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Tessa’s Recipe Rundown
Taste: Like a giant Reese’s peanut butter cup!
Texture: Super rich, smooth, and creamy.
Ease: Very easy – no baking, no water baths, nothing difficult.
Why you’ll love this recipe: Simple and delicious recipe perfect for entertaining.
Here in Phoenix during the summer, I avoid turning on my oven whenever possible. That’s when no-bake recipes become my go-to.
Traditional cheesecakes take over an hour to bake, often involving the nuisance of a water bath, and then take hours longer to cool and chill. This recipe skips most of those steps, saving so much time and keeping your kitchen cool!
Bonus: the peanut butter flavor actually shines more in a no-bake cheesecake. It’s not diluted by a bunch of eggs or the process of baking. So the flavor stays bold, nutty, and nostalgic.
If you love chocolate and peanut butter like I do, this peanut butter cheesecake recipe is hard to beat!
Reader Love
Great recipe, it DOES taste like a giant peanut butter cup and my coworker asked me to make this for his birthday for the second year in a row. I added some mini Reese’s cups as garnish 🙂
Such a delicious cheesecake and quite simple to make. Turned out just like the photos in recipe. Really popular with the family. I will be making it again for another family group this weekend.
Recipe Ingredients
The below ingredients and how they’re purchased and prepared make the difference between a no-bake cheesecake that slices beautifully and one that turns into a soft, underset mess.
Graham Crackers: Use your food processor to finely grind the crackers for a crust that holds together. You can also use store-bought crumbs. If they are too coarse, the crust will crumble.
Substitutions: You can substitute the same amount of fine crumbs (about 1 cup, or 227 grams) from digestive biscuits, vanilla wafers, or chocolate graham crackers.
Cream Cheese: It’s essential to only use full-fat brick cream cheese, not cream cheese from a tub. I strongly recommend the Philadelphia brand. Many generic brands are too watery for no-bake cheesecake. Make sure it’s fully softened to room temperature before using, otherwise your cheesecake will be lumpy.
Powdered Sugar: This is used in place of granulated sugar because it dissolves more readily into the no-bake filling for a smooth texture.
Peanut Butter: Use whatever you enjoy eating. My preferred choice is the Kirkland Signature Organic Peanut Butter, so long as it’s been very well stirred. Natural peanut butter that only contains peanuts + nuts will offer a bolder flavor, but seriously, it must be very well stirred (no dry bits, no oily bits). Conventional peanut butter will work too, but your filling may be sweeter.
Heavy Cream (36% milkfat): Just half a cup helps create a silky, smooth, and rich texture while still allowing the filling to firm up in the fridge. Without this, the filling is overly dense and heavy. Don’t substitute this.
Chocolate: For the ganache, I prefer semisweet chocolate to balance the sweetness and complement the nuttiness of the peanut butter filling. I find bittersweet chocolate to be too dark for this recipe. You can try using milk chocolate, but note the ganache will be softer.
How to Make No Bake Peanut Butter Cheesecake (Step by Step)
Prepare graham cracker crust. Pulse graham crackers in a food processor until very fine (or use store-bought crumbs—don’t crush by hand, they won’t be fine enough for the crust to hold without baking).
Press crust into pan. Press firmly into a greased 9-inch springform pan using the bottom of a glass or measuring cup.
Fill the pan. Pour filling into assembled crust, smoothing with a spatula. Refrigerate for at least 6 hours, but overnight is best.
Add ganache topping. Pour over the chilled cheesecake and spread with an icing spatula.
Tessa’s Tips
- Grind graham crackers very finely for a crust that holds together.
- Press the crust firmly using a measuring cup to compact the crumbs.
- Use brick-style cream cheese only. Spreadable cream cheese prevents proper setting.
- Make sure cream cheese is fully softened before mixing.
- Chill the cheesecake at least 6 hours, but overnight is best.
- If slices feel too soft, freeze the cheesecake 30 minutes before cutting.
- Use a hot knife for clean slices. Run under hot water and wipe dry between cuts.
Storage & Make ahead
Fridge: Store covered for up to 1 week.
Freezer: Wrap the whole cheesecake or individual slices in plastic wrap, place in airtight container, and freeze for up to 1 month. Thaw in the fridge overnight before serving.
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Ingredients
For the crust:
- 16 whole (227 grams) graham crackers
- 7 tablespoons (100 grams) unsalted butter, melted
For the filling:
- 24 ounces (680 grams) cream cheese, completed softened to room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups (188 grams) powdered sugar
- 1 cup (270 grams) creamy peanut butter*
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) heavy cream, at room temperature
For the chocolate ganache:
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) heavy cream
- 4 ounces (113 grams) semisweet chocolate
Instructions
Make the crust:
- Place the graham crackers in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until finely ground. Add in the melted butter and pulse until moistened.
- Thoroughly grease the bottoms and sides of 9-inch springform pan.
- Pour crust into the prepared pan. Using the bottom of a measuring cup or flat glass, press the crust firmly into the bottom and 1-inch up the sides of the pan. Refrigerate.
Make the filling:
- In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese for one minute or until smooth and creamy, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl.
- Add in the sugar and continue beating until smooth. Add in the peanut butter, vanilla, and heavy cream, beating between each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary.
- Beat the mixture on medium-high speed for about 2 minutes, or until completely smooth and creamy.
- Pour the cheesecake mixture into the springform pan. Refrigerate for at least 6 hours or overnight.
Make the ganache:
- In a small saucepan, bring the heavy cream to a simmer then remove from heat and add chopped chocolate. You can also heat the cream in the microwave. Let stand 1 minute then stir until the chocolate has melted. Stir until smooth.
- Allow to cool for 5 minutes before pouring over the cheesecake.
- Return the cheesecake to the fridge to chill for another hour before serving. If the cheesecake is too loose to slice and serve, freeze for 30 minutes to 1 hour to firm up. Keep refrigerated or frozen.
Notes
Frequently Asked Questions
A no bake peanut butter cheesecake is a cheesecake made without eggs that sets in the refrigerator instead of the oven. The texture is extra creamy and mousse-like and must be kept col to hold its shape.
A no bake cheesecake usually fails to set if the ingredients contain too much liquid because a spreadable, generic, or low-fat cream cheese product was used, or if the cheesecake wasn’t chilled thoroughly. For best results, chill overnight in the back of the fridge.
Yes! No bake cheesecake freezes very well. Wrap slices tightly in plastic wrap and store in an airtight container for up to 1 month. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
This recipe was created in 2019 and updated in 2026 with new photos and additional recipe tips. Photos by Joanie Simon.
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Looks amazing!
This recipe is delicious
Heyyyyyy
can i add in a little of gelatin so that it set firmly?
Hi Grace! We haven’t tested that but also don’t think the recipe needs it. It sets quite well in the fridge!