut butter you can find.

Jennifer Wise

Oh my goodness, this looks utterly amazing. I love chocolate, peanut butter, and cheesecake, so this would be perfect. I’ve never heard of a peanut butter ganache! Sounds yummy. Thank for sharing this post at the Will Blog for Comments #28 linkup. Hope to see you again next week.

Marilyn Lesniak

Thank you for sharing at #OverTheMoon. Pinned and shared. Have a lovely week. I hope to see you at next week’s party too! Pleas stay safe and healthy. Come party with us at Over The Moon! Catapult your content Over The Moon! @marilyn_lesniak @EclecticRedBarn

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