No Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheesecake

No Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheesecake features a buttery graham cracker crust, creamy peanut butter cream cheese filling, and is topped with thick and fudgy chocolate ganache!

Ingredients

For the crust:

·         16 whole (227 grams) graham crackers

·         7 tablespoons (100 grams) unsalted butter, melted

For the filling:

·         24 ounces (680 grams) cream cheese, completed softened to room temperature

·         1 1/2 cups (188 grams) powdered sugar

·         1 cup (270 grams) creamy peanut butter*

·         1 teaspoon vanilla extract

·         1/2 cup (120 ml) heavy cream, at room temperature

For the chocolate ganache:

·         1/2 cup (120 ml) heavy cream

·         4 ounces (113 grams) semisweet chocolate

Directions

Make the crust:

1.     Place the graham crackers in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until finely ground. Add in the melted butter and pulse until moistened.

2.     Thoroughly grease the bottoms and sides of 9-inch springform pan.

3.     Pour crust into the prepared pan. Using the bottom of a measuring cup or flat glass, press the crust firmly into the bottom and 1-inch up the sides of the pan. Refrigerate.

Make the filling:

1.     In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese for one minute or until smooth and creamy, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl.

2.     Add in the sugar and continue beating until smooth. Add in the peanut butter, vanilla, and heavy cream, beating between each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary.

3.     Beat the mixture on medium high speed for about 2 minutes, or until completely smooth and creamy.

4.     Pour the cheesecake mixture into the springform pan. Refrigerate for at least 6 hours or overnight.

Make the ganache:

1.     In a small saucepan, bring the heavy cream to a simmer then remove from heat and add chopped chocolate. You can also heat the cream in the microwave. Let stand 1 minute then stir until the chocolate has melted. Stir until smooth.

2.     Allow to cool for 5 minutes before pouring over the cheesecake.

3.     Return the cheesecake to the fridge to chill for another hour before serving. If the cheesecake is too loose to slice and serve, freeze for 30 minutes to 1 hour to firm up. Keep refrigerated or frozen.

Recipe Notes

*Don’t use a ‘natural’ peanut butter product that separates.

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