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Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheesecake is the kind of dessert that makes everyone stop and stare before diving right in. Imagine a creamy layer of peanut butter cheesecake baked right on top of a rich, fudgy chocolate cake, all in one pan. It’s indulgent, easy to make, and every bite tastes like pure bliss.
If you love the classic combo of peanut butter and chocolate, this Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheesecake recipe will make your dessert dreams come true. It’s part cheesecake, part cake, and completely irresistible. You can even take it to the next level with a glossy chocolate ganache frosting that makes this cheesecake truly unforgettable. If that peanut butter and chocolate combination is your weakness, you’ll also love this peanut butter cheesecake brownie French toast recipe.
Table of Contents
What Makes This Recipe So Good
There’s something magical about the way this Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheesecake brings two favorites together in one bite. The creamy peanut butter cheesecake layer melts into the soft, fudgy chocolate cake beneath it, creating the perfect balance of sweet, salty, and rich. It’s the kind of dessert that feels fancy enough for special occasions but simple enough to make any weekend extra special.
What really sets this Peanut Butter and Chocolate Cheesecake apart is how easy it is to make from scratch. You don’t need multiple pans or complicated steps, just mix, layer, and bake. The result is a decadent Peanut Butter Chocolate Cheesecake that tastes like it came from a bakery, especially when topped with a thick swirl of chocolate ganache. If you love the classic chocolate and peanut combination, these easy chocolate peanut clusters are another simple treat that delivers the same sweet and salty magic.
How To Make Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheesecake
This Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheesecake may look impressive, but the ingredients are simple and easy to find. Each one plays an important role in building that rich, fudgy texture and creamy peanut butter flavor.
- Butter: Gives the chocolate cake its moist, tender crumb and adds richness to every bite.
- Cocoa Powder: Unsweetened cocoa deepens the chocolate flavor and balances the sweetness perfectly.
- Cream Cheese: The base of the peanut butter cheesecake layer, giving it a smooth and creamy texture.
- Peanut Butter: Adds a nutty, slightly salty contrast that pairs beautifully with the chocolate cake.
Note: Please see recipe card at the bottom for a full list of ingredients with measurements.
How To Make Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheesecake
- Prep the Pan and Oven: Preheat oven to 175°C (350°F). Grease an 8-inch round springform pan with cooking oil spray, line it with parchment paper, and set aside.
- Make the Cake Batter: In a large bowl, beat together the butter and sugar until light and creamy. Add the eggs one at a time, then mix in the milk until fully combined.
- Combine the Dry Ingredients: Sift in the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. Pour in the coffee and beat the batter until fluffy, smooth, and well blended. Set aside while you prepare the cheesecake mixture.
- Prepare Cheesecake Mixture: In a separate bowl, beat cream cheese, sweetener, peanut butter, sour cream, egg, and cornstarch until smooth and lump-free. This creates a creamy, rich layer that will bake perfectly on top.
- Layer the Batter: Pour half of the chocolate cake batter into the prepared pan, then spread one-third of the cheesecake mixture on top without swirling. Add the remaining cake batter, then pour the rest of the cheesecake mixture evenly over the surface.
- Bake and Set the Cake: Bake for 50 to 55 minutes, or until the center is just set with a slight wobble. If it browns too quickly, tent it loosely with foil. When done, slightly open the oven door and let it rest inside for 20 minutes to finish setting.
- Prepare Glaze: Prepare the glaze by melting the chocolate in short intervals and stirring in the yogurt until smooth. Make the peanut butter frosting by whisking all ingredients until creamy.
- Finish and Frost: Remove from the oven and let it cool for two hours. Once the cake has chilled, spread the chocolate glaze around the sides and the peanut butter frosting on top.
When serving this Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheesecake, go all in on the comfort food theme. Pair it with a warm Hot Fudge Chocolate Pudding Cake for a rich, chocolate-on-chocolate experience that will make any sweet tooth swoon. If you want something lighter but still decadent, try a chilled Strawberry Coconut Cheesecake Salad for a creamy, fruity balance. Or pour a cozy Peanut Butter Nutella Hot Chocolate on the side to really lean into that peanut butter and chocolate duo everyone loves.
Tips For Making Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheesecake
- Use full-fat cream cheese and sour cream for the best creamy texture. Low-fat versions can make the cheesecake slightly grainy.
- Make sure all your cheesecake ingredients are at room temperature before mixing. This helps create a smooth, lump-free filling.
- Don’t skip the resting step after baking. Leaving the oven door slightly open helps prevent cracks on top.
- If you want a deeper chocolate flavor, use brewed coffee instead of water in the cake batter. It enhances the cocoa without making it taste like coffee.
Recipe FAQ’s
You can use a regular round cake pan lined with parchment paper. Just make sure to let the cheesecake cool completely before carefully lifting it out.
The center should have a slight wobble when you gently shake the pan. It will continue to set as it cools, so don’t overbake it.
Yes, but coffee enhances the chocolate flavor without making it taste like coffee. If you prefer not to use it, replace it with warm water or milk.
WATCH US MAKE Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheesecake RIGHT HERE!
