No Bake Peanut Butter Cheesecake Bars
These No Bake Peanut Butter Cheesecake Bars are perfect for summer picnics or backyard gatherings!
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Do you guys ever totally space out when making a recipe? As in, just totally forget what you’re doing…and then end up screwing something up? That happens to me on occasion if I’m trying to multi-task…like when I made these No Bake Peanut Butter Cheesecake Bars last week. This is an easy recipe. It’s no bake, so there’s no need to turn on the oven. I jumped in the kitchen after lunch with the intention of making a quick batch of cheesecake bars.
I got everything prepped and ready. But as I poured the cheesecake filling on top of the crust, I thought…hmmm, this cheesecake filling seems rather thick. As I spread it on top of the Oreo crust, it just turned into a mess. That’s when I realized I had left out the whipped topping. Yup, the whipped topping thins out the cheesecake filling and makes it easier to spread…and I just totally whiffed and forgot to mix it it. So off to the grocery store I went to get more Oreos and more cream cheese.
And that’s when I did it again. I had this seemingly genius idea to just use an Oreo pie crust and crumble it up to make the base of these No Bake Peanut Butter Cheesecake Bars. Lesson learned. Don’t use a pie crust. It crumbled ok, but when I added the melted butter, it turned into a chocolate-y mess. Not what you want when you’re making tasty cheesecake bars! So I did what everyone should do after whiffing on recipe instructions not once, but twice. I walked away and took a nap.
When I went to pick up Robbie at daycare later, I swung by the grocery store (again) and picked up another pack of Oreos. I mean, I’m always looking for an excuse to buy Oreos…so why in the heck did I pick up the pie crust instead of the classic cookies? I was trying a shortcut…a shortcut that failed.
Fortunately, the 3rd time is a charm, and these No Bake Peanut Butter Cheesecake Bars came out perfectly. Of course, I’d planned to have them ready in the evening for dessert…but they ended up being made in the evening and then served the next day. That’s ok, though. What’s that old saying about being patient? Oh yeah, it’s No Bake Peanut Butter Cheesecake Bars come to those who wait. Yeah…that’s it!
These cheesecake bars are served either refrigerated or frozen (frozen is my favorite!), so they are perfect for summer picnics and backyard gatherings. Plus, you can totally make these bad boys ahead of time and save ’em in the freezer…just try not to eat them all first. (I speak from experience.) Enjoy the sunshine this weekend, my friends!
No Bake Peanut Butter Cheesecake Bars
Ingredients
For the Oreo Crust
- 25 Oreo cookies separated and filling removed
- 2 Tbsp brown sugar
- 5 Tbsp unsalted butter melted
For the No Bake Cheesecake
- 8 oz. cream cheese softened
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 8-oz. container whipped topping, softened at room temperature slightly
- 3 Tbsp peanut butter
Instructions
For the Oreo Crust
- Place the Oreo cookies and sugar in a food processor or mini-chopper. Pulse until finely ground. Transfer crumbs into a large bowl and stir in melted butter.
- Layer an 8”x8” baking pan with wax paper. Press Oreo mixture into bottom of pan using a flat-bottomed glass.
For the No Bake Cheesecake
- Using a hand mixer, blend together the cream cheese, powdered sugar and vanilla extract until smooth.
- Fold in the whipped topping.
- Spread the cheesecake filling evenly on top of the Oreo crust.
- Using a small glass bowl, melt the peanut butter in the microwave. (Tip: The goal is to make the peanut butter fully smooth without “cooking” it.)
- Drop several spoonfuls of melted peanut butter on top of the cheesecake layer. Using a knife, swirl the peanut butter into the cheesecake.
- Cover and freeze for at least 2 hours. Slice into bars before serving.
Looking for more no bake dessert recipes? Check out these other favorites, too:
No Bake Chocolate Almond Pie
No Bake Lemon Cheesecake
No Bake Butterfinger Pie
I’m honestly not sure I can wait long enough for these cheesecake bars. Cheesecake + peanut butter + no baking required = dessert nirvana. I’ll take three batches, please! Have a great weekend, David!
3 batches? That’s it? I mean I will gladly make you as many batches as you’d like, Kelsie. (You did say that you babysit in exchange for desserts, right?) These PB cheesecake bars turned out quite well despite the repeated attempts…but I blame that on baker’s error. 🙂
Hi David. These sound like the perfect dessert for a warm/hot summer night. I can so relate to your kitchen woes. I made a cake for a friend’s birthday last weekend which turned out just fine. I made the same buttercream frosting I always do and somehow I did or didn’t do something; it would not stiffen up so I added more (and more) powdered sugar and it came out the right consistency but was way too sweet! Then my crock pot quit working two hours into cooking an 8 pound pork butt so I had to transfer it to the oven. I managed to get everything done, but was it was very frustrating!
Oh my gosh, these no bake PB cheesecake bars really are the perfect dessert for a hot summer evening! Give them a shot sometime…but promise me not to eat them all at the same time, ok? 🙂 And I feel your pain with the kitchen woes. What’s funny is that it often happens on the easiest recipes. Oh well, it sounds like everything worked out with your cooking/baking adventures, so all’s well that ends well, right? Hope you and Gary had a great weekend! Stay cool down there…or just eat a bunch of frozen cheesecake bars! 🙂
I was so feeling your pain as I read this, David! That second time, wow – a nap was really the only answer. But thank you for your persistence because, YUM! And who doesn’t love a no-bake dessert in these blazing summer days.
Oh man, I can’t even tell you how frustrated I was with this recipe, Marissa! And here’s the thing: this recipe is really easy! I was just making dumb mistakes. And stuff like that always happens with the easiest of recipes, right? 🙂 Either way, the persistence (or stubbornness) paid off here because these bars turned out SO good!
