Reese's Cheesecake Bars

Chocolate and peanut butter cheesecake bars with a chocolate ganache layer, all loaded with pieces of Reese's cups.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 19

Cook Time 55

Chill Time 3

Total Time 4 14

Servings

Calories 359kcal

Preheat oven to 325ºF. Line a 9x13-inch baking pan with parchment paper (or foil). Spray with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.
Place 9 graham cracker sheets in a food processor (in batches) and pulse until ground. If you don’t have a food processor, just put them into a large Ziploc bag and crush them with a heavy object like a rolling pin. Place crumbs into a medium size bowl and add 3 Tablespoons granulated sugar and 6 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and stir until combined.
Evenly press the mixture firmly into the bottom of the prepared pan. I like to use the bottom of a measuring cup to pack it in and get it into the corners. Bake for 10 minutes, and remove from the oven. Transfer to a wire cooling rack.

Roughly chop 24 Reese’s peanut butter cups by hand with a knife. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, use an electric mixer (or stand mixer) to beat 16 ounces (2 blocks) cream cheese, softened to room temperature until smooth and creamy. Add 3/4 cup granulated sugar and 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour and blend well, scraping sides of the bowl as needed.
Blend in 3/4 cup plain Greek yogurt, room temperature (or sour cream), 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and 1/2 teaspoon salt, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed.
Add 2 large eggs, room temperature, one at a time, beating well after each addition, scraping the bowl.
Gently fold in the peanut butter cup chunks with a rubber spatula and mix together.
Pour the cream cheese mixture over the crust and smooth out on top.
Bake for 40 minutes, until cream cheese filling is slightly jiggly in the middle, and set around the edges.
Remove from the oven, and set on a wire rack to cool completely, about 1 hour.

Cut 12 Reese’s peanut butter cups in half. Set aside.
In a small microwave-safe bowl, combine 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, 3/4 cup heavy cream and 3 Tablespoons unsalted butter.
Microwave on high for 30-second intervals, stirring after each burst. When the chocolate mixture is melted, stir until smooth. This should take less than 2 minutes altogether.
Add 3 Tablespoons powdered sugar and mix with a wire whisk until smooth. Pour over cooled cheesecake and smooth out.
Top with cut peanut butter cups, placing them cut side down on top of ganache in desired directions. Arrange them so it’s easy to cut into even bars without cutting through the cups.
Cover and chill in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours, or overnight. You may speed this process by putting it in the freezer for the first hour.
When completely chilled, lift from the pan by lifting the edges of the parchment paper. Cut into 24 squares and serve. Enjoy!

Please refer to my FAQ’s (Frequently Asked Questions) and ingredient list above for other substitutions or for the answers to the most common questions.
If all you have is salted butter, you can use that without any adjustments. There is such a minimal amount of salt in salted butter that it won't affect the end result. In fact, if you are wanting to cut a bit of the overall sweetness, that is a good way to do it.