Description
Indulge in a dreamy White Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheesecake. This rich, homemade dessert blends creamy white chocolate with nutty peanut butter for pure bliss.
Ingredients
Scale
- Crust Components:
- 1 ½ cups graham cracker crumbs (about 10–12 full sheets)
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup unsalted butter, melted
- Cheesecake Filling Essentials:
- 24 oz (3 blocks) full-fat cream cheese, softened at room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- Swirl & Topping Accents:
- 4 oz good quality white chocolate, finely chopped
- ½ cup creamy peanut butter
Instructions
- Prep the Crust:: Okay, first things first, preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grab a 9-inch springform pan. Now, in a medium bowl, mix those graham cracker crumbs, a bit of sugar, and the melted butter. Stir it all until it looks like wet sand. Press that mixture firmly into the bottom of your pan. Honestly, I always use the bottom of a glass to get it super packed down. Bake it for about 10 minutes until it’s slightly golden and smells like toasted goodness. Let it cool a bit; this is where I usually forget and burn my fingers, oops!
- Melt the White Chocolate:: While the crust is doing its thing, gently melt the chopped white chocolate. You can do this in a microwave in 30-second bursts, stirring in between, or over a double boiler. Be super careful not to overheat it, or it’ll seize up on you – I’ve had that happen, and it’s a sad, lumpy mess. Once it’s smooth and glossy, set it aside to cool slightly. You don’t want it too hot when it hits the cream cheese.
- Make the Cheesecake Filling:: Reduce your oven temp to 325°F (160°C). In a large bowl, beat the softened cream cheese and sugar together until it’s light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, you know, to get all those sneaky bits. Now, beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing just until combined after each. Don’t overmix here, or you’ll incorporate too much air, which can lead to cracks. Stir in the vanilla extract and that lovely heavy cream. It should smell wonderfully rich by now!
- Combine White Chocolate & Filling:: Pour about half of your cheesecake filling into a separate bowl. Gently fold in the melted white chocolate into this half. You want it just combined, not vigorously beaten. This creates that distinct White Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheesecake flavor layer. The other half of the plain filling will be for the peanut butter swirl. It’s a little dance, but it’s worth it!
- Assemble the Cheesecake:: Pour the white chocolate filling over your cooled graham cracker crust. Smooth it out with a spatula. Now, for the peanut butter swirl magic! Drop spoonfuls of the plain cheesecake filling and peanut butter alternately over the white chocolate layer. Using a knife or a skewer, gently swirl the peanut butter and plain filling into the white chocolate layer. Don’t overdo it, or you’ll lose the pretty marbled effect. I always get a little too enthusiastic here, but it still tastes amazing!
- Bake and Chill:: Place the springform pan on a baking sheet. Bake for 60-75 minutes, or until the edges are set but the center still has a slight wobble when you gently shake the pan. Turn off the oven, crack the door, and let the cheesecake cool in the oven for an hour. This helps prevent cracks. Once cooled, remove it from the oven and let it cool completely on a wire rack before chilling it in the fridge for at least 6 hours, or even better, overnight. Honestly, the patience is the hardest part!