Keto Peanut Butter Cheesecake

One slice of this Keto Peanut Butter Cheesecake and you're going to be hooked. Not only is it creamy and delicious but it's rich in chocolate flavoring as well. This homemade cheesecake is sugar-free, gluten-free, and low carb, too. 

Is there anything better than the combination of peanut butter and chocolate? I'm a bit of a chocolate expert (in my own right) and I'm gonna go out on a limb and say "no". Combing chocolate with creamy peanut butter is a winning recipe every single time but when you pair it up with this creamy cheesecake, you know it's going to be a hit.

Not only is it a hit, but it literally disappears almost as quickly as I put it out on the table. The kids and adults in this house are cheesecake fanatics and there's no stopping us once we get started snacking. This is one of my favorite keto desserts!

I really think you're going to love this creamy peanut butter cheesecake. The chocolate mixture on top provides the perfect balance with the rich peanut butter center. One bite and you'll be hooked. With just 7 net carbs per decadent piece, it is great for special occasions.

Make sure to check out my Dark Chocolate Mint Cheesecake as well as my Keto Pumpkin Cheesecake as well.

Ingredients Needed

The good news is that making gluten free peanut butter cheesecake doesn't actually take a ton of ingredients or super hard instructions. Just gather up the ingredients listed below to get started.

Chocolate Crust Ingredients

• Almond Flour - Needed to create the base of the crust. 
• Cocoa Powder - I use unsweetened cocoa powder. 
• Joy Filled Eats Sweetener - Check out my simple homemade sweetener here. It is a blend of erythritol, xylitol or allulose, and stevia. I've found this combination has no aftertaste. I do offer alternatives in the recipe card so you can use the sweetener of your choice.
• Butter - I use salted butter in all of my recipes. It balances the sweetness of the other ingredients.

Cheesecake Filling Ingredients

• Peanut Butter - Creamy peanut butter works best. Make sure to choose a sugar-free peanut butter.
• Cream Cheese - Make sure it's at room temperature. 
• Joy Filled Eats Sweetener - I do offer alternatives in the recipe card.
• Eggs - Eggs are a necessary binder in this. For an egg free cheesecake check out my no bake cheesecake recipes.
• Vanilla - Vanilla extract gives a nice flavor to the cheesecake.

Chocolate Ganache Ingredients

• Sugar Free Chocolate Chips - I normally use ChocZero chocolate chips because they melt easily. Save 10% with code 'joyfilledeats'.
• Heavy Cream - If you don't have heavy whipping cream on hand you can also use half and half to make ganache.

How To Make Keto Peanut Butter Cheesecake

Once you find out how easy it can be to make homemade cheesecake, you're going to want to make this easy keto cheesecake over and over again. I prefer to make this in a food processor but you can use a stand mixer or electric mixer and mixing bowl if necessary.

To make the chocolate crust:

Step One: Preheat the oven and wrap the outside of the pan with foil. Spray the inside with cookie spray.

Step Two: Add all the crust ingredients to the food processor and pulse. 

Step Three: Press the dough into the springform pan and bake at 350 for 10 minutes.

To make the peanut butter cheesecake filling:

Step One: Put the filling ingredients with the food processor.

Mix until smooth and creamy.

Expert Tip: Want peanut butter cheesecake dip? Just omit the eggs and thin with a little cream. It is heavenly!

Spread the filling out evenly over the par-baked crust.

Step Two: Add hot water to a large roasting pan to make a water bath. Put the cheesecake into the pan and don’t get water on it.

Step Three: Reduce the temp to 325 degrees and bake for 70 minutes. The cheesecake should look firm and only jiggle slightly when it is done.

Expert Tip: Don't worry that there seems to be space between the cheesecake and crust. The ganache will seep down into that space and hold the whole thing together while giving the crust more flavor!

To Make the Optional Ganache Topping:

Step One: Melt the ingredients until smooth. I normally just slowly melt them in the microwave.

Step Two: Pour the mixture over the top of the cheesecake.

Step Three: Gently tap the cheesecake pan and let the ganache settle.

Step Four: Allow the ganache to harden before serving.

Variations

Crustless - If you're not wanting to make your own crust, you can skip it entirely. The pieces might be a little messier when serving but it will be just as delicious.

Peanuts - For a sweet and salty crunch top the cheesecake with roasted salted peanuts. Just sprinkle some on top after you pour on the ganache.

White Chocolate - You can make a regular almond flour crust and swap out the chocolate chips for sugar free white chocolate chips to make a white chocolate peanut butter cheesecake.

Garnish - I love that smooth chocolate topping but you can add a garnish if you want such as chopped sugar free peanut butter cups or a drizzle of melted white chocolate.

No Bake - Try this chocolate cheesecake that is set with gelatin to make it no-bake. You can add peanut butter to the filling.

Common Questions

Why does my peanut butter cheesecake recipe have cracks?

This could be for a few reasons. If your cheesecake didn't get baked all the way, there might be cracks on the top. There may also be cracks if there is too much moisture in the cheesecake as well.

How do I know when the cheesecake is done baking in the oven?

Cheesecakes can be a bit tricky to determine if they're done baking. The easiest way to see if the dessert is done baking is to remove it from the oven and give it a slight shake.

If the middle of the cheesecake has a slight jiggle, this is a good indicator that the dessert is done and ready to be pulled from the oven.

However, if the cheesecake as a whole is jiggly all over, it needs more time in the oven to bake.

Can you use crunchy peanut butter?

Chunky peanut butter is an option but creamy peanut butter is a much better texture for this simple cheesecake recipe. Cheesecake is meant to be creamy and smooth. If you can't have peanuts you can also use another type of nut butter such as almond butter.

Can you freeze cheesecake?

You can! Cheesecake does great in the freezer as long as you keep it out of the air. Just add it to an airtight container with a lid and store it for later. Save some of this keto peanut butter cheesecake recipe so you can eat it later on your low-carb diet!

If you're looking for more keto diet cheesecake recipes, check out my Keto Cheesecake Cupcakes as well as my Orange Creamsicle Cheesecake.

Love chocolate peanut butter? Try these keto peanut butter balls. They are the best fat bombs recipe ever.

 

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Originally Published November 24, 2021. Revised and Republished January 28, 2023.