I’m loving the look of that peanut buttery swirl in these bars! Yes, I’ve totally spaced out while baking or cooking and messed up recipes – countless times! haha. It usually happens when I’m trying to do too much at once or talking on the phone while baking.
What’s funny (and always really annoying) is that spacing out always happens on the easiest of recipes. I mean this recipe couldn’t be easier if it tried…and it took me 3 attempts! But I think the easy recipes is also part of the problem as I just go into autopilot mode…until I realize I screwed something up! 🙂
Wow.. those yummy peanut butter swirls.. Cant take my eyes off them 🙂
Why thank you very much, Sharmila! The PB swirls in these bars were fun to make…and even more fun to eat! 🙂
Yes, I totally understand the spacing out thing. I do it too and I hate it when I mess up a recipe. But you are right 3rd time is a charm these peanut butter cheesecake bars look yummy. I love no bake desserts in the summer.
Man, I really get frustrated when I mess up an easy recipe! And I can’t believe I messed thus one up twice. 🙂 But I’m glad I stuck with it as this is definitely a new favorite dessert around here. No bake + summer = the perfect match! Thanks, Dawn!
I haven’t had ‘no baked cheesecake’ since high school, which means it’s way overdue. I always space out when making recipes, I also tend to forget ingredients when following a recipe so I have to go over it over and over and over again, do you have that issue, David? I’m a horrible multi-tasker. I’ve never had peanut butter cheesecake, but I know I would love it.
Oh my gosh, Mary, I can promise you that you will like these no-bake bars! They are seriously amazing…and perfect for summer. Just don’t be like me and totally space out while making them, ok? I mean it really is an easy recipe!! I hope you had a great weekend out there in LA, my friend!
Oh, that has totally happened to me more than once. Sometimes, the recipe is salvageable, other times not so much. I just blame it on too much going on in my mind, lol. We always have too much to do, right 😉 ? These look fabulous, though, David, and I would definitely imagine that frozen is the way to go with these, especially on a warm day 🙂 Hope you have a wonderful week!
Yeah, I hear ya, Dawn! Usually you can salvage the recipe when the mistake is minor…but these were pretty major mistakes. I had to just start all over…twice. And I really hate having to start all over! But I’m glad I stuck with the recipe and didn’t just throw in the towel. These bars are totally a new favorite around here. And they taste even better when served on a hot day! 🙂
David – I cannot tell ya how many times I’ve totally spaced out too when I’ve got too many things in ma head that I put off writing down – next thing you know, am adding salt instead of sugar, leaving baking powder out and all such hijinks! Next time am doing what you do and taking a nap! 🙂
Though – I don’t know if I could walk away from any mess that involves Oreo’s! Tbh, I might have eaten attempt 1 and 2 and chalked it up to taste testing! These bars look fantastic! Did Robbie get a taste? So scrumptious! By the way – did you enter the Oreo creation contest here https://mondelez.promo.eprize.com/myoreocreation/ ?
Oh gosh, I totally know those baking hijinx, Shashi…especially when I’m trying to multitask (i.e. watch Robbie). I really have to focus when I’m cooking, or else things just go south fast! But version #3 of these bars finally came to fruition, and boy, am I glad they did! These bars are nothing short of delicious…and we’ve made them again for a picnic since I posted ’em, too. Robbie got a taste for sure, but strangely he’s still working on his love of frozen foods like popsicles and stuff. I’m sure it’s coming, but he’s not quite there yet. Oh, and thanks for the heads up on the Oreo contest…I’m going to check it out now! 🙂 Happy, Monday, my friend!
As I read through the post and drool over the pictures, I realize this is a very simple recipe to put together 😀 And I won’t even have to turn on the oven :P! Also, I love swirling stuff 🙂 It’s the prettiest and simplest way to make any dessert look so gorgeous. I will be making these over the weekend for sure 🙂
You are absolutely right, Deepika! This really is an easy recipe to make…and it doesn’t require the oven. 🙂 And I totally agree with you about swirling things into desserts…it’s really fun to make, and everyone loves the presentation, too! Thanks so much for stopping by and commenting!
OMG, it loooks soo good! I like creamy cheese cakes with an extra flavour like this! I haven’t eaten before but I’ll try this soon! Thanks, Dora
You should definitely give these PB bars a shot, Dora…they are really, really good! 🙂 And they also don’t take very long to make at all. (But I do highly recommend freezing them and then serving ’em frozen!) Thanks for stopping by and commenting, and I hope you enjoy these as much as we do!
Most of the time my head is on another planet! I totally get you! Ha!
These bars are such a good idea! I´m defo trying these!!
Yeah, I totally understand, Johlene! Except I was not in the best of moods when I kept having to make grocery store runs the day I made these. Ugh! But I’m glad I stuck with it as they turned out quite well. 🙂 They are easy to make (assuming you pay attention to what you’re doing!), and they’re even easier to eat! Thanks so much, my friend!
Hi there, Anna! As you’re from Canada, I’m going to assume you don’t realize that “you guys” is simply a slang term here in the United States. There was absolutely no insult or derogatory nature to the comment. (In a former life, I worked closely with women’s resource centers on a number of different college campuses.) I hope you enjoy these bars…they’re quite tasty, y’all!
The first step for the Oreo Crust says to place the cookies and sugar(?) in a food processor. I could not find an amount of sugar listed to be added. Help
Hey Jan! Ack, that is totally a mistake on my part. I am so sorry! Whenever I make this Oreo crust, I typically use 2-3 Tbsp of brown sugar. I’m updating the recipe right now. I hope you enjoy these cheesecake bars! They’re one of our favorites around here. 🙂