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Ugh. Do you hear that?
It’s the sound of my pant seams ripping apart.
My buttons popping.
My stretchmarks stretching.
My…wait. What? That last one? It was too much for you? Okay. I’ll stop now.
The thing is, I ate a lot of cheesecake. But, not just any cheesecake. Peanut butterrrrrrrrr cheesecake. With peanut butter. And more peanut butter. And also, some peanut butter.
We’re talking about a peanut butter crust, made from Nutter Butters, natch, a peanut butter cheeecake, stuffed with peanut butter cups. One can not have too much peanut butter. That’s a fact. Unless you’re allergic, in which case, I’m sorry and you should probably not come anywhere near me and my peanut butter fumes for the next little while.
Reese's Peanut Butter Cheesecake Bars
Ingredients
For the crust:
- 15 Nutter Butter cookies
- 1/4 cup butter melted
For the Peanut Butter Cheesecake
- 16 ounces cream cheese softened
- 1 cup white sugar
- 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 4 large eggs
- 1/2 cup milk I used 1%, but 2% or whole milk would be great too
- 12 full size Reese’s peanut butter cups
For the topping:
- 1/2 cup chocolate chips
- 1 teaspoon shortening
Instructions
- To make the crust, combine the Nutter Butters and melted butter in the bowl of a food processor or blender and pulse until you have fine crumbs. Alternately. crush the cookies in a sealed baggie with a rolling pin and then mix with the butter.
- Press the crust into the bottom of a greased 9x13 pan.
- To make the cheesecake, preheat oven to 325 degrees.
- Beat together the cream cheese, peanut butter, sugar, and flour until light and smooth and creamy. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Stir in the milk.
- Pour batter onto the prepared crust.
- Place the 12 Reese's peanut butter cups in the batter, lined up so that there will be one cup in each piece of cheesecake when cut, and gently press them in to cover them in the batter.
- Bake for 10 minutes at 325 degrees.
- Reduce heat to 260 and bake for 40 minutes or until just the center is slightly jiggly.
- Let cool on the counter top for 30 minutes before placing in the refrigerator to cool for another 4 hours.
- To top the cheesecake, melt the chocolate chips and shortening together in a microwave safe bowl on low heat. Alternately, melt in a double broiler.
- Place the melted chocolate in a piping bag (or baggie with the tip cut off) and pipe on the melted chocolate.
- You can also drizzle it on with a spoon, if preferred.
- When serving, cut the bars so that each piece has a peanut butter cup in the center.
Nutrition Information:
I created this recipe as part of my partnership with Hershey’s this holiday season.
linked up to Tidy Mom’s I’m Lovin’ It Link Party & Taste & Tell Thursday
Gabrielle Pritt says
Would this be good using butterfingers instead of Reese cups do you think?
Karly says
@Gabrielle Pritt,
Absolutely!
Gabrielle Pritt says
@Karly,
Question, I’m doubling this recipe for a thicker cheesecake, do I double the cook and cool time also? Making it for my husbands birthday today.
Karly says
@Gabrielle Pritt,
I haven’t tried doubling this recipe, so I don’t know how long you’ll need to bake it. Definitely longer than called for, but I’m not sure how much longer.
Deborah says
Seriously – I’m trying to lose the baby weight, but looking at these just makes me want to dive right in! Thanks so much for linking up to Taste and Tell Thursdays!
melissa {persnickety plates} says
I made (& blogged!) these for my husband’s birthday. They were awesome – thanks! =)