Peanut Butter Snickers Cheesecake

Peanut Butter Cheesecake loaded with Snickers candy bars baked on a brownie crust topped with caramel and peanuts, finished with a thick layer of milk chocolate ganache is an impressive dessert recipe for any party. This Peanut Butter Snickers Cheesecake recipe is an upgraded version of my Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheesecake.

Peanut Butter Cheesecake with Snickers and Brownie Bottom

What do you get when you combine all of these sweet treats—rich cheesecake with Snickers candy bars, brownies, caramel sauce, crunchy salted peanuts, and milk chocolate ganache in one delectable cake? Pure bliss!!!

Chocolate and peanut butter are a match made in heaven. If there is anything better than this combo, then it is chocolate-peanut butter boosted with Snickers candy bars, caramel, and peanuts.

This decadent cheesecake has so many delicious layers.

First, it has a brownie bottom. Instead of regular cookie or graham cracker crust, I used a brownie mix to make chewy fudge brownie “crust”.

The central layer is smooth and creamy peanut butter cheesecake, loaded with chunks of Snickers candy.

Then comes the star of the show- caramel and salted peanuts layer. My favorite part of Snickers candy bars is definitely chewy and sticky caramel with crunchy peanuts. I added a generous layer of this goodness on top of my cheesecake.

Finally, on top, there is smooth and silky, milk chocolate ganache garnished with more snickers candy pieces.

How to Make Brownie Crust for Cheesecake?

For this recipe, I choose to make brownie bottom instead of regular cookie crust because Oreo crust can be overpowering and sometimes too sweet. Therefore I pick a chewy and fudgy brownie layer for the base of this cheesecake.

Most cheesecake recipes with a brownie bottom, whether it uses homemade brownies or brownie mix, prebake the brownies before adding cheesecake filling. I did not bake the brownies, just chill he crust in the freezer.

I used brownie mix to make the base layer. Also, I substituted the oil with melted butter and didn’t use water. I wanted the brownie mixture to be thick and doughy. Then, I pated the dough into the bottom using a spatula and placed it in the freezer while making the filling. The same process is used for my Ooey Gooey Pecan Butter Cake.

However, I didn’t need to add water, just an egg, and melted butter, and all dry ingredients clumped together perfectly. If you have some dry mix leftovers on the bottom of the bowl, add just a bit of water to clump everything together.

How to Make Peanut Butter Cheesecake?

The most important thing is to bring all of the ingredients to room temperature. If the cream cheese is not softened and the eggs or sour cream is cold, your mixture will be lumpy.

Beat softened cream cheese with sugar and vanilla. Add sour cream, peanut butter, and corn starch and mix just to combine. Next, add eggs and mix at low speed to combine evenly. Scrape down the bottom of the bowl. Using a spatula, stir in chopped Snickers. Spread the mixture over the chilled brownie layer and bake.

How to Make Caramel Peanut Topping

If you don’t want to bother with making homemade caramel from scratch, use the shortcut like I did and make the caramel sauce from soft caramel candies. Unwrap the candies and put them into a saucepan over low heat. Add evaporated milk and gently stir until smooth. When the caramel is smooth and creamy stir in peanuts.

The mixture will thicken very fast so you have to be quick. Spoon the mixture over cooled cheesecake and spread into an even layer. Place in the fridge to firm.

How to Make Milk Chocolate Ganache?

The common way to make the ganache is to pour the boiling cream over the chocolate and let the heat of the cream melt the chocolate. But since the caramel layer is lumpy due to peanuts, you’ll need a thick ganache so you can even it out.

You can make the ganache the regular way and wait for the ganache to thicken, but I found this way faster to work. Place chopped chocolate and ½ cup of heavy cream in a saucepan and melt over LOW heat, stir it gently until completely smooth and has no lumps. Then stir in the remaining cold heavy whipping cream. Cold cream will thicken the ganache fast. Use just about half of the ganache and set the cake in the freezer for 5-10 minutes to harden the first layer of the ganache. Take the cake from the freezer and reheat the rest of the ganache to thin it so you can pour it over the cake to make the smooth and shiny surface.

Let the ganache cool at room temperature, then place the cake in the fridge until ready to serve. That way you will keep the shine of the ganache.

However, this cheesecake recipe seems to require too many steps, but it’s not that hard to make, and the result is totally worth it.

Happy baking!

Print