Peanut Butter Cheesecake with Chocolate and Dulce de Leche
You will love this easy peanut butter cheesecake tart! It is topped with a layer of chocolate and a layer of dulce de leche for a decadent dessert that’s full of caramel and nutty flavors. And the crust has crushed toasted peanuts on it for a more intense peanut flavor in each bite. This peanut butter cheesecake tart can’t wait to be part of your table.
I’ve been wanting to make a peanut butter cheesecake for some time now. I love peanut butter so much that the idea of having it in a cheesecake was amazing and a no-brainer. The first time I tasted a peanut butter cheesecake was at a Japanese restaurant during an impromptu lunch date with the hubby. It was plain without chocolate or any other flavor. The texture was impossibly creamy and I fell in love with that simplicity right away.
When I finally got the time to develop a peanut butter cheesecake I knew I didn’t want to make chocolate the other main character. I didn't mind having some chocolate but I wanted peanuts to really shine. That’s why I thought of adding dulce de leche. Its particular caramel and milky notes hang out in the same universe as peanuts if you ask me. Well, at least in the flavor universe! That’s why I incorporated just a thin layer of chocolate, basically to marry these two flavor together. If you prefer you can leave out any of the two layers and just double your favorite one. Either way it’s going to be delicious because the peanut butter cheesecake is utterly creamy, rich and decadent!
The only baking in here is the cheesecake, and it’s done in 30 minutes, including the crust and prep time. For the other layers you’ll be just heating and pouring, how easy and genius is that?! You do need to chill the full tart a few hours before cutting, as it is with most cheesecake or tarts.
I like to toast the peanuts to make them golden and fragrant. This step only takes a few minutes and a medium or small skillet but it’s key in making the flavor of the peanuts shine through each layer of this cheesecake. It’s these little details that makes a simple recipe unforgettable!
Crush peanuts in the food processor and then add the graham crackers and make the crust. You can use a spoon to spread and press the crust through the pan. After this, I also use a flat bottomed small measuring cup to tightly press the crumbs down and give the crust a nice shape. Bake the crust according to recipe.
While the crust is baking, prepare your cheesecake mixture (you’ll probably need to take the crust out before you finish up the cheesecake mixture). Remember that cheesecakes are custards, so it’s important to not incorporate too much air to the mixture. The combination of using the whisk tool in a slow speed and for not too long is the secret in achieving a light yet super creamy cheesecake texture.
Another thing is to mix gently and not too much after you add the peanut butter to prevent it from splitting.
Since the cheesecake layer is thinner than my regular cheesecake and I was using a tart pan with a removable bottom, I didn’t use a Bain Marie. Instead I placed an oven proof dish in with water in the bottom rack of the oven to produce steam. Trust me, this steam is key for a cheesecake with a very creamy and silky texture. Just place it in the oven right when you take out the crust. The minutes for you to finish up your cheesecake mixture and transfer it to the oven should be enough to make the water hot. Bonus points if you use hot top water to give it a jump start!
Bake cheesecake layer at 425° for 5 minutes, then drop the temperature to 275° and bake for 15 minutes. Cheesecake should look dry and set around and a bit jiggly and glossy at the center. Let it cool down in a cool dry place or in the fridge while you make the chocolate layer.
You will need to let the chocolate to set in the fridge before spreading the dulce de leche. An hour should be enough for that. But remember, the cheesecake as a whole needs to be chilled for several hours, ideally overnight.
If you don't love the idea of the dulce de leche just double the chocolate layer. Ot let out the chocolate layer and just spread on top of the cheesecake the dulce de leche.
This peanut butter cheesecake tart will be so delicious in any fall gathering you might have. The chocolate and dulce de leche make this so indulgent without being overly sweet. I know you will love this one so much!
