Peanut Butter Cheesecake Recipe {healthier!} • Fit Mitten Kitchen

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Here is the ultimate Peanut Butter Cheesecake recipe made with a healthy combo of cream cheese and Greek yogurt, and less sugar than traditional cheesecake. Keep it chilled until ready to serve. You can even use gluten-free chocolate sandwich cookies too!

Looking for more peanut butter recipes? Be sure to try homemade peanut butter cups, peanut butter oat bars, chocolate peanut butter muffins and peanut butter rice krispy treats, too!

chocolate ganache and peanut garnished peanut butter cheesecake with slices cut into pie

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Takes some inspiration from Reese’s peanut butter cups (and peanut butter hot cocoa) for a cheesecake recipe to remember
One ingredient swap makes it a gluten-free friendly dessert
It’s one of those simple make-ahead dessert recipes that calls for a nice, long chill in the fridge
Doesn’t get much better than peanut butter and chocolate, am I right?

Ingredients

The ingredient list for this homemade peanut butter cheesecake recipe is broken up into three parts – crust, filling and ganache. Let’s take a look at what we need.

For the chocolate cookie crumb crust, grab a box of:

chocolate sandwich cookies – go for classic or Double Stuf Oreo cookies, or any store bought chocolate cookies. Chocolate graham crackers would be another fun twist. For those gluten sensitive friends, make sure to use your favorite gluten free cookie brand.
butter – salted or unsalted both work here. Pop it in the microwave for a few seconds and stir until smooth and melted.

overhead view ingredients on board; chocolate sandwich cookies, sugar, butter, vanilla, peanut butter, cream cheese, eggs, and yogurt

For the filling, gather together:

cream cheese – full fat or reduced fat (Neufchatel) cream cheese both work – use Philadelphia or whichever brand you have on hand.
creamy peanut butter – all-natural peanut butter offers the cleanest, most pronounced peanut butter flavor. I went with a salted peanut butter for that salty-sweet combo, but feel free to use unsalted and sprinkle in a pinch of salt while making the filling.
granulated sugar – this one requires one-third of the sugar compared to many cheesecake recipes. Any granulated sugar you have on hand will do – white, organic, brown or even coconut.
vanilla – a sweet, floral essence that makes all the other flavors shine. Make sure not to skip it!
Greek yogurt – I like to think of the Greek yogurt as a fun and healthy twist with the same amount of tang and a nice boost of protein. Go for full fat or 2% for the best texture and opt for either plain, vanilla or coffee for the best flavor.
eggs – for lift and structure, mix the batter just until no more streaks of egg remain.

For the mocha ganache topping, you will need:

coconut milk – full-fat canned coconut milk provides the best flavor and texture or sub heavy cream instead.
dark chocolate chips – seek out high-quality dark chocolate chips such as Guittard or Ghirardelli, or use a vegan-friendly brand like Enjoy Life.
instant espresso powder – this puts the ‘mocha’ in our ganache. Instant espresso powder is sold in a small glass bottle located in the coffee, global or baking section of major grocery stores.
peanuts – for crunch and color, this adds a special finishing touch! Chopped peanut butter cups or even candy coated peanut butter m&ms would add just that much more flair!

Scroll for the complete recipe with the measurements below.

How to Make Cheesecake with Peanut Butter

This is one of those dessert recipes you can have ready for the fridge in an hour or turn it into a labor of love during a lazy Saturday afternoon.

Make the crust

Preheat the oven to 325ºF. Line the bottom of 9″ springform pan with parchment paper.

Process cookies into crumbs using a food processor; remove the S-blade and stir in melted butter. Press evenly into the bottom of the springform pan, using the back of a measuring cup to flatten. Bake for 10 minutes and cool.

chocolate sandwich cookies in food processor next to bowl of melted butter

hand holding measuring cup pressing cookie crumbs into springform pan

Mix the filling

In the bowl of an electric mixer with the paddle attachment or with an electric hand mixer, beat softened cream cheese and peanut butter on medium speed until thick and fluffy – about 1 minute. Add sugar and vanilla; beat until smooth for another minute. Reduce the speed to low and add yogurt and eggs, one at a time, until just combined. Batter should be smooth.

Prepare the cheesecake

Pour the filling into the prepared, prebaked crust. Bake for 45-50 minutes at 325ºF, or until the middle is just set. You can bake in a water bath if you’d like, which will prevent cracking. Turn the oven off and allow the cheesecake to cool in oven with door open for 20 minutes. Then chill in fridge for 4 hours.

yogurt, egg and peanut butter cream cheese mixture in large stainless steel mixing bowl

overhead view of un-baked peanut butter cheesecake prepared in water bath

Melt the ganache

Combine coconut milk (or cream) and chocolate chips in small saucepan over low heat. Stir continuously and add espresso powder, stirring until smooth. Cool slightly, then pour over the top of the chilled cheesecake and smooth into one even layer. Once the chocolate is set, remove the sides of the springform pan.

overhead view of baked peanut butter cheesecake

overhead view of small pot with chocolate chips and cream melting

Garnish with peanuts, if desired, and re-chill until ready to serve. Enjoy!

