Tessa’s Recipe Rundown
Taste: Like a massive peanut butter cup from heaven.
Texture: The crust is crunchy yet buttery, the peanut butter filling is ultra-light, fluffy, and luscious, and the candy on top takes it to a whole other level. Every bite is bliss.
Ease: Super duper easy!! You’ll get a few dishes dirty and need some patience for the pie to set, but this is a great easy go-to dessert recipe.
Appearance: It’s everything you could ever want in a pie!
Pros: Easy, crowd-pleasing, and can be made ahead of time.
Cons: None.
Would I make this again? 100% yes!
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Life doesn’t get much better than a Peanut Butter Pie.
To me, peanut butter is one of the great pleasures of life.
I’m OBSESSED with the stuff. Especially when it’s combined with chocolate… in PIE form.
This isn’t any old peanut butter pie. I mean, just look at it. It’s over the top, messy, and unapologetically sinful in the best possible way.
I’ve accompanied this recipe with a step-by-step video to not only show you how to make this beautiful pie, but to whet your appetite for it.
Because the chocolate + peanut butter flavors truly belong together.
This easy peanut butter pie recipe is that it is a total crowd-pleaser and won’t last long at all. That coupled with the fact that it can be made completely ahead of time makes it a perfect go-to recipe for easy entertaining. Everyone will want seconds of this pie. It’s that good!
How to Make Easy Peanut Butter Pie
How to Make Peanut Butter Pie WITHOUT Cool Whip
My favorite part about this pie recipe is that it’s homemade! We make the filling with a mixture of peanut butter (of course!), cream cheese, heavy cream, and powdered sugar. Whipping the cream, then folding it in with the other beaten ingredients, gives this pie a light, creamy, yet rich texture without any Cool Whip (or any other highly-process whipped topping).
Peanut Butter Pie CRUST Variations!
This recipe calls for a chocolate graham cracker cookie crust, but you could also use:
- Chocolate Teddy Grahams or chocolate wafer cookies (use the same amount by weight for best results, you should have about 1 3/4 cups crumbs total)
- Oreo crust (follow the crust ingredients & instructions in this recipe)
- Regular graham crackers (follow the crust instructions in this recipe)
- Best Ever Pie Crust
What Kind of Peanut Butter is Best for Pie?
- Use conventional creamy peanut butter for this recipe, such as Skippy or Jif.
- Any kind of “natural” peanut butter that doesn’t include an added oil to stabilize the mixture will result in a pie filling that will become oily and separated.
- If you must use natural peanut butter, make sure it’s extremely well stirred and smooth before using.
How Much Melted Chocolate + Peanut Butter for Topping?
This is entirely up to you and your taste preferences! Simply melt the peanut butter and chocolate in your microwave and drizzle as much as you’d like over your pie.
How Many Peanut Butter Cups Do I Need?
Use as many or as few as you like – and feel free to customize! If you’d like to add some Reese’s Pieces in there, go right ahead – be as creative and fun as you wish!
Can’t Have Peanuts? Use Almond Butter Instead!
- Use the same amount of almond butter as peanut butter in the recipe.
- Add 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract to the cream cheese, powdered sugar, and almond butter filling (still adding the 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract to the heavy cream mixture as well).
- For the toppings, skip the Reese’s cups and peanut butter chips and instead garnish with almond butter cups and melted chocolate, or any other toppings of your choice!
How to Serve Peanut Butter Pie
You can actually serve the finished pie frozen or refrigerated, depending on which texture you prefer – or how hot it is outside!
How Long is Peanut Butter Pie Good For?
Store covered in the fridge for up to 3 days.
How to Freeze Peanut Butter Pie:
Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and store in the freezer for up to 1 month. Serve frozen, or thaw overnight in the fridge before serving, if preferred.
More Easy Pie Recipes:
Peanut Butter Pie
Ingredients
For the crust:
- 14 whole chocolate graham crackers (196 grams)
- 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
- 7 tablespoons (99 grams) unsalted butter, melted
For the filling:
- 8 ounces (227 grams) cream cheese, at room temperature
- 3/4 cup (94 grams) powdered sugar plus 2 tablespoons, divided
- 1 cup (270 grams) creamy conventional peanut butter
- 1 cup (240 grams) heavy whipping cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the topping:
- Melted peanut butter
- Melted chocolate
- Mini Reese’s cups
- Peanut butter chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F.
For the crust:
- In the bowl of a food processor, process the crackers and sugar until finely ground. Add the butter and pulse until moistened. Use the bottom of a measuring cup, glass, or ramekin to press the crust mixture into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch pie plate. Bake until fragrant, about 10 to 12 minutes. Cool completely on a wire rack.
For the filling:
- In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the cream cheese, 3/4 cup powdered sugar, and the peanut butter until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
- In a separate bowl, use an electric mixer with the whisk attachment to whip the heavy cream until thick and light. Add in the remaining 2 tablespoons of powdered sugar and the vanilla extract and continue to whip until stiff peaks form.
