Peanut Butter and Jelly is a staple in most children’s diets. In fact, I just read that Americans will consume billions, with a B, of sandwiches every year. I can believe it, since my kids picked it for lunch 9 out of 10 times, until very recently.
I’ve gone through what must be 100s of pounds of peanut butter and even more jelly. They’re certainly easy to make, which saved me lots of time in the mornings before school, but I felt a little guilty packing it for them EVERY day. I mostly dreaded other parents finding out that my kids ate the same thing over and over. In my head I wanted them to eat bento boxes, with carved vegetables and seaweed salad, but, it was their lunch, their choice and they loved PB&J. The truth is that I love it too; almost everyone does, if we’re honest. Here’s a peanut butter and jelly cheesecake that has all the fond memories of those childhood sandwiches, but it’s way more decadent and sophisticated.
Once in a while I find a new product that changes the way I cook and bake. I felt this way about the Silpat and the Microplane Grater
The pan is fantastic, but took some getting used to, because it is transparent and flexible. It has a pin (the black tab) that slides in and out to seal the pan to the base. You’ll see a better picture of the pin later in the post.
How to Make Peanut Butter and Jelly Cheesecake
See me make it step by step and find the full recipe at the bottom of this post.
Preheat the oven to 325°F.
In a food processor pulverize the Oreos, butter, sugar and salt.
Pour into the pan and pat flat with your finger tips, bringing the oreo crumbs up the sides slightly. Bake the crust for about 10 minutes or until set.
In a stand mixer, fitted with the Beater Blade, mix the cream cheese on low speed, scraping down the sides to make sure it is all smooth. Add the sugar and sour cream.
Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each. Add the salt and vanilla.
Split the batter into two bowls. Add the peanut butter to one bowl and add the jelly to the second.
Place the pan on a baking sheet. Spread the peanut butter batter over the oreo crust, smoothing out the top.
Very carefully add the jelly batter over the peanut butter batter.
Place the cheese cake in the center of the oven. Place a second baking sheet on a lower shelf and fill it with water. The water will create steam in the oven and prevent the cheese cake from developing a hard crust. Bake for about 60 minutes or until set in the center. The top will souffle slightly. Allow the cheesecake to cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, at least 4 hours. After one hour in the refrigerate, loosely cover with plastic.
Carefully run a thin bladed knife around the edge of the pan. Pull out the pin.
Unmold the cake from the pan.
To make the ganache:
In a saucepan, bring the cream to a simmer. Remove from the heat and add the chopped chocolate and butter. Allow to sit for 2 minutes, then stir gently, until totally smooth.
Place the cheesecake on a cooling rack that is sitting above a baking sheet, lined with parchment. This will catch the excess ganache.
This video shows you how to make the ganache, pour it over a cake and decorate the sides.
Let the cake sit on the rack until the ganache has set up, about 45 minutes.
To decorate the sides see the above video.
Use a thin Bread Knife
When you cut into it, the peanut butter and jelly layers will reveal themselves.
Ingredients
Crust
- 20 whole Oreos
- 3 tbsp butter melted
- 2 tbsp sugar
- Pinch salt
Cheesecake
- 2 1/2 lbs cream cheese room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 3/4 cup sour cream
- 5 eggs
- 2 egg yolks
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp vanilla make homemade vanilla
- 3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1/2 cup jelly if you are using one that is pale, you may consider a drop of food coloring to perk up the color
Ganache
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 lb semisweet or bittersweet chocolate finely chopped
Instructions
Make the Cheesecake
- Preheat the oven to 325°F.
- In a food processor pulverize the Oreos, butter, sugar and salt. Pour into the pan and pat flat with your finger tips, bringing the Oreo crumbs up the sides slightly. Bake the crust for about 10 minutes or until set.
- In a stand mixer, fitted with the Beater Blade, mix the cream cheese on low speed, scraping down the sides to make sure it is all smooth. Add the sugar and sour cream. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each. Add the salt and vanilla.
