Chocolate Peanut Butter Swirl Tart Recipe — Decadent No-Bake Dessert

This Chocolate Peanut Butter Swirl Tart is a no-bake dessert that layers a buttery chocolate sandwich cookie crust, a silky chocolate ganache, and a light, creamy peanut butter filling finished with a chocolate swirl. It’s indulgent, easy to prepare, and relies on common grocery staples—perfect for when you need a crowd-pleasing dessert without turning on the oven.

Round chocolate peanut butter tart swirled with chocolate syrup and cut into slices with a bowl of chocolate sandwich crumbs next to it on a white speckled background.

If you enjoy the classic chocolate-and-peanut-butter combination, this tart delivers that flavor in a refined, yet approachable form. The recipe is inspired by a family favorite peanut butter treat and adapted into a tart with a rich ganache and chocolate cookie crust for contrast and depth.

Round chocolate peanut butter tart swirled with chocolate syrup and cut into slices with a bowl of chocolate syrup next to it surrounded by a few chocolate sandwich cookie crumbs on a white speckled background.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

No oven required—entirely no-bake.
Looks elegant but is simple to assemble.
Flexible: make it in a 9½-inch tart pan, a 9-inch pie or springform pan, or as six 4-inch mini tarts.
All the flavors of a chocolate peanut butter cup in tart form.
Light, airy peanut butter filling paired with a rich ganache layer.
Customizable toppings—use chocolate syrup, hot fudge, or crushed peanuts.

Ingredients in various size bowls labeled as peanut butter, chocolate sandwich cookies, chocolate syrup, vanilla extract, unsalted butter, cream cheese, heavy whipping cream, semi-sweet chocolate chips, and powdered sugar on a white marbled background.

Ingredients Needed

Key ingredients used in this no-bake tart:

Chocolate sandwich cookies (processed to fine crumbs). Any brand works—use what you like.
Unsalted butter, melted, to bind the crust.
Semi-sweet chocolate chips for a smooth ganache; higher-quality chips melt more evenly.
Heavy whipping cream for the ganache and to whip for the peanut butter filling. For the filling, you may substitute 1½–2 cups of whipped topping if preferred.
Creamy peanut butter (no-stir preferred) and cream cheese to build the light filling.
Powdered sugar (sifted) and vanilla extract for balance, plus optional chocolate syrup or hot fudge for the swirl.

See the recipe card below for exact quantities and step-by-step instructions.

How to Make the Recipe

Here’s a concise overview of the process. Complete details, including measurements and timings, are in the recipe card further down.

Chocolate Sandwich Cookie Crust

Chocolate sandwich cookies in a food processor, then processed with melted butter on a white background.

Pulse whole chocolate sandwich cookies in a food processor until they become fine crumbs. Add melted butter and pulse until the mixture holds together like damp sand. Press the mixture into a 9½-inch tart pan, shaping the sides and bottom evenly, then chill in the refrigerator or freezer.

Chocolate Ganache

Heating heavy cream in a saucepan over an induction cook top then covering chocolate chips and heavy cream with aluminum foil.

Heat the heavy cream until just simmering, pour it over the semi-sweet chocolate chips in a bowl, and let it sit for 4–5 minutes. Remove the foil and whisk gently until smooth, adding vanilla. Pour the ganache over the chilled cookie crust and smooth. Place in the freezer briefly to set faster while you prepare the filling.

Peanut Butter Filling

First image is whisking heavy cream in a large glass bowl on a white background. Second image is beating cream cheese until light and fluffy in a large glass bowl on a white background.

Whip cold heavy cream to soft peaks and chill. Beat room-temperature cream cheese until smooth, then add peanut butter, sifted powdered sugar, and vanilla. Mix until combined, fold in half the whipped cream, then gently fold in the rest until the mixture is uniform in color and light in texture. The filling should be creamy and airy.

Assembling

First image is adding peanut butter filling to a sandwich cookie crust in a round tart pan on a white background. Second image is chocolate peanut butter tart with chocolate syrup swirled on top.

Spoon and smooth the peanut butter filling over the set ganache. Drizzle chocolate syrup or hot fudge on top and create marbled swirls with a knife, skewer, or palette knife. Chill for at least 2 hours (or freeze for 1–1½ hours). Bring to room temperature for about 10 minutes before slicing for best texture.

Sliced chocolate peanut butter tart swirled with chocolate syrup surrounded by a few chocolate sandwich cookie crumbs on a white speckled background.

Variations

You can adapt this tart to different pans and sizes:

No-bake pie: Use a 9-inch pie plate or springform pan. For a springform, increase cookies to 30 and add 1 extra tablespoon butter to ensure good side coverage.

Mini tarts: Make six 4-inch mini tarts. Pipe the peanut butter filling using a pastry bag (no tip needed) and smooth gently with an angled spatula.

Helpful Tips

Room-temperature cream cheese and sifted powdered sugar yield a lump-free filling.
If you don’t have a food processor, place cookies in a sealed bag and crush with a rolling pin.
Heat cream for ganache in the microwave (about 1 minute) if you prefer not to use the stovetop.
For clean slices, dip your knife in hot water and dry it between cuts.

More Chocolate Peanut Butter Desserts

Chocolate Peanut Butter Whoopie Pies

Chocolate Dipped Peanut Butter Cookies

Chocolate Covered Peanut Butter Hearts

Small Chocolate Peanut Butter Tandy Kake

If you try this Chocolate Peanut Butter Swirl Tart, please leave a star rating and share how it turned out in the comments. Enjoy!