Our Reese's Peanut Butter Cheesecake Brownies are the ultimate dessert. A rich brownie base, creamy peanut butter cheesecake filling, and lots of Reese's candies will have everyone asking for seconds.
Brownies and cheesecake are two of my favorite desserts. One night, I couldn't decide which treat I wanted more, so I combined them in a baking pan.
Then, I added my favorite candy and created the best cheesecake bars. My chocolate and peanut butter-loving family couldn't get enough of it. Plus, it completely satisfied all my cravings!
Whether you're a peanut butter fan or just looking for a delicious snack, this recipe will surely hit the spot.
Jump to:
Why You'll Love Reese's Cheesecake Brownies
The best part about these brownies is that they are so easy to make. They begin by using a brownie mix, then you add a homemade peanut butter cheesecake.
- Easy to make. A box brownie mix keeps the crust on these peanut butter cheesecake brownies super simple.
- Peanut butter lovers dream. The peanut butter flavor paired with the fudgy brownies will have everyone craving more. Reese's candies and a melted chocolate topping make these so dreamy.
- Perfect for parties. These cheesecake bars travel well and are great for picnics, potlucks, or holiday parties. Trust me, you will come home with an empty pan every time.
Looking for more cheesecake brownies? You must try our cherry cheesecake brownies or these coconut cheesecake brownies.
Main Ingredients
Make this delicious peanut butter cheesecake brownies recipe in minutes! With only a handful of simple ingredients, this recipe is a breeze to make.
- Brownie Mix - Use a 9x13 brownie mix and follow our instructions instead of the box. Feel free to make a double batch of our chocolate chip brownies if you prefer homemade instead.
- Cream Cheese - Full-fat cream cheese gives these bars the best taste and texture.
- Creamy Peanut Butter - Regular peanut butter like Jif or Skippy works best for this recipe. Natural peanut butter tends to separate and to be oily, so it isn't a good choice here.
- Sweetened Condensed Milk - Sweetens the cheesecake filling and gives it a rich, creamy texture.
- Cornstarch - Thickens the cheesecake batter. Flour can also be used.
- Reese's Peanut Butter Cups - Use one bag of Reese's minis cut in half. Although, you can use regular Reese's chopped up into quarters. Either one works.
- Toppings - Melted chocolate chips, peanut butter, and Reese's Pieces make the peanut butter cream cheese brownies look pretty.
How to Make Peanut Butter Cheesecake Brownies
The layers in the best peanut butter cheesecake brownies are so easy to make. Don't forget to allow the creamy cheesecake to chill in the fridge after baking.
- Prepare the brownie batter. Beat the brownie mix, water, oil, and eggs with an electric mixer in a large bowl. Spread in a greased pan.
- Make the cheesecake filling. Beat the cream cheese, butter, and peanut butter until creamy. Add a can of sweetened condensed milk, cornstarch, egg, and vanilla, and beat again until smooth.
- Add mix-ins. Stir in the chopped peanut butter cup candies gently. Gently spoon the cheesecake mixture evenly over the top until it covers the brownie batter.
- Bake and cool. Place the pan in the oven and bake for 45-50 minutes. Remove and place pan on a wire rack to cool.
- Add the topping. Spread melted chocolate on top of the chilled cream cheese layer. Drizzle with melted peanut butter, then use a butter knife to swirl it together. Sprinkle with mini Reese's Pieces and let it set.
Storage Recommendations
In the Refrigerator - Keep the leftover brownies in an airtight container in the fridge for the best results. They will stay fresh for up to 5 days.
In the Freezer - Let the cheesecake brownies cool completely, and then store them in a freezer-safe container. Thaw in the fridge overnight before serving.
Tips and Tricks
- Line your pan. Use aluminum foil or foil-lined parchment paper to lift the brownies out easily. Make sure to spray the foil with nonstick baking spray so they do not stick to the lining.
- Use room temperature ingredients. Bring the cream cheese and eggs to room temperature before mixing the batter to prevent lumps.
