Another birthday, another cheesecake. For my brother-in-law Jim’s birthday, I scoured countless recipes until I happened upon this recipe involving one of his favorite things – Reese’s peanut butter cups. I decided to ignore the nutrition information on the page, as bad as it may be. It’s for a special occasion, after all.
I followed the recipe with only a couple of exceptions. I have no idea how many crushed Oreos it takes to make 4 & 1/2 cups. So, I used an entire package minus the two that I ate. The crust for this cheesecake turned out beautifully.
I also changed the baking method to the way I’ve found to be foolproof, thanks to Mary Crownover’s book. I baked the cheesecake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Then, I decreased the temperature to 200 degrees and baked for 2 hours. Next, I ran a thin, narrow spatula around the sides of the cake and returned it to the oven, turning the oven off. After two more hours, it was time to refrigerate overnight.
The other change I made was the topping. I thought that a peanut butter cup cheesecake needed a chocolate topping. So, I whipped up one of the quickest, easiest chocolate toppings you could ever hope to make. In a saucepan over low heat, melt 5 ounces of milk chocolate chips with 1/4 cup of sour cream, stirring constantly. That’s it. Just spread it over the cheesecake and return it to the refrigerator to set up.
I wish that I’d had a bit more crust for the sides of the pan so that the cheesecake would have been entirely surrounded by chocolate, much like a peanut butter cup. However it looks, it is an incredible cheesecake. It has a wonderful, creamy texture. It was definitely a hit with everyone, including the birthday boy. And now, I have a bit of cheesecake baking reprieve. Well, until my sister’s birthday next month.
November 12th, 2006 at 7:41 pm
I own that cheesecake cookbook. I have yet to make anything from it.
That cheesecake looks super yummy, my hubby would be all over that, for PBC are his favorite.
November 12th, 2006 at 9:24 pm
Oh my goodness! I’m drooling.
November 13th, 2006 at 1:56 am
This looks amazing! The light reflecting off the top layer of chocolate is making me totally ga-ga for this sweet treat!
November 13th, 2006 at 12:34 pm
OMG! This looks sooo good. I was looking for something different to serve at Thanksgiving and I think this will be it!
Did you bake this in a water bath like the original recipe states? Or, does your baking method avoid that messy detail?
November 13th, 2006 at 7:53 pm
Gigi, I didn’t use a water bath. The method I described works very well without having to do that.
November 13th, 2006 at 10:55 pm
Ohhhhhhhhhhhh! That’s all I can think of to say … Ohhhhhhhhhhhhh!
November 14th, 2006 at 12:55 pm
Holy fuhreaking goodness that sounds good. Now, I have to hide this find from my husband who would absolutely die happy if I made this.
I also love a thick crust on cheesecakes.
November 14th, 2006 at 2:49 pm
That looks so nice! I’ve been wanting to get ‘I Love Cheesecake’, heard it was a good book.
November 14th, 2006 at 3:25 pm
I want chocolate now. Thanks a lot.
November 14th, 2006 at 5:35 pm
Sooooooo good!
Jennifer, Jim loved the cheesecake as we all did! It really made the occasion and may be your best cheesecake yet. Thanks for taking time to make Jim’s birthday so special by baking for him! You know how he loves Reese’s…he’s still talking about it. Also, I hope to see this recipe at future gatherings, too.
For other visitors to this website…MAKE the cheesecake and enjoy it like we did!
November 14th, 2006 at 10:48 pm
Oh. My. Gosh.
November 15th, 2006 at 3:00 pm
Wow that looks fantastic! I’m gonna have to try that one! I love Reeses and cheesecakes. What a great combo!
December 10th, 2006 at 6:18 pm
Enjoyed reading the comments.
Would someone please post the Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup Cheesecake recipe or email it to me?
March 15th, 2007 at 6:00 am
I’m going to be baking this cheesecake tonight. Last year I donated a dessert a month to the Creative Arts Auction. This month is the last one and I wanted to make something special. I think this is it! The only problem is, I will be giving it away without a taste test. Oh well, I guess I will have to make one for our next special occasion. I love RPBC!
April 30th, 2007 at 11:58 am
I baked this cheesecake and it IS WONDERFUL!!! I made the first one to give away and my family drooled over it so much, I had to bake another one for us. I’m baking one tonight as a gift to give at a closing I have tomorrow. I used the chocolate topping as suggested and then topped with more chopped peanut butter cups.
September 15th, 2007 at 4:37 pm
I sell cheesecakes and I think this cake sounds delicious, I will definitly give it a try. Thanks
September 30th, 2007 at 6:39 am
Hi…just a quick question about Crownover’s baking method (the 15 min. at 350, 2 hours at 200, and then 2 hours cooling in the oven method)…
Do you think this would work for just about any standard cheesecake being made in a springform pan? Can one just take most cheesecake recipes, toss out their baking instructions and do this instead?
A separate question, which you might not have any experience with, but I thought I’d ask anyway…my oven is small (a 9X13 is the biggest pan that will fit in there)…do you think there might be anything about the smaller oven that might affect how the cheesecake bakes?
Thanks..loving your blog, especially now that I finally have an oven again!
September 30th, 2007 at 9:37 am
Jessica, I certainly am not a cheesecake expert. However, I would think that as a general rule, the baking method could work for most cheesecake recipes. I would probably keep a close eye on it while it bakes, but it’s certainly a worthwhile experiment.
I don’t have any experience with your size oven. The only potential problem I see is that whatever you’re baking will be closer to the heating element than it would in a larger oven. With such a long cooking time, that probably wouldn’t be as big a deal with a cheesecake as it would with something that requires a short baking time, like cookies. If the top of your cheesecake starts getting too brown too quickly, you could have some aluminum foil handy to cover the top loosely.
