Peanut Butter Cheesecake is a smooth and creamy cheesecake made with peanut butter and a homemade peanut butter cookie crust. Try my Reese’s Cheesecake Pie for another rich, peanut buttery dessert.
Peanut Butter Cheesecake
If you love peanut butter, you will love this cheesecake! It starts with a homemade cookie crust that is only three ingredients. Then, it’s topped with creamy, peanut butter cheesecake, a layer of sour cream, and more peanut butter that is melted and drizzled over the top.
Peanut Butter Cheesecake Ingredients
Peanut Butter: For the cookie crust, you could use crunchy or creamy peanut butter. For the cheesecake and melted drizzle, I would recommend creamy peanut butter.
Sour Cream: If you look at the recipe, you will know that sour cream is both in the cheesecake filling and on top. The amount of sour cream used in the filling is just enough to give the cheesecake a creamier texture, but not too much to be noticeable. The topping will add just a hint of tartness.
Heavy Cream: The cream is used to make whipping cream that you will add to the cheesecake filling. Just like the sour cream, this will also help the dessert have a more luxurious feel. If no additional dairy is used in a cheesecake, you will have a cheesecake that has the same texture as eating cream cheese right out of the wrapper. Look for a cream that contains 36% or more milk fat.
How to Store Cheesecake
Cheesecakes are rich and filling, so even though you may want to eat the entire cheesecake in one sitting, it’s not always (if ever) possible. So, how do you store it to eat when you are craving a bite later? One easy way is to cover the cheesecake and store it in the refrigerator for one or two days. If you tightly wrap the cheesecake in plastic wrap or store it in an airtight container, it will last up to 3 days in the fridge.
How to Freeze a Cheesecake
To freeze a cheesecake:
- Let the cheesecake cool completely.
- Place the cheesecake (uncovered) in the freezer for about an hour. I suggest that if you are keeping the cheesecake pie in the springform pan, remove the sides of the pan.
- After the hour in the freezer, take the cheesecake off the pan (you may have to pry it off with a knife), and wrap it tightly in plastic wrap.
- Place the wrapped cheesecake into a zipped freezer bag or wrap it in aluminum foil. Be sure to label and date the cheesecake. It will last up to 2 months (at the most) in the freezer.
More Cheesecake Recipes
Peanut Butter Cheesecake
Ingredients
Peanut Butter Cookie Crust
- 1 cup (258 g) peanut butter, creamy or crunchy
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, room temperature
Cheesecake Filling
- 3 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, room temperature
- ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- 1¼ cups (322.5 g) creamy peanut butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ cup (57.5 g) sour cream
- 1¼ cups (297.5 g) heavy cream, cold
- ¾ cup (94 g) confectioners' sugar
Sour Cream Topping
- ½ cup (115 g) sour cream, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons confectioners' sugar
Topping
- ¼ cup (60 g) creamy peanut butter, melted
Instructions
Peanut Butter Cookie Crust
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- In a mixing bowl, stir together the peanut butter, sugar, and egg until combined.
- Press the cookie batter into the bottom and halfway up the sides of a 9-inch springform pan.
- Bake for 11-13 minutes or until slightly crisp and no longer shiny. Allow the crust to cool completely before continuing with the recipe.
Cheesecake Filling
- Use an electric mixer or stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment to mix cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
- Add the peanut butter and vanilla extract. Blend until smooth and creamy. Again, scrape down the sides of the bowl.
- Beat in sour cream on low speed. Set this cheesecake mixture aside as you prepare the whipped cream that you will add to it.
- To make the whipped cream, in a separate bowl, add heavy cream. Start mixing at the lowest speed, and then gradually increase speed to medium until the cream starts to get thicker. (The gradual progression prevents you from spraying yourself with cream.)
- When the cream starts to thicken, stop the mixer. Slowly add in the confectioners' sugar and then resume mixing again, starting with low speed and increasing to medium speed and eventually moving to a high speed. The cream will thicken and start to peak. Mix on high until the cream is thick and stiff.
- Gently fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture until completely combined.
- Pour the filling into the cooled peanut butter cookie crust and spread into an even layer.
Sour Cream Topping
- Combine sour cream and confectioners' sugar; spread in a thin layer over cheesecake.
- Refrigerate for at least 6 hours. I recommend letting it chill overnight.
- After the cheesecake has set, drizzle with melted peanut butter and serve.
Notes
Did you make this recipe?
Thank you for making my recipe! You took pictures, right? Well go ahead and post them on Instagram! Be sure to mention me @iambaker and use the hashtag #YouAreBaker.
Can I use all natural peanut butter?
Hi, JoAnn! I work with iambaker and am happy to help with questions. We have not tried all-natural peanut butter in this recipe, so I can’t say how that would affect the texture or final product. Let us know if you try it and how it turns out. Have a great day!
Does the topping go on after you bake the cheese cake? Because in one of the pictures it looks like the topping is going on before it goes into the oven.
Hi, K! I work with iambaker and am happy to help with questions. The only thing baked in this recipe is the peanut butter cookie crust. After that has cooled, add the cream cheese filling and sour cream topping and let chill in the refrigerator to set (at least 6 hours). Drizzle peanut butter on top after the cheesecake has set. I hope this helps, and have a wonderful day!
I ended up with a WHOLE lot of filling after following the measurements exactly. I ended up using two pie crusts and still had some filling left over. It tastes pretty good though but I won’t know for sure until I try it today.
I would suggest if you don’t make the crust from scratch using the spring form to maybe half the filling ingredients for a standard premade pie crust.
OMG- love this cheesecake! after letting it set for the 6 hours recommended, i looked at it and thought, hey, why not stick in the freezer for an hour? Icecream peanutbutter cheese cake-Woot Woot. will be making again when the summer get hot. And the peanut butter cookie crust- brilliant.
Love your recipes. Can’t wait to try your Peanut Butter Cheesecake.
Hi there! Love your blog Amanda!
I have a few questions about this recipe.
Can this cheesecake be out of the refrigerator for a while?
… and I want to make it sugarless. If I use stevia instead of granulated sugar, the result would be the same? or how can I substitute it?
Regards, and love from Buenos Aires!
Excellent! So yummy 🙂 Easy to follow recipe. Was a big hit with my co-workers, even one that’s not a big peanut butter fan.
Me encantan tus recetas
Made this today. It looks scrumptious. Can’t wait to dig in. Thank you for the recipe.
Hi, could I substitute the sour cream with greek yogurt?