- Be gentle. Spoon the cheesecake onto the brownie batter very gently. Begin by adding it to the outside edges first, then spoon it into the center.
- Let it cool. Chilled brownies and cheesecake are much easier to cut, so cool them in the fridge for a few hours first.
Cheesecake Love
Inventive, Irresistible, and Super-Easy Cheesecake Desserts for Every Day.
Order Your Copy Today: Amazon
FAQs
You don't have to - but it's a faster and easier option! If you have a great homemade brownie recipe that you want to use, go for it!
Regular peanut butter such as Jif or Skippy works the best in this recipe. Natural peanut butter tends to be oily and will not work as well in these bars.
We have found that different brownie mixes tend to bake differently with this recipe. Follow our tips and the exact recipe so your brownies bake properly.
Another option is to pre-bake the brownie layer for 20 minutes. Then, pour the cheesecake batter on top and bake for another 30 minutes.
More Peanut Butter Recipes
- Reese's Peanut Butter Cookies
- Peanut Butter Truffle Brownies
- Peanut Butter Blondies
- Peanut Butter Balls
- Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Treats
Do you love a recipe you tried from Inside BruCrew Life?
Please leave a 5-star ⭐️ rating and a review in the comments section below.
Recipe
Peanut Butter Cheesecake Brownies
Swirls of chocolate and peanut butter make these Peanut Butter Cheesecake Brownies absolutely irresistible. These brownies always disappear in a hurry at parties and events.
Ingredients
For the Brownies
- 1 - 9x13 package box brownie mix
- 3 tablespoons water
- ½ cup canola oil
- 2 large eggs
For the Cheesecake
- 1 - 8 ounce package cream cheese, softened
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- ¼ cup creamy peanut butter
- 1 - 14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups Reese's peanut butter minis, halved (1 family sized bag)
For the Topping
- 1 ¾ cups milk chocolate chips
- ½ cup creamy peanut butter, divided
- ½ cup mini Reese's Pieces
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°. Line a 9x13 pan with foil-lined parchment paper.
- Mix together the dry brownie mix, water, oil, and eggs. Spread in the bottom of the prepared pan.
- Beat cream cheese, butter, and peanut butter until smooth and creamy. Add the condensed milk, cornstarch, egg, and vanilla and beat again until smooth.
- Stir in the halved Reese's minis. Gently spoon the cheesecake batter on top of the brownie layer. Bake for 45-50 minutes. Remove and cool on a wire rack for an hour, then refrigerate until chilled completely.
- Place the chocolate chips and ¼ cup peanut butter in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat for 30 seconds. Stir until creamy. Heat again for 15 seconds if needed.
- Heat the remaining peanut butter in a separate bowl for 20 seconds and stir until creamy.
- Spread the chocolate chip mixture on top of the chilled cheesecake brownies. Spoon the melted peanut butter in lines across the chocolate. Use a butter knife to swirl the mixture.
- Sprinkle the top with the mini Reese's Pieces. Let set before cutting squares. Store in the refrigerator.
Notes
- Line your pan. Use aluminum foil or foil-lined parchment paper to lift the brownies out easily. Make sure to spray the foil with nonstick baking spray so they do not stick to the lining.
- Use room temperature ingredients. Bring the cream cheese and eggs to room temperature before mixing the batter to prevent lumps.
- Be gentle. Spoon the cheesecake onto the brownie batter very gently. Begin by adding it to the outside edges first, then spoon it into the center.
- Let it cool. Chilled brownies and cheesecake are much easier to cut, so cool them in the fridge for a few hours first.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 24 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 518Total Fat: 31gSaturated Fat: 11gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 18gCholesterol: 47mgSodium: 283mgCarbohydrates: 55gFiber: 2gSugar: 31gProtein: 10g
Nutrition facts are an estimate and are not guaranteed to be accurate. If you need special diet advice, please see a registered dietician.
*This post was originally published in November 2010. The photos were updated in September 2018, then it was republished in October 2023.
We participate in the Amazon Services LLC Program, an affiliate program designed to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com.
