Peanut Butter Cheesecake

By srumbel

The first time I served this cheesecake, my friends all went wild over it. They were surprised when I told them the crust is made of pretzels. The pairing of sweet and salty, creamy and crunchy, plus peanut butter and chocolate, left everyone asking for another slice. —Lois Brooks, Newark, Delaware
from tasteofhome

Ingredients

• FILLING:
• 1-1/2 cups crushed pretzels
• 1/3 cup butter, melted
• 5 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened
• 1-1/2 cups sugar
• 3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 3 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 cup peanut butter chips
• 1 cup (6 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips
• TOPPING:
• 1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream
• 3 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup finely chopped unsalted peanuts

Preparation

Step 1

•In a small bowl, combine pretzels and butter. Press onto the bottom
and 1 in. up the sides of a greased 10-in. springform pan. Place pan
on a baking sheet. Bake at 350° for 5 minutes. Cool on a wire
rack.

•In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Add peanut
butter and vanilla; mix well. Add eggs; beat on low just until
combined. Stir in chips. Pour over the crust. Return pan to baking
sheet.

•Bake at 350° for 50-55 minutes or until center is almost set.
Remove from the oven; let stand for 15 minutes (leave oven on).

•For topping, in a small bowl, combine the sour cream, peanut butter
and sugar; spread over filling. Sprinkle with nuts. Bake 5 minutes
longer.

•Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Carefully run a knife around the
edge of the pan to loosen; cool 1 hour longer. Refrigerate
overnight. Remove sides of pan. Refrigerate leftovers. Yield: 12-14
servings.

Nutrition Facts: 1 serving (1 slice) equals 539 calories, 32 g fat (14 g saturated fat), 86 mg cholesterol, 366 mg sodium, 54 g carbohydrate, 3 g fiber, 12 g protein.