Rich and decadent, this Reese’s Peanut Butter Cheesecake Recipe starts with a cookie crust, is filled with Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, then topped with a chocolate ganache and even more peanut butter cups.
Sometimes, I just can’t get cheesecake off the brain. I adore cheesecake, but I don’t often have an excuse to make a whole cheesecake. But sometimes you just have to make an excuse, right?? Well, when I decided to make a peanut butter cheesecake, I knew I wanted to go all out. I didn’t want a 1-inch cheesecake. I wanted this baby tall and rich and creamy and packed with so much peanut butter and chocolate that it would cure any peanut butter craving. And that is exactly what I ended up with! This peanut butter cheesecake is rich and decadent and totally celebration worthy. It really might be my favorite cheesecake!
A few hints – make sure you wrap the springform pan tightly with foil so that the water doesn’t leak in. (More on this below!) I used to never have problems with water leaking, but I’ve ruined a couple cheesecakes lately because of leaks. And believe me – this is one cheesecake you don’t want to ruin!!
Leaving the cheesecake in the oven to gradually cool it down helps to reduce the risk of the cheesecake cracking. But since this cheesecake is covered with a ganache, if your cheesecake does crack, it’s no big deal. You’ll be the only one that will know!!
And because this is such a tall cheesecake, it does take some time to bake through. I always worry about overbaking, but could have left mine in a few minutes longer. But I do love how creamy it turned out!!
This will be the perfect dessert to take to your next holiday get together!!
Tips for making this Reese’s Peanut Butter Cheesecake Recipe
Here are a few tips to ensure that your cheesecake comes out perfectly:
- Make sure all of your ingredients are room temperature – not just the cream cheese. Set them all out about 30 minutes before you are going to start the recipe.
- Don’t overmix. Overmixing will add too much air to the batter, which means your cheesecake will fall and you’ll be left with a big crack in the top of your cheesecake.
- A water bath makes a big difference! Read more about this below.
- Make sure to chill the cheesecake thoroughly.
How to Bake a Cheesecake in a Water Bath
A water bath can be a little controversial. Many cheesecakes have been ruined by leaking pans. So here are a few tips to make sure that pan is wrapped well so that you won’t end up with leaks.
- Wrap the pan in a double layer of aluminum foil. Make sure to go high up enough on the sides so that the water can’t sneak in through the top.
- Make sure the foil is wrapped tightly to the pan on the bottom.
- I like to place the filled springform pan into the larger pan, and then place those in the oven before adding the hot water. That way water won’t splash up while you are transferring the pan to the oven.
- If water leaking into your pan is a common occurrence, it may be your springform pan. Make sure it is tight fitting, and if all else fails, buy a new pan.
- I have heard of many people having luck skipping the water bath and just adding a pan of water to the rack in the oven below the cheesecake. I have tried this, and while it does help some, I don’t think it has quite the same effect that the actual water bath does. Besides preventing cracks, the water bath also helps the cheesecake to cook more even, and I think that the pan below doesn’t really help with this. But if not worrying about the water leaking is your biggest concern, this is definitely an option!
More Cheesecake Recipes
Lemon Cheesecake
Mini Cheesecakes
Dulce de Leche cheesecake
Sour Cream Cheesecake
No-Bake Nutella Cheesecake
Snickers Cheesecake
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Reese’s Peanut Butter Cheesecake
Ingredients
Crust:
- 30 chocolate sandwich cookies
- 6 tablespoons butter melted
- Dash of salt
Cheesecake:
- 32 oz cream cheese softened
- 5 eggs
- 1 1/2 cups brown sugar
- 1 cup smooth peanut butter
- 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 12 oz Reese’s Peanut Butter miniature cups unwrapped and roughly chopped
Topping:
- 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1 8 oz package Reese’s Minis
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°F.
- Put the chocolate sandwich cookies in a food processor and process until they form fine crumbs. Add in the butter and salt and process to combine. Press the mixture into the bottom and halfway up the sides of a 9-inch springform pan. Bake for 10-12 minutes, then set aside to cool. Wrap aluminum foil around the sides and the bottom of the springform pan.
- Beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add in the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl in between each addition. Add in the brown sugar, peanut butter, cream and vanilla; beat until combined. Gently fold in the chopped up Reese’s Miniatures. Pour the mixture into the cooled crust.
- Place the pan inside a larger pan and carefully add about 1 inch of hot water in the larger pan. Bake the cheesecake until it is just set, about 1 hour 15 minutes. Turn off the oven and allow the temperature to come down gently for about an hour. Remove from the oven, cool completely, then refrigerate until completely cool.
- To make the chocolate topping, heat the cream until simmering, just before boiling. Remove from the heat and add the chocolate chips. Allow the mixture to sit for a couple minutes, then stir until smooth. Pour over the top of the cheesecake, allowing it to drip down the sides. Sprinkle the Reese’s minis over the top of the cheesecake.
preston says
I love the recipe!! I tried it twice with wonderful results. So easy to make and so sinfully delicious!!! Thank you for sharing this with us!!
Patricia says
I agree that over baking causes the cracks. This recipe is heavy.
Ruthie says
Thank you for sharing your recipe! It was delicious a big hit!
I used plain chocolate cookies for crust & made extra, so I could put them in the middle of the batter & added some mini chocolate chips inside batter also. I did cook it 15 min longer. I also tried to put the water pan on bottom rack, I had side cracks but the ganache covered them. Wanted to add a picture, but can’t.
