By Lindy Van Schalkwyk, last updated on June 1, 2022
We have the best Reese’s peanut butter cheesecake with brownie crust recipe. What makes this recipe even better is that it can be a no-bake one!
This cheesecake recipe does take a while to make, but the payoff is huge! It has an incredibly rich and creamy flavor, the texture is versatile, and you can even use pre-made brownies to save more time.
What Is This Amazing Reese’s Peanut Butter Cheesecake With Brownie Crust?
This recipe is incredibly easy to make. however, it does take a bit of work. We have created a recipe from which you can make a baked and no-bake Reese’s peanut butter cheesecake with brownie crust.
You can simply remove the eggs from this recipe and set the batter in the fridge. No baking is needed!
Furthermore, you can also play around with the texture a lot. Add crunchy peanut butter, chopped Reese’s cups, chocolate chips – whatever your creativity takes you to!
What You Will Need For This Reese’s Peanut Butter Cheesecake With Brownie Crust Recipe
Ingredients for the Brownie Crust
- 1 box (18.5-ounces) brownie mix
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1/4 cup milk, room temperature
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Ingredients for the Cheesecake
- 24-ounces cream cheese, softened at room temperature
- 1 cup caster sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 4 large eggs, room temperature
- 3/4 cup smooth peanut butter
- 1/2 cup cream, room temperature
Ingredients for the Toppings and Garnish
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup cream, room temperature
- Reese’s mini peanut butter cups, halved or quartered
Equipment
- 9-inch springform cake pan
- Non-stick baking paper
- Non-stick cooking spray
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Mixing bowls
- Electric hand or stand mixer
- Silicone or rubber spatula or bowl scraper
- Cooling rack
- Small saucepan
Step-By-Step Instructions To Make Reese’s Peanut Butter Cheesecake With Brownie Crust
Step 1: Make the Brownie Crust
To begin with this recipe, you first have to make the brownie crust. Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Line a 9-inch springform cake pan with non-stick baking paper. Coat the sides with cooking spray, melted butter, or vegetable oil.
In a medium bowl, add the dry brownie mix. Make a well in the center and pour the remaining wet ingredients. Whisk the mixture together until you have a smooth uniform batter.
Pour the batter into the springform pan and bake for roughly 35-40 minutes. Once baked, remove it from the oven and allow it to cool at room temperature.
Step 2: Make the Peanut Butter Cheesecake Filling
Reduce the oven temperature to 320ºF (160ºC). Add the softened cream cheese into a large mixing bowl. Beat until the cream cheese becomes super fluffy in pale in color. Add the sugar and vanilla and continue beating until it has completely dissolved.
Next, only add one large egg at a time, mixing well between every addition. Once the final egg has been fully incorporated, add the soft peanut butter. Finally, whisk in the cream.
Step 3: Bake the Cheesecake
Pour the smooth and creamy cheesecake filling over the brownie layer. Then, bake the cheesecake for roughly 45-60 minutes, or until it has been fully baked.
Step 4: Properly Cool Reese’s Peanut Butter Cheesecake with Brownie Crust
To test when the cheesecake has been fully baked, do a jiggle test. Only the middle inch or two should wobble like jelly. The rest of the cheesecake should be firm. You can also test the internal temperature, which should be 150ºF (65.5ºC).
Once baked, turn off the oven and slightly open the door. Allow the baked cheesecake to cool down for roughly an hour. Remove it from the oven and allow it to cool at room temperature for another hour or so.
Finally, wrap the entire cake pan with plastic or saran wrap and place the cheesecake inside of the fridge. Allow it to set for at least 6-8 hours, but preferably overnight.
Step 5: Make the Chocolate Ganache
To make the chocolate ganache, add the chocolate chips and cream into a heat-proof mixing bowl. Place it over a small saucepan filled with 1-inch of simmering water. Then, heat the chocolate and cream mixture over low heat while slowly stirring.
Only have the bowl over the heat for roughly 30-seconds at a time. Stir well in between each heating period to cool the chocolate and combine the ingredients. This will help prevent seizing (burning) the chocolate.
Repeat this process until your chocolate is completely melted and you have a uniform mixture. Then, allow the chocolate to slightly cool at room temperature while stirring it every minute or so.
Step 6: Assemble the Reese’s Peanut Butter Cheesecake with Brownie Crust
Remove the cheesecake from the springform cake pan using a sharp thin knife blade. Once removed, place it over a wire cooling rack.
Then, cover the entire cake with your semi-cooled chocolate ganache mixture. Then, garnish the ganache with halved or quartered Reese’s mini cups.
Tips And Tricks To Make A Reese’s Peanut Butter Cheesecake With Brownie Crust
- You can use pre-made dry brownies and them with some melted butter. This will create a crust-like mixture. Then, you can still bake it for roughly 10-12 minutes to create the cheesecake crust. This will save you a bit of time, but we do recommend making a solid brownie layer instead.
- If you’d like, you can fold in some chocolate chips to the brownie crust layer recipe. This will make it gooey and moister.
- You can fold chopped peanut butter cups into the cheesecake batter. This will add a bit of crunch and a more chocolate and peanut butter flavor.
- You can also make a crunchy peanut butter cheesecake by adding crunchy peanut butter instead of the smooth option. Otherwise, additional Reese’s cups will also help make it crunchy.
