Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheesecake

Recipe with step-by-step photos for a delicious no-bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheesecake, using a chocolate biscuit base and an easy filling with crunchy peanut butter.

chocolate peanut butter cheesecake with piping bag filled with chocolate

I was recently watching an episode of Nigella’s Kitchen where Nigella was making a Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheesecake, a calorie-laden recipe which is quite true to her kitsch junkie style, not to mention that she made the whole thing whilst wearing a black satin nightrobe, all the while miraculously managing to avoid spilling anything on herself.

Perhaps if I, too, donned a silk nightrobe instead of a frilly apron everytime I entered the kitchen, I might make less of a mess??

chocolate peanut butter cheesecake on white cake platter

I was all inspired to recreate the same Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheesecake, up until the moment when Nigella popped the cheesecake into the oven. I realised then, disappointedly, that I would never attempt this recipe.

Despite Nigella’s confident instructions to bake the cheesecake until there is still a hint of “inner-thigh wibble”, baked cheesecakes have never worked for me, sadly.

These days, when the craving for a baked cheesecake ensues, I head down to my local Starbucks and order a serve of their baked New York cheesecake; I think it’s the perfect cheesecake and am happy to concede that some (ok, many) shop-bought cakes cannot be improved upon.

But if I were to make a cheesecake at home, I always turn to the no-bake variety. Not only do they taste delicious but there is no pfaffing about with water baths and oven temperatures – you can rarely find a more stress-free recipe than a no-bake cheesecake.

So it was a coincidence that I was flicking through Margaret Fulton’s latest baking compendium, aptly titled Baking, that I stumbled across a recipe for a no-bake chocolate peanut butter cheesecake. I hardly needed any encouragement to make it promptly, although I did have difficulties finding willing volunteers to share in this high-calorie dessert.

Thankfully, the combination of chocolate and peanut butter is quite exotic in Switzerland and I was able to lure my neighbours over for a sampling before sending them off for a jog in the nearby forest.

slice of chocolate peanut butter cheesecake on white plate

As you will see from the recipe below, this no-bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheesecake is a breeze to make. I love how, in Margaret Fulton’s introduction to this recipe, she states that the recipe originated in the US where peanut butter is very popular, but that she had adapted the recipe to suit Australian palates. By that, I presume she means that her version is less sweet and decadent than its American counterpart.

Although the peanut butter has a subtle presence, you can definitely taste it. The chocolate biscuit base and peanut butter are certainly a novel pairing for a cheesecake, but somehow it really works. You could use any chocolate biscuit for the biscuit base, although chocolate wheaten biscuits might fool you into thinking that the cake is healthier for it.

All in all, a lovely, simple no-bake cheesecake recipe which I would love to make again.

For a printable recipe, please scroll down.

ingredients for chocolate peanut butter cheesecake

making a cheesecake biscuit base in food processor

a tart tin filled with a biscuit base for a cheesecake

melted peanut butter in a small saucepan

beaten cream cheese in KitchenAid bowl

peanut butter cheesecake filling in KitchenAid bowl

filling a tart tin with peanut butter cheesecake filling

a chocolate biscuit base filled with peanut butter cheesecake filling

melted chocolate in a bain marie

chocolate drizzled over a peanut butter cheesecake

Other No-Bake Cheesecake Recipes You Might Also Like

Chocolate lovers will swoon over this incredibly easy, but totally delicious, Chocolate Chip Cheesecake.

Making cheesecake in individual portions are a great idea when entertaining, and my go-to recipe are these Mini Cheesecake with Raspberries & Passionfruit.

I also love Ottolenghi’s recipe for Cheesecake Pots with Plum Compote with its totally addictive hazelnut crumble.

Print

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheesecake

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  • Author: eatlittlebird.com
  • Prep Time: 30 mins
  • Cook Time: 30 mins
  • Total Time: 1 hour
  • Yield: Serves 6 to 8

Recipe with step-by-step photos for a delicious no-bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheesecake, using a chocolate biscuit base and an easy filling with crunchy peanut butter. Recipe adapted from Baking by Margaret Fulton.