Erica Salazar
These were good however I wish they had more of a cheesecake flavor.
amy kekst
...... sorry, the baking temp is written on your website, but somehow did not get included when I clicked on the "print" version. So sorry for the misinformation !!!!
amy kekst
Hi, I followed your recipe exactly, and the brownies turned out raw in the middle. I see some other comments to the same effect. Also, you don't list an oven temperature on your baking instructions. I am very disappointed that this did not work, the ingredients cost a fair amount. maybe there should be a weight given for the amount of brownie batter to use, this would help with different size brownie mixes..... Also, I feel the cooking instructions should be different, as there is no way to get the two batters to cook evenly. Thank you for your help !!!!
Jocelyn
I'm so sorry you were disappointed in these. I do have to say that gooey and raw are two very different things though. Is there a slighty gooey center where the cheesecake and brownie meet? Yes, and it's that way in all of mine too. That does not mean it is raw or not cooked. As long as you used a box mix (or homemade) brownie for a 9x13 pan, it will be fine. If you want to bake the brownie for 20 minutes ahead of time and then pour the cheesecake batter on and bake an additional 25-30 minutes, that is also an option.
amy kekst
Thank you so much for your feedback, !!!!
Suz
Hi! Help! I made these, followed instructions, and the middle of the brownie was raw. Do you have any idea what could’ve happened or if I could bake the brownie partially first? The ingredients aren’t cheap so wanted to ask before I mess it up again ha thank you so much! The corners were delicious though!
Jocelyn
I wonder if your oven runs just a little bit cooler than mine. We have made these quite a few times and never had them be raw in the middle. You could always bake them 4-5 minutes longer. They can be slightly gooier in the center depending on what brand of brownie mix you use. My favorite brownie mix is actually the Aldi box brownies. You could partially bake the brownies, then add the cheesecake layer and finish baking it, but I wonder if that would affect the baking time. I haven't done it that way, so I'm sorry that I don't have an exact answer for you.
Melissa
Help! I've made these amazing brownies in the past but can't get the link for the recipe to work this time. What am I doing wrong?
Jocelyn
Hi, Melissa. I am so glad you have made and enjoyed these brownies. We had a site issue today that took down all the recipe cards. Everything has been fixed, so you should be able to access the recipe again.
Donna
This came out so good.Thanks for recipe to try out.
CB
The video shows flour being added.
Cornstarch is included in the list of ingredients but not mentioned in the steps.
I noticed both of these things after putting these in the oven.
Jocelyn
Thank you for letting me know cornstarch wasn't mentioned in the instructions. I have that fixed. I also added a note about the the video mentioning flour. Either one will work. How did yours turn out???
Pat
I would like the old recipe, I have made it for my family several times and they loved it, I pinned it thinking it would stay the same. Now I wish I would have copied it.
Jocelyn
The differences in the new updated recipe is that I added 1/4 cup peanut butter to the cheesecake batter, left out the extra Reese's candy bars, and added extra chocolate to the top. Feel free to leave out the peanut butter and to use extra Reese's candy bars in the batter if you prefer.
CB
I just put these in the oven and then happened to watch the video. In the video flour is mentioned tho none is listed in the recipe ingredients. I just noticed 1 tbs cornstarch is listed but it’s not mentioned in the steps. I’m guessing flour is needed to help the cheesecake layer rise. Is 1 tbs the amount of flour needed?
Jocelyn
No, actually the recipe is correct. My husband helps me do the videos and he thought it was flour, and I didn't catch it before publishing it. To be quite honest, either one will work though.
Megan John
I did not have parchment paper. Do you think it’s possible that they’ll turn out ok just leaving them in the pan to cool??
Jocelyn
Yes, they will be just fine in the pan with parchment as long as you sprayed the pan with nonstick spray. I just prefer the parchment so I can make clean cuts for pictures and serving! I hope you enjoy them!
