Go Back
Print

Peanut Butter Cheesecake

Ingredients

For the Crust

  • 2 1/4 cups graham crumbs
  • 4 tablespoons sugar
  • 2 tablespoons dark cocoa powder
  • 10 tablespoons butter melted

For the Cheesecake

  • 5 8 ounce blocks cream cheese
  • 1 2/3 cups sugar
  • 1/2 cup flour
  • 2 tablespoons vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
  • 1 cup peanut butter - I used Reese's
  • 6 eggs

For the Ganache

  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

Instructions

  1. Put cream cheese in bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and mix on medium-low until fluffy, 3-4 minutes.
  2. Meanwhile make crust.
  3. Combine graham crumbs, sugar, cocoa, and melted butter. Press into bottom and up sides of a spring form pan. Wrap 2 pieces of heavy aluminum foil around pan and set aside
  4. Sift sugar and flour together and add to cream cheese a little bit at a time while mixing on medium low.
  5. Add vanilla bean paste and peanut butter, mix on medium-low until combined
  6. Add eggs one at a time, incorporating each before the next addition
  7. Tap mixer bowl with batter in it on counter a couple of times and set aside for 20 - 30 minutes.This allows the air bubbles to come up and prevent cracking
  8. While batter rests, preheat oven to 350
  9. Pour batter into prepared spring form pan. Set spring form pan into a large roasting pan and fill with boiling water about halfway up sides of spring form pan.
  10. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes
  11. Reduce heat to 325 and bake an additional 45 minutes
  12. Turn off oven, crack door, and leave in oven another 30 minutes
  13. Remove from oven, let cool completely and chill in refrigerator overnight
  14. Heat cream in a small sauce pant until steamy, pour over chocolate chips and stir until melted and combined
  15. Spread over top of the cheesecake (unlike my photos - chill again for the ganache to set - about 30 minutes to 1 hour or more)