Ingredients

For the cheesecake base

For the cheesecake filling

  • 3/4 cup crunchy peanut butter
  • 125 ml (1/2 cup) milk
  • 250 g (9 oz) cream cheese, at room temperature
  • 110 g (1/2 cup) caster sugar
  • 30 g (1 oz) dark (bittersweet) chocolate, chopped

Instructions

To make the cheesecake base

  1. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) (see Kitchen Notes for a no-bake option).
  2. Place the biscuits in a food processor and blitz until you have fine crumbs.
  3. Add the melted butter and 1 tablespoon of milk. Blitz again until everything is well-combined.
  4. Press the mixture into the base of a 20cm (8 inch) loose-bottom flan tin or tart tin.
  5. Use your fingers to gently push the mixture up the sides of the tin, leaving a sufficiently thick border so that the tart will have some stability when unmoulded.
  6. Bake the biscuit base for 15 minutes.
  7. Place the tart tin on a wire rack and allow it to cool completely.

To make the cheesecake filling

  1. In a small saucepan, combine the peanut butter and 1/2 cup of milk.
  2. Heat gently over very low heat, stirring until the mixture is smooth.
  3. Remove the saucepan from the heat and allow the mixture to cool.
  4. Beat the cream cheese together with the sugar until smooth. You can either do this in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, or simply with a bowl and wooden spoon.
  5. Stir the peanut butter mixture through the cream cheese mixture.

To assemble the cheesecake

  1. Spoon the filling into the cooled biscuit base and spread evenly.
  2. Cover the tin loosely with clingfilm and chill in the fridge for a few hours until the filling is firm.
  3. Melt the chocolate, either in a small bowl over a pan of simmering water, or carefully in the microwave.
  4. Pour the melted chocolate into a small plastic bag and snip off a corner. Alternatively, use a small piping bag.
  5. Slowly drizzle the melted chocolate over the cheesecake.
  6. Return the cheesecake to the fridge for about 15 minutes to set before serving.

Kitchen Notes

You can use chocolate digestive biscuits or plain digestive biscuits for the cheesecake base. Speculoos biscuits are also delicious in this recipe.

Baking the cheesecake base gives makes it more firm and stable. You can skip the baking step if you chill the cheesecake base in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before adding the filling.

OVEN TEMPERATURES
All recipes on this website state temperatures for a regular oven (i.e. a conventional oven without fan). If you have a convection oven with a fan, please consult the manufacturer’s handbook on how to adjust the temperature and baking time accordingly.

CONVERSIONS
To convert from cups to grams, and vice-versa, please see this handy Conversion Chart for Basic Ingredients.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: Per slice
  • Calories: 512
  • Sugar: 28.6g
  • Sodium: 177.4mg
  • Fat: 36.8g
  • Carbohydrates: 40.3g
  • Fiber: 2.8g
  • Protein: 9.6g
  • Cholesterol: 48.5mg

Did you make this recipe?

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Update

This recipe was first published on 4 September 2012. It has been updated with more comprehensive recipe notes.

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41 comments

  1. TheSpicySaffron 4 September 2012

    My my, look at that, how indulging! …. the last photo takes my breath away! However calorie rich it may be, who can say no to this divine treat? I am sure your volunteers would not have regretted the sampling.
    Can’t praise you enough for your neat step by step photos. The chocolate wheaten biscuits looks delicious too 🙂

    Reply
    • eat, little bird 5 September 2012

      Thank you! When you think about it, I don’t think it was indulgent as it seems … there’s only 3/4 cup of peanut butter in this cheesecake. Or at least that’s what I’m telling myself! And the natural version of these biscuits are really delicious. This was the first time I had tried the chocolate version which are pretty good as well 🙂

      Reply
  2. Denise 4 September 2012

    I’m the same! Cheesecakes are just better when prepared in the oven, don’t know what that is;) But your version looks so gorgeous and indulgent!

    Reply
  3. thefooddept 4 September 2012

    Looks divine!

    Reply
  4. Katrina @ Warm Vanilla Sugar 4 September 2012

    This looks soooo tasty! YUM!

    Reply
  5. Jen @ Jen's Favorite Cookies 5 September 2012

    I totally agree… the no bake cheesecake is the way to go! Plus, I love peanut butter and chocolate. What an impressive dessert!