Liz
I was at least able to salvage most of it, just cut off the crust around the edge. The surface on top is too burned to taste great as well, but when I bite together with the brownie, I hardly notice it. My fiends who are coming tonight will still eat it. 😉 I have never seen those brands in any grocery store in my area. My guess if you are in the US, there's a lot of things people talk about using there that Canada seems to not believe in or something. Unbelievably, this is still good enough that it will be gobbled up! But next time I will find a from-scratch recipe online, or not be so greedy and use all the batter from 2 boxes. I suppose I could bake some in another dish, so as not to waste.... just wouldn't feel right throwing out brownie!
Liz
Would have been helpful to know what brand brownie you used. I don't normally make anything from a mix, but was in a hurry to get it done and was at the store for the other ingredients anyway, and all the brownie mixes were for an 8x8 pan or 9x9, not 9x13. So I mixed 2 boxes, and followed the rest of the instructions. Well it has now been over an hour and the inside in the middle is still not baked. After 50 min I put the pan in my convection oven, since the cupcakes I was also making were finished, and it was still burning too much on top after 10 more minutes in the convection, and still not baked in the middle. So I covered the top in foil and continued baking for another 15 min. Just took it out, top is burned further yet, almost as brown as the brownie on the bottom, and finally the toothpick is coming out without unbaked brownie batter clinging to it. If they still taste good when all is said and done, I will try again, but next time I'm baking the brownie first, and then adding the cream cheese batter to bake.
Jocelyn
I am so sorry to hear this. But you needed to use a box mix for a 9x13...mixing 2 8x8 or 9x9 will yield more batter than you need which is why it didn't bake right for you. For this recipe I used a mix from Aldi. I know Pillsbury and a few other brands do have a brownie mix specifically for the 9x13 size. Brand doesn't matter...size does. I hope you give it another chance using the right size pan. Also, brownies and cheesecake set up more as they cool, so over baking is not recommended.
Lacey
Ohhh no! I wish i would have known this because in your story part you mentioned to double your 8x8 brownie recipe if you want to do it all from scratch so i doubled your brownie recipe and now i'm in this ladies same predicament ??
Jocelyn
If you are using my homemade brownie recipe, you are ok to double that and use it in a 9x13 pan. I double that one all the time for cheesecake brownies if I'm out of box mixes. Is yours not baking right? I have never baked these longer than 50 minutes.
Julie
These look absolutely amazing!
Renea (cupcake-n-bake)
Found you through My Recipe Magic. All I can say is yumm!!
lisa@cookingwithcurls
It seems to be a peanut butter chocolate kinda week 🙂 They look amazing!!
Carrie
What do you do with the sweetened condensed milk????
Jocelyn Brubaker
It is in step 2 of the recipe. You add the milk after you beat the cream cheese and butter, then beat it again. I hope you enjoy them 🙂
mary.
Ever seen (or rented) the movie "ET"? I bet your favorite scene is when the boy gave him the...you guessed it! Reeses pieces® I don't think ET would like cheesecake, but he loves the reeses pieces® on top of these bars.. as for these cheesecake brownie bars, I love to make these. Maybe for sweetest day. 😉
Libbie
I am 3 weeks from due date & I just spent WAYYYYY too long looking at all your recipies...droolinhg...& of course I sent your link over to my sister who likes to bake & I just happen to be going over there tomorrow 🙂 Hoping it will "inspire her" to whip these babies up 🙂
Karen
Yikes, if I make these I'll blow my Weight Watchers points for a week! So I'll forward the link to my daughter who loves Reese's too. blessings on your day!
Courtney
Just wanted to let you know your recipe was featured at today's What's Cooking Wednesday!
Thanks so much for linking up!
Santa's Gift Shoppe and Ideas
Hi
I am so sorry.. I just saw where you asked to be emailed if anyone used your pictures on their website...I did not email you first..Won't happen again..But I
Just wanted to let you know that I “ Featured” you AGAIN on Santa’s Gift Shoppe Blog Hop today for your great project & inspiration! Be sure to grab the “I was featured” on Santa’s Gift Shoppe Button/Code for your sidebar! You deserve it! Thanks so much..If you’re not a follower already we’d love for you to join us...I must LOVE your stuff..It draws me in..
Barb