Chef notes
This no-bake cheesecake is the perfect dessert for back-to-school season. It borrows the nostalgic flavor of a classic peanut butter and jelly sandwich and reimagines them into a decadent no-bake cheesecake. Stash it in your fridge and snack on all throughout the week. This silky, rich cheesecake is just the thing for satisfying an after-school sweet tooth.
It all starts with a simple two-ingredient crust made with crushed graham crackers and melted butter that gets pressed into a pie pan. You’ll then combine cream cheese, whipped cream and a generous dose of vanilla extract with creamy peanut butter to create the cheesecake base. The peanut butter lends the cheesecake a bold, nutty flavor and silky texture, while also providing one of two necessary peanut butter and jelly-inspired components. For the best texture, make sure to use creamy, not chunky peanut butter and avoid using the natural varieties. They have a tendency to separate and become oily, making it difficult to evenly incorporate with the other ingredients, resulting in an oily cheesecake filling.. From here, pour the cheesecake batter into the graham cracker crust and smooth it into an even layer using an offset spatula
For the jelly portion of the peanut butter and jelly, dollop your favorite jam variety (I like using concord grape jelly) onto the top of the cheesecake filling, then use a thin knife or chopstick to swirl it into the cheesecake. At this point the cheesecake will be very soft, but after chilling in the fridge for about twelve hours (preferably overnight) the cheesecake will become firm enough to cleanly slice.
Get Ingredients:If you don’t have everything you need on hand, you can easily purchase all of the ingredients (just click the orange button below that says ‘Get Ingredients’). You can pick and choose exactly what ingredients you need based on what’s in your pantry and they’ll be on your doorstep before you know it.
Special Equipment Required: Use a stand mixer to make quick work of whipping the cream cheese filling. Alternatively, use a large mixing bowl and an electric hand mixer.
Ingredients
For the Crust
- 8 ounces plain graham crackers (about 15 full crackers)
- 7 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
For the Cheesecake Filling
- 2 (8-ounce) blocks full-fat cream cheese, room temperature
- 2/3 cup creamy peanut butter, room temperature
- 3/4 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 cup fruit jam such as grape or strawberry
- chopped toasted, salted peanuts, for garnish (optional)
Fulfilled by
Preparation
1.
Make the crust: In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the blade attachment, add the graham crackers and process until the crackers are the texture of coarse sand and no large pieces remain, 20 to 30 seconds. (Alternatively, place the graham crackers into a large zip-top bag and smash with a rolling pin.)
2.
Transfer the graham cracker crumbs into a large mixing bowl and add the melted butter. Mix with your hands until the graham crackers have evenly and fully absorbed all of the butter.
Transfer the graham cracker mixture into a 9-inch glass, ceramic or metal pie plate. Press the crumbs into the bottom and sides of the pie plate using your hands or the bottom of a measuring cup. The crust should come all the way up to the lip of the pie plate. Place the pie plate in the fridge and let the crust cool for at least 30 minutes.
3.
While the crust is chilling, make the cheesecake filling: In a large mixing bowl, mix the cream cheese and peanut butter with a rubber spatula until thoroughly combined.
4.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine the heavy cream, powdered sugar, vanilla extract and salt. Gradually increase the mixer speed to high and whip until stiff peaks form, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. Turn the mixer off and add half of the cream cheese mixture. Mix on medium speed until completely combined, about 1 minute. Turn the mixer off and add the remaining cream cheese mixture. Mix on medium speed until completely combined, about 1 minute.
5.
Pour half of the cheesecake mixture into the chilled pie crust and smooth into an even layer. Dollop half of the jam in about six or so one-tablespoon-sized dollops on the surface of the filling and use a chopstick or thin knife to artfully swirl the jam into the cheesecake mixture. Top with the remaining cheesecake filling, smooth into an even layer and swirl the remaining jam onto the top of the pie using the same dolloping and swirling technique. Garnish with the peanuts, if using, and refrigerate the pie uncovered for at least 12 hours before serving.
