Tessa’s Recipe Rundown
Taste: Like a gigantic tangy amazing peanut butter cup. Just incredible.
Texture: The crust is buttery yet crunchy while the filling is lusciously smooth with bites of mini Reese’s cups. The chocolate ganache and pile of mini Reese’s on top takes this cheesecake to a ridiculously awesome level.
Ease: There are three elements to this cheesecake, each of which will dirty a few dishes. SO worth it, promise!
Pros: My new favorite cheesecake ever.
Cons: Not an everyday treat.
Would I make this again? Absolutely yes for special occasions!
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This Peanut Butter Cup Cheesecake is the most perfectly over-the-top dessert of all time.
There’s nothing I love more than the combination of chocolate and peanut butter, so this cheesecake is pure bliss for me.
A dream come true for any chocolate + peanut butter lover like me, this cheesecake is sure to be the hit of any party or gathering.
This cheesecake is super simple to make – you don’t even need to bake it in a water bath, because any imperfections will be covered up with a beautiful layer of ganache and a delightfully heaping pile of mini peanut butter cups.
Check out my tips + tricks below, so you can make the perfect centerpiece for your next party. No one will be able to stop raving about it!
Sprinkle of Science
How to Make Peanut Butter Cup Cheesecake
How to Make Creamy, Smooth Cheesecake:
- Be sure to use high-quality full-fat bricks of cream cheese.
- Do not use cream cheese that’s meant for spreading on a bagel.
- The cream cheese needs to be completely softened to room temperature. If it’s too cold, it won’t mix thoroughly and you’ll end up with little bits and pockets of unblended cream cheese throughout your Peanut Butter Cup Cheesecake.
- Make sure your eggs are at room temperature too.
- Beat the cream cheese well before adding any other ingredients.
- Be sure to frequently scrape down the sides and bottom of the mixing bowl, even if you’re using a paddle attachment that scrapes as it blends.
What Type of Peanut Butter is Best for Cheesecake?
Make sure to use conventional creamy peanut butter for this recipe. Conventional PB typically has an added oil in the ingredients list, which helps peanut butter emulsify. The natural stuff can separate, so I don’t recommend that here.
How to Tell When Peanut Butter Cup Cheesecake is Done Baking
You want to stop baking once the Peanut Butter Cup Cheesecake looks dry on top but is still gently wobbly in the very center. It will finish setting up as it cools at room temperature and then as it chills in the fridge.
How Long Does Peanut Butter Cup Cheesecake Last?
This cheesecake will keep for 2 days loosely covered in the fridge. Note that the longer it’s stored, the more the crust will soften. If you need to store your cheesecake for longer, check out the freezing instructions just below.
Can You Freeze Peanut Butter Cup Cheesecake?
Yes! Cheesecake freezes beautifully. Here’s how to freeze Peanut Butter Cup Cheesecake:
- Place the whole or sliced cheesecake on a baking sheet inside the freezer until firm.
- Once firm, wrap the cheesecake or each individual slice in plastic wrap and place in a freezer bag.
- Freeze for up to 2 months.
- To serve, defrost a whole cheesecake in the fridge overnight. You can also defrost individual slices in the fridge overnight, or at room temperature for about 30 minutes.
- For best results, add the ganache and mini peanut butter cups after freezing and thawing.
More Recipes You’ll Love:
- Ultimate Peanut Butter Cheesecake
- Peanut Butter Stuffed Brownies
- Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Loaded Peanut Butter Cookie Bars
- Peanut Butter Pie
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Peanut Butter Cup Cheesecake
Ingredients
For the crust:
- 30 (1-15.35 ounce package) Oreo cookies
- 6 tablespoons butter, melted
For the cheesecake filling:
- 32 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
- 5 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups lightly-packed light brown sugar
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 8 ounces Reese’s mini peanut butter cups
For the topping:
- 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 8 ounces Reese’s mini peanut butter cups
Instructions
For the crust:
- Preheat the oven to 325°F. In the bowl of a food processor, process the cookies until they are finely ground crumbs. Add the butter and pulse until moistened. Press into the bottom and halfway up the sides of a 9-inch springform pan. Bake for 10 minutes. Place on a wire rack to cool.
For the filling:
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating until smooth. Add in the sugar, peanut butter, cream, and vanilla, and beat until combined. Be careful not to overmix. Stir in the mini peanut butter cups.
- Pour the batter into the cooled crust. Bake for about 1 hour, or until set and the top looks slightly dry. If the middle is slightly wobbly, that’s fine. Cool the cheesecake completely on a wire rack. Refrigerate until completely chilled, at least 4 hours. Release the cheesecake from the pan onto a cake stand or serving plate.
For the topping:
- Place the chocolate chips in a medium heatproof bowl. In a small saucepan, heat the cream just until simmering. Pour over the chocolate chips. Let sit for 3 minutes before stirring until the mixture is melted and smooth. Pour over the cheesecake, allowing to drip down the sides. Sprinkle the remaining mini peanut butter cups over the cheesecake. Serve or cover and store in the fridge for up to 2 days.
Recipe Notes
This post was originally published in 2014 and has been updated with additional baking tips.
Made this today for my boyfriend’s birthday. It looks incredible and was super easy to make. Thanks so much for the awesome recipe and I can’t wait to try it!
Your Peanut Butter Cup Cheesecake looks so delicious.
Do I have to wait until it’s been chilled before I add the topping or can I add it once it gets out of the oven?
Don’t add it onto the hot cheesecake, it’ll just melt into a mess, at least wait until the cheesecake is at room temperature.
Hi Tessa,
I LOVE this cheesecake! I’ve made it twice, and it’s nearly perfect every time. I say nearly perfect because both times, the crust has come out too hard. It’s difficult to cut. Do you have any suggestions?
I have just found this on pinterest and it looks so lush!! But was wondering if anyone has made one using Lacto free cream cheese and cream ? If so any tips on doing it differently or is it just the same?
Are you using the whole Oreo with the filling for the crust or scraping the filling of before crushing them? Thanks!
The whole Oreo cookie – no scraping!!
It’s in the oven! 🙂
Yay! Hope you enjoyed 🙂
I just made this and it’s cooling. I baked for an hour and 10 minutes and it is dry on top but slightly wobbly. I hope it’s not too wobbly!! I can say definitively that licking the beaters was left solely up to me and neither of my two children were called down to help. Can’t wait to finish the top with the chocolate sauce and peanut butter cups! Also…I’m curious exactly how you slide this from the springform bottom to a serving dish. Pretty sure it’s gonna fall apart if I try. Any tricks/tips?
I think it should be fine (you’ve probably tasted by now) but it’s better to err on the side of underbaking vs. overbaking. As for the springform part, I usually just leave the bottom plate attached and place the cheesecake + bottom plate on a serving dish.
Did I read correctly about the 30 packages of Oreos?
Definitely not 30 whole packages! It’s 30 cookies which equals one 15.35 ounce package.
I have made this twice now and it an amazing cake. I however am having trouble with the baking time. I have had to cook this for an hour and a half. It is cooling for now so will see what it is like this time. Last time baked it for an hour and twenty and was still to set in the middle. My neighbors boyfriend has requested this for his birthday cake.
Looks amazing! Peanut butter, chocolate, and cheesecake, I’m on board!
I made this ( haven’t eaten it yet) and got a yucky crust on top is that normal ? I tried to slice most of it off.