Reese’s Cheesecake

Super-rich and extra-chocolaty, this Reese’s cheesecake has an Oreo cookie crust, peanut butter filling with peanut butter cups, and chocolate ganache.

Reese’s cheesecake is sinfully indulgent but so worth it!

This cheesecake begins with a buttery Oreo crust topped with creamy peanut butter cheesecake with Reese’s peanut butter cups swirled within. Then, this cheesecake is drenched in a rich chocolate ganache sprinkled with a mound of peanut butter cups.

I made this cheesecake for the first time when my best friend and her husband visited the mountain many moons ago. I hardly ever make dessert for just David and me, so I wanted to make something indulgent. That’s when I decided to make this cheesecake.

I have made this cheesecake many times since then. It never fails; it’s a hit for parties, especially for the holidays.

What I Love About This Cheesecake

What’s not to love, right?!? Perhaps the following reasons will persuade you to make this cheesecake:

• Make-Ahead: I encourage you to make this cheesecake well in advance. The peanut butter and chocolate flavors meld together and intensify as the cheesecake sits. 
• Simple Ingredients: This recipe uses simple pantry staple ingredients—nothing over the top or too fancy.
• Feeds a Crowd: This cheesecake goes a long way because this cake is so rich and decadent. Thinly sliced, this cheesecake can serve 20 people! However, it’s so good most are going to want a chunk!
• Freezer Friendly: This cheesecake is freezer-friendly. Keep reading to find out more about how to freeze cheesecake!

The Cheesecake Water Bath

Cheesecake batter is a delicate custard with eggs and cream that loves a humid environment. Therefore, a cheesecake should be baked in a round springform placed inside a larger pan with hot water. Inside a water bath, the cheesecake bakes slowly and gently inside, which helps prevent curdling, darkness, and cracks.

Tips for Making a Water Bath:

• Use Hot Water. Don’t rely on the oven to bring the water temperature up. Instead, use a kettle or pot to heat the water before pouring it inside the pan for baking.
• Wrap the Springform Pan In Foil: To prevent water from spoiling the cheesecake, use a double layer of aluminum foil that goes high up on the edges of the springform pan.
• I found that using a large roasting pan with handles works the best. Use one if you have one, but any pan that will hold the 9-inch springform will work.

How to Make Peanut Butter Cheesecake

The recipe card at the end of this post provides a detailed list of ingredients.

The Crust:

3-Ingredients: 1 package of Oreo Cookies, unsalted butter, and salt.

Only three ingredients: Semi-sweet chocolate chips, cream, and peanut butter cups. Find complete measurements in the recipe card at the end of this post.

1. Use a food processor or blender to blend the cookies into fine crumbs. You could use a rolling pin, but the crumbs won’t be as fine or uniform.
2. Pulse in the melted butter (melt in a microwave-safe bowl the microwave) and salt. The cookie crumbs should resemble moist garden soil (usually described as wet sand) once combined.
3. Use a glass or flat round surface to help press the cookie crust down into an even layer.
4. Use your fingers to pull the crust ¼-inch up on the sides of a 9-inch springform pan.
5. Bake inside a 325-degree F preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes.
6. Remove from the oven and let the crust cool while preparing the cheesecake.

The Cheesecake:

Heat a kettle or pot of water for the bath while combining the cheesecake.

7 Ingredients: Cream cheese (full-fat), eggs, brown sugar, smooth peanut butter, cream, vanilla, and chopped Reese’s peanut butter cups.

Only three ingredients: Semi-sweet chocolate chips, cream, and peanut butter cups. Find full measurements in the recipe card at the end of this post.

1. Beat the room-temperature cream cheese with a mixer until smooth, scraping down the sides at least once.
2. Add the eggs one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition. 
3. Add brown sugar, peanut butter, cream, and vanilla; beat until combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl a few times while beating. It will take a few minutes to get the peanut butter mixed in.
4. Gently fold in the chopped peanut butter cups with a spatula.
5. Cover the bottom of the springform pan with a double layer of aluminum foil that goes high up on the sides. Then, pour the mixture onto the cooled crust inside the foil bottom-covered springform pan.

Bake the Cheesecake:

1. Place the foil-lined springform pan inside a larger pan. Carefully pour the hot water into the larger pan until the water is about 1 inch up the sides of the springform pan.
2. Bake the cheesecake until just set, about 1 hour and 15 minutes. There will be a 2-3 inch wobbly area in the center. A wobbly center is completely normal!

Cooling the Cheesecake:

1. Turn off the oven, but leave the cheesecake inside. Allow the temperature to come down gently inside the range. 
2. Let the cheesecake sit for about an hour, then remove the cheesecake from the oven. 
3. Cool completely, then refrigerate until completely cool on a wire rack, about 2 to 3 hours before topping.

The Ganache Peanut Butter Cup Topping:

Only three ingredients: Semi-sweet chocolate chips, cream, and peanut butter cups. Find full measurements in the recipe card at the end of this post.

1. Pour the cream into a small saucepot. Heat until simmering, but not boiling. 
2. Remove from the heat and pour in the chocolate chips. 
3. Allow the mixture to sit for a few minutes, then stir until smooth.
4. Pour the chocolate mixture over the top of the cheesecake, allowing it to drip down and ooze down the sides. 
5. Sprinkle the peanut butter cups over the top of the cheesecake, or decorate however you like.

Tips for Making Reese’s Cheesecake

Room Temperature Ingredients: The cheesecake comes together better when the ingredients are at room temperature. The cream cheese can be chunky instead of smooth when cold.

Scrape Down the Bowl: To ensure a smooth, creamy texture, scrape down the bowl’s sides after each addition when mixing the ingredients.

Do Not Overmix: Overmixing the ingredients can cause cracks. However, overmixing is hard not to do, especially using a mixer. Try not to overmix the ingredients, but if you do, IT IS NOT the end of the world. If your cheesecake cracks, it provides a nice crevice for the chocolate ganache to pool into, and no one will ever see it with all the peanut butter cups on top, anyway!

Miniature Peanut Butter Cups: I think miniature peanut butter cups have the best chocolate-peanut butter ratio. They work the best for this cheesecake.

Stir in Peanut Butter Cups: When the cheesecake is mixed, stir in the peanut butter cups with a rubber spatula to avoid breaking them too much into the cake.

Always Use a Water Bath: A water bath creates the perfect baking environment for a cheesecake. Keep reading to learn more! 

Don’t Overbake! Overbaking is the leading cause of cracking. Although the edges of the cheesecake will be slightly puffy, there will be a 2 to 3-inch wobbly area in the center when it is finished baking. Just turn the oven off. It will form up as it cools.

Don’t Rush Cooling: Let the cheesecake cool inside the oven after baking to prevent cracks from forming. Then, remove it from the oven and let it come to room temperature. The gradual temperature change is ideal for this delicate cake. 

Chill The Cheesecake: When it is down to room temperature, cover it tightly with plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator to chill for a minimum of 2 to 3 hours before adding the ganache.

Perfect Slices: Heat the knife under hot water and dry thoroughly between slices for best results.

Don’t Cool Too Fast: Cooling too fast results in cracking. Allow the cheesecake to cool down slowly.

Surprisingly, this beautiful peanut butter cheesecake is easy to make. A dessert this good only deserves to be shared with the greatest of family and friends!

I hope you will share it with yours!

More Cheesecake Recipes?

If you like this recipe, please check out our other cheesecake recipes:

• THE BEST CHEESECAKE EVER
• CARROT CAKE CHEESECAKE 
• SMOKED CHEESECAKE

This is an updated recipe from April 2014.