Creamy, rich peanut butter cheesecake filled with crushed Butterfinger candy bars and topped with peanut butter drizzle. This is one incredibly indulgent dessert recipe, and it all sits on top of an Oreo crust!
A creamy, thick peanut butter cheesecake that actually tastes like peanut butter (more on that later), on top of an Oreo cookie crust, filled with crushed Butterfinger candy bars, topped with more Butterfingers candy bars, and a peanut butter drizzle. Not diet food.
Let’s discuss the creamy cheesecake filling real quick.
I tested a few filling recipes when I made this a couple weeks ago. My test recipes were all sweet, thick, and creamy, but they lacked a rich, peanut butter flavor. Don’t you just hate biting into a peanut butter dessert that lacks peanut butter flavor?
I changed some things around, added more peanut butter, reduced a few other ingredients, and all was right in the peanut butter cheesecake world. The end result is nothing short of fabulous. Be sure to use creamy, non-natural, non-homemade peanut butter here. I like Jif or Skippy. You’ll need 1/2 cup.
You’ll also need a lot of Butterfinger candy bars. A dessert recipe calling for 12 fun-size Butterfinger candy bars has to be a good one, right? And if you have any leftover fun size Butterfingers, give these butterfinger cookies a try next. (A no-chill cookie recipe!)
Make sure you read my posts about How to Make a Cheesecake Water Bath (video tutorial there, too!) and How to Avoid Cheesecake Cracks before getting started.
Creamy and crunchy, sweet and salty, peanut butter and chocolate. Every single bite has something different.
When preparing this peanut butter butterfinger cheesecake, plan ahead because there are a few imperative stages. You cannot rush cheesecake! First, it takes awhile to bake through. Second, it must sit in the oven after baking as the oven cools down—this is another trick to avoid cheesecake cracks. Then, once the cheesecake is room temperature, you must chill it. It’s a great make-ahead recipe.
Sounds like a lot of work for cheesecake, but trust me—it’s so worth it! And then give these peanut butter pretzel cheesecake bars a go. So much cheesecake to try, so little time!
More Cheesecake Recipes
- Classic Cheesecake & Mini Cheesecakes
- Blueberry Swirl Cheesecake & Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake Bars
- No Bake Cheesecake
- Snickers Cheesecake
- Confetti Sprinkle Cheesecake
- Caramel Turtle Cheesecake
Peanut Butter Butterfinger Cheesecake
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Total Time: 2 hours, 30 minutes
- Yield: serves 12
- Category: Cheesecake
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
Creamy, rich peanut butter cheesecake filled with crushed Butterfinger candy bars and topped with peanut butter drizzle. This is one incredibly indulgent dessert!
Ingredients
Crust
- 22 regular Oreo cookies (not Double-Stuf)
- 5 Tablespoons (71g) unsalted butter, melted
Filling
- 24 ounces (678g) full-fat brick cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup (180g) full-fat sour cream (or full-fat yogurt), at room temperature
- 1/2 cup (125g) creamy peanut butter*
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
- 12 fun-size or 5 regular-size Butterfinger candy bars, chopped
- optional: 1/4 cup melted peanut butter for drizzling
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to the lower third position and preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Lightly grease a 9-inch springform pan with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
- Make the crust: In a food processor or blender, pulse the whole Oreos (cream filling and cookie) into a fine crumb. You should have about 2 cups (packed) crumbs, or 250g. Combine the Oreo crumbs and melted butter together in a medium bowl. Press tightly into the bottom and up the sides of prepared pan. Wrap aluminum foil on the bottom and tightly around the outside walls of the springform pan. This helps prevent leakage.
- Bake crust for 10 minutes. Allow to slightly cool as you prepare the filling. Leave oven on.
- Make the filling: Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and granulated sugar together on medium speed in a large bowl—about 3 full minutes until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Add the sour cream, peanut butter, and vanilla, beat until combined. On low speed, add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition until just blended. Do not overmix the filling after you have added the eggs. Using a rubber spatula or large wooden spoon, fold in 3/4 of your chopped Butterfingers. The rest will be for decorating the top of the finished cheesecake.