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Peanut Butter Cheesecake with Chocolate and Dulce de Leche
Ingredients
Toasted Peanuts Crust
◯ Graham crackers - 15 whole crackers (about 1 ½ cups of crumbs)
◯ Peanuts – ½ cup
◯ Unsalted butter, melted – 10 TBSP
◯ Raw sugar - 3 TBSP
Peanut Butter Cheesecake Layer
◯ Cream cheese, at room temperature – 2 - 8 oz packages
◯ Raw sugar – ¾ cup
◯ Organic free cage eggs – 2, large
◯ Egg yolks – 1, from large eggs
◯ Unbleached organic all purpose flour – 2 TBSP
◯ Coconut milk or half-and-half - 2 TBSP
◯ Natural creamy peanut butter - ½ cup
◯ Pure vanilla extract – ½ Tsp
Chocolate and Dulce de Leche Layer
◯ Semi-sweet chocolate chips – ¾ cup
◯ Coconut milk or heavy cream – ⅓ cup
◯ Raw sugar – 1 Tsp
◯ Vanilla extract – ¼ Tsp
◯ Canned or ready to use pure dulce de leche - about ⅓ cup
Details
Yield:
a 9” tart shell pan
Total time:
4 to 6 hours, mostly chilling in the fridge
Active Time:
45 minutes for making the cheesecake layer and 5 minutes for making the chocolate layer
Equipment:
9” tart shell pan with removable bottom, food processor and baking sheet
Steps
To make the crust:
Preheat oven to 350°.
Attach the bowl of the food processor to its base and set the blade. Place the ½ cup of peanuts in a skillet and toast them in medium-high heat, revolving them frequently until they are fragrant and golden, about 5 minutes. Transfer peanuts to the food processor bowl and pulse them until crushed. Do not finely crush them.
Break the crackers and and add them to the bowl with the sugar. Pulse again until crushed, about less than 10 seconds. Make sure everything is well incorporated by scraping the bowl sides and bottom, then pulse a few more seconds to make everything come together. With the food processor running, pour the melted butter through the lid hole and pulse just a few seconds more, until the cookie crumbs look just wet. Transfer the content to the tart flute pan or the pan you will be using. Press onto the bottom and up to the sides, until the crumbs are evenly distributed and you have reached the edges of the pan. You may use a bottom flat small measuring cup or utensil to help yourself press down and distribute the crumbs. Bake for 5 minutes. While the crust is baking start preparing the peanut butter cheesecake layer.
As soon as you take the crust out, increase oven temperature to 425°. Also, place a large oven proof dish filled with hot tap water on the bottom rack of the oven.
To make the cheesecake filling:
Either in the bowl of a stand up mixer and using the whisk attachment or in a large bowl using an electric hand mixer with the beaters attached, beat in medium speed the cream cheese for 2 minutes. Add the ¾ cup of sugar and mix for 1 minute, making sure there is no sugar on the bottom of the bowl. Decrease speed to low and add the 2 eggs and 1 egg yolk, one at a time. Add the 2 tablespoons of flour, the 2 tablespoons of coconut milk or half-and-half and the ½ teaspoon of vanilla extract and mix until combined. Add the ½ cup of peanut butter and mix until well blended. Stop the mixer and scrap the wall and bottom of the bowl to incorporate any chunks of cream cheese or peanut butter. Mix once more, until mixture looks homogeneous and there are no big lumps of cream cheese.
Pour mixture over crust. Oven should already have reached 425°. Place cheesecake and bake for 5 minutes and then drop oven temperature to 275°. Bake for about 15 minutes, until the cheesecake looks set and dry around the edges but still a bit jiggly and shiny in the center. Retire from oven and let it cool down until it has lost the steam.
To make the chocolate layer:
Place the ¾ cup of chocolate chips in a medium glass or metal bowl. In a small saucepan heat the ⅓ cup of coconut milk, teaspoon of sugar and the 14/ teaspoon of vanilla and bring to simmer for a minute. Retire from heat and pour over chocolate chips. Wait about two minute and then mix until chocolate is completely melted. Pour the peanut butter cheesecake layer and chill for about one hour to set the chocolate.
In necessary, add one or two tablespoons of water to the dulce de leche, heat 10 seconds or a bit more in the microwave and mix well to make it spreadable. Spoon dulce de leche on top of different spots of the already set chocolate layer to make it easier to spread through. Smear all the dulce the leche until chocolate is covered. Chill in the fridge 4 to 6 hours, ideally overnight.
Decorate with fresh berries and more crushed toasted peanuts if desire.
