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    Home » Recipes » Desserts

    Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheesecake with A Savory Sweet Crunch

    Published: Jan 24, 2022 · Modified: Mar 25, 2024 by Krista Stechman · This post may contain affiliate links · 2 Comments

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    the best chocolate peanut butter cheesecake

    If you love a good sweet and salty combo then you need this Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheesecake with a secret crunch! I’ve packed this one with everything you crave—rich peanut butter cheesecake, velvety chocolate ganache, and a crunchy, unexpected topping of puppy chow, pretzels, and Cheez-Its—all nestled in an Oreo crust.

    If you've never made a traditional cheesecake using a water bath, don't worry, I will walk you through step-by-step! It's not as bad as you think, I promise! Try Peanut Butter Pretzel Pie for a no bake chocolate PB combo you'll love.

    A slice of Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheesecake on a plate next to the whole cheesecake.

    I first saw a combo similar to this at a pie and biscuit shop in Chicago called Bang Bang Pie & Biscuits. Several years ago they had a pie for the Super Bowl that had chocolate, peanut butter and was topped with Cheez-its and puppy chow.

    I liked it so much I decided to create my own cheesecake version of it. And thus, The Best Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheesecake was born!

    I also love Strawberry Cheesecake Bars when I'm not in the mood for chocolate cheesecake.

    Jump to:
    • Recipe Ingredients
    • Substitutions & Variations
    • How To Make Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheesecake
    • Expert Baking Tips
    • Recipe FAQs
    • More Recipes You'll Love
    • The Best Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheesecake

    Recipe Ingredients

    Brown sugar, eggs, Oreos, salt, peanut butter, heavy cream, sour cream, vanilla extract and cream cheese.
    • Oreos: Use regular or GF Oreos for the crust.
    • Cream Cheese: Full fat cream cheese is recommended. Make sure to allow it to come to room temp before using.
    • Peanut Butter: I use Skippy Natural but most any peanut butter will work. Be cautious when using all natural peanut butters though, some are a little too oily and runny to work well. Skippy Natural Peanut Butter works great for Peanut Butter Thumbprint Cookies too.
    • Kosher Salt: Kosher salt is the gold standard in the culinary world. It is much different than table salt and it does make a difference in recipes. Measurements are not the same when going between different types of salts. Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt is my go-to salt and can be found in kitchens throughout the industry.
    • Sour Cream: Full fat Sour cream gives your cheesecake a creamy and moist texture along with a twang.
    • Heavy Cream: This aids in the finished texture of the cheesecake, and is also the base of the ganache. Heavy cream is also called whipping cream.
    • Semisweet Chocolate: I like semi sweet chocolate for the ganache but you can use dark chocolate if you prefer because the rest of the dessert has plenty of sweetness.
    • Puppy Chow: Puppy Chow is used to top the cheesecake for decoration and flavor. You can use homemade or store bought, it's also sold under the name, Muddy Buddies.
    • Cheez-its: It may sound odd but Cheez-its go so well with this flavor combo.

    See recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.

    Substitutions & Variations

    • You can use any brand of cheesy crackers or puppy chow here.
    • I've used gluten free Oreos along with gluten free pretzels and cheese crackers to make this Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheesecake gluten free when baking for my brother who does not eat gluten. I do this frequently with other dessert recipes including Chocolate Raspberry Tart.
    • Try out different percentages of chocolate in your ganache to find your favorite. Semisweet and dark will give you different results.

    This recipe has not been tested with other substitutions or variations. If you replace or add any ingredients, please let us know how it turned out in the comments below!

    How To Make Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheesecake

    Blended Oreo cookies in a food processor.
    Oreo cookie crust pressed into the bottom of a spring form pan.

    Step 1: Blend Oreo cookies in food processor with butter and salt until it resembles fine crumbs.

    Step 2: Firmly press cookie crust into prepared pan and bake.

    Blended cream cheese, brown sugar and eggs in the bowl of a stand mixer.
    Cheesecake filling in the bowl of a stand mixer.

    Step 3: Blend cream cheese and sugar with eggs.

    Step 4: Stir in peanut butter, heavy cream, and sour cream until smooth.

    Cheesecake batter in a spring form pan.
    Chocolate ganache over the top of peanut butter cheesecake topped with flaky sea salt, pretzels, puppy chow and Cheez-its.

    Step 5: Add batter to crust and bake in a water bath until set.

    Step 6: When ready to serve, make ganache and add all of the fun toppings!