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Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheesecake Cake
Ingredients
Chocolate Cake:
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1 cup granulated sugar or a natural granulated baking sweetener that measure 1:1 with sugar
- 2 eggs large
- 1/2 cup skim milk or full fat or almond milk
- 1 1/4 cup all purpose flour or plain flour
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons baking powder leveled
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup water boiled, brewed with 2 teaspoons instant coffe, or 1/4 cup strong brewed coffee, at room temperature
Cheesecake:
- 1 cup light cream cheese at room temperature
- 1/3 cup natural powdered sweetener or sugar
- 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter do not use natural
- 1/2 cup sour cream or natural, plain, or Greek yogurt
- 1 egg large
- 1 teaspoons cornstarch
Chocolate Yogurt Glaze: (OPTIONAL)
- 3 1/2 oz 70% dark chocolate or milk chocolate
- 3 1/2 oz vanilla Greek yoghurt or naturally sweetened Greek yogurt
Peanut Butter Yogurt Frosting: (OPTIONAL)
- 1/2 cup vanilla Greek yogurt naturally sweetened Greek yogurt, room temperature
- 2 tablespoons peanut butter
- 2 tablespoons powdered sugar or powdered sweetener
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 175°C | 350°F. Lightly grease an 8-inch round springform pan with cooking oil spray; line with baking / parchment paper and set aside.***
For The Cake:
- In a large bowl, beat together the butter and sugar until light and creamy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until light and creamy. Beat in the milk until well combined.
- Sift in the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt, mixing them through the wet ingredients. Pour in the coffee and beat the batter until fluffy, well combined and smooth (about 1 minute). Set aside.
For The Cheesecake Mixture:
- Beat the cheesecake ingredients together until smooth and lump free (about one minute on low speed).
Assemble Cake:
- Evenly pour half of the cake batter into the prepared pan. Pour ⅓ of the cream cheese mixture over the cake layer (don’t swirl it through). Pour the remaining cake batter over the cream cheese; then pour the remaining cream cheese mixture over the top to evenly cover the cake.
- Bake in preheated oven for 50 – 55 minutes, or until the centre is just set (it will have a very slight wobble to it). If you find it is browning after 30 minutes, tent with foil being careful the foil does not stick to the cheesecake). Slightly open oven door and keep it ajar with the cheesecake still in the oven for 20 minutes to allow the cheesecake to set further.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool for two hours. By this stage, it will be soft but set enough to serve slightly warm. OR cover with foil and refrigerate for 6 hours or over night.
For The Chocolate Yogurt Glaze:
- Melt the chocolate in the microwave in 30 second increments; stirring after each until completely melted. Lightly mix the yogurt through the chocolate until just combined (don’t beat it or the chocolate will seize and harden).
For The Peanut Butter Yogurt Glaze:
- Beat all ingredients well until smooth, lump free and combined.
Frost Cake:
- Once cake has chilled, remove from baking pan onto serving plate. Spread the chocolate glaze evenly around the sides of the cake with a thin, straight spatula. Spread the peanut butter frosting over the top of the cake. Decorate with crushed chocolate chips and peanut butter chips (I blended them in a small magic bullet cup or small food processor).
Notes
*Use a yogurt you like the taste of. One not too bitter, or the bitterness will come out in the frosting
*Please don’t be tempted to NOT line your baking tin. The cake will stick to the sides without the parchment or baking paper OPTIONAL CHOCOLATE GANACHE FROSTING (AS SHOWN IN THE VIDEO): Bring 1 cup heavy cream to a gentle simmer over low-medium heat. Take off heat immediately, and break 7-ounces or 200-grams chocolate of choice (we used 70% cocoa) into pieces. Add chocolate pieces to the cream; cover with a lid and allow to sit for 5 minutes undisturbed. After 5 minutes, the chocolate will have started to melt. Begin to whisk the chocolate through the cream slowly, and gradually whisk faster to combine. Cool slightly (about 15 minutes), before pouring over the cake.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I’m so impressed that Karina put this recipe together. I made the version with peanut frosting and chocolate yogurt glaze. It’s just really amazing how well everything fits together. I could not have anticipated it trying each component as I made the cake. The flavor is very sophisticated but not in a pretentious way. I thought it was scrumptious and very unique. I interpreted the ajar oven instruction to be followed regardless of whether the cheesecake was browning at the 30 minute mark. The door to my gas Kenmore oven stayed open without being propped and the oven stayed on. I used double the peanut butter frosting, which didn’t seem to be too much, though I am bad at frosting cakes, and it wasn’t evenly distributed. I dripped some over the sides, and the sweet peanut butter frosting went really well with the bitter dark chocolate glaze. This recipe took me a while. I would imagine it’s fast if you’ve made cheesecakes before, but I hadn’t. I used Oikos vanilla lowfat yogurt and regular JIFF for the peanut butter frosting. Good luck! Well worth the effort.
Just made this for my dad’s birthday and it was amazing! Absolutely covered the top with crushed peanuts and they added nice texture. I baked for 45 minutes and the edges were perfect while the center was a creamier fudgey. When cooling, the center sunk, so I filled it in with the peanut butter glaze, and it looked and tasted as a five layer cake. I didn’t have normal peanut butter so I used natural, and didn’t notice anything too off. Great recipe.
I’ve just made this for the second time. Nothing short of fabulous! I made the ganache icing and it is so easy to make! Takes me longer than 15 minutes to get in the oven, but worth it!
Thank you for sharing your brilliant and delicious recipies Karina. You have made me a better cook effortlessly! X
I am not a peanut butter fan but this looks amazing. Can I just leave out the peanut butter? Anything you would add instead? Maybe more cream cheese?
Absolutely! Replace the peanut butter with extra cream cheese and it should be delicious. Happy holidays!
Can I use espresso?
Yes, that will give it an added flavor.
Can I use boxed cake mix instead?
That should work great! I like that idea too!
Crap. Just noticed my pan was too big. Do not go larger than the stated 8 inch people. Layers were really thin, hoping the ganache with fix my faux pas with pan size. On a plus size the cake batter is delicious. Anyone else make the same mistake?
Sorry just read it’s replaceable by water
Hi Karina I love your recepies they r easy and understandable my children loved my cooking since I followed u if I want to skip coffee in this cake do I need an alternative thx alot