Ingredients
- Pretzel Cocoa Crust:
- 1 ½ cups crushed pretzels (very fine texture)
- 3 tbsp Dutch-processed cocoa powder
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup unsalted butter, melted
- Peanut Butter Cheesecake Filling:
- 2 cups full-fat cream cheese (2 x 8 oz packages), room temperature
- 1 cup creamy natural peanut butter (unsweetened)
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup heavy cream, cold (whipped to medium peaks)
- Chocolate Ganache:
- 115 g dark chocolate, chopped (or chips)
- 120 g heavy cream
- Pinch of sea salt
- Peanut Butter Buttercream (optional):
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- ¼ cup creamy peanut butter
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
- Splash of milk or cream (if needed to loosen)
Instructions
- Prepare Pan: Line the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan with parchment paper. Optionally, line the sides with a 2–3 inch strip of parchment.
- Make Crust: Mix crushed pretzels, cocoa powder, and brown sugar. Stir in melted butter until evenly moistened. Press firmly into the bottom and slightly up the sides of the pan. Chill while making the filling.
- Make Filling: Beat cream cheese until smooth. Add peanut butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla; beat until fully combined and fluffy. In a separate bowl, whip the heavy cream to medium peaks, then gently fold it into the peanut butter mixture in 3 additions until smooth and airy.
- Assemble: Pour the filling into the crust and smooth the top. Chill for at least 4–6 hours or overnight until set.
- Make Ganache: Place chopped chocolate in a bowl. Heat cream until just simmering, then pour over the chocolate. Let sit for 2 minutes, then stir until smooth and glossy. Let cool slightly, then pour over the chilled cheesecake and smooth. Chill to set.
- Make Buttercream (Optional): Beat butter and peanut butter until creamy. Add powdered sugar, vanilla, and salt; beat until fluffy. Add a splash of milk or cream if needed. Pipe onto cheesecake once ganache is set.
- Serve: Remove cheesecake from pan, slice with a warm knife or unflavored dental floss for clean cuts. Keep refrigerated until serving.
Notes
- Use full-fat cream cheese for structure and stability—avoid low-fat.
- If using chocolate chips for ganache, note they may take slightly longer to melt and require more stirring due to stabilizers.
- Let ganache cool slightly before pouring to avoid melting the filling.
- The pretzel crust may crumble if the crumbs aren’t finely crushed—press firmly into the pan.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: No-Bake
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 788
- Sugar: 34g
- Sodium: 497mg
- Fat: 60g
- Saturated Fat: 31g
- Unsaturated Fat: 24g
- Trans Fat: 0.5g
- Carbohydrates: 56g
- Fiber: 4g
- Protein: 13g
- Cholesterol: 118mg
