Delish Monster Cookie Cheesecake

Monster Cookie Cheesecake is what happens when your inner child and your grown-up, rent-paying self call a truce. It’s creamy, tangy cheesecake cozied up under a blanket of peanut butter, oats, chocolate chips, and M&M chaos. Textures? Crunchy edges, silky center, pockets of candy. Flavor? Like a bake sale and a birthday party eloped to Vegas. If you’ve ever wanted to eat a cookie and a slice of cheesecake at the exact same moment (hi, it’s me), this is your dessert soulmate.

Last time I made this, my husband announced that “water baths are a conspiracy,” then watched the oven like it was a football game. The kids negotiated M&M colors like high-stakes diplomacy—someone tried to trade two blues for one green, which led to a brief but passionate summit at the kitchen island. Meanwhile I picked a pan that was definitely too small, said “it’ll be fine,” and proceeded to scrape baked-on cheesecake lava off the bottom of the oven. Did I line the rack with foil before? Of course not. Did we still demolish the cheesecake? Absolutely. It’s called balance.

Time-Saving Hacks

– Use store-bought monster cookies for the crust. Yes, crumble them with your hands like a raccoon.
– Microwave cream cheese in 10-second bursts to speed up the “room temp” lie. Stir between bursts or welcome lumps.
– Skip a full water bath: put a pan of hot water on the lower rack. Cheesecake spa day without the plumbing degree.
– Line your springform’s base with parchment so you can slide slices out like a pro instead of chipping at it with a spatula.
– Don’t separate bowls for wet/dry—whisk, then dump. The Cheesecake Police are off duty.
– Buy whipped cream. Your stand mixer deserves a night off.
– Freeze M&M’s beforehand to help the colors not bleed. Also makes them fun to snack on while you “measure.”

Serving Ideas

– A river of warm hot fudge because restraint is for weekdays.
– Extra peanut butter drizzle. Or don’t drizzle—commit puddles.
– Strong coffee if it’s before noon; a small bourbon if the kids discovered glitter.
– Salted peanuts on top for crunch and to feel chef-y.
– Fresh berries if your conscience texted you “maybe a vitamin?”
– Serve with wine if the kids drove you nuts. And if they didn’t, pour it anyway. Celebrate the miracle.

What to Serve It With

– Black coffee or espresso—cuts the sweetness and your to-do list.
– Tall cold milk because you are, at heart, still eight years old.
– A scoop of vanilla bean ice cream for drama.
– Fresh strawberries or raspberries for a tart pop and color.
– Pretzels on the side for salty-dippy action.
– After-dinner digestif: amaro, Irish coffee, or sparkling water if you’re being good.

✔Tips & Mistakes

– Tip: Use room-temp cream cheese and eggs. This is non-negotiable unless you love lumps.
– Tip: Mix low and slow. Overmixing invites cracks and airs out the flavor.
– Tip: Cool the cheesecake in the oven with the door cracked 30–60 minutes, then chill fully. Patience equals creamy.
– Tip: Wrap the springform in foil if you do a real water bath. Yes, all the layers. Trust me.
– Mistake: Natural peanut butter can be too runny—stir it extremely well or use no-stir for predictable swirls.
– Mistake: Baking until the center is set. You want a 2–3 inch jiggly wobble; it finishes as it cools.
– Tip: Fold in M&M’s and chips at the end to avoid streaky colors. Freeze them first to be extra.
– Mistake: Cutting before it’s chilled at least 6 hours. I know, I hate it too. But it’s worth the wait.

✔Storage Tips

Store it in the fridge… if there’s any left. Cold midnight leftovers? Sometimes better than fresh.
Keep slices covered and chill up to 5 days. Freeze tightly wrapped wedges for up to 2 months; thaw in the fridge. Add toppings after thawing so they don’t weep like I did during math homework.

✔Variations and Substitutions

Swap whatever you want—sugar ↔ honey, soy sauce ↔ tamari, or skip steps and call it “deconstructed.” It still counts.
– Swap peanut butter for almond or sunflower butter (nut-free).
– Use gluten-free cookies for the crust and certified GF oats if you add any.
– Chocolate cookie crust instead of cookie crumble for a brownie-meets-cheesecake vibe.
– No-bake shortcut: set the crust, use a gelatin-stabilized cheesecake filling, and chill. The oven can nap.
– Mini cheesecakes in a muffin tin—party-friendly and faster to cool.
– Caramel swirl, pretzel crust, or peanut butter cups on top if you’re feeling extra.
– Cut the sugar by 25% and add a pinch more salt for balance. Look at you, sophisticated palate.

