Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie

When it comes to summertime dessert recipes, one thing I don’t want to do is spend a lot of time with the oven on. It’s hot enough outside; I don’t need more heat inside the house! Enter this luscious chocolate peanut butter pie. While the chocolate cookie crumb crust does require 10 minutes of bake time, the irresistible combination of peanut butter and chocolate makes this pie worth it. Served chilled from the fridge (or even frozen!), this creamy, sweet and salty pie is a delicious way to end a meal on a hot summer’s day.

Ingredients for Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie

• Oreo Thins: Finely crushed Oreo Thins make the cookie crust for this peanut butter chocolate pie. Any chocolate wafer cookies will do; you’ll need 1-1/4 cups of crumbs.
• Sugar: Granulated sugar adds sweetness to the crust and the filling.
• Butter: Melted butter ensures the crumbs and sugar stick together to form a tasty crust, and softened butter adds richness to the filling.
• Cream cheese: Softened cream cheese adds a tangy flavor and contributes to the firmness of the peanut butter and chocolate pie. You can use regular or low-fat cream cheese or Neufchâtel cheese in this recipe.
• Peanut butter: Creamy peanut butter results in a smooth texture for this peanut butter chocolate pie. Regular peanut butter works better than natural peanut butter in this recipe; the additional ingredients in conventional peanut butter ensure the oil doesn’t separate. No one wants a piece of pie that’s dripping with oil!
• Vanilla extract: A little vanilla extract enhances the flavors in the pie.
• Whipped cream: Use heavy whipping cream for unsweetened whipped cream. It adds richness and a light and fluffy texture to the pie.
• Garnish: Chocolate curls, chopped peanuts and chocolate cookie crumbs are all delicious options for pie garnishes.

Directions

Step 1: Make the crust

Preheat the oven to 375°F. In a small bowl, combine the cookie crumbs and sugar, then stir in the melted butter. Press the crumbs onto the bottom and up the side of a 9-inch pie plate. Bake for 10 minutes.

Cool on a wire rack.

Step 2: Make the filling

In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese, peanut butter, sugar, butter and vanilla until smooth.

Fold in the whipped cream.

Step 3: Make the pie

Gently spoon the filling into the crust. If desired, top with chocolate curls, chopped peanuts or cookie crumbs. Store in the refrigerator.

Editor’s Tip: If you want to top your pie with chopped or whole peanuts, wait to add them until just before serving; their texture can soften in the refrigerator.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie Variations

• Use semi-homemade hacks: Although this recipe requires only 20 minutes of prep time, sometimes that’s still too much! A few ways to simplify this recipe include using a store-bought chocolate cookie crust instead of making one from scratch and 2 cups of store-bought whipped topping (i.e., Cool Whip) instead of the whipped cream.
• Go crazy for premade crust: A store-bought or homemade graham cracker crust would also make a tasty base for this pie. You could also try it with a vanilla wafer crust.
• Add chocoholic changes: Add a spreadable or whipped chocolate ganache as a bottom or top layer on the pie for even more rich chocolate flavor.

How to Store Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie

Store the almost no-bake chocolate peanut butter pie lightly covered in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Leftovers last up to three days in the fridge.

Can you freeze chocolate peanut butter pie?

Peanut butter and chocolate pie is perfect for freezing! Simply wrap it tightly in storage wrap and freeze it for up to one month. You can serve the pie frozen or let it thaw in the refrigerator before serving.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie Tips

What’s the best way to garnish chocolate peanut butter pie?

There are so many delicious ways to garnish peanut butter and chocolate pie. In addition to chocolate curls and chopped peanuts, other tasty toppings include chopped or mini peanut butter cups, chocolate chips or sugared peanuts. You could also drizzle the pie or individual slices with melted chocolate or homemade chocolate sauce.

How do you get a clean slice of peanut butter chocolate pie?

Cutting a pie can be a little daunting, but a few easy tips can make getting clean slices a breeze. First, use a serrated knife to make the initial slices into the pie. Then use a paring knife to cut through the crust. Use an offset spatula or pie server to remove each piece. To make sure each slice cuts cleanly, be sure to wash both knives off between slices. It also helps to cut several slices of pie at a time, rather than trying to remove one slice (especially that first slice!) each time.