My pal Chelle and I decided to bake something together again, and it was my turn to pick. In celebration of her former nut allergy being completely gone, I decided this would be the ultimate treat for her (and me too, of course.) We both love Oreos and peanut butter, and of course the peanut butter-chocolate combo is hard to resist. This consists of an Oreo crust filled with a light, rich peanut butter mousse, topped with chocolate ganache and chopped roasted peanuts – it’s every bit as delicious as it sounds! I was a bit worried that the peanut butter flavor would be too strong, but the mousse is lightened up nicely with the whipped cream and confectioners’ sugar.
Originally I had intended to make this in mini-springform pans but then couldn’t find all of them, so I just made the full-size. I tasted a piece and sent it off to work with Ben where, I am told, it was a real hit. The only change I made was to increase the amount of Oreo crust by about a third. Some Tuesdays With Dorie members warned me that the original amount might not be sufficient and they were correct. I have altered the recipe below to reflect my changes. This is sure to be a hit with just about anyone and if it is not, I would check for a pulse.
Chocolate Peanut Butter Torte
Ingredients:
For the crust:
32 Oreo cookies, finely processed into crumbs
5 1/3 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted and cooled
Small pinch of salt
For the crunch:
1 1/4 cups salted peanuts, finely chopped, divided (for the filling, crunch and topping)
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
2 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. espresso powder
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
Dash of ground nutmeg
For the filling:
2 cups heavy cream
1 1/4 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
12 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups creamy peanut butter (not natural)
2 tbsp. whole milk
For the topping:
1/2 cup heavy cream
4 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
Directions:
To make the crust, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9-inch springform pan and place it on a baking sheet. Combine the Oreo crumbs, melted butter and salt in a small bowl. Toss with a fork to moisten all of the crumbs. Press into a thin layer covering the bottom and sides of the springform pan. Freeze the crust for 10 minutes. Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely before filling.
To make the crunch, in another small bowl combine 1/2 cup of the chopped peanuts, mini chocolate chips, sugar, espresso powder, cinnamon and nutmeg. Toss with a fork to mix and set aside.
To prepare the filling, in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip 2 cups of the cream until it holds medium peaks. Beat in 1/4 cup of confectioners’ sugar and whip until the cream holds medium-firm peaks. Scrape the cream into a separate bowl and refrigerate until needed.
Wipe out (do not wash) the mixer bowl, replace the whisk with the paddle attachment, and beat the cream cheese with the remaining 1 cup of confectioners’ sugar on medium speed until the cream cheese is satiny smooth. Beat in the peanut butter, whole milk, and 1/4 cup of the chopped peanuts until well combined.
Using a large rubber spatula, gently stir in about 1/4 of the whipped cream just to lighten the mousse. Still working with the spatula, stir in the crunchy peanut mixture, then gingerly fold in the remaining whipped cream. Scrape the mousse into the crust, mounding and smoothing the top. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight; cover with plastic wrap as soon as the mousse firms.
To finish the torte, put the chopped chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water. Leave the bowl over the water just until the chocolate softens and starts to melt, about 3 minutes; remove the bowl from the saucepan. Bring the 1/2 cup of cream to a full boil. Pour the cream over the chocolate and, working with a rubber spatula, very gently stir together until the ganache is completely blended and smooth.
Pour the ganache over the torte, smoothing with a metal icing spatula. Scatter the remaining peanuts over the top and chill to set the topping, at least 20 minutes. When the ganache is firm, remove the sides of the springform pan. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Source: adapted from Baking: From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan
Annie's Eats 
NICE choice for celebrating a former nut allergy – ultimate indulgence!! Holy yum.
VeggieGirl,
Unfortunately I have no good explanation! Her allergy seemed unusual in that it didn’t appear until her 20s, so it seems to be an odd case. I’m just happy it went away 😉
🙂 Annie
Gorgeous! This has been one of my favorite Tuesdays with Dorie recipes! Glad you enjoyed it too 🙂
Oh my goodness this looks amazing….this would be my ideal dessert! I’ll have to try it soon…yum!!!
By the way, how did the nut allergy go away??
Your torte is gorgeous!!! The crust looks so smooth and perfect. Unfortunately my nut allergy will never go away, but I could adapt this recipe to be nut-free I’m sure!
YUM!!
I don’t have espresso powder. Would it be OK to leave it out or should I sub something else for it? And if I leave it out, should I leave out the cinnamon and nutmeg, too?
Hi Lori,
I think you could just omit the espresso powder and it would be fine. I honestly didn’t notice it in the flavor (I wasn’t really trying to taste it though). It is only 1/2 teasoon in a very large quantity of filling. I would still do the cinnamon and nutmeg though, no need to leave them out!
🙂 Annie
Oh man, I am in trouble with this one! It looks so good that I just have to make it even though my hips are telling me no. Thanks for all the fabulous recipes!
Um…my mouth dropped open when I saw this pic. I’m definitely going to be making it!
OH. MY. GOODNESS. That lookes like heaven!!!
It sounds AMAZING Annie! Definitely the perfect way to be celebrate being able to eat nuts again 🙂
This is jaw-dropping. Seriously. OMG!