- Split the batter into two bowls. Add the peanut butter to one bowl and add the jelly to the second. Place the pan on a baking sheet. Spread the peanut butter batter over the oreo crust, smoothing out the top. Very carefully add the jelly batter over the peanut butter batter.
- Place the cheesecake in the center of the oven. Place a second baking sheet on a lower shelf and fill it with water. The water will create steam in the oven and prevent the cheese cake from developing a hard crust. Bake for about 60 minutes or until set in the center. The top will souffle slightly. Allow the cheesecake to cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, at least 4 hours. After one hour in the refrigerate, loosely cover with plastic.
- Carefully run a thin bladed knife around the edge of the pan. Pull out the pin. Unmold the cake from the pan.
Make the Ganache
- In a saucepan, bring the cream to a simmer. Remove from the heat and add the chopped chocolate and butter. Allow to sit for 2 minutes, then stir gently, until totally smooth.
Pour the Ganache
- Place the cheesecake on a cooling rack that is sitting above a baking sheet, lined with parchment. This will catch the excess ganache.
- This video shows you how to make the ganache, pour it over a cake and decorate the sides. Let the cake sit on the rack until the ganache has set up, about 45 minutes.
- Use a thin Bread Knife, dipped in a pitcher of hot water to cut the cake. When you cut into it, the peanut butter and jelly layers will reveal themselves.
This is the most amazing springform pan I’ve ever seen! If I win, I’m making this PB&J caked immediately!
I don’t have any springform pans, so winning one would be SWEET. Geez, I don’t even know what I would start with….some sort of decadent chocolate cheesecake for sure. 🙂
Zoe…. I go to your website for incredible recipes. So far I have made five desserts that were fabulous! Thank you for all the passion you put into your baking. Your photographs and easy instructions are fantastic (especially for some of the harder techniques) 😀
Cheesecakes of every flavor imaginable and ice cream cakes!!
I love to bake. I can think of lots of people I could make cheesecake for too! I’ve never had jelly in my cheesecake before.you ate very creative!
I love this pan – wonderful design! I would use it for a deep dish pumpkin pie I’ve been eyeing! And a lovely lemon cheesecake. Thanks!
What a cool way to make a cake? The frosting is super shiny. Love it!
I would bake my favorite New York Cheesecake recipe in it. This type of pan is perfect for the RV oven !
Since I just pinned this awesome looking cheesecake to my Pinterest board, looks like this would be exactly what I would bake!
I’ll use it for baking red velvet and cheesecake cakes for my red velvet and cheesecake cake (a layer of cheesecake between 2 red velvet layers). The cake is one of the best, therefore gets made a lot for my friends and family.
We’ve got this no-bake strawberry cheesecake that sounds good. It may sound good because it sounds like summer too 😉
I have trouble making perfect cheesecakes; they never come out quite right. This pan might be the solution! I would so love to try your amazing looking and sounding PB&J recipe using a Leuke Silicone Springform Pan. Thanks for the giveaway!
Umm this! I will make your peanut butter and jelly cheese cake in it! 😀
Wow! I would make this cheesecake – your pics are incredible. I really enjoy your recipes!!
Flourless chocolate cake or a upside down cake….
Ooh I would bake your pbj cheesecake to begin with cuz it sounds super delish!!! Then a Nutella cheesecake for my boys!!!
hmmm…i’d try this cheese cake first! it sounds wonderful! i think the pan would be great for a quiche – i always wish mine were deeper!
I have been craving my Boston cream cheesecake recipe lately. It would be perfect to test in this new pan!
I would bake this cheesecake first. Then I would bake some goodies for Passover like Schaums torte.
apple pie cheesecake–i’ve had the idea in my head for a long time!
That looks fantastic! In addition to trying your PB&J cheesecake, I’d use that pan to bake a lemon tart. 🙂
I would make your delicious pumpkin cheesecake (with brittle!!). I also want to try to make an ice cream cake, which the easy release would be ideal for.
I’d make a chocolate cheesecake!
I would likely make a lemon cheesecake – something I’ve always wanted to make but always chickened out! 🙂 Thanks for the opportunity! ♥
I would use it to make your pb&j cheesecake. It looks wonderful!!!