    Expert Baking Tips

    • Before putting the Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheesecake into the water bath, drop it on the counter a couple times to release any air bubbles.
    • Don't skip the water bath! It makes a huge difference on texture and taste. Your cheesecake will crack, curdle and be ruined without it. For a tasty cheesecake fix without the water bath, try Strawberry Cheesecake Bites.
    • This Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheesecake needs to be fully chilled before cutting. Let the cheesecake cool on the counter top for 2-3 hours then place it in the fridge for at least 4-5 hours, if not overnight.
    • Make sure the bowl for the ganache is completely clean and dry. If the bowl has even a drop of water then the chocolate can seize up.
    • When making the chocolate ganache just bring the heavy cream to a light simmer, do not boil it.

    Recipe FAQs

    Can You Freeze Peanut Butter Cheesecake?

    Yes! Let it cool completely before freezing. I think the best way is to pop it in the freezer to ensure the outer layers are frozen, then wrap it in three layers of plastic wrap before 1-2 layers of foil. You don't want any freezer burn or any extra flavors to make their way into the cheesecake. You can also freeze with the ganache on, but leave off the flaky salt until ready to serve. I don't recommend freezing longer than 4 weeks.

    How Long Does Cheesecake Last In The Fridge?

    Let cool before chilling, about 2-3 hours, so that the top doesn't crack. I like to chill for 4-5 hours uncovered to ensure everything is solid. Then you can wrap well in plastic wrap before placing in a container. You can store up to 5 days in this manner. Serve chilled right from the fridge. This storage method goes for all cheesecakes including Cherry Cheesecake Bars.

    Is Chocolate Ganache Easy To Make?

    This is one of the easiest toppings you can make. Simply simmer heavy cream - do not boil or you risk it forming a skin or curdling. Then remove from the heat and stir in chopped chocolate. Make sure your chocolate is small, like chocolate chip sized, so it melts quickly and easily. Simply stir until smooth!

    Are Heavy Cream and Whipping Cream The Same Thing?

    I get this question frequently. Yes, those two things are one in the same. Don't worry when you're at the grocery store, either name is fine.

    What Happens If I Don't Use A Water Bath?

    The chocolate peanut butter cheesecake will crack and curdle if you don't use a water bath. It will also burn in spots. This is not a cheesecake recipe you can skip the water bath for.

    Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheesecake with one bite out of the front of a slice.

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    Have you tried this recipe? Share it with me! Tag @inkristaskitchen on Instagram & Facebook and leave a star⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐review below! Sign up for our Newsletter to follow along with new recipes & news!

    This post was updated 2/19/25 with suggestions how to make this cheesecake recipe gluten free. Recommended ingredients have also been updated in the ingredient section as well as adding a couple of the most frequently asked questions over the years since originally being posted.

    A slice of chocolate peanut butter cheesecake on a plate topped with pretzels, cheez its and puppy chow.

    The Best Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheesecake

    Krista Stechman
    A smooth and creamy peanut butter cheesecake topped with chocolate ganache, flaky sea salt, pretzels, puppy chow and Cheez-its on top of an Oreo crust.
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 40 minutes mins
    Cook Time 2 hours hrs 15 minutes mins
    Chilling time 8 hours hrs
    Total Time 10 hours hrs 55 minutes mins
    Course dessert
    Cuisine american
    Servings 12 people
    Calories 1034 kcal

    Equipment

    • 1 springform pan 10 inches
    • 1 food processor
    • 1 roasting pan 12-13 inches for water bath
    • 1 oven
    • 1 small sauce pot
    • 1 medium heat proof bowl

    Ingredients
      

    Oreo Crust

    • 28 Oreos
    • 8 tablespoon unsalted butter melted
    • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt

    Cheesecake Batter

    • 32 oz cream cheese room temp
    • 1 cup brown sugar
    • ½ tsp kosher salt
    • 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • 4 eggs room temp
    • 2 egg yolks room temp
    • 1¼ cups peanut butter I use Skippy Natural Creamy
    • ⅔ cup sour cream room temp
    • 1¼ cups heavy cream

    Chocolate Ganache

    • 1 cup heavy cream
    • 1 cup semi sweet chocolate good quality

    Toppings

    • ½ cup puppy chow store bought or homemade
    • ½ cup pretzels
    • ⅓ cup Cheez-its
    • ½ teaspoon flaky sea salt

