This peanut butter pie is outrageously delicious! With its chocolate cookie crust, creamy peanut butter filling, and an irresistible topping of crushed peanuts and shaved chocolate, it’s become one of our family’s favorite desserts.
I wasn’t always a huge fan of peanut butter pie. I love the chocolate and peanut butter combo, but most versions are too rich for me. I’d take a bite and feel like I couldn’t handle anymore. But this no bake peanut butter pie completely changed my mind.
The crust is a dream and super simple to make with chocolate cookies (I use Oreos!) and butter. The cloud-like filling is heavenly with cream cheese, whipped cream, and peanut butter. And if that wasn’t enough, there’s no baking for this pie, just refrigeration, as it needs a night in the fridge to firm up enough to get those pretty slices. If you love peanut butter and chocolate, you might also enjoy our bite-size chocolate peanut butter cookie cups or try chocolate drizzled peanut butter cookies.
Key Ingredients
- Peanut Butter: Use your favorite peanut butter for this pie! Our homemade peanut butter works great, as does natural peanut butter (just be sure to stir it well to incorporate the oil). We’ve only tested this pie with unsweetened peanut butter. If your peanut butter has added sugar, you may need to adjust the sugar in the recipe to make sure it’s not too sweet. Start by reducing the sugar by a couple of tablespoons and adjust to taste. While optional, I love the salty kick that salted peanut butter adds to this pie!
- Powdered Sugar: Also called confectioners sugar, this is perfect for sweetening our pie filling. Sift the powdered sugar to remove any lumps before adding it to the other ingredients.
- Cream Cheese: Use full-fat block cream cheese for this pie. You want it softened to room temperature (soft enough to easily press your finger into), so leave it on the counter for a couple of hours before making the pie.
- Cream: Whipped cream makes our pie filling cloud-like and airy. You’ll need “heavy cream” or “heavy whipping cream” (or “double cream” if you’re outside the US).
- Chocolate Cookies: Oreos are the classic cookie for peanut butter pie, but other chocolate sandwich cookies like Newman-O’s or Joe-Joe’s will work, too. I’ve made this crust two ways: with the cookies and cream inside and with the cream scraped out and discarded. The recipe doesn’t change either way, but if you remove the cream, the crust will be slightly more bitter (which is lovely against the sweeter filling).
- Butter: You’ll need unsalted butter, softened to room temperature (soft enough to easily press your finger into). Leave it out on the counter with the cream cheese for a couple of hours before making the pie.
How to Make Peanut Butter Pie
To make this peanut butter pie, I start with the crust. A food processor makes it quick and easy! Pulse the chocolate cookies until they form fine crumbs. Then, add the softened butter and process until the mixture comes together.
Empty the mixture into your pie dish and press it into an even crust. I like to use the bottom of a flat measuring cup or a drinking glass to firmly press the crumbs into an even layer along the bottom and up the sides of the dish. You might find the mixture sticks to your fingers a bit but don’t worry too much about getting it perfect. Once you add the filling, it will all bind together nicely.
Next up, the peanut butter filling! I use a stand mixer to whip the heavy cream until stiff peaks form. Remove the whipped cream from the bowl and set it aside (no need to wash it!). Then, using the same bowl, I beat the peanut butter, cream cheese, and powdered sugar on medium speed until the mixture is smooth.
I gently mix the whipped cream into the peanut butter mixture until combined, and then I spread the dreamy filling into the prepared crust.
I love adding a handful of crushed peanuts and shaved chocolate before refrigerating for at least 8 hours or overnight. This allows the filling to firm up, making cutting those beautiful, clean slices easy. And that’s it. Super delicious, not too rich, peanut butter pie!
Easy Peanut Butter Pie
- PREP
- TOTAL
This no bake peanut butter pie has quickly turned into a family favorite. I use Oreo cookies for the crust, but other chocolate cream cookies should be just fine. For the peanut butter, I prefer homemade peanut butter or natural peanut butter that has been stirred well to incorporate the oil. If you have sweetened peanut butter, you may want to decrease the sugar called below by a tablespoon or two to adjust. I also prefer salted peanut butter and think it makes the pie taste even better. If you have unsalted, add a pinch of salt to the filling when mixing.
You Will Need
24 (278g) chocolate cream cookies, like Oreo’s
5 tablespoons (70g) butter, softened
1 ½ cups (170g) powdered sugar
1 cup (236ml) heavy whipping cream
6 ounces (170g) full-fat block cream cheese, softened
1 cup (270g) well-stirred peanut butter
1/4 cup (40g) roasted peanuts, chopped, optional
Shaved chocolate for garnish, optional
Directions
- Make Cookie Crust
1Lightly grease a 9-inch pie dish with nonstick cooking spray or extra butter.
2Place the chocolate cookies in a food processor and pulse until they become fine crumbs. Add the softened butter and pulse again until the crumbs and butter are well mixed.
3Add the cookie and butter mixture to the prepared pie dish. Press the mixture firmly and evenly into the bottom and up the sides of the dish to create the crust. You might find the mixture sticks to your fingers a bit but don’t worry too much about getting it perfect. Once you add the filling, it will all bind together nicely. Refrigerate the crust while you make the filling.
- Make Peanut Butter Pie
1Sift the powdered sugar into a bowl and set aside.
2In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (or a large bowl with a handheld electric mixer), combine the heavy cream and 1 tablespoon of the sifted powdered sugar. Beat at high speed until stiff peaks form. Transfer the whipped cream to a bowl and set aside, ready to add to the filling later.
3Place the stand mixer bowl (no need to clean it) back onto the mixer and fit the paddle attachment. Then, beat the cream cheese and peanut butter on medium speed until well combined. It’s okay if it’s thick.
4Turn the mixer down to medium-low speed and gradually mix in the powdered sugar until fully incorporated. It’s okay if the mixture looks crumbly.
5Scrape down the sides of the bowl, then mix in the whipped cream at low speed until combined.
6Spoon the filling into the prepared crust and smooth the top. Garnish with chopped peanuts and chocolate shavings.
7Refrigerate the pie overnight to allow it to set completely, and then serve. Keep the pie chilled in the fridge when not serving the pie, as the filling will soften if left at room temperature.
Adam and Joanne's Tips
- Storing: I use plastic wrap or an airtight container to cover the pie and place it in the coldest part of my fridge (usually the back). It will last for up to 4 days.
- Pie dish: In the photos, we used a 10-inch pie dish. If you use a standard 9-inch pie dish, your crust will be slightly thicker, and the filling will dome a little more than ours. The video shows this pie made in a 9.5-inch dish.
- Oreo cookies: For a more bittersweet crust, use a butter knife to remove the cream filling from the cookies before pulsing them into crumbs.
- No stand mixer: If you don’t have a stand mixer, you can use a hand mixer with a large mixing bowl to whip the cream and mix the filling.
- Chocolate shavings: Watch our video to see how we make chocolate shavings. I swipe my vegetable peeler against the side of a chocolate bar.
- The nutrition facts provided below are estimates. We did not include the optional crushed peanuts and chocolate shavings in the calculations.
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