Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheesecake Bars Recipe
If you have a peanut butter fan in your life, these Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheesecake Bars is a dessert that they will cheer for again and again.
These Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheesecake Bars were inspired by a dessert my sister and I enjoyed on a cruise. It was our first (and hopefully not last) sister trip. We dove into a chocolate peanut butter bar during our first night on the ship. It was peanut buttery mousse-like dessert combined with chocolate, topped with fancy chocolate shavings. Boy, was it delicious! This is a much simplified version of that dessert, but just as scrumptious.
These Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheesecake Bars, with a chocolate cookie crust, are similar to the Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars and just as easy. And unlike classic cheesecake, these cheesecake bars are baked in a square or rectangle baking pan. Baking it in a square pan makes it easy for the dessert to be cut into smaller bite size servings if needed, or larger ones for a main dessert.
As I said, these Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheesecake Bars are so easy to make. Begin by making the chocolate crust out of crushed chocolate sandwich cookies combined with a bit of butter. Bake the crust first and let cool. To make the filling mix together cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Next, add in peanut butter, and eggs (one at a time). Beat until smooth. Finally, in goes vanilla extract, salt and flour. Mix again until smooth. Pour the peanut butter filling over the cooled crust.
Before baking the bars, place a large rimmed baking sheet in a 350-degree F oven, then place the bars in the center of the baking sheet. Pour hot water into the rimmed baking sheet until almost full. This is called a water bath. The water bath provides moisture to the oven to create a better cheesecake texture, as well as helps to distribute the heat more evenly.
Bake the bars at 350-degrees F until set around edges, but still slightly jiggly in the middle, about 40-45 minutes. Once baked, remove from the oven and cool completely. Then chill covered for at least 3 hours. Don’t skip the cooling part. Chilling the bars make it much easier to cut.
Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheesecake Bars can be made ahead by a few days then kept covered and refrigerated until ready to serve. Warm some chocolate for drizzling on top or serve with a dollop of fluffy whipped cream OR both!
A few more delicious peanut butter recipes you may enjoy:
- Peanut Butter Cup Blondie Recipe
- Peanut Butter Cake with Dark Chocolate Icing Recipe
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Balls Recipe
- Peanut Butter Marbled Brownies from addapinch.com
Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheesecake Bars Recipe
A decadent cheesecake dessert perfect for any peanut butter lover.
Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheesecake Bars Recipe
Ingredients
Crust:
Filling:
Instructions
Originally published December 29, 2014.
These look fantastic! Love the drizzle. Mmmm…
Using an electric mixture on medium speed – I’m assuming you mean electric mixer………..LOL!
These look amazing, Amy! Definitely need to make these for New Year’s.
I don’t think you can ever go wrong with the combination of chocolate and peanut butter.. so I can imagine how delicious these cheesecake bars taste! Pinned!
Oh my goodness, I just want to reach through the screen and grab one or two of these! Beautiful pictures 🙂
Here, I’ll throw one through the screen to ya … ready? 😉
These are in the over right now! Cannot wait! 😀
Yay! I hope you enjoy them, Nyree.
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These look so tasty! And with a chocolate drizzle? Mmmmhmmmm!
I just made these, they are very thick and too heavy with peanut butter for my taste, almost like a light fudge. I might try again with half the peanut butter and add at least one more egg.
Hey Amy Wilkins 🙂 These do look good! Hope you are well…
Hey Beth! 🙂 I hope you are doing well too!
Incredible! Yummmm.
God Gracious Amy ! Pinned to Peanut Butter, pinned to chocolate, pinned to cheesecake, pinned to Night Time Snacking ! Just love it 🙂
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Fantastic bars!!
I used only 3/4 cup of peanut butter, and I can only recommend this recipe
DELICIOUS