Hi there! Hope you all had a great weekend. I went to two Penguins (NHL) games this past weekend and the weather was absolutely beautiful so I spent a ton of time outside. I even got a little sun burnt! Which is a big deal after dealing with snow for literally 5 months straight. Actually, there's a chance of snow for the next few days. Ahh. I don't want to talk about it anymore.
Moving on. I was quite busy the past few days, but not too busy because this cheesecake happened. And when this happened, the skies opened and the angels sang. I actually sat on the floor during the "photoshoot" and ate a piece of this because I couldn't resist it any longer.
This cake is very very decadent and rich. But very very delicious as well, obviously. I mean, look at it! The base is just a simple date/almond crust, which we all know that you can't go wrong with that. I use that as a base for a ton of my desserts and it never disappoints. The chocolate layer is so smooth, creamy, and rich. Ahhh, it's truly heaven. I'm telling you. Then we top this baby off with some fresh chocolate peanut butter cups and some extra peanut butter for good measure. Come on, you know you want this! Even though it looks like it might be difficult to make, well it's really easy to make! Yay for that and yay for everything else. Let's get to the most important part, yesss.
Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheesecake
serves 8-10
Base:
1 cup dates
1/2 cup almonds
Blend together and spread at the bottom of a parchment paper lined 6 inch round pan. Set aside
Chocolate Layer:
2 bananas
2 cups cashews, soaked for 2 hours
3 tablespoons cacao powder
2 tablespoons maple syrup
Blend ingredients together until a smooth texture is reached. Pour mixture into pan and place in the freezer for 8 hours or overnight.
Peanut Butter Cups:
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
1/4 cup cacao powder
2 tablespoons maple syrup
Peanut butter
Mix together coconut oil, cacao powder, and maple syrup. Pour enough chocolate to cover the bottom of the lined mini cupcake pans. Set in the freezer for 10 minutes to set up. Remove and spoon a small amount of peanut butter in the middle of the cups. Pour the rest of the chocolate over top of the peanut butter to cover completely. Place in the freezer for 20-30 minutes to set up.
Once everything is completed, remove the cheesecake and peanut butter cups from the freezer. Place the peanut butter cups on top of the cheesecake however you'd like. I used 6 of the peanut butter cups for a top layer and then chopped the rest and put them on top. Drizzle more peanut butter on top if desired. Serve, enjoy!
Store in refrigerator for up to a week or in the freezer for 3-4 weeks.
