I had never used peanut butter chips before, but this rocks! The resulting peanut butter ganache tasted like incredible fudge. The base was a graham cracker crust which was topped with yummy peanut butter cups, then a peanut butter cream cheese mixture. After baking them off, the ganache was poured over the top. Drizzling isn’t my forte—especially when I’m in a rush, so I bedazzled one with a bit of melted chocolate, but I’d definitely add it for company. These were a fabulous indulgence!
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- Yield: 9 -16 bars 1x
Ingredients
Graham Cracker Crust:
- 8 tablespoons 1 stick, butter, melted
- ½ cup sugar
- 1½ cups graham cracker crumbs
Filling
- Snack sized Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups (I accidentally used 8 ounces of Reese’s Minis)
- 8 ounces cream cheese (at room temperature)
- ½ cup sugar
- ¼ cup peanut butter
Peanut Butter Ganache:
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 8 tablespoons butter
- 1 cup 6 ounces peanut butter chips
- 2 tablespoons powdered sugar (sifted)
Instructions
- Line an 8 x 8-inch pan with nonstick foil. Preheat oven to 350º.
- In a medium bowl, mix the melted butter, sugar and graham cracker crumbs. Press into bottom of prepared pan. Bake 9 minutes, then remove from oven and let cool. Leave oven on.
- When the crust is cool, cover bottom with peanut butter cups.
- To make the cheesecake layer, mix cream cheese, sugar, egg and peanut butter with an electric mixer. Carefully spread over peanut butter cups. Bake for 30 minutes. Let cool completely.
- To make the ganache, microwave the cream and butter till butter is melted. Whisk in peanut butter chips till smooth. Mix in powdered sugar and pour over bars.
- Chill firm before cutting. Cut into 9-16 squares. Drizzle with melted chocolate chips if desired.
- Store in refrigerator.
- Category: Dessert
Frequently Asked Questions
What should I do if I accidentally bought mini Reese’s instead of snack-sized for the Peanut Buttercup Cheesecake Bars?
Using mini Reese’s instead of snack-sized is perfectly fine; just ensure they are evenly distributed on top of the cheesecake mixture for a good balance of flavor. 
How can I achieve a smooth peanut butter ganache without lumps?
Ensure your peanut butter chips are melted thoroughly before mixing them with the cream; stirring continuously will help achieve a silky texture.
What’s the best way to create a drizzle with melted chocolate on top of the bars?
Use a piping bag or a plastic sandwich bag with a corner cut off to carefully drizzle the melted chocolate over the bars for a more controlled and attractive finish.
Note: there should be one egg listed in the filling ingredients. Thanks for letting me know, Tiffany!
These are delicious. Just thought I should point out that the egg in the filling is not listed in the ingredient list. It’s kind of a “surprise” when you get to that part in the instructions.