    Reply
    • eat, little bird 5 September 2012

      Thanks, Jen! Glad to know of another no-bake cheesecake fan 🙂

      Reply
  6. manu 5 September 2012

    Gran Cereale, what a great idea!!!!
    Your cake looks stunning!
    Have a nice day

    Reply
    • eat, little bird 5 September 2012

      Gran Cereale were the closest I could find to chocolate wheaten biscuits, and I think they were perfect in this recipe. I often eat the natural version and this was my first time trying the chocolate ones. I think you can get them too in Italy?

      Reply
      • manu 7 September 2012

        Yes, here there are several versions of them! Actually I don’t like them a lot but I’m going to give it a go as a base for a cheese cake!

        Reply
  7. Mathilda 5 September 2012

    Looking also for no bake cheesecakes, but not for the same reason : I don’t have any oven ! If I dont’t add milk and use the dought in a classical-cheesecake way, I am sure I can manage ^v^ Thank you very much !

    Reply
    • eat, little bird 5 September 2012

      That’s right, I remember that you don’t have an oven at the moment! There are lots of recipes for cheesecake bases which don’t require baking, and they would be perfect here. The baking just helps to keep everything in shape, I think, otherwise you could certainly leave out the milk and just leave the base in the fridge for it to firm up. Good luck!

      Reply
  8. Paula 5 September 2012

    Surely I would say the same with every PB cheesecake: “I have to try it!”. But yours, wow, it has something specian in that crust that I love!! I need a box, of two, of that biscuits!! One for the cake, the other for me, 😛

    And, wow, it sounds funny your experience with cheesecake, but, believe me, you have to try again the oven type!! If I can, you can’t!! You make soooooooo cute recipes, you must be also the queen of baked cheesecakes!!

    Then, you can not use the bain marie, and then, if it cracks on the top, using lots and lots or jam, jajajajaj

    But, anyway, I love something of this tipe of cheesecake! You can make a little batch, using a small mould, for that, it’s perfect!!

    Sorry for my english, I think that this morning I have made too many mistakes, upsss

    Reply
    • eat, little bird 5 September 2012

      Hi Paula!

      I don’t know why I can’t get baked cheesecakes right. Often, the edges are over-cooked but the centre is under-cooked. Or the overall texture is just not very smooth and silky like a cheesecake should be. Or by the time I have baked it long enough for the centre to cook, the whole cake is over-cooked and doesn’t taste right. Maybe I just have high expectations??

      That’s a great idea about making this chocolate peanut butter cheesecake in small moulds, or perhaps even glasses … I will have to remember that! Thank you for this wonderful idea!!

      Reply
  9. thelittleloaf 5 September 2012

    I love cheesecake in any form but this looks especially delicious! Love the chocolate peanut butter combo (as you’ll see from my latest post too!) 🙂

    Reply
    • eat, little bird 5 September 2012

      Just saw your post on your chocolate peanut butter mousse cake – how divine!! It looks really impressive, too. Chocolate and peanut butter are a marriage made in heaven, aren’t they?

      Reply
  10. Anna Tran-Nguyen 5 September 2012

    Thanh – this looks amazing!! It’s not helping my super sweet tooth and sugar cravings 🙂 I do love anything peanut butter and chocolate. Love your work!! x

    Reply
    • eat, little bird 5 September 2012

      Thanks Anna! Now that you have a shiny new KitchenAid, you will have no excuse to whip up simple desserts like these! This cheesecake really hit the spot for me 🙂

      Reply
  11. Dianne 5 September 2012

    That looks just delicious! I do love your photos with all of the steps included in them. It is a really lovely way to read a recipe. I must remember to use this idea when I’m putting recipes together for my students on occasion. And yes – how does Nigella stay so clean???

    Reply
    • eat, little bird 5 September 2012

      Thanks, Dianne! I quite enjoy developing the step-by-step recipe photos for my blog. At first, it was a bit daunting but I find that it also helps me when I am making the actual dish myself. Also, I rather like telling the recipe through photos like these. I’m glad that you like them!