Delish Monster Cookie Cheesecake

Ultra-creamy peanut butter cheesecake baked on a monster-cookie style crust, swirled with oats, chocolate chips, and colorful M&M's, then finished with silky chocolate ganache. A playful, party-ready showstopper!

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Prep Time: 40 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour hour 10 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 hour hour 50 minutes minutes

Servings: 12

Calories: 120kcal

Ingredients

 

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Main Ingredients

• ▢ 1.5 cup graham cracker crumbs about 12 full sheets, finely crushed
• ▢ 0.75 cup quick-cooking oats for crust
• ▢ 0.5 cup light brown sugar packed
• ▢ 0.25 tsp kosher salt
• ▢ 6 tbsp unsalted butter melted
• ▢ 0.5 cup creamy peanut butter for crust
• ▢ 1 tsp vanilla extract
• ▢ 24 oz cream cheese full-fat bricks, softened
• ▢ 1 cup granulated sugar
• ▢ 0.75 cup sour cream room temperature
• ▢ 0.5 cup creamy peanut butter for filling
• ▢ 1 tbsp vanilla extract
• ▢ 0.25 tsp kosher salt
• ▢ 3 eggs large, room temperature
• ▢ 0.75 cup quick-cooking oats for monster cookie swirl
• ▢ 0.5 tsp baking soda
• ▢ 0.33 cup light brown sugar packed
• ▢ 1 egg yolk large
• ▢ 0.5 cup creamy peanut butter for monster cookie swirl
• ▢ 1 tsp vanilla extract
• ▢ 0.25 tsp kosher salt
• ▢ 0.5 cup mini M&M's
• ▢ 0.5 cup mini chocolate chips
• ▢ 0.75 cup heavy cream for ganache
• ▢ 6 oz semisweet chocolate chips for ganache
• ▢ 0.5 cup mini peanut butter cups chopped, for topping
• ▢ 0.25 cup mini M&M's for topping

Instructions

Preparation Steps

• Preheat oven to 325°F. Wrap a 9-inch springform pan with two layers of heavy-duty foil. Lightly grease the pan and line the bottom with parchment.
• Make the crust: In a bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs, oats, brown sugar, and salt. Stir in melted butter, peanut butter, and vanilla until evenly moistened. Press firmly into the bottom and slightly up the sides of the pan. Bake 10 minutes, then cool 10 minutes.
• Make the filling: Beat cream cheese and granulated sugar on medium speed until completely smooth and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Mix in sour cream, peanut butter, vanilla, and salt until combined. Beat in eggs one at a time on low, just until incorporated. Tap the bowl to release air bubbles.
• Make the monster cookie swirl: In a medium bowl, stir together oats, baking soda, and brown sugar. Add egg yolk, peanut butter, vanilla, and salt; stir until thick. Fold in mini M&M's and mini chocolate chips. Mixture will be stiff.
• Assemble: Pour half of the cheesecake filling over the crust. Scatter teaspoon-sized bits of the cookie swirl over the filling. Add remaining filling and dot the top with more cookie bits. Gently swirl with a butter knife without touching the crust.
• Bake in a water bath: Place the pan in a larger roasting pan and add hot water to reach halfway up the sides of the springform. Bake 60 to 70 minutes, until edges are set and the center wobbles slightly.
• Cool gradually: Turn off the oven, crack the door, and let the cheesecake rest inside for 60 minutes. Remove the pan from the water bath, discard foil, and cool to room temperature. Chill at least 6 hours or overnight.
• Ganache and topping: Heat cream until just steaming, then pour over chocolate chips. Let sit 2 minutes, then whisk smooth. Cool until slightly thickened and spread over the chilled cheesecake. Top with chopped mini peanut butter cups and extra mini M&M's.
• Serve: Run a warm knife around the edge to release, remove the ring, slice with a hot, dry knife, and serve.

Notes

Use full-fat brick cream cheese for the best texture. If you skip the water bath, reduce cracks by avoiding overmixing and letting the cake cool gradually. Store covered in the refrigerator up to 4 days or freeze slices (without ganache) up to 2 months. Contains peanuts and dairy.