Dang. That looks rich as a dog and super awesome!
Holy Moley! This looks amazing. Wife, mother, doctor, chef, baker… is there anything you don’t do well?!
I will be visiting this torte in my dreams tonight. ahhhhhhh sooo delicious!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
OMG! That looks soooooooo decadent! I could dig in right now!
YUM, this looks so gorgeous!!
Just stumbled across your blog and have now gone through the entire thing and opened a million tabs with recipes to try! I’ll be back!
Oh my gosh, that first photo is amazing. It makes me wish I had a great big slice right now. Great job!
Michelle
http://oneordinaryday.wordpress.com/
That looks beautiful, delicious, and did I say delicious? I can resist peanut butter temptations, and chocolate temptations, but together? Too delicious to pass up!!
Yum that looks awesome! Peanut butter and chocolate are wonderful together!
~ingrid
[…] Chocolate Peanut Butter Tortes from Annie’s […]
wow, this looks absolutely amazing. i want to make it right now. and then eat it all right now! 🙂
Oh my….this looks like a slice of heaven!!!!!!
This looks great Annie! Such a great pick, I loved it too. Good call on upping the amount of crust… mine was just a tad skimpy, but I’m a crust girl so I could always go for more 😉
[…] Chocolate Peanut Butter Tortes, From ‘Annie’s Eats.’ […]
I am utterly speechless over this one – OMG it looks so incredible!
Oh my goodness! This looks sinful. Yum!
I made this as one of our desserts for Easter, it was a huge hit! Thanks for the great recipe.
That. looks. amazing! Mmmmm!
Oh my goodness! this looks fantastic and as perfect as in Dorie Greenspan’s book! A scrumptious torte…
Cheers,
Rosa
This looks amaaaazing. I can’t make it because I would want to eat it all! Saving it for a special occasion. I am trying your strawberry lemonade cupcakes this weekend and am really excited about them! I am going to do half with the syrup and half without, I think.
[…] of peanut butter cups everywhere might want to take note of the Chocolate Peanut Butter Torte at Annie’s Eats. It looks like a giant peanut butter cup, with a chocolate cookie crust on […]
this looks absolutely delicious! i’m bookmarking it and making it soon 😀 just one question though; is the torte difficult to slice? the chocolate lid looks like it might take some effort to slice so that it doesn’t shatter. will taking it out of the fridge much earlier before serving help?
Hi KM,
The topping is ganache, which is composed of heavy cream and chocolate. Because it is not pure chocolate, it is actually soft and very easy to cut. You do not need to remove it from the fridge in advance of serving.
🙂 Annie
I would like to make this torte. Could this torte be left out (a few hours) or must it be refrigerated? Thanks.
Hi emi,
I would not recommend leaving this torte out at room temperature for any length of time. Mousse is intended to be served cold, and ganache should be chilled to keep the texture. Also, the filling contains heavy cream and cream cheese, both dairy products that should be refrigerated. I suppose it is up to your own judgement, but both for optimal taste and safety reasons, I would keep it chilled.
🙂 Annie
Thanks Annie! I made the torte for a cakewalk and it was so beautiful and delicious looking that I had my whole family participate in the cakewalk to win it back. After several tries–we won! It was worth it! I had leftover filling (mousse) when making the torte so I put it in parfait glasses and topped with oreo crumbles and nuts–very good!
This looks so amazing! I’m not sure that I’ve seen a better looking dessert!
wow. looks amazing!
This looks and sounds amazing! I am definitely going to have to make it sometime this summer.
[…] Chocolate Peanut Butter Torte @Annie’s Eats […]
I made this over the weekend and brought it into work on Monday. It was a hit! And I just had someone stop me and tell me that she was very impressed with how amazing it looked (totally a first because I while I can bake, I do NOT decorate!) 🙂 Thanks for the recipe.
And on an unrelated note, I am happy to see your recipes for baby food. They are so much less intimidating and fuss-free than so many other sites I came across when we first started our daughter on solids. When we get around to baby #2, I am definitely giving them a try!
So this might be a really silly question but do you use the whoel oreo or just the cookie part?
Thanks
Also annie
Hi Annie,
Not a silly question at all! I use the whole Oreo cookie, and it turns out just fine. I used to remove the filling beforehand, but have found it to be unnecessary.
🙂 Annie
Mmmm…this looks fabulous! Is there a reason why you can’t use natural peanut butter? I really can’t stand that processed stuff.
Hi Lanie,
The recipe does not state that you can’t use natural peanut butter, but it does have a different consistency from regular store-bought, so I guess that would be your call.
🙂 Annie
Yum yum gimme some! Looks absolutely delicious! I’ll be making this as a post-birthday cake for myself…
I would like to thank you Annie for ruining my diet hehehe That torte looks mouthwatering!!! *digs out her pots and pans*
I usually don’t leave comments, but this torte is AMAZING! Thanks for the great recipe.
I just made this for our Christmas party and it was delicious! My only problem was that the ganache never completely set. Is that the nature of ganache? Should I have frozen it? Thank you for your help!