- Prepare the simple water bath (see note): If needed for extra visuals, see my How to Make a Cheesecake Water Bath; the visual guide will assist you in this step. Boil a pot of water. You need 1 inch of water in your roasting pan for the water bath, so make sure you boil enough. I use an entire kettle of hot water. As the water is heating up, wrap the aluminum foil around the springform pan. Place the pan inside of a large roasting pan. Pour the cheesecake batter on top of the crust. Use a rubber spatula or spoon to smooth it into an even layer. Carefully pour the hot water inside of the pan and place in the oven. (Or you can place the roasting pan in the oven first, then pour the hot water in. Whichever is easier for you.)
- Bake for 50-60 minutes or until the center is almost set.* Turn the oven off and open the door slightly. Let the cheesecake sit in the oven for 1 hour. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely at room temperature. Refrigerate for at least 6 hours or overnight (preferred).
- Loosen the cheesecake from the rim of the pan and remove the rim. Top with additional chopped Butterfingers and drizzle with melted peanut butter. Cut into slices and serve chilled.Cover leftover cheesecake and store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Notes
- Freezing Instructions: You can easily freeze this cheesecake for up to 2 months. Cover tightly and freeze. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): 9-inch Springform Pan | Food Processor or Blender | Glass Mixing Bowls | Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Large Roasting Pan
- Oreos: Try using peanut butter Oreos in the crust. Yum!
- Peanut Butter: Do not use natural or homemade peanut butter. You need thick, creamy peanut butter like Jif , Skippy, or similar.
- Alternate Water Bath Method: This method works as well, and you don’t have to bake the cheesecake IN water. Boil a kettle or pot of water. You need 1 inch of hot water in your roasting pan for the water bath, so make sure you boil enough. Place the cheesecake on the center oven rack of the preheated oven. Place a large metal baking or roasting pan (do not use glass—I usually use a 9×13-inch baking pan or an extra-large cast iron skillet) on the bottom rack. Pour boiling water into the empty pan, about 1 inch deep. Immediately close oven to trap the steam inside. This unique water bath adds steam to the oven without having the cheesecake sit inside the water itself. No need to wrap the springform pan in foil. See How to Make a Cheesecake Water Bath for more information.
- Avoid overbaking the cheesecake. When the cheesecake is done, there will still be a 2 or 3 inch wobbly spot in the center; the texture will smooth out as it cools.
Reader Comments and Reviews
I am looking for the recipe for the butterfinger nougat. Sometimes it is called seafoam or honeycomb? I thought there was a recipe I saw on the blog…..I have all three cookbooks (yay!) but it doesn’t have that recipe…. IDK, what to look it up as. Thanks Sally
Hi Ruth! I do not have a recipe for seafoam candy or something of that sort– I do have toffee recipes in Sally’s Candy Addiction and also this recipe, but that’s a different kind of candy.
Can I make this recipe without the peanut butter? Thank you!
Hi Debbie, we’d recommend using our classic cheesecake recipe instead. You can use an Oreo crust there and add the chopped Butterfinger candies to the cheesecake batter. Hope this helps!
Hi..just wondering..in our region we dont really have butterfingers..what can i use to substitute it?
Could this be made into a banana cheesecake? Or do you have a banana cheesecake recipe?
This cheesecake is AMAZING!!! I made it (with peanut butter cups instead of butterfingers) for a Thanksgiving potuck and EVERYONE was convinced it was store bought.
Thanks so much for sharing it with us!
I made this a few years ago and it was AWESOME so I’m bringing it back! I forgot to spray the pan before putting the crust in… do you think it will still be okay? This is a different oven than before and the wobbly spot was 4ish inches after cooking for 60 minutes at 350 in the water bath. Hoping it’s not undercooked and it evens out just fine! Fingers crossed. This recipe is amaaaaaazing. Worth the effort for sure!
The best cheesecake ever! I made it for the Christmas and everyone was amazed ! So soft! Delicious and unique ! ❤️
I made this cheesecake this morning. I used a sugar cookie crust instead of Oreos and Greek yogurt instead of sour cream. It turned out awesome. I didn’t wrap my spring form and didn’t use a water bath, either. Not a single crack was to be found. This is a great cheese cake recipe and I will make this more often.
made this this afternoon for thanksgiving tomorrow! can’t wait to try it and share! NO CRACKS in m cheesecake and i’m beyond proud of myself!!! thanks for a great recipe!
