No-Bake Gluten Free Chocolate and Peanut Butter Cheesecake (Dairy-Free Options)

Ingredients:

For the Crust:
• 1 recipe Chocolate Cookie Crust or Super Crunchy Chocolate Cookie Crust, baked or not
• 3/4 cup finely chopped peanuts, divided
For the Filling:
• 2 8-oz packages gluten-free cream cheese (Philadelphia or for dairy-free, Tofutti or Go Dairy Free), softened
• 2/3 cup gluten-free sour cream (or Tofutti brand if dairy-free)
• 1-1/2 cups creamy gluten-free peanut butter, at room temperature
• 2-1/3 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1/3 cup unsalted butter or gluten-free margarine (Smart Balance or Earth Balance are both dairy-free), melted
• 1/2 recipe Peanut Butter Frosting
• 1/2 recipe Chocolate Ganache (or Raw Dairy-Free Ganache)
• Mini Reese's Peanut Cups* (the ones that are individually wrapped or whole 2-packs)

Instructions:

To Make the Crust:
1. Make the crust as instructed in your chosen recipe by clicking on one of the above links. Add in 1/2 cup of peanuts to the food processor or fold it in by hand. (However, you don't have to bake it. Because the cookies are already baked,.) Simply oil a 9-inch springform pan and press the cookie dough on the bottom and slightly up the sides, if desired.
To Make the Filling:
2. In the bowl of your electric mixer, beat all of the filling ingredients together until creamy. Spoon it onto the top of the cooled crust and distribute evenly. Cover the top with plastic wrap, directly over the filling. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.
To Garnish:
3. Make the Peanut Butter Frosting recipe as instructed at the above link. Remove the cheesecake from the refrigerator. Remove the ring from the springform pan. Top the cheesecake with a thin layer of peanut butter frosting and slightly down the sides. Then pipe some around the outer edge. The edge will hold in the ganache.
4. Make the Chocolate Ganache recipe and pour as much as you desire into the center of the top of the cheesecake and distribute evenly.
5. Optionally, lightly pat the remaining finely chopped peanuts on the sides of the cheesecake where it has the peanut butter frosting.
6. Garnish with broken pieces of gluten free peanut butter cups.

Tips

© Copyrighted 2009 - 2016. Wilkins Publishers. All rights reserved. All content, photos and images are copyrighted by us or their respective owners. You must obtain permission by their owners before using any of them.