Connie,
Glad you enjoyed it! I have no idea why the ganache would not set, especially if you chilled it. Freezing should not be necessary. Did you substitute any of the ingredients with something else (like use something besides heavy cream)? This is the ganache recipe I use routinely because I always have great success with it.
My mouth is totally watering! I need to find an occasion to make this for sure.
[…] When it first appeared to me, I was what you could call cake-struck. I mean, just take a look at this. It looked sooo good, and was immediately bookmarked on my baking-list. But I began to realize that […]
Hi Annie-This looks A-M-A-Z-I-N-G, but my hubby is DEATHLY allergic to peanuts-any ideas for a great substitution? Love your site so much!
Hi Estie,
For a dessert like this that has peanuts ALL over it and in it, there isn’t really any substitute that would be adequate. My advice would be to make this for yourself when your husband isn’t around, or just find another awesome decadent dessert that doesn’t feature peanuts like this one. Maybe this brownie mosaic cheesecake? It’s pretty amazing.
*writes on to try list* man with your blog my to try list jut got like 8 pages longer! This looks amazing and can’t wait to try it!
I made this last night – it came out perfectly and was delicious! i brought it to work and was “yelled at” for not bringing milk though, haha.
Oh my! This looks absolutely heavenly. My husband would love this since it combines all his favorites. Again, amazing and I can’t wait to try it.
Oh. I must say, this is one of the most beautiful tortes I have ever seen! Very lovely. I can’t wait to try it!!!! :)))
WOW!!!! How decadent!!! I will definitely definitely definitely try this one!!! Thanks for sharing!!!
This looks exquisitely delicious. My husband would go crazy for it.
wohoo, decadent. I just made a little swedish cupcake for my online cooking show. Please check it out!
OMG! I will have to make this soon! Peanut butter and chocolate is my favorite combination!
Wow that looks great! My mom is a huge PB fan and this might just make her day.
This looks fantastic. And I might be able to convince my husband to try this. He loves peanut butter, but not many peanut butter desserts. This may change his mind.
Oh My! This looks absolutely incredible!
After months of looking for an excuse to try this, I put it together Thursday night. It was gifted to a group of friends in town last night and to say it was a massive hit doesn’t quite cut it. “All that ever was and ever will be good in the world” and “if sex were cake it would have an Oreo crust” were my favorites. Thank you for this!!
You are so good at doing the crust. Mine always turn out too thick on the bottom and in the corners and really thin on the sides, yours looks perfect…I’m so jealous!
I made this on Saturday for my daughter’s birthday dessert, and it came out perfectly, looked exactly like your photo and everyone was impressed. Some of us enjoyed it (probably too much) and others found it a bit too rich to eat more than a couple bites. I think if I make it again I will leave out the cinnamon and nutmeg (I already left out the espresso powder), since I thought it was kind of distracting to the peanut butter flavor. Overall, though, I really liked it – thanks for sharing the recipe and great photos!
I made it yesterday- it’s one of THE BEST cakes I’ve ever made, and I made thousands of cakes. Thank you for this recipe, this cake is AMAZING.
What would happen if you forgot the freezing step? 🙂 Is it going to fall apart when I cut into it?
Yeah, it probably won’t slice nicely.
Hi Annie! I know you posted this recipe forever ago, but I was wondering if you think this would hold up for two days in the fridge. Like make the mousse one day, add the ganache the next day and then serve the following day?
We are having an event at my office and I know this will be a crowd pleaser! I love all your reicpes!
Thanks!
Sure!
Annie- not sure if you get late replies like this. When I made this the first time my crust stuck to the pan (non-stick springform and was buttered). Any ideas why or what I can do differently? Does it need to return to room temp before releasing the ring? Too much crust? I didn’t have an issue with the brownie mosaic cheesecake crust so it makes me wonder if the filling from the oreos caused it to stick? I really want to make it again for a harvest party tomorrow night and am looking for clues. Thanks!
Are you talking about the sides of the springform or the bottom? You definitely should cool the crust before removing the sides of the pan. If you had problems with the bottom sticking, I usually like to line my pan with parchment paper just to be on the safe side. I make Oreo crusts all the time and don’t have problems with sticking so I’m guessing it was not letting it cool that was the issue.
Hmm no the sides totally stuck to the pan and pulled off of the cake – about 3/4 of the outside were destroyed. It was thoroughly cooled in the fridge before I took the ring off – just wondered if I should have let it return to room temp before releasing it instead of it being so cold. I guess I will just try it again.
Hmm, that is strange, I’m not sure what to tell you. Maybe just even more butter next time, and a very gentle touch. Good luck!
How many slices would you say this recipe yields?
That depends entirely on the size of the slice. It is a 9-inch round torte.
I”m making this for Thanksgiving for my parents and my in-laws house! I can’t bake to save my life. But I am confident that this will hopefully work! I have it setting in the fridge as I type this. I had my sister try some of the filling… and she said it’s heaven in your mouth. I truly hope this works for me! It looks to die for. Thank you for sharing this with us!
This looks awesome!! This would be my birthday pick! I’m trying to make a French Silk Pie for my sister’s 22nd birthday-do you know of a good recipe?