Hi Sally!
How would I adjust this recipe for mini cheesecakes?
Mini as in a 12-count muffin pan or 24-count mini muffin pan? Simply reduce the bake time until they seem done (20 minutes for the larger size) and maybe about 12 minutes for the mini mini size.
If making this in a muffin pan, is a water bath necessary? Do you put muffin pans in a water bath?
No, you don’t need to put muffin pans in a water bath. They’re best for a full, large cheesecake where cracks are prone.
I entered this into a cheesecake competition and WON 1st place! Go me!! It was incredible, the taste, texture…it came out with a few cracks so I topped it with more crushed butterfinger, crushed Oreos, melted chocolate chips, and a peanut butter drizzle and it looked beautiful! Thank you Sally!
I made this last night but with Peanut Butter Cups instead as Butterfingers aren’t easy to find in Europe (I’m in Gibraltar). It was for a cheesecake competition we are having at work. Well, the responses I got were incredible! Fingers crossed I may be the lucky winner but even if I’m not I know I made the best one! I’d post a pic but can’t attach on here. Melted some cups in with the PB to drizzle on top too. Thanks for the recipe! X
This. Was. AMAZING! I pinned this recipe a few weeks ago, then couldn’t WAIT to make it! The next trip to the grocery store involved multiple cream cheese packets and Butterfinger (and some “regular” PB since all I had was natural/organic which the recipe strictly advised against). Super easy to make and DELISH! Since it was just my husband and me eating this, I couldn’t rationalize eating an entire cheesecake in just a few days (though we most likely wouldn’t have any problem putting it away), I decided to cut the slices and freeze them individually. Knowing the fun size Butterfinger bars wouldn’t last in my kitchen, I went ahead and “decorated” the cheesecake slices before freezing. Once frozen, I wrapped each slice in plastic wrap, then in foil. We’ve been pulling a slice out almost every night! Since the Butterfinger cheesecake went so quickly, I decided to make another one a week later, but I tweaked it slightly – I replaced the PB with Nutella (still used the Oreo cookie crust) and omitted the Butterfinger. I topped the cheesecake with a drizzle of Nutella and and chopped hazelnuts on top; again, I sliced it and froze the individual slices. This is my go-to cheesecake recipe! It’s so versatile and EASY, not to mention DELICIOUS!! Thank you for sharing!!
I made this for my birthday, exactly as the recipe says, including the peanut butter-filled Oreos in the crust – wow!!! Hubby said it was the best cheesecake he’s had yet, and we’ve had a LOT of cheesecake. I definitely agree.
I made this for my son’s birthday, following Sally’s instructions to the letter. It was bombastic!! I was so thrilled to peek at it in the fridge after cooling overnight to see no cracks whatsoever. So perfect thanks to her detailed directions, and hours and hours of research to get the perfect method. For those thinking of skipping the water bath because you don’t have a roaster large enough, consider getting a disposable, foil turkey roaster. It’s only a few dollars at your grocery and since you’ll only be putting water in it you can dry it afterwards and save it to use it again for another cheesecake if you wish (I wouldn’t use it for any other purpose at that point). Also, for wrapping the springform pan, I had extra wide heavy duty foil that allowed me to do this with no seams. I’d recommend it. Sally, this was one phenomenal cheesecake!! Thank you for sharing your addiction to all things sweet! 🙂
Delicious! Rich and indulgent,I will absolutely make this again.
WOW – this was sooooooooooo yummy! You definitely succeeded in packing the recipe full of real peanut butter flavor, and I loved that! This is a seriously delicious cheesecake. I will definitely be making this again, and I look forward to trying a Reese’s peanut butter cup version as well. I had a great basic cheesecake recipe already, but I was craving a bunch of variations like I love to get at the Cheesecake Factory, and this will be my go-to peanut butter cheesecake recipe forever now. I have a very strong suspicion that if I tasted it side by side with the CF version, yours would be better. Well done, and thank-you so much!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Made this for a family gathering..and it was loved by all. I used p.b. oreos.makjng it agian tonight, except I had to use golden oreos. Can’t wait to see how it turns out
Made this cheesecake for Thanksgiving this year and it was delicious! It was so creamy and looked beautiful. I used peanut butter Oreos for the crust. This recipe is definitely a keeper & I can’t wait to make it again.
