Low-Fat No Bake Peanut Butter Cheesecake

My brother brought me a peanut butter cheesecake cupcake from a work dinner that was beyond delicious. What is a good word for beyond delicious? I can't even think of a word that comes close to the perfection that was this cupcake. However, I knew I didn't even want to know the calories I would have to count for the 1/4 of this cupcake that I ate. I knew I needed to find a replacement that would be safer for my diet, but satisfy this new craving for peanut butter. I came across this recipe, Super Easy, Low Fat, No Bake Peanut Butter Cheesecake.

I made the crust as described, but honestly the crumbs were gooey after a little water to make them stick. I continued on, despite my concerns for the crust and followed the recipe. I took a taste of the batter before putting it into the pie plate, and it honestly tasted pretty good. I could already tell it was short enough peanut butter for the true peanut butter taste I was looking for, but I realize I have to make compromises if I want to stay diet friendly.

I put the cheesecake in the refrigerator, and it to did firm up nicely, almost like a Jello No-Bake cheesecake kit would. After cutting into it and tasting my first bite, I knew immediately that some substitutions aren't worth the calorie savings. The crust never did get less gooey. It was actually worse. I would definitely use a real pie crust, even the reduced-fat Keebler variety, to keep the true cheesecake graham cracker crust. Skimping on the fat here just wasn't worth it. Second, I would personally up the peanut butter. Either leave it out or add more, but the small amount of peanut butter in this recipe was just enough to give the smell of peanut butter, but little to no taste of peanut butter. The texture was good for a no-bake cheesecake, so doubling or even tripling the peanut butter, and I think you will have a dessert worth eating. This recipe has potential, but be prepared to customize it to your own taste.