These cheesecake bites may be dainty, but they’re absolutely stuffed with peanut butter cups. Layered with a peanut butter ganache, drizzled with chocolate, and topped with even more PB cup pieces, this recipe is going to give PB lovers serious heart eyes.
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Sometimes you just need a little bite of cheesecake. Like when you eat an amazing meal, loosen your belt, and proclaim, “I couldn’t eat another bite!” … and then someone goes, “Time for dessert!” Some of us were fortunate enough to have been born with a separate ‘dessert stomach’ for sweets–but if you weren’t so lucky, these peanut butter cup cheesecake bites will satisfy your craving without bursting any buttons. For such a petite piece, each square packs in a lot of chocolate peanut butter flavor.
Why have we totally buried the lead and not talked about those whole peanut butter cups embedded between the crust and the cheesecake yet? Excavating those PB cups when you slice this cheesecake into squares is obviously the most fun part of this recipe. And while everyone has their opinion about which part of the dessert is the choicest (see: the raging debate between edge brownies and center brownies), there’ll be no fighting over “good pieces” with this recipe; anyone you serve these to will be delighted that their cheesecake bite gets a cross-section of peanut butter cup.
Peanut Butter Cup Cheesecake Bites
Makes one 8×8-inch pan Prep Time: 25 minutes Total Time: 2 ½ hours
Ingredients
Pretzel Crust:
- 1½ cup pretzel crumbs, about one (7 oz) bag
- 1 stick of butter (1/2 cup)
- 20-22 snack size peanut butter cups (16 for the base and 4-6 for the topping)
Peanut Butter Cheesecake:
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- ¼ cup peanut butter
- 1 egg
Peanut Butter Ganache:
- 1 cup peanut butter chips
- ½ cup heavy cream
Chocolate Drizzle:
- ½ cup dark chocolate chips
- ¼ teaspoon coconut oil or vegetable oil
Preparation
- Preheat oven to 350°F/176°C.
- Line an 8×8-inch pan with parchment paper or foil.
- To make the pretzel crust, use a food processor to grind the pretzels into crumbs. In a microwave-safe bowl, melt the butter and mix in the pretzel crumbs until well combined. Press the pretzel crumbs into the 8×8-inch pan in an even and compact layer. Bake for 10 minutes. Allow to cool.
- Place 16 of the peanut butter cups on the pretzel crust in a 4×4 grid.
- To make the peanut butter cheesecake base, use a hand mixer to blend the cream cheese and sugar together until smooth. Add the peanut butter and blend to incorporate. Add the egg and blend until the mixture is smooth again. Pour this mixture over the peanut butter cups and spread to cover.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes or until cheesecake is cooked. Allow to cool completely.
- To make the peanut butter ganache, combine the cream and peanut butter chips in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave for 30-second intervals, stirring after each interval until the chips have melted completely. Pour the ganache over the cheesecake and spread to cover. Allow to cool, completely.
- Cut the cheesecake into squares and set aside.
- To make the chocolate drizzle, combine the dark chocolate chips and the oil in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave for 30-second intervals, stirring after each interval until the chips have melted completely.
- Drizzle the chocolate over the squares and refrigerate until chocolate has firmed.
- Cut the remaining peanut butter cups into bite-sized pieces, and decorate the top of each cheesecake bite with a piece of peanut butter cup. Keep chilled until serving.
Chef’s Tip:
- Use the bottom of a glass to press the pretzel crumb into the pan in an even layer.
Recipe adapted from hugsandcookiesxoxo.com
Be honest, could you stop after just one cheesecake bite?