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.
I would try making a chocolate mouse cake in this pan.
The first thing I would make is this. Absolutely, this.
And then I’d make a New York style cheesecake.
Thanks for the opportunity! 🙂
OK um, firstly, this cheesecake is my NEW FAVORITE THING. So much yumminess! And secondly, I’d definitely use it to bake this cheesecake or my great-grandma’s Black Forest Cherry Cake. Thanks for the giveaway!
I just made a lemon cheese cake with lemon curd which was heavenly but for just two people it is way to much I realy could use that smaller one to make a key lime cheese it would be just the right size for us
That cheesecake looks amazing!!
More cheesecakes, of course!!!
… a decadent cheesecake with fruit topping
PB & J, lovely idea translated into cheese…caaake! I make a peanut butter pie w/ cream cheese. Love to win the silicone springform pan
Hmmm…maybe coconut cheesecake to start? Not sure what I’d bake in it, but if it’s as useful as a silpat and microplane zester, then I’ll definitely love it! Thanks for the opportunity!
Thank you for the giveaway… I would like to bake what you just shared in here, that looks too good and different but if I win this I will give this to my friend in US of A
I would make the peanutbutter jelly cheesecake because they are my favorites.
I make a Country Ham cheesecake that is great appetizer for a crowd. This pan would be perfect!
Zoe,
This cake looks absolutely delicious and I do not even like PBJ. However I like cheesecake and wuld love to try it wit this new springform pan. Thank you
If I win, I’d make the PB&J Cheesecake….it looks delicious!
Hard to say, regular cheesecake is yummy, but this PB&J cheesecake looks so yummy!
I would certainly start off with this cheesecake! After that, I might try a triple layer chocolate mousse!
Oh how nifty! Hmmmm… I think I’d try making a flourless chocolate torte. 🙂
After this post, is there really any competition? I’d make this cheesecake, for sure!
A PB&J Cheesecake, of course! Oh, My!
A classic New York cheesecake!
Oh I will absolutely have to use my new springform pan (fingers crossed) for the pb&j cheesecake–I’m usually a cheesecake purist, but this looks too scrumptious not to try!
Look forward to trying my chocolate cheesecake in the pan. Never seen one like it!
This looks like the perfect cheesecake pan to make my white chocolate cherry or Black Forest cheesecake! Love your video, will surely pass this on and post everywhere!
This looks luscious, tasty and beautiful. Like a Reece’s in it’s wildest dreams!
CHEESECAKE! I’ve been experimenting with them and my oven on my blog.