Peanut Butter Cheesecake

Can you imagine the deliciousness of Peanut Butter Cheesecake but without all the high-fat calories? Now, you don’t have to imagine it- you can have it right at home! There can be anywhere from 800-1500 calories in a slice of cheesecake. The Cheesecake Factory’s peanut butter cheesecake slice is a whopping 1510 calories. It may be delicious, but that’s almost a day’s worth of calories. 

Make this lightened-up Peanut Butter Cheesecake instead and save yourself the worry of eating something so unhealthy. The creamy filling will satisfy all dessert cravings. The peanut butter flavor is nutty and pairs perfectly with any dessert. With this no-bake peanut butter cheesecake, you get a mousse-like filling that stays light and fluffy. There are endless variations too. If you don’t like Reese’s (I don’t know who doesn’t..), use M&Ms instead. The base of the cheesecake is easy to flavor any way you like. 

Three reasons why you need to make this recipe! 

It’s a no-bake cheesecake. 

This is a super simple recipe- you just mix the ingredients together and chill it. No master baking skills are required. Regular cheesecakes can take a lot of time and skill to get just right. This recipe is quick and doesn’t take any effort. And Peanut Butter Cheesecake is the perfect summer dessert because no oven will heat up the house. 

Frozen or chilled, both are great!  

The recipe requires that you chill the cheesecake, but you can also freeze it for more of an ice cream treat texture. It will stay firm but soft enough to eat. The cool whip gives it the perfect texture. You’ll have a peanut butter cheesecake icebox cake- yum! 

It’s worth the points. 

Compared to other lightened-up recipes on this site, a slice of this PB cheesecake does have quite a few points. But let me tell you, the taste is worth it. Save some points for this recipe because it will not disappoint. You get a little protein from it too which is always a bonus. 5 grams of protein per slice is a great perk for any dessert. 

Ingredients you need to make Peanut Butter Cheesecake: 

• 1 ready-made reduced-fat graham cracker crust
• 6 oz light cream cheese, softened
• ¼ cup reduced-fat peanut butter
• 2 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup fat-free Cool Whip
• 2 tbsp mini Reese’s pieces 

How to make Peanut Butter Cheesecake (step by step): 

1. With a hand mixer, cream together the cream cheese, peanut butter, brown sugar and vanilla until light and fluffy. 
2. Fold in the cool whip gently and mix well until nice and creamy.
3. Use a spatula and spoon into your ready-made crust. Spread it out as evenly as possible. 
4. Top with mini Reese’s pieces and refrigerate for at least 1.5 hours. Chilling is important, otherwise, it won’t be firm enough to cut. Leaving it overnight is best. 
5. Cut into 8 servings. Store it in the fridge. 

Makes 8 servings. Nutrition info per serving: Calories 342,  Fat 14g, Saturated fat 5.2g,  Carbs 34g,  Fiber .9g, Sugars 21g, Sodium 354 mg, Protein 5g. 

WW Points 

• 1 graham cracker crust 38 points
• 6 oz light cream cheese 16 points
• ¼ cup reduced-fat peanut butter 13 points
• 2 tbsp brown sugar 8 points 
• 1 tsp vanilla extract 0 points 
• 1 cup fat-free Cool Whip 5 points 
• 2 tbsp mini Reese’s pieces 7 points 

11 points per serving based on the WW app recipe creator.  

If you’re using an older version of WW, check out these points below. 

9PP, 9SP blue, green & purple or 6 points plus

Different ways to change up this recipe: 

• You can substitute PB2 in wet form and it will bring points down slightly.
• You can use fat-free cream cheese and/or Swerve brown sugar to bring down more points. 
• Any creamy nut butter would work for this recipe. Peanut butter is definitely a classic, but give almond or cashew butter a try. You might be surprised at how deliciously nutty it is. 
• If you’re allergic to nuts, don’t worry, you don’t have to miss out. Use Sunflower seed butter. You’ll still get the nutty, creamy taste and texture without the harmful nuts! 
• You can use any candies you’d like: mini M&Ms would be great. Lily’s has a peanut butter chip that would also work well, and it’s less sugar. You could also use chopped Reese’s cups. 
• For a vegan version, use vegan cream cheese and Truwhip Vegan cool whip. 
• Add 2 tbsp of cocoa powder for a chocolate peanut butter cheesecake version! 
• Another version of Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheesecake can be made by adding Lily’s sugar-free chocolate chips and Sugar-Free Hershey’s syrup instead of cocoa powder. 

Tips and Tricks for Peanut Butter Cheesecake. 

• If this is just for yourself, use the mini ready-made graham cracker crusts. It’s the same points, and that way it’s already in individual servings for the week. You can plan to have one each night. Store any extras in the freezer, wrapped tightly. 
• If the filling doesn’t set fully by just being chilled in the fridge overnight, you can freeze it to help it firm up. Make sure to wrap it tightly, otherwise, the freezer will make the filling gritty. 
• The filling only fills about ¾ of the pie shell. To add more volume, you can use more fat-free cool whip, but it will slightly change the taste. Or instead of mixing in the extra cool whip, you can top the pie filling with cool whip so that it’s full to the rim. Then add the mini Reese’s pieces on top. You can even spread the whipped cream so that it has peaks for a pretty presentation. 
• This cheesecake will stay fresh for 5-6 days in the fridge – but I promise, it won’t take you that long to finish it off! 

Similar recipes you’ll enjoy: 

• Your New Favorite Weight Watchers Brownies
• World’s Easiest Peanut Butter Brownie Recipe
• 27 Tasty Low-Calorie Cookies