Peanut Butter Protein Cheesecake Cups with Pretzel Crust

Happy National Peanut Butter Day! This is a day that’s truly cause for celebration around here, so of course I’ve got a new recipe for you today. This one is a no-bake Peanut Butter Protein Cheesecake Cup with Pretzel Crust. I personally love getting a dessert that’s individually packaged, so these little cups are perfect for me 😉 You can always divide them into more jars to make for a lighter treat too!

I bought a huge bag of pretzel twists a couple weeks ago when all I really needed was a little snack bag worth of pretzels for a recipe, so I’ve been coming up with some creative ways to use up those pretzels! See here…and there are more pretzel recipes to come! I love, love the combination of salty and sweet, so I figured I’d give it a go as a crust for this peanut buttery cheesecake. It turned out amazing! The pretzels not only lend that saltiness I was expecting, but they also add this other layer of flavor complexity that I wouldn’t have gotten with a graham cracker or nut-based crust.

I highly recommend using PB2 powdered peanut butter in this recipe instead of some of the competing brands out there. I have found that some others tend to be kind of gritty, even when mixed in or dissolved into some liquid. As for the protein powder, I normally recommend using casein protein, especially in my no-bake cheesecakes because of how thick and creamy it makes the cheesecake. In this case though, I used whey since the PB2 and peanut butter really help thicken up the batter. For an even thicker and creamier cheesecake, sub out 1/2 scoop of whey with vanilla casein instead.

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Peanut Butter Protein Cheesecake Cups with Pretzel Crust

Prep Time 25 minutes

Total Time 25 minutes

Servings 4 cups

Calories per serving 272 kcal

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup Dannon Light and Fit Vanilla Greek yogurt (6 oz)
• 1/2 cup Philadelphia 1/3 Less Fat Cream Cheese, room temperature (4 oz)
• 1/4 cup plain, non-fat Greek yogurt (2 oz)
• 1 scoop Cellucor Peanut Butter Marshmallow Whey Protein (33 grams)
• 2 tbsp PB2 powdered peanut butter (12 grams)
• 2 tbsp Skippy Natural Creamy Peanut Butter, melted (32 grams)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Pretzel Crust

• 1 cup pretzel twists (40 grams)
• 2 tbsp peanuts (17 grams)
• 1/2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted (0.25 oz)

Optional Toppings

• dark chocolate ganache
• whipped cream
• crushed peanuts

Instructions

1. Add pretzel twists and peanuts to a food processor and pulse until the largest chunks are about 1/8″ wide.  Add melted butter and pulse for another 3-5 seconds until butter is incorporated.

2. Spoon pretzel crust into the bottom of 4 serving jars and press into the bottom of the jar.  Set aside.

3. Add yogurt, cream cheese, peanut butter, and vanilla extract to a mixing bowl, then add protein powder and PB2.  Mix with a hand mixer until smooth, then scoop into a piping bag.

4. Pipe the cheesecake mixture into the serving cups on top of the pretzel crust.  Top with optional toppings before serving, if desired.
   

Recipe Notes

I used these Weck jelly jars for serving.

Nutrition Facts

Peanut Butter Protein Cheesecake Cups with Pretzel Crust

Amount Per Serving

Calories 272 Calories from Fat 135

% Daily Value*

Fat 15g23%

Cholesterol 35mg12%

Sodium 404mg18%

Potassium 122mg3%

Carbohydrates 18g6%

Fiber 2g8%

Sugar 6g7%

Protein 18g36%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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