GreenLanterMD says
I hate to be THAT guy who hasn’t made the recipe yet recommends changes, but I’ve made a LOT of cheesecakes (almost every other weekend I make 2 and always have 1 in the freezer), and this looks good and I plan to make it, so I’ll be presumtuous and throw in some experience…
(1) Cooks Illustrated studied the water bath (which they used to recommend) vs just putting the springform in a larger high sided cake pan and found no difference. I agree. The concern is that using the bath is a PITA (it always seems to leak or boil over despite the foil, and you have a very much higher risk of burns from overflow and spillage while removing), and I think it represents a real obstacle for inexperienced bakers. My wife, e.g., would simply say, “I can’t do that.” I’m not sure if using a convention would provide a more even doneness (sometimes I do both), but a slightly larger cakepan seems to protect the edges just fine.
(2) Cracking is caused by overbaking, not cooling too fast. You’ll get it if you go over 180 (and your cake will be dry). I’ve seen a target as low as 155, but I shoot for 165. Time is irrelevant and unreliable unless you really know your oven. BTW, using the outer pan the temp in the center vs the edge isn’t that different. Remeember this is a custard, not a cake, and custards “break”.
(3) An extra egg yolk creates a smoother “cake”; it’s a custard thing….
Catherine Wheeler says
I am getting into cheesecakes , but I am putting my 10 inch springform pan into a Reynolds Large Oven bag- easy peasy, and no leaking. Planning on making a Reese’s cheesecake next
Cherrie K Cetnik says
I have made this several times since I first found it in 2015. My family now looks forward to having it every Thanksgiving and Christmas! Just made it for a special Men’s Night dinner at church, and there was nothing left to take home. Pastor’s wife didn’t even get any, so now I have to make another one for her!
Donna Sharp says
Amazing reciepe I have made this twice and it is always a hit. I even just use the graham crumbs not the oreo for it is sweet enough and my husband does not like chocolate. With the plain crumbs it also amazing and the flavor is amazing. I only had chunky peanut butter and it still was delicious. A real hit
Emily says
I’ve made this several times now, and it’s always a hit! However, I only have one spring form pan and have been asked to make two for events this weekend. I was considering making one earlier and freezing it after it’s done, then making the second, so as not to be rushed. Any idea whether it would still be as good after freezing and re-thawing?
Deborah says
I have not personally tried it, so I can’t say for sure. But I do think that cheesecakes freeze well overall, so I would guess that it would be fine. I’d maybe just wait to add the ganache on the top until after you thaw it.
Ella says
Cheesecake freezes well, but I would thaw it slowly in the fridge to avoid condensation, and add the ganache afterward.
Morgan says
HI! I will be making this pronto! However I have a few questions:
If I omit the peanut butter spread in the cheesecake, will that change the texture? Im trying to go for a yummy cheesecake, with the mini reeses folded in, the chocolate ganache on top with the minis reeses on top of that. I still want to taste “cheesecake” with hints of PB.. or would you say the cup of PB isn’t that bold so to still use it?
Also, why did you chose light brown sugar over white? What element does that provide for taste?
I would like to do the oreo crust up the sides of the pan.. any suggestions to getting it to stay? and when you cut your slice, did the crust cut fine?? Ive had a few experiences where the crust crumbles..
THANKS SO MUCH!!
Ashleh says
Epic expensive fail!! Went right in the garbage. The water baking method is total crap. Somehow leaked right through the foil…
Cheryl says
This recipe is FABULOUS! For those of you worried about water leaking in through the tin foil, you can use a silicone wrap instead called the EASY BATH CHEESECAKE WRAP. NO worries about water leaking in or butter leaking out and dripping to the oven bottom. I agree chilling the reeses first helps make them esier to unwrap!
Happy Baking!
Deborah says
I’m going to have to look that up – thanks for the tip!
Mike Godette says
For all you scared of a water bath go to perfectcheesecakebakeware.com And your troubles are over! I make a lot of cheesecakes and this I have been using for quite some time. Pays for itself in no time!
Phil says
I failed to mention something in my previous post.
I have only been baking cheese cakes for a short time but but always worried about the pan leaking. I read elsewhere that if I put hot water in a 8×8 inch pyrex baking pan and put it on the lower shelf when I begin pre-heating it creates enough steam during the cooking process to prevent cracking..
Again I have only made maybe 10-12 cheese cakes but this method prevents cracks and obviously cannot leak.
Phil says
This is a top notch dessert. One recommendation. Chill the Reese’s mini cups to facilitate unwrapping them. Mine were room temp and kinda sticky and hard to ‘peel” Also allow a little more time for the unwrapping, or do it the day before and store in the fridge (this is what I will do next time, and there will be a next time)
My ganache was a little runny so I had to add more chocolate chips. Maybe because I did not have cream and had to use half & half???
Shawn Mayer says
The Reynolds oven bag idea is absolute GENIUS!
dani says
Was planning to bring to my future in-laws Christmas and did not set. I think it’s too much for a 9″ pan. Now I’m showing up dessert-less or grabbing something on the way 🙁
Deborah says
I’m so sorry it didn’t work out for you. It has been a successful cheesecake for many, so I’m so sorry it didn’t work out for you.
plasterers bristol says
This sounds really nice. gonna make this for tea tonight. Thanks. Simon
Heather says
I just made this today and just pulled it out of the oven after it sat in there an hour to cool and it’s completely sunk in the middle even though it was almost completely set when I turned the oven off. I even had to let it bake up to 30 min longer. Do you still think it will turn out fine because I’m supposed to serve it for my boyfriends bday tomorrow?
Deborah says
Hi Heather – I hope the cheesecake turned out ok for the birthday!! My guess is that the batter was beat too much after adding the eggs, but it’s hard to say for sure. I hope it still tasted great for you!
Kaitlyn wilson says
I made this yesterday, put it in tge fridge overnight, then let it sit it was absolutely fabulous!! Anyone who loves Reese’s should try this!! Wonderful cake! Thanks for sharing!!