If you’re a peanut butter enthusiast, well hey, welcome. You’re right where you’re meant to be on the internet. The stars have aligned just perfectly for you to get to experience these Peanut Butter Cheesecake Bars. Really! The way the crunchy, chocolatey crust holds the rich peanut butter cheesecake that’s topped with a smooth layer of sweet chocolate is basically a miracle… and you get to benefit from this supernatural phenomenon. Some things just work out the way they should and that is always the case with these Peanut Butter Cheesecake Bars!
Ingredients
For the peanut butter cheesecake bars:
- 30 chocolate sandwich cookies
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
- 3 (8-ounce) blocks cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup sour cream, room temperature
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
For the chocolate topping:
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 1 heaping cup semisweet chocolate chips
Directions
Step 1 –Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Step 2 –Line the bottom and the sides of a 9×13-inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the sides.
Step 3 –In a food processor, add the cookies and process them into fine crumbs.
Step 4 –In a large bowl, add the cookie crumbs and 1/2 cup of the melted butter and stir to combine, while trying to break up any of the large chunks. It will be thick and wet.
Step 5 –Pour the cookie mixture into the prepared baking pan and lightly press it into the bottom to form a crust.
Step 6 –Bake the crust, about 10 minutes.
Step 7 –Transfer the baking pan to a wire rack and leave the oven on.
Step 8 –In a large bowl, add the cream cheese and the granulated sugar and beat with an electric hand mixer on medium-high speed until it is smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes.
Step 9 –Add the sour cream to the cream cheese-sugar mixture and beat until it is fully combined.
Step 10 –Add the peanut butter, the vanilla extract, and the salt to the cheesecake mixture and beat until it is fully combined.
Step 11 –Add the eggs to the cheesecake mixture, 1 at a time, and beat on medium speed after each addition until they are just blended. It is okay for a few small lumps to remain.
Step 12 –Use a whisk to mix the cheesecake mixture by hand until none of the large lumps remain.
Step 13 –Pour the cheesecake filling into the crust and use a rubber spatula to evenly spread it out.
Step 14 –Bake the cheesecake until the filling has set on top and the edges are browned, about 35-38 minutes.
Step 15 –Transfer the baking pan to a wire rack and let the cheesecake cool, about 1 hour.
Step 16 –Transfer the baking pan to the refrigerator and chill the cheesecake, about 3-4 hours.
Step 17 –In a heat-safe bowl, add the remaining butter and cut it into tablespoon-sized pieces.
Step 18 –Pour the chocolate chips over the butter pieces, then microwave in 30-second increments, stirring after each, until the mixture has melted and is smooth.
Step 19 –Transfer the bowl from the microwave and let the melted chocolate cool, about 2-3 minutes.
Step 20 –Evenly pour the melted chocolate over the cheesecake and spread it out, stopping at the border.
Step 21 –Transfer the baking pan to the refrigerator and chill the cheesecake bars until the chocolate topping has set, about 45 minutes-1 hour.
Step 22 –Transfer the baking pan from the refrigerator and use the parchment paper overhang to lift the cheesecake bars out of the pan.
Step 23 –Transfer the cheesecake bars to a flat surface and use a sharp knife to cut them into bars, wiping the knife clean between each cut.
Step 24 –Serve.
