If you’ve been on the hunt for a truly simple, creamy, easy-to-love dessert, this peanut butter pie recipe may be just what you need. Aside from its graham cracker crust, which requires a scant five minutes in the oven, the pie is entirely no-bake, and calls for only a handful of common kitchen staples. In fact, you could say the hardest part of this extremely easy recipe is deciding what brand of peanut butter to buy. Good thing we have an answer for that too.
The simplicity of the cookie crust is hard to beat. We love the honey-and-spice sweetness of graham crackers with our peanut butter pie, but any crumbly cookie will do here (Oreo lovers, we’re looking at you). A trusty stand mixer (or hand mixer) makes quick work of the pie filling, first to whip the cream, and then separately to beat the cream cheese, peanut butter, sugar, and vanilla into a smooth, homogeneous consistency. Gently folding the whipped cream into the peanut butter mixture ensures the pie isn’t too dense or heavy, for a rich but silky texture that will leave room for seconds.
The assembled pie should be chilled in the freezer for at least an hour, which makes it a great make-ahead candidate. To extend the freezer time beyond an hour, wrap it tightly in plastic so it doesn’t pick up off flavors or develop freezer burn. And there you have it: a peanut butter pie so easy it practically makes itself.
Recipe information
Total Time
35 minutes plus chilling
Yield
Makes one 9-inch pie
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Step 2
In a mixing bowl, stir together the graham cracker crumbs and melted butter; press into the bottom and sides of a 9-inch pie plate. Bake until brown, about 5 minutes. Set aside to cool completely.
Step 3
With a heavy-duty stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whisk the cream at high speed until it forms stiff peaks. Transfer to a large clean bowl and set aside.
Step 4
Fit the stand mixer with the paddle attachment and a clean bowl; add the cream cheese, peanut butter, brown sugar, and vanilla and beat at high speed until the mixture is smooth and silky.
Step 5
Gently fold the cream cheese–peanut butter mixture into the whipped cream with a spatula until completely blended. Spoon into the cooled pie shell and smooth out the top. Place the pie in the freezer for 1 hour or until ready to serve (if you are going to leave it in the freezer awhile, wrap it in plastic wrap after 1 hour so it doesn't get freezer burn).
Step 6
Take the pie out of the freezer 15 minutes before serving. Slice and serve!
Editor’s note: This recipe was originally published in the ‘Mac n Cheese Cookbook’ and first appeared on Epicurious in September 2013.
Recipe notes
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