      Reply
  12. Hannah 5 September 2012

    oh my when I’m off the diet this is first on the list! Everything I love combined!

    Reply
  13. Russell at Chasing Delicious 6 September 2012

    Boy oh boy this looks incredible. And I love all your overhead ingredient and instructional shots. What a great way to present the information!

    Reply
  14. Elaine 6 September 2012

    I love the unbaked cheesecakes! I made a lovely light lemon cheesecake. The recipe was from Cook’s Country and when I took it to work, my coworkers went nuts. It really was a delicious and light dessert, but so very lemony..
    I am thinking I must try this one next..

    Reply
    • eat, little bird 12 September 2012

      Your co-workers are very lucky to have you around! When I lived in Australia, the local supermarket used to sell unbaked lemon cheesecakes, as well as mango ones … I should try to recreate those at home!

      Reply
  15. anita menon 11 September 2012

    This is pure indulgence. Love the recipe and the photographs! never mind the calories, they just settle somewhere!!! Also you can compensate by eating light a few days. But this treat is not to be missed!

    Reply
    • eat, little bird 12 September 2012

      Thanks, Anita! Maybe it this cheesecake sounds high in calories, but I wonder if it might be no different to other cheesecakes or cakes … everything is moderation is ok 😉

      Reply
  16. Angela 11 December 2012

    Just made this for my husband for his birthday cause my oven is not working and I wanted to make something rather than buy. Boy that was easy (but he doesn’t have to know)! Of course I had a little taste of the filling and I think it is going to be just perfect! Thanks for the recipe!

    Reply
    • eat, little bird 12 December 2012

      You’re welcome! Great to know that this recipe can work in an emergency 🙂 I hope your husband will enjoy this cheesecake, and happy birthday to him!

      Reply
  17. Sarah 10 January 2013

    This recipe looks lovely, but I just have a quick question before I attempt to make it. In the ingredients list you have 1/2 cup or 250ml of milk. Just a bit confused cause 250ml is 1 cup, so am I to add 1/2 or 1 cup of milk? Thanks so much.

    Reply
    • eat, little bird 10 January 2013

      Thank you for pointing out this error to me! I have just corrected the ingredients above. The correct measurement is 1/2 cup of milk (or 125 ml). I hope you will enjoy this cheesecake. Many thanks again 🙂

      Reply
  18. Addy 17 June 2013

    I have made this cheesecake twice now and it is an absolute favourite!! The flavour balance is perfect. The second time I crunched reeses peanut butter chips (the smartie sized ones) and sprinkled them on top! Thanks for the great recipe!

    Reply
    • eat, little bird 21 June 2013

      I’m so glad that you’ve enjoyed this recipe! And I love the sound of crunched Reese’s peanut butter chips on top … I must try that next time. Thanks for sharing your tip!

      Reply
  19. Megan Prothero 9 July 2014

    Just made my own (slightly adapted version) thank you for the wonderfully simple step by step guide, the mix tasted delicious – just gotta wait till tomorrow to try the finished thing now!

    Reply
    • Eat, Little Bird 9 July 2014

      Thank you! I’m glad that the recipe was easy to follow. I hope you will enjoy the finished product tomorrow 🙂

      Reply
  20. Bev 14 August 2015

    Made this tonight and it was amazing exactly what I was looking for thanks!! X

    Reply
  21. Sonia Torregrosa 11 January 2016

    Hi there,

    thanks for the very easy to follow recipe, I’ll be making this for my boyfriend tomorrow afternoon as we’re both big PB fans! I just wanted to ask – will 3-4 hours be enough for the cake to cool in the fridge?

    Many thanks,
    Sonia

    Reply
    • Eat, Little Bird 12 January 2016

      Hi Sonia,
      I think 3-4 hours should be ok. Obviously, the longer you can leave it in the fridge, the better. The cheesecake should be set if the mixture feels firm to the touch and doesn’t wobble if you move it. If you are using the same size pan, then I think 3-4 hours should be enough. Fingers crossed! I hope you will enjoy this recipe 🙂

      Reply
  22. Julia 12 April 2018

    Oooh, this looks SO good! This is absolutely fantastic! One of my favs. Thank you for this great recipe!






    Reply