Peanut Butter & Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Dip

Now, before you work yourself into a tizzy over the fact that I’m posting such a sinfully decadent-sounding recipe after the holiday indulgences have passed — during a time when many people have adopted a healthier outlook for the new year — let me assuage your concern.

This recipe is not as unhealthy as it sounds! I promise.

I’ve put my typical Healthy Food For Living spin on an incredibly tempting recipe (linked below) from Jessica of How Sweet It Is, who received the recipe for Cookie Dough Dip from one of her readers. I swapped in equal amounts of peanut butter and 2% Greek yogurt for the butter, cut way down on the sugar, and used neufchatel (1/3-less-fat) instead of full-fat cream cheese.

[Disclaimer: Yes, mine is healthier than the original recipe… but I still consider this a treat to be enjoyed in moderation!]

The resulting thick, creamy, peanut buttery, chocolate chip-specked dip tastes more like cheesecake filling than cookie dough, hence the name I gave it.

Although you could certainly make this cheesecake dip more virtuous by serving it with sliced fruit, I’ll admit to eating most of it like so:

I made a half batch of the dip to stash in the fridge for an occasional sweet bite, but I think that it is best when served at room temperature.

Make this Peanut Butter & Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Dip to serve at your next party, and I guarantee that it will not last until the end of the night!

I’m already brainstorming other flavor variations. How about pumpkin cheesecake dip? Strawberry/blueberry? Cappuccino?

Mmmmmmm.

Peanut Butter & Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Dip

yields 10 servings

Inspired by How Sweet It Is & reader Amber (no link, sorry!)

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1 (8 oz) block of neufchatel (1/3-less-fat) cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1/4 cup 2% Greek yogurt
• 2 Tbsp brown sugar
• 2 Tbsp evaporated cane juice or granulated sugar
• 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp Kosher salt
• 1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1/4 cup natural white chocolate chips, such as Sunspire
• 1/4 cup natural peanut butter chips, such as Sunspire

Directions:

1. Using either a stand or handheld mixer, cream together peanut butter and cream cheese until well-blended. Beat in the yogurt.
2. Add in both of the sugars and mix until fully blended. Beat in the vanilla extract and salt.
3. Fold in semi-sweet, white chocolate, & peanut butter chips.
4. Serve garnished with additional chocolate chips, if desired.