I hope that helps. Let me know how it works for you!
October 3rd, 2007 at 9:30 pm
Thanks so much for the tips…the crownover method worked beautifully. The only problem with the small oven (actually a friend’s, not the one I talked about originally) was that her rack was not very sturdy…and when I pulled the cheesecake out to check it, the rack collapsed and sent the cheesecake sliding to the bottom of the oven. Fortunately, it all stayed in the pan, but it definitely cracked. Good thing we were putting a topping on it!
We served it to our Chinese teachers (we are language students in China) and they loved it.
Thanks for the help, it’s much appreciated. And I LOVE your blog.:D
October 4th, 2007 at 9:33 am
You’re welcome, Jessica! I’m glad it turned out well, despite the rack disaster.
March 5th, 2008 at 11:37 pm
Just from the look on my Husband’s face when we saw this, I knew I had to make it. Mmm, it’s really good! I did my topping like yours, but doubled it.
May 23rd, 2008 at 9:42 pm
I’m preparing to try this recipe next week and am looking forward to it! I have an Oreo question, though:
Did you put them in the food processor whole, or did you split them and remove the cream filling before processing them? (My mom said she did that before because she had had problems with the filling melting, running and leaking during baking).
May 24th, 2008 at 11:18 am
Lindsay, I put the Oreos in the food processor whole and didn’t have any problems. Another option is the Nabisco chocolate wafers. They can be hard to find, but they’re great for crusts. I used them for that delicious icebox cake, too.
May 25th, 2008 at 6:48 pm
Thanks! Another question …
In the crust, did you use peanuts that had salt on them? I bought peanuts that I thought were unsalted, but I was wrong!
(By the way, I found the wafers, but they were expired … grrrrr … so I am going to stick with the Oreos).
May 25th, 2008 at 7:47 pm
Lindsay, I’m not entirely sure I remember if the peanuts were salted or not. If I was able to find roasted peanuts that weren’t salted, then I would have used those. Otherwise, I would have gone with whatever I could find. Hope that helps!
July 8th, 2008 at 9:51 am
I made this last night with your topping and baking suggestions – can’t wait to try it out tonight and see how it tastes!
Did you use 12 regular peanut butter cups or the miniature ones?
November 26th, 2008 at 9:53 am
I made this for Thanksgiving, I didn’t need to bring a dessert, but could not resist. Mine did crack though, I was disappointed, but with the chocolate sauce no one will be able to tell. My pan was very full. I have only made one other cheesecake before, so I am nervous to cut into it.
December 6th, 2008 at 2:19 pm
I am making it again as we are going to a friends house for lunch tomorrow and I had most of the ingredients on hand. I had made a different peanut butter cup cake and the receipe called for Nutty Butters (those cookies shaped like peanuts with the peanut butter middle) and butter I wonder if that would be toooo much peanut butter flavor…
December 13th, 2008 at 12:09 am
I made this the other week. Oh my freakin goodness. Everybody absolutely loved it and I never thought I could make something so freaking good. If you haven’t tried it, do it, you definitly will not regret it. YUUUUUMMMMMM!
April 22nd, 2009 at 7:41 am
I know this is an old post, but may I ask a question? I want to make this for a large b-day party so I’m thinking of doing a 9 inch atop a 10 inch. If I’m careful to make both sizes the same depth, do you think it will affect the baking time? I’m hoping to bake them together, but I don’t want to overcook the 9 inch in order to get the 10 inch one done. What do you think? (LOVE this blog, BTW–just discovered it.)
April 22nd, 2009 at 5:19 pm
Jennifer, I’m glad you found me! I’m not sure I would attempt to bake the chesecakes at the same time. Cheesecakes can be so temperamental that I wouldn’t want to risk it.
April 23rd, 2009 at 7:59 am
Thanks for your advice. My instincts were telling me the same thing, and this dessert is too important for me to experiment on (as I often do with smaller family things). I have the 10″ in the oven now and will do the other one later this evening. I decided to do an 8″ on top; when I stacked the pans, the 9″ didn’t give enough of a layering effect. I really appreciate your willingness to bounce ideas around and share advice. I usually do these things all on my own–mostly with success but sometimes with disappointments–as I’m sure you understand!
April 23rd, 2009 at 7:59 am
Thanks for your advice. My instincts were telling me the same thing, and this dessert is too important for me to experiment on (as I often do with smaller family things). I have the 10″ in the oven now and will do the other one later this evening. I decided to do an 8″ on top; when I stacked the pans, the 9″ didn’t give enough of a layering effect. I really appreciate your willingness to bounce ideas around and share advice. I usually do these things all on my own–mostly with success but sometimes with disappointments–as I’m sure you understand!
December 30th, 2009 at 5:32 pm
omg this looks sooo good! my man n myself LOVES reese cups! i am so goin 2 try that! yummy yummy!!
December 1st, 2010 at 3:14 pm
I’ve made this cheesecake three Christmases in a row and it is the BOMB!
December 22nd, 2010 at 9:47 am
I made this cheesecake for my boyfriend’s birthday and it was delicious. Incredibly rich so one slice really does go a long way – but absolutely amazing. Probably the most impressive thing I’ve ever made.
January 2nd, 2012 at 8:36 pm
I made this on New Year’s day for a dinner (to be held the day after). Everyone loved it. It was delicious and very, very rich. I looked at the original recipe linked from this page, but decided to go with your suggestion of a chocolate topping (made from semi-sweet chocolate chips as I had no milk chips). Thank you for that! Extra pb cups on the top would of been too much.
So glad I came across your blog! I will be a regular visitor
Thanks and Happy 2012!