    Instructions
     

    Making the Crust

    • Preheat the oven to 350°F then lightly spray the inside of the springform pan with non stick cooking spray
    • Blend the Oreos, melted butter and kosher salt in the food processor until you have a fine crumb
    • Press the crumb into the bottom and slightly up the sides of the springform pan. Use a measuring cup to help press down firmly. If the crust sticks the measuring cup then just wipe the cup off and give it a light spray with non stick cooking spray
    • Bake for 10-12 minutes then cool on a cooling rack
    • Turn the oven down to 325°F

    Making the Cheesecake Batter

    • In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the cream cheese on low for 1 minute
    • Add the sugar and salt then continue mixing on low until fully blended and smooth
    • Mix in the vanilla extract
    • With the mixer on low, add the eggs and yolks one at a time. Mix fully after each addition and scrape down the sides of the bowl
    • Mix in the peanut butter and sour cream on low until smooth then add the heavy cream and mix until fully incorporated

    Baking the Cheesecake

    • Wrap the bottom and sides of the springform pan with heavy duty aluminum foil. Do multiple layers to ensure you don't end up with a wet crust
    • Pour the cheesecake filling into the cooled Oreo crust then drop the pan from about ½ inch above the counter several times to release air bubbles in the filling
    • Place the springform pan inside the roaster pan then add warm water until it's reached halfway up the side of the springform pan
    • Bake the cheesecake for 1 hour and 15 minutes at 325°F then turn the oven off, leave the cheesecake in the oven with the door shut for an additional 45 minutes
    • Remove the cheesecake from the oven and let it cool on the counter on a cooling rack for 2-3 hours before moving it to the fridge for an additional 4-5 hours or overnight

    Making the Chocolate Ganache

    • Heat the cream in a small sauce pot over low to medium heat until it reaches a light simmer. Do not boil the cream
    • While the cream is coming to a simmer, chop the chocolate and place it into a heat proof bowl
    • Pour the cream over the top of the chocolate then tightly cover the bowl with plastic wrap for 3-4 minutes
    • Remove the plastic wrap then SLOWLY stir the ganache with a metal spoon or rubber spatula until smooth
    • Let the ganache set for a few minutes then spread it on top of the chilled cheesecake

    Topping the Cheesecake

    • After spreading the ganache on the cheesecake add the puppy chow, pretzels and Cheez-its. Allow the ganache to set either on the counter or in the fridge
    • Once the ganache has set then add the flaky sea salt directly before serving

    Notes

    • Drop the cheesecake on the counter. Before putting The Best Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheesecake into the water bath, drop it on the counter a couple times to release any air bubbles
    • Use a water bath. I know you may be tempted not to but the results will be so much different. Pour warm water about halfway up the side of the springform pan
    • Wrap the springform pan in foil. You need to wrap the pan in multiple layers of heavy duty aluminum foil to prevent getting a wet crust
    • Fully chill before slicing. This Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheesecake needs to be fully chilled before cutting into it. Let the cheesecake cool on the counter top for 2-3 hours then place it in the fridge for at least 4-5 hours, if not overnight
    • Make sure the bowl for the ganache is COMPLETELY clean and dry. If the bowl has even a drop of water then the chocolate can seize up
    • Simmering not boiling. When making the chocolate ganache just bring the heavy cream to a light simmer, DO NOT BOIL IT
    • Stir the chocolate ganache slowly. Use a metal spoon or rubber spatula and mix slowly to prevent air pockets or grit in your ganache
    • Take the pan off after cooling. Your Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheesecake should pull away from the sides of the pan as it cools. Leave the side on until its fully chilled

    Nutrition

    Calories: 1034kcalCarbohydrates: 65gProtein: 19gFat: 81gSaturated Fat: 40gPolyunsaturated Fat: 8gMonounsaturated Fat: 25gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 261mgSodium: 909mgPotassium: 534mgFiber: 4gSugar: 40gVitamin A: 2114IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 184mgIron: 5mg
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Jackie

      February 16, 2022 at 4:33 pm

      What is puppy chow

      Reply
      • admin

        February 20, 2022 at 2:20 pm

        Puppy Chow is Chex Mix covered in chocolate, peanut butter and powdered sugar. It's also sold in stores as "Muddy Buddies"

        Reply
    5 from 1 vote (1 rating without comment)

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    Welcome to In Krista's Kitchen where you'll find delicious dinners and desserts with restaurant flavor that you can make in the comfort of your home. You can find dinners, desserts, sides, brunch recipes and breakfast recipes for any occasion. I'm here to help you create meals and desserts packed with flavor! These recipes range from easy to slightly more experienced home cooks. I'll give tips and tricks and am always available through email to answer any cooking questions you have!

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