No-Bake Peanut Butter Cheesecake

Name: No-Bake Peanut Butter Cheesecake
Total time: 390 min
Yield: 1 deeper 23–25 cm cake, or 2 shallow 25 cm cakes; trial the pan size
Cuisine: Contemporary
Ingredients: Biscuit base:; 500 g digestive biscuits — Crush finely.; 200 g butter — Melted.; Filling:; 1 L double or whipping cream — Keep chilled; reserve a small amount for dissolving gelatine.; 230 g full-fat cream cheese — Soften briefly, then beat smooth.; 250 g smooth peanut butter — The source used Duerr’s; use a consistent product.; 180 g caster sugar — A finer form of the source’s white sugar, for smoother mixing.; 10 g leaf gelatine — Weigh the gelatine; sheet sizes and strengths differ. Follow the packet directions.; For softening the gelatine:; cold water — Enough to cover the sheets; drain and discard after soaking.

A chilled peanut butter and cream cheesecake with a digestive-biscuit base, stabilised with leaf gelatine for clean slicing.

Time390 min plus 360 min restLevelSee methodMakes1 deeper 23–25 cm cake, or 2 shallow 25 cm cakes; trial the pan size

Illustrative photo: Mini peanut butter chocolate cheesecakes, used as a serving illustration. Chocolate topping, nuts and cupcake presentation are not included in this plain cheesecake formula. Photo by Korona Lacasse, licensed under CC BY 2.0. View source. This image illustrates the dish; it is not a photo of a kitchen-tested version of this recipe.

Behind the plate

Batch: Catering dessert.

Equipment: One deep 23–25 cm springform tin, or two shallow 25 cm rings, Mixer, Small saucepan, Scales accurate to 1 g, Spatula.

The recipe

Ingredients

Biscuit base:
500 g digestive biscuits — Crush finely.
200 g butter — Melted.
Filling:
1 L double or whipping cream — Keep chilled; reserve a small amount for dissolving gelatine.
230 g full-fat cream cheese — Soften briefly, then beat smooth.
250 g smooth peanut butter — The source used Duerr’s; use a consistent product.
180 g caster sugar — A finer form of the source’s white sugar, for smoother mixing.
10 g leaf gelatine — Weigh the gelatine; sheet sizes and strengths differ. Follow the packet directions.

For softening the gelatine:

cold water — Enough to cover the sheets; drain and discard after soaking.

Method

1. Prepare the tin and base: Line the base of the chosen tin or rings. Mix the biscuit crumbs and melted butter evenly. Press into a firm, level base, then refrigerate while preparing the filling. The supplied formula makes two relatively shallow 25 cm cakes or one deeper cake.
2. Bloom the gelatine: Weigh 10 g gelatine and soak in cold water according to its packet, often about 5 minutes. Sheet count alone is not a reliable measure.
3. Beat the cheese mixture: Beat the cream cheese and caster sugar until smooth. Beat in the peanut butter until uniform. Scrape the bowl to remove any lumps.
4. Whip the cream: Reserve about 50 ml from the measured cream. Whip the remaining cream in a separate cold bowl to soft peaks. Do not over-whip.
5. Dissolve and temper the gelatine: Warm the reserved cream gently. Squeeze excess water from the softened gelatine and stir it into the warm cream until fully dissolved, following the packet and avoiding boiling. Mix a few spoonfuls of the cheese-peanut mixture into this liquid, then beat that tempered mixture back into the main cheese bowl. Work promptly to avoid gelatine strands.
6. Fold and fill: Fold the soft whipped cream into the cheese mixture in two or three additions, keeping as much air as possible. Spoon into the prepared tin or rings and smooth the top.
7. Chill until fully set: Cover without touching the filling and refrigerate at 0–5°C for at least 6 hours, preferably overnight. Check the centre is fully set before unmoulding. Actual set depends on gelatine strength and cake depth.
8. Slice neatly: Release the sides carefully. Cut with a warm, clean knife, wiping it between slices. Serve chilled. Toppings seen in an illustrative photograph are not included in this formula.

Chef’s notes

The cream-cheese quantity is modest relative to the cream; retain the supplied formula but kitchen-test the flavour and firmness before promising a classic dense cheesecake.
A 10% filling trial can check the gelatine and peanut-butter brand before making a full cake.
Editorial review: PAN SIZE: the original two 25 cm cakes will be shallow with this filling; one deeper tin is an editorial option requiring a capacity check.
Editorial review: Sheet count is replaced by 10 g gelatine and the manufacturer’s strength/method.
Editorial review: Chilling is extended to at least 6 hours as an editorial service recommendation, and mixing is reworked to reduce gelatine strands.
Editorial review: No untested 24–28 full-sized slices or dense classic-cheesecake texture is guaranteed.
Storage: Keep covered at 0–5°C, minimise time out of refrigeration and use a validated dessert shelf life based on the dairy ingredients and finished product. Gelatine setting is not a preservation process.
Conditional allergens: Check digestive biscuits for soya, egg, nuts and other declarations. Animal gelatine makes this recipe unsuitable for vegetarians; use only a separately tested alternative if developing a vegetarian version.

At the table

Serve chilled as a plain peanut butter cheesecake. Optional chocolate, nuts or whipped cream are separate additions with their own allergens.