No-Bake Peanut Butter Pie

5 from 6 votes

A creamy no-bake peanut butter pie with a fluffy cream cheese filling and a store-bought graham cracker crust. Just 10 minutes of prep, then chill until set, for an easy make-ahead dessert that's perfect for holidays, potlucks, or family dinners.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American, Southern

Keyword easy peanut butter pie, no bake peanut butter pie

Prep Time 10

Chilling Time 4

Total Time 4 10

Servings slices

Calories 551kcal

Author Blair Lonergan

Equipment

Electric mixer or stand mixer

Ingredients

1 (9-inch) store-bought graham cracker crust (or see notes below for homemade)
1 ½ cups creamy peanut butter (such as Jif or Skippy)
1 (8-ounce) block cream cheese, softened at room temperature
1 cup confectioners' sugar, sifted
2 cups very cold heavy whipping cream
Optional garnish: chopped peanuts; whipped cream

Instructions

In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the peanut butter and cream cheese on medium speed until smooth and combined.
Add the sifted confectioners' sugar and beat to combine.
Pour in the cold heavy cream and mix on low just until combined. Increase mixer to high speed and beat just until the mixture thickens to soft peaks. Be careful not to overbeat.
Spread the filling gently into the graham cracker crust. Refrigerate any extra filling in a small ramekin; it sets up as a delicious peanut butter mousse.
Cover the pie and refrigerate until firm, at least 4 hours or overnight.
Just before serving, garnish with chopped peanuts and whipped cream.

Notes

Peanut butter: Use a processed peanut butter like Jif or Skippy for the smoothest, creamiest filling. Natural peanut butter separates and can make the pie runny.
Cream cheese: Use a softened block of full-fat cream cheese (not the tub kind). Cold cream cheese leaves lumps in the filling.
Cold cream is essential. Keep the heavy cream cold until the moment you whip it, so the filling sets up light and fluffy.
Don't overmix. Stop the mixer as soon as the filling thickens to soft peaks. Overbeating once the cream is added turns the filling grainy.
Lighter version: For a lighter filling, you can substitute the whipped heavy cream with thawed Cool Whip. Fold it in gently after the peanut butter, cream cheese, and sugar are combined. The texture will be slightly less rich.
Crust swaps: A store-bought Oreo crust, vanilla wafer crust, or a homemade graham cracker crust all work beautifully.
Chocolate twist: Drizzle melted chocolate or chocolate shell topping over the filling before chilling for a pretty swirl.
Extra filling: Spoon any extra filling that doesn't fit in the crust into ramekins. It sets up into a peanut butter mousse, perfect with cookies or graham crackers.
Chill time: Plan for at least 4 hours in the fridge. Overnight is even better; the slices come out cleaner.
Garnish at the last minute so the peanuts stay crunchy.

Recipe: Homemade Graham Cracker Crust:

Ingredients:

12 full-size graham crackers, crushed or processed into fine crumbs
¼ cup sugar
6 tablespoons salted butter, melted

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and melted butter in a large bowl. Toss until all the crumbs are evenly coated. Set aside 1 to 2 tablespoons of crumbs to garnish the top of the pie, if desired.
Press the crumbs into the bottom and up the sides of a deep-dish 9-inch pie plate. Use the flat bottom of a measuring cup for an even layer.
Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until golden brown. Let the crust cool completely before filling, or the warm crust will soften the filling.

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