Peanut Butter Pie Recipe - Handle the Heat (2024)

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.

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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.

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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!

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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!

  1. Use the same amount of almond butter as peanut butter in the recipe.
  2. 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).
  3. 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.

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More Easy Pie Recipes:

  • French Silk Pie
  • Butterscotch Pie
  • Blueberry Pie
  • Chocolate Pudding Pie

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How to Make

Peanut Butter Pie

By: Tessa Arias

4.94 from 233 votes

Yield: 8 to 10 servings

Prep Time: 20 minutes mins

Chilling Time: 4 hours hrs

Cook Time: 12 minutes mins

Total Time: 4 hours hrs 32 minutes mins

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This homemade Peanut Butter Pie is made from scratch with just a few ingredients and will have everyone coming back for seconds! It’s CRAZY good! With step-by-step video.

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.

Show us!If you make this recipe, be sure to snap a picture and share it on Instagram with #handletheheat so we can all see!

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!

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Peanut Butter Pie Recipe - Handle the Heat (2024)

FAQs

Does peanut butter pie need to be refrigerated? ›

Does chocolate peanut butter pie need to be refrigerated? Yes, indeed! Since there's cream cheese and Cool Whip in the filling, it should be stored in the refrigerator. It also needs to chill and set up for at least 4 hours before it's eaten.

What is peanut butter pie made of? ›

Old-fashioned peanut butter pie is made from scratch using creamy peanut butter, cream cheese, powdered sugar, and heavy cream. The ingredients are whipped together and poured into a flaky pie crust to create a silky peanut butter dessert that will have everyone begging for more!

Why do you put butter under a pie crust? ›

With cold butter, your pie crust will be light and flaky (that's because as the cold butter melts in the oven, it produces steam that creates flaky layers).

Should peanut butter be refrigerated in hot weather? ›

If you live in a hot or humid climate, you may not have a “cool, dry place” for storing your peanut butter and might want to consider refrigerating it (even if the jar says it's not necessary) to extend shelf life. Epi's Joe Sevier is a committed peanut butter refrigerator: “my New York kitchen gets too hot,” he says.

How long can you leave peanut butter unrefrigerated? ›

An open jar of peanut butter stays fresh up to three months in the pantry. After that, it's recommended to store the peanut butter in the fridge (where it can maintain its quality for another 3-4 months).

Why is Peter Pan peanut butter a thing? ›

The greatest boost to sales came when, in 1928, Derby Foods seized upon the popularity of the James M. Barrie play by appropriating the title character for its brand name. Peter Pan Peanut Butter became a best seller.

Does egg white prevent soggy pie crust? ›

Brush the Bottom with Corn Syrup or Egg White

Adding a layer of corn syrup or a slightly beaten egg white before pouring in the filling will form a seal between the pie dough and the filling and will help make the crust crisp and flaky.

What is possum pie made of? ›

Ingredients for Possum Pie

There are four layers within this pie—shortbread crust, cream cheese filling, chocolate pudding, and whipped cream—but the ingredient list is surprisingly simple. To make possum pie, you'll need: Cooking spray: To keep the shortbread crust from sticking to the pan.

Is pie crust better with butter or crisco? ›

Butter made a tastier, flakier, sturdier crust by far. This isn't to say that shortening and lard aren't useful ingredients. Shortening is a great way to get incredibly tender desserts. It's part of what makes these pumpkin whoopie pies so delectable.

Why put holes in bottom of pie crust? ›

With docking, the holes allow steam to escape, so the crust should stay flat against the baking dish when it isn't held down by pie weights or a filling. Otherwise the crust can puff up, not only impacting appearance but also leaving you with less space for whatever filling you have planned.

What does "dot with butter" mean? ›

One frequent question I get is "What does 'dot with butter' mean?" Dot with butter means to literally, place "dots" of butter on top of the filling and under the top crust. This extra step makes the pie's filling a little bit more delicious and rich, but doesn't do much else.

Will pies go bad if not refrigerated? ›

If a pie contains eggs or dairy products, it should be stored in the refrigerator and not left out at room temperature for more than two hours. Pies that do not contain dairy products, such as fruit pies can be stored, loosely covered at room temperature for up to two days.

Do nut pies need to be refrigerated? ›

According to the USDA, homemade egg-rich pies, including pecan pie, must be refrigerated after cooking and cooling to prevent the growth of bacteria. They recommend chilling pies promptly, and as a general rule, not leaving food at room temperature for more than two hours.

Does peanut butter fudge need to be refrigerated? ›

How to Store Two-Ingredient Peanut Butter Fudge. Since one of the two ingredients is cream cheese frosting, it's best to refrigerate this peanut butter fudge. Store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.

Does peanut butter sauce need to be refrigerated? ›

Simply keep it in a cool, dark place. Generally, an unopened bottle of peanut sauce will last about a year if it's stored correctly. While it's a good idea to keep the “use by” date in mind, it's usually just fine for a few months after that date. Once the bottle is opened, you'll need to keep it in the refrigerator.

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