Lightened-Up Peanut Butter Cheesecake with Chocolate Biscotti Crust and Honey Peanuts
Dec 08, 2020, Updated Dec 16, 2024
A Creamy Cheesecake made with Cottage Cheese – no cream cheese here!
Decadent and creamy – Make my recipe: Chocolate Peanut Biscotti for the crust and pile on some Honey Peanuts on top ~ see that recipe too!
My newest Obsession!
Loving the light feel and creamy texture of this cheesecake with addictive chocolate-peanut flavors.
A smooth and decadent Cheesecake made with Cottage Cheese – no cream cheese here!
Method:
- Yes, no blocks of cream cheese!
- 48 ounces of cottage cheese will be placed in a mesh strainer to remove the water content and thicken
- Add to a blender with eggs, sour cream, smooth peanut butter, sugar, vanilla and sea salt.
- That’s it! Add to the Chocolate Biscotti crust and bake in a water bath for one hour
- My gluten free Chocolate Peanut Biscotti make the perfect (gluten free) crust!
- You may use any chocolate crispy biscotti or wafers as well
Garnish!
The crust is made from my Chocolate Peanut Biscotti – with a little melted butter for binding. Honey peanuts are a snap to make – top the cakes edges with them!
Perfect for any special occasion!
Karen
Lightened-Up Peanut Butter Cheesecake with Chocolate Biscotti Crust and Honey Peanuts
A Creamy Cheesecake made with Cottage Cheese – no cream cheese here!Decadent and creamy – Make my recipe: Chocolate Peanut Biscotti for the crust and pile on some Honey Peanuts on top ~ see that recipe too!
Equipment
- 1 9" springform pan
- 1 larger pan to hold the cheesecake
Ingredients
- 48 ounces cottage cheese, I used 4% fat
- 6 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 cup sour cream
- 3/4 cups smooth peanut butter, room temperature, I used a natural type; just peanuts
- 1 1/2 cups pure cane sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 recipe Karen's Honey Peanuts, see recipe (optional but love!)
Biscotti Crust:
- 10 biscotti Karen's Chocolate Peanut Gluten Free Biscotti, Yields: 2 1/4 cups ground.
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, I used organic
Instructions
- You will need: 1, 9″ springform pan, plus: Large 12″ x 12″ (or up to 18″L ) pan with 2″ high sides (will cook the cheesecake in.)
- Make the Honey Peanuts for garnish.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Wrap a 9″ springform pan with two layers of heavy foil.
Make the Biscotti Crumb Crust:
- Grind biscotti (I use a 4 cup food processor) until finely ground. Melt butter in glass bowl in the microwave. Add biscotti crumbs, blend with a rubber spatula until combined. Spoon crumbs into the pan, smooth the bottom evenly and build up and edge 1 1/2 inches. Easiest way to do this – use the bottom of an one cup measuring cup.
- Bake for 15 minutes until crisp. Set aside.
- Add water to a kettle – bring to a boil, turn down to low so it is ready when you need it.
- Turn down oven temperature to 325 degrees.
While the crust bakes: Make the filling:
- Place all the cottage cheese in a fine mesh strainer over a bowl to fit to straighten out the moisture. Use a rubber spatula and press gently on the cottage cheese, forcing the liquid to fall to the underneath pan. Let stand for 15 minutes at room temperature to drain water content.
- Add the drained cottage cheese – will have 4 1/2 cups (1 cup liquid remaining for another us or discard) Add to the carafe of a blender.
- Add the remaining ingredients in the order written; eggs, sour cream, peanut butter, sugar, vanilla and sea salt.
- Cover the blender – blend until very smooth, from low speed to medium speed (I use a Vitamix.) Blend for 1 minute. Scrape down the sides with a rubber spatula and blend one more minute.
- Pour the filling into the cooked crust. Place the cake into the larger pan with 2 inch high sides. Pour the boiling water into the pan, careful not to get any into the cheesecake, place in the middle of the oven.
- Bake for cheesecake one hour, then turn the heat off.
- After 10 minutes, crack the oven door open half way, and let the cake settle for 20 minutes. Should feel firm, with a slight golden color.
- Remove cake to a wire rack to cool completely. Refrigerate until cold, covered with plastic wrap (I add a layer of waxed paper first.)
To Serve:
- I like to make a quick Chocolate Glaze to streak over the cheesecake and garnish the edges with the Honey Peanuts.
Hardened Chocolate Glaze:
- Place chocolate chips (1/4 cups chocolate chips (Ghirardelli 60% cocoa chips) and 1 1/2 teaspoons coconut oil in a glass bowl, microwave until just melted; stir. Spoon the glaze over the cold cheesecake in a decorative pattern – will harden in a few minutes. Add honey peanuts all around the edge of the cheesecake and serve.
Notes
Karen’s Easy Honey Peanuts recipe
Chocolate Peanut Biscotti – They’re Gluten Free! recipe
This recipe may not be reproduced without the consent of its author, Karen Sheer.
Nutrition
Calories: 429kcalCarbohydrates: 33gProtein: 20gFat: 25gSaturated Fat: 10gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 139mgSodium: 566mgPotassium: 270mgFiber: 1gSugar: 30gVitamin A: 588IUVitamin C: 0.2mgCalcium: 137mgIron: 1mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Tried this recipe?Mention @azestforlife or tag #azestforlife!
I have made this cheesecake many times. Let me tell you, it’s amazing. Like that it is lighter in consistency than cream cheese ones. Once I got the hang of straining the cottage cheese, it’s quite simple. And wonderful peanut butter flavor. All my guests can not believe it’s made with cottage cheese. I did make the biscotti once so it would be gluten free, otherwise I use chocolate wafers. Now I have to try the strawberry one! Five stars!
Thank you Marilyn for this review (and that you have made it many times!) I LOVE this cheesecake too. Thanks too for the details, I love to hear them. 😀Karen