Wow! I made this for yesterday’s Thanksgiving dessert, and it was FANTASTIC! I made it the day before, and couldn’t stop myself from walking over to the refrigerator every half hour to admire it! I could barely wait to finish Thanksgiving dinner so that I could dig in to this cheesecake. It was absolutely wonderful. I’ll be making this again, for sure! Thank you Sally!
Hi Sally,
I’m looking to make this for Thanksgiving. Do you think adding pecan tips would be a bad thing? My bf loves pecans and peanut butter so I wondered if they would go together or not. I also bought Reese’s Peanut Butter chips..how would I go about using those here…melt some into the crust maybe? Melt and drizzle over the top? Does using the Yogurt really change the fast of the cheesecake? Thanks for answering my questions!! Looking forward to this!
Erin, (1) you may added chopped pecans to the filling, yes. Or sprinkle them on top when there is only 10 minutes left of baking left. (2) I do not suggest melting peanut butter chips in the crust. You could fold those into the filling or decorate the baked cheesecake with them. (3) do not leave out the yogurt.
Hi Sally,
I cant wait to try this out. I’ve never made a cheesecake but the recipe and directions you provided were easy enough to understand so I should be able to follow them! My husband loves cheesecake, but he doesn’t love chocolate. (I know, it’s really strange) Any tips for a different crust for this that is not made up of chocolate?
Thanks so much!!
how about a graham cracker crust? https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/2014/06/24/blueberry-swirl-cheesecake/
First off, thanks Sally for the response. I made this for my family Thanksgiving dinner but mostly for my husband. He doesn’t like chocolate and everyone usually brings some kind of chocolate dessert. Everyone who tried it said it was delicious. Thanks for sharing this easy to make recipe! My mom looked at me funny when I wrapped the pan in foil and sat it in water, but when it was done she was impressed. No creases or cracks or anything. Now I have something I can make him that he loves. I didn’t use the butterfingers, just left those out. I put melted PB on top with some little PB morsels!
I AM SO UNBELIEVABLY PROUD OF MYSELF!!!
JUST TOOK THIS CHEESECAKE OUT OF THE FRIDGE TO CHECK ON IT (IT’S FOR DESSERT FOR A PARTY TONIGHT) AND IT LOOKS PERFECT & THERE ARE NO CRACKS AT ALL!!!!
Wow, that looks like I’m yelling. Well I kind of am because I have never made a cheesecake before & I’m just so happy with the outcome of this one 🙂
Hi there! I simply have to try this recipe! I only have one problem – we don’t have Butterfinger candy bars (I live in South Africa). Could you suggest an alternative? Otherwise I’ll just brainstorm a bit and see what I can use 😉
Really any candy bar you like best. Or even chocolate chips – or leave them out entirely.
Hi, in SA you get Nut Puffs, same texture as Butterfingers, without the chocolate. They are about 1” long, pale apricot colour, with the crunchy pb filling.
Is it necessary to use a paddle attatchment because I don’t own one and all I have is a regular handheld mixer?
A regular hand mixer is just fine.
Hi Sally, if I reduced the sugar by 1/4 cup, do you think it would affect the overall sweetness of the cheesecake immensely? And usually when I make cheesecake, the top of mine brown quite a lot before they are ready-I check the temperature but it doesn’t change anything…any advice ?
Hi Angie – I’m sure reducing the sugar slightly would be fine. And I suggest loosely covering the top with aluminum foil to avoid heaving browning on top. Enjoy!
Hi Sally, Oreos don’t come in the big packs here in Kenya so i’d have to buy 6 packs containing 3 Oreos(which Is more expensive than buying one regular pack in the U.S.) and that’s kind of a hassle. Do you think I could make a brownie crust instead? And what do you think about a caramel drizzle instead of PB?
A brownie crust would be delicious, I’ve never made one before though. And caramel would also be a tasty option.
Can I use Reese’s instead of butterfingers?
Absolutely! Enjoy.
Hi Bethany! I haven’t made a key lime cheesecake in quite awhile, so I don’t have any suggestions. I do, however, have these mini key lime pies that have a little cream cheese in them. They’re delicious!
https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/key-lime-pies/