Serving Suggestions

This peanut butter cheesecake is best served chilled, just make sure to remove it from the fridge 20-30 minutes before serving. This takes away the harsh cold from the fridge and makes the flavors pop even more.

Serve it as a healthy dessert with a hot cup of coffee or cocoa to bring out all that mocha goodness.

3/4 angle view of mocha ganache with peanuts garnished on top, and a oreo cookie bottom crust for a peanut butter cheesecake

How to Store

Leftovers will keep, tightly wrapped in plastic wrap or in an airtight container, for up to one week. I like to cover the cut sides of the cheesecake with a strip of parchment paper to prevent too much air circulating into the middle.

Freezer Friendly: Transfer the entire chilled cheesecake to a freezer-safe container OR slice into individual slices, freeze for 1 hour on a parchment lined baking sheet, then transfer the now frozen slices to a freezer safe zip-top bag with strips of parchment between each piece. Seal tight, label, date and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw to room temperature right on the kitchen counter or overnight in the fridge.

peanut butter cheesecake slice on white plate with gold tipped fork, peanuts, coffee and cheesecake slice in background

Recipe Tips:

Use room temperature ingredients. These are needed to make sure you don’t end up with a lumpy batter.
Use gluten-free sandwich cookies to make this recipe dietary friendly.
Do not over whip the filling. We want smooth and silky. Over whipping will cause the cheesecake to crack while baking. A water bath helps to prevent cracks, too (see FAQ below).
Chill until set and ready to serve. A cold cheesecake is much easier to cut clean, slick slices than a room temperature one.

straight on shot of peanut butter cheesecake on white plate with fork, and white props in background

Peanut Butter Cheesecake FAQ

Can I use natural peanut butter for cheesecake?

Traditional cheesecake with peanut butter recipes usually call for jarred peanut butter (like Jif or Skippy), but I like the natural creaminess and extra fat that all natural peanut butter provides. If oil separation occurs, just make sure to stir the peanut butter in the jar until smooth before mixing into the batter.

Do I need a water bath for cheesecake?

The steam from a water bath helps prevent cracking while the cheesecake bakes, but it is not necessary since we are covering it all up with some luscious mocha ganache. I have had success with and without a water bath, so choose the option that’s best for you!

Can I make this cheesecake ahead of time?

Yes, this cheesecake can be made up to 3 days in advance (and leftovers will keep for up to 1 week). That being said, I would wait to top with the ganache and peanuts until the day you are planning to serve.

More Cheesecake Recipes You’ll Love:

If you make this Peanut Butter Cheesecake recipe, be sure to leave a comment and review on the blog! I love hearing from you, and it helps others learn more about the recipe too! Xx Ashley

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Pal says

2/8/2018 at 4:00 pm

I am so proud of you for this!!!!!!! So pretty 🙂

- Ashley says
  
  2/12/2018 at 10:21 am
  
  😉 I need to make it again
  
Andrea rowe says

5/6/2018 at 12:09 am

Girl. Stupid question- do you crumb the cookies with the filling or just use the outsides

- Ashley says
  
  5/6/2018 at 1:43 pm
  
  Not a stupid question at all 🙂 you use the whole cookie 🙂
  
alex says

5/9/2019 at 10:53 am

what kind of cookies do you use??

- Ashley says
  
  5/9/2019 at 12:08 pm
  
  I believe I used an off-brand chocolate sandwich cookie, but I’ve also used gluten-free ones as well in other recipes. Hope that helps!
  
Megan says

4/19/2020 at 5:16 pm

When do you incorporate the instant espresso? It never tells you when to add it in. Thanks

- Ashley says
  
  4/19/2020 at 6:55 pm
  
  Sorry about that! You can add it into the pot with the coconut milk and chocolate chips and melt everything together. Thanks for letting me know!
  
Tina says

4/19/2023 at 2:50 am

Thanks so much for this recipe! I’m trying it out with my 6-inch pan. How long should the baking time be then?

- Ashley says
  
  4/19/2023 at 8:55 am
  
  Hi there! I haven’t tested this recipe in a 6” pan, but it would likely need an additional 8-10 minutes of baking time for the cheesecake filling. You’ll want to watch baking time closely and only bake until middle is set and then chill as noted in the recipe. Would love to hear how it goes!
  
  - Tina says
    
    4/20/2023 at 11:45 am
    
    Thanks so much for getting back. I had already prepared everything and then wondered about any adjustments to the baking time, so I just went ahead and baked the filling for about 45 minutes as in the recipe – this was before your reply. And it actually turned out well! I think it’s probably because I halved all the ingredients.
    
    - Ashley says
      
      4/24/2023 at 10:07 am
      
      Hi Tina, thank you for sharing! I am glad it worked out with the 6″ pan and cutting the recipe in half. That’s good to know!

Peanut Butter Cheesecake

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Ingredients