- Gently fold the whipped cream into the peanut butter mixture. Pour into the prepared pie shell and freeze for 3 hours or chill in the fridge at least 6 hours.
- Place your melted peanut butter and melted chocolate in separate resealable bags or piping bags. Snip off a tiny corner of the bag's tip. Squeeze slightly to drizzle the melted peanut butter and melted chocolate over your pie. Top with mini Reese's cups and peanut butter chips. Serve frozen or refrigerated.
- Store in the fridge, covered, for up to 3 days, or in the freezer for up to 1 month.
Recipe Notes
Can’t Have Peanuts? Use Almond Butter Instead!
Use the same amount of almond butter as peanut butter in the recipe. Add 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract to the cream cheese, powdered sugar, and almond butter filling (still adding the 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract to the heavy cream mixture as well). For the toppings, skip the Reese’s cups and peanut butter chips and instead garnish with almond butter cups and melted chocolate, or any other toppings of your choice!This recipe was originally published in 2015 and was recently updated with new tips & photos. Photos by Ashley McLaughlin.
April Baking Challenge
This recipe was the April 2022 selection for our monthly baking challenge! Every month you can join the challenge by baking the recipe and snapping a photo for a chance to win prizes! Learn more about my monthly baking challenges here. Check out some of the delicious pies baked by you guys!
well dont i feel like a muppet now, I found the recipe lol……Amber this is it:
HOW TO MAKEPeanut Butter Pie
Yield: 8 to 10 servings
Prep Time: 20 minutes Cook: 4 hours 32 minutes
12
Ingredients
For the crust:
14 whole chocolate graham crackers
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
7 tablespoons (3.5 ounces) unsalted butter, melted
For the filling:
8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
3/4 cup powdered sugar plus 2 tablespoons, divided
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the topping:
Melted peanut butter
Melted chocolate
Mini Reese’s cups
Peanut butter chips
Directions
Preheat the oven to 325°F.
For the crust:
In the bowl of a food processor process the crackers and sugar until finely ground. Add the butter and pulse until moistened. Use the bottom of a measuring cup, glass, or ramekin to press the crust mixture into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch pie plate. Bake until fragrant, about 12 minutes. Cool completely on a wire rack.
For the filling:
In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the cream cheese, 3/4 cup powdered sugar, and the peanut butter until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
In a separate bowl, use an electric mixer with the whisk attachment to whip the heavy cream until thick and light. Add in the remaining 2 tablespoons powdered sugar and the vanilla extract and continue to whip until stiff peaks form.
Gently fold the whipped cream into the peanut butter mixture. Pour into the prepared pie shell and freeze for 3 hours. Drizzle with melted peanut butter and melted chocolate. Top with mini Reese’s cups and peanut butter chips. Serve frozen or refrigerated. Store in the fridge or freezer, covered, for up to 3 days.
I am wondering as well about not seeing a recipe…don’t really need a demo as my hobby is baking so I am skilled in that area. Please post the recipe
Where is the recipe!?? I see a video and your story but am desperately searching for the actual recipe lol.. Help!
My favorite restaurant stopped serving peanut butter pie. Today I decided I had suffered without it long enough and found this recipe on Pinterest. WOW. It was easy to make. It hasn’t chilled enough yet, but I have the patience of a 3 year old. It’s absolutely divine already. Thank you!
Yay! This makes me so happy. Thanks for your comment 🙂
Peanut butter and chocolate is my downfall. I could eat it for breakfast, lunch, and dinner if it wouldn’t cause me to gain about 40 pounds overnight. This pie is such a treat. It’s presentation alone is enough to win over any chocolate and peanut butter fan!
OMG, this pie is to die for! Congrats on the move, loved the video! 🙂
ugh, oh my gosh; it looks amazing!! I loved the video!
Count me in on all peanut butter desserts! I am with you, Tessa, in the peanut butter fan club! Not only does this pie look luscious just as it is, but I can easily make this gluten free (when needed) by subbing gluten free grahams or the chocolate cookie outsides from Trader Joe’s gluten free chocolate sandwich cookies!
Oreo makes a gluten free cookie now. Just saw it today.
Now that is my kind of peanut butter pie! The filling is pretty much the same as the one I make but that topping!
This pie looks so good I want to cry. I just moved to another country so this is the best excuse to buy a new pie mold for the kitchen. Can’t wait to give it a try. Thank you!
HEAVENLY pie recipe – sensational! And best of luck to you on the upcoming move!
Totally irresistible Tessa! I mean I just may have to come over for a bite right away!
I made my son a chocolate peanut butter cup ice cream cake for his birthday last year and I’ve been dreaming of it ever since. This takes me right back to those memories.
Looks amazing! Happy Wednesday!