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.
Wow, a springform that doesn’t leak? I haven’t had one of those in ages. I would bake Marion Cunnjngham’s cocoa cake but would first try this gorgeous PBJ cake. And my oven wouldn’t become a disaster.
I’d certainly try this recipe – looks so yummy. Thanks.
I love any thing pb & j! Looks delicious!
I would love to have this spring form pan to bake my yearly Valentine’s day cheesecake.. an old true and tried recipe.. the one from the Argo Corn Starch box. Just love it!
I have a chocolate torte that would fit the bill. The Idiot Cake. Google search for it.
I would love to win a new Leuke Silicone Springform pan so that I could bake this lovely looking cheesecake and, my favorite, a carrot cake!
Never heard of a silicon springform pan before, but I’d sure love to test it out. An ice cream cake would be a great way to break it in, I think…
LOVE to have one of these. Starting to teach my darling granddaughter to bake, and I think this would help her see all of the various levels of the cheesecakes while we build them!
This PB&J cheesecake is definitely the first thing I would bake in that awesome pan. I am going to be dreaming about this.
I would make a 3 layer cheesecake.
I’d bake this cheesecake in it! 🙂 Looks amazing and delicious!
I would try this Cheesecake it looks Amazing !
Awesome pan!
nice post and video!!
Pumpkin cheesecake with espresso topping would be my cheesecake of choice to bake in the new pan. thanks!
I am going to try your recipe this weekend for a potluck we are going to, it looks delicious. Delicious. If I win, the first thing I’d make would be a Chocolate Strawberry Torte. 🙂
I love to make cheesecakes and it’s usually the request from my family for birthdays. Anything with peanut butter is also huge so this recipe will cover both for me.
Seeing as anything with PB is a favorite in my house, I would have to try making this yummy PB & J Cheesecake.
chocolate cheesecake!!!
I’d bake a cheesecake! And this one seems like a good to do it in! Or a cake, for my friend’s upcoming birthday
This is my first time discovering your blog and I love it! If I won the springform pan, I would try baking an Italian with Eggplant and Pasta Incaciata (where the springform pan is key) or I would attempt this lovely, beautiful pb&j cheesecake. I love your ganache video. Thank you for sharing!
I enjoy experimenting with different flavors in my cheesecakes. This pan looks like it would be perfect since I could actually see how various fruits and other flavors mix and react in the batter.
I would first bake my favorite, just plain new york cheesecake. yum
I can’t tell you how helpful your video is! I am just about to cover my cake with ganache 🙂 This cheesecake sounds and looks amazing! I would love to give it a try in the Leuke pan!
Oh cheesecake of course…why an awesome pan!
GORGEOUS PAN and equally delicious looking dessert! I would love to make a Raspberry Double Chocolate Torte! Mmmm.
I would love to try this cheesecake, of course, or maybe a red velvet cheesecake!