Home > Desserts > Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie October 26, 2021 | 6 Comments SAVE TO RECIPE BOX Jump to Recipe This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy. Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie starts with a simple Oreo pie crust and is filled with a luscious and sweet peanut butter filling. To finish things off, we have a simple chocolate ganache on top — no baking required for this recipe! Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie This No-Bake Peanut Butter Cheesecake is a huge favorite at my home — we can polish one off in no time at all! So today, we’re taking elements from that cheesecake and channeling them into an even easier pie. Like the cheesecake, we’ve got an Oreo® cookie crust, peanut butter filling, and chocolate ganache topping everything. But instead of a cheesecake-esque filling, we’ve got a slightly sweeter and more intensely peanut-flavored filling. The flavor of the filling in this pie is reminiscent of the interior of a Reese’s® candy as opposed to the more subtle peanut butter flavored cheesecake. In this pie, the texture is lighter and airy — almost like frosting, instead of a dense cheesecake feel. And, instead of having to chill the pie overnight, it only needs a few hours to firmly set. So while the two pies have similar elements, the textures and flavors are unique to each. If you’re a die-hard peanut butter and chocolate lover, you are going to be obsessed with this Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie! There are three aspects to this Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie: the crust, peanut butter filling, and chocolate ganache topping. I’ll break down each section below with my top tips for making this recipe. Oreo crust Crush the Oreos thoroughly. If there are big pieces of the cookies in the crust, it will still taste great, but the pie won’t cut and serve as nicely. I recommend a blender or food processor for crushing the cookies. Alternatively, you can add all the Oreos to a large plastic bag, remove any air from the bag, and break the cookies into crumbs with a rolling pin or meat mallet. Don’t add hot butter to the crushed Oreos. Let the butter cool slightly before mixing the two together, to avoid a greasy pie crust. Leave the creme filling. There’s no need to separate creme from the cookie; the creme adds structure and sweetness to the crust. Don’t add sugar. A lot of crust recipes (typically graham cracker crusts — like this Creamy Lemon Pie) call for sugar, but the Oreo creme sweetens the crust plenty in this Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie. Peanut butter filling Use a commercial, sweetened peanut butter. Leave the natural, must-stir peanut butter for a different time; we want a soft and silky, slightly sweetened peanut butter for this recipe! I like Skippy® brand best for desserts (not sponsored). A liquid-y, must-stir peanut butter may separate or cause texture issues in this pie. Use room temperature butter. It’s important the butter is at room temperature and not melted for this pie. If the butter is too soft or melted, the texture will be slightly off. Skip the crunchy peanut butter. We want the filling ultra creamy and smooth without peanut chunks for this recipe. If you’d like some crunch in this pie, I’d recommend garnishing the ganache with chopped, dry-roasted peanuts. Don’t use a different sugar in the filling. It’s very important to use powdered sugar, not granulated white or brown sugar. Any other sugars will create a grainy filling since we aren’t baking this pie. QUICK TIP Room temperature butter should make an indent when pressed by a finger (the finger shouldn’t sink into the butter or slide around). To get this perfect consistency, set out the butter about an hour before making this recipe. If you need room temperature butter quicker, here are a few ways to soften butter quickly. Chocolate ganache topping Use high-quality milk chocolate for the best results. You’ll get both a better melt and better flavor. My favorite for this Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie is Ghirardelli® or Guittard®. Cheaper brands can have a waxier content that is far less flavorful and won’t melt into a smooth ganache as nicely. Let the mixture stand. Once the hot cream has been poured over the chocolate chips, make sure to cover the bowl (I like to use a lid from a cooking pot), and don’t rush the process. The mixture needs a good 5 minutes to fully melt and be ready to stir into a thick, delicious ganache. Decorate! If the ganache doesn’t go on glossy and perfect, don’t fret! Add a garnish like chocolate curls, coarsely chopped peanuts, or coarsely chopped Reese’s. VARIATIONS Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie Variations Use a graham cracker crust instead of Oreo crust. Use the crust recipe in this Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream Cake. Add some texture. If you’d prefer to not have a silky smooth peanut butter filling, use chunky peanut butter or add some mix-ins to the filling like miniature chocolate chips, chopped Reese’s, etc. Make miniature pies. Who doesn’t love a mini pie?! Make this recipe according to directions, but add to lined muffin tins instead! (Pies will look similar to this image) SHORTCUTS Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie Shortcuts Purchase a ready-made Oreo cookie crust instead of making your own! While not necessarily a shortcut per se, you can make the crust a few days in advance. Leave off the ganache! While not particularly time intensive, there are quicker ways to top your pie! Top Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie instead with a drizzle of chocolate syrup and melted peanut butter or crushed up chocolate and peanut butter candies More chocolate and peanut butter Buttercrunch Candy peanut butter candies with chocolate topping Peanut Butter Brownie Bites with chocolate topping Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies dipped in chocolate Chocolate Peanut Butter Snack Mix with miniature Reese’s cups Scotcheroos peanut butter and chocolate Krispie treats FOLLOW ALONG! Subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for the latest updates, recipes and content. Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie 5 from 4 votes - Review this recipe Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie starts with a simple Oreo cookie crust and is filled with a luscious and sweet peanut butter filling. To finish things off, we have a simple chocolate ganache on top -- no baking required for this recipe! SAVE TO RECIPE BOX Print Recipe Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie 5 from 4 votes - Review this recipe SAVE TO RECIPE BOX Print Recipe Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie starts with a simple Oreo cookie crust and is filled with a luscious and sweet peanut butter filling. To finish things off, we have a simple chocolate ganache on top -- no baking required for this recipe! Course Dessert, Snack, Vegetarian Cuisine American Keyword Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie Prep Time 20 minutes minutes Chilling Time 1 hour hour Total Time 1 hour hour 20 minutes minutes Servings 8 -12 servings Chelsea Lords Calories 685kcal Author Chelsea Lords Cost $8.12 Equipment9-inch pie tin IngredientsCrust▢ 1-3/4 cups Oreo cookie crumbs (~24-25 Oreos)▢ 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted▢ Tiny pinch fine sea saltFilling▢ 1-1/2 cups creamy peanut butter (we like Skippy)▢ 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature (Note 1)▢ 1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract▢ 1 cup powdered sugar▢ 1/8 teaspoon fine sea saltTopping▢ 1 cup milk or semi-sweet chocolate chips▢ 2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter▢ 1/2 cup heavy whipping creamUS - Metric USMetric InstructionsCRUST: in a powerful blender or food processor, blend the whole Oreos (don't separate cookie from creme) until they are all crumbs. Make sure to re-blend any large chunks so the crust will cut nicely. Once fully crumbled, measure to ensure you have a full 1 and 3/4 cups of crumbs then transfer the crumbs to a bowl. Add in the melted (and slightly cooled) butter and a tiny pinch of salt. Stir until a thick dough forms and press that mixture into a pie pan. Use the bottom of a 1/4-cup measuring cup to press the crust firmly into the bottom of the pan and up the sides. Place the crust in the freezer while preparing the filling. PEANUT BUTTER FILLING. In a large bowl, combine all the peanut butter filling ingredients. Using a mixer, beat on low speed until mixture is completely combined and smooth. Don't over-beat or beat at a high speed! Use a spatula to transfer the filling into the crust and smooth in one even layer. Place in the freezer while preparing the topping. TOPPING: Add chocolate chips and peanut butter into a heat-proof bowl. Add the heavy cream to a microwave-safe container (I use a glass liquid measuring cup) and microwave for 30 seconds to one minute or until very hot, but not boiling. Pour over chocolate chips and peanut butter. Cover the mixture with a sheet pan or pot lid and let stand for 5 minutes. Then use a spoon to stir until chocolate is completely smooth. Pour this mixture over the peanut butter layer and gently smooth in one even layer. Place pie in the fridge and chill until firm and set up about 1-3 hours. SERVING: Use a hot, sharp knife (run it under hot water, dry with a towel) to make cuts into the pie. Serve and return any leftovers (covered tightly) to the fridge. Video Recipe NotesNote 1: Butter: Room temperature butter should make an indent when pressed by a finger (the finger shouldn't sink into the butter or slide around). To get this perfect consistency, set out the butter about an hour before making this recipe. If you need room temperature butter quicker, here are a few ways to soften butter quickly. Nutrition FactsServing: 1serving | Calories: 685kcal | Carbohydrates: 70g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 44g | Saturated Fat: 22g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 14g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 72mg | Sodium: 308mg | Potassium: 219mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 55g | Vitamin A: 772IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 32mg | Iron: 4mg We do our best to provide accurate nutritional analysis for our recipes. Our nutritional data is calculated using a third-party algorithm and may vary, based on individual cooking styles, measurements, and ingredient sizes. Please use this information for comparison purposes and consult a health professional for nutrition guidance as needed. DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE? I love hearing from you when you've made one of my recipes! Tag me on Instagram at @ChelseasMessyApron or leave me a comment below. Recipe adapted from Chef Savvy
I think the crust and peanut butter layer would do fine, but don’t feel confident in the ganache freezing and thawing well. I’d freeze without the ganache (carefully covered). Thaw in the fridge overnight and then add the ganache the next day. (Crust will soften from being frozen and thawed, so if you are going to freeze, I would probably bake it at 350 degrees for 10 minutes before adding the peanut butter layer. Hopefully that would keep it from getting overly soft/soggy!) Reply
Can I make this a day ahead? I’ve made everything but the granache. Should I wait to make that til tomorrow? Reply