- You can make a Reese’s peanut butter cheesecake no-bake-edition by simply removing the eggs from this recipe. Then, pour the mixture onto the baked brownie crust and allow it to set in the fridge overnight.
Preparation Times And Servings For This Easy Easy Peanut Butter Cheesecake Recipe
| Preparation Times | Baking Times | Servings |
| 30-40 minutes | 1 1/2 hours | 9-inch cake |
Wrapping It Up – Drool-worthy Reese’s Peanut Butter Cheesecake With Brownie Crust
We have spared no detail for this incredibly extravagant Reese’s peanut butter cheesecake with brownie crust. It will have your guests begging you for the recipe!
If you tried this recipe, let us know what you think in the comments below. And, make sure to go check out some of our other delicious cheesecakes on our site.
FAQs
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Reese’s Peanut Butter Cheesecake With Brownie Crust Recipe
Equipment
- 9-inch springform cake pan
- Non-stick baking paper
- Non-stick cooking spray
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Mixing bowls
- Electric hand or stand mixer
- Silicone or rubber spatula or bowl scraper
- Cooling rack
- Small saucepan
Ingredients
Ingredients for the Brownie Crust
- 1 box 18.5-ounces brownie mix
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1/4 cup milk room temperature
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Ingredients for the Cheesecake
- 24- ounces cream cheese softened at room temperature
- 1 cup caster sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 4 large eggs room temperature
- 3/4 cup smooth peanut butter
- 1/2 cup cream room temperature
Ingredients for the Toppings and Garnish
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup cream room temperature
- Reese's mini peanut butter cups halved or quartered
Instructions
- To begin with this recipe, you first have to make the brownie crust. Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Line a 9-inch springform cake pan with non-stick baking paper. Coat the sides with cooking spray, melted butter, or vegetable oil.
- In a medium bowl, add the dry brownie mix. Make a well in the center and pour the remaining wet ingredients. Whisk the mixture together until you have a smooth uniform batter.
- Pour the batter into the springform pan and bake for roughly 35-40 minutes. Once baked, remove it from the oven and allow it to cool at room temperature.
- Reduce the oven temperature to 320ºF (160ºC). Add the softened cream cheese into a large mixing bowl. Beat until the cream cheese becomes super fluffy in pale in color. Add the sugar and vanilla and continue beating until it has completely dissolved.
- Next, only add one large egg at a time, mixing well between every addition. Once the final egg has been fully incorporated, add the soft peanut butter. Finally, whisk in the cream.
- Pour the smooth and creamy cheesecake filling over the brownie layer. Then, bake the cheesecake for roughly 45-60 minutes, or until it has been fully baked.
- To test when the cheesecake has been fully baked, do a jiggle test. Only the middle inch or two should wobble like jelly. The rest of the cheesecake should be firm. You can also test the internal temperature, which should be 150ºF (65.5ºC).
- Once baked, turn off the oven and slightly open the door. Allow the baked cheesecake to cool down for roughly an hour. Remove it from the oven and allow it to cool at room temperature for another hour or so.
- Finally, wrap the entire cake pan with plastic or saran wrap and place the cheesecake inside of the fridge. Allow it to set for at least 6-8 hours, but preferably overnight.
- To make the chocolate ganache, add the chocolate chips and cream into a heat-proof mixing bowl. Place it over a small saucepan filled with 1-inch of simmering water. Then, heat the chocolate and cream mixture over low heat while slowly stirring.
- Only have the bowl over the heat for roughly 30-seconds at a time. Stir well in between each heating period to cool the chocolate and combine the ingredients. This will help prevent seizing (burning) the chocolate.
- Repeat this process until your chocolate is completely melted and you have a uniform mixture. Then, allow the chocolate to slightly cool at room temperature while stirring it every minute or so.
- Remove the cheesecake from the springform cake pan using a sharp thin knife blade. Once removed, place it over a wire cooling rack.
- Then, cover the entire cake with your semi-cooled chocolate ganache mixture. Then, garnish the ganache with halved or quartered Reese's mini cups.
Notes
- You can use pre-made dry brownies and them with some melted butter. This will create a crust-like mixture. Then, you can still bake it for roughly 10-12 minutes to create the cheesecake crust. This will save you a bit of time, but we do recommend making a solid brownie layer instead.
- If you'd like, you can fold in some chocolate chips to the brownie crust layer recipe. This will make it gooey and moister.
- You can fold chopped peanut butter cups into the cheesecake batter. This will add a bit of crunch and a more chocolate and peanut butter flavor.
- You can also make a crunchy peanut butter cheesecake by adding crunchy peanut butter instead of the smooth option. Otherwise, additional Reese's cups will also help make it crunchy.
- You can make a Reese's peanut butter cheesecake no-bake-edition by simply removing the eggs from this recipe. Then, pour the mixture onto the baked brownie crust and allow it to set in the fridge overnight.
Lindy Van Schalkwyk is a culinary specialist with a background in Advanced Cooking, Advanced Pâtisserie, Media Communications and Nutrition. She has gained invaluable experience in the culinary industry having worked in some of the top restaurants in Africa in 2016 and 2017. Her expertise in nutrition has enabled her to develop recipes for special dietary needs. In 2018, Lindy began working in the Food Media industry, focusing on recipe development, recipe writing, food writing and food styling.