Old-Fashioned Peanut Butter Pie

Square image of a slice of peanut butter pie

5 from 1 vote

Old-Fashioned Peanut Butter Pie

An old-fashioned peanut butter pie is a classic (and easy) Southern dessert! This no-bake pie is creamy and decadent. Serve topped with whipped cream and chopped peanuts for extra sweetness.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American, Southern

Keyword easy peanut butter pie, old fashioned peanut butter pie, peanut butter pie

Prep Time 40

Cook Time 10

Chilling Time 6

Total Time 6 50

Servings slices

Calories 952kcal

Author Blair Lonergan

Ingredients

For the Crust:

2 cups vanilla wafer cookie crumbs (I use 60 whole Nilla wafer cookies)
6 tablespoons salted butter melted and cooled
¼ cup sugar

For the Filling:

1 ½ cups creamy peanut butter
1 (8 ounce) block cream cheese softened at room temperature
1 cup confectioners’ sugar sifted
2 cups heavy whipping cream
Optional garnish: chopped peanuts, whipped cream

Instructions

Prepare the Crust:

Preheat oven to 400° F.
In a bowl, combine cookie crumbs, melted butter, and sugar. Pat the mixture onto the bottom and sides of a buttered 9-inch pie plate. I use the flat bottom of a small measuring cup to press the crumbs in an even layer.
Bake the shell in the 400° F oven for 10 minutes, transfer it to a rack, and let cool completely.

Prepare the Filling:

Once the crust is completely cool, prepare the filling. In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the peanut butter and cream cheese on medium speed until combined. Add confectioners’ sugar and beat to combine. Add cream; mix on low speed until combined. Increase mixer to high speed; beat just until the mixture thickens (be careful not to overbeat).
Spread the filling in the pie crust. Cover and refrigerate until firm, at least 4 hours or overnight.
Garnish with chopped peanuts and whipped cream just before serving.

Notes

Use a processed peanut butter (like Jif or Skippy) rather than all-natural peanut butter. The processed nut butters do not separate, which yields a better quality filling.
Use full-fat block-style cream cheese for the filling. The texture will not work with low fat cream cheese or cream cheese spread from a tub.
Sift the confectioners' sugar to avoid any lumps in your filling.
Be careful not to overmix the filling. Beat just until the mixture thickens (which happens pretty quickly). Too much mixing can give the whipped cream a grainy, broken texture.
You may have more filling than will fit in the crust. Refrigerate any extra filling -- it will set up and be a delicious peanut butter mousse to eat with a spoon or scoop with cookies. The chef's treat!
Allow at least 4 hours for the filling to set in the refrigerator. I typically prepare the pie a day ahead and let it sit overnight.
Garnish the chilled pie with chopped peanuts and whipped cream just before serving. Don't add the peanuts too early or they can become soft.

Nutrition