Peanut Butter Pie Recipe

Prepare crust

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). In a medium bowl combine graham cracker crumbs, granulated sugar and salt. Pour melted butter over crumbs and stir until evenly moistened and mixture holds together when pressed.

Bake crust

Press the crumb mixture firmly and evenly into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch (23 cm) pie dish. Use the bottom of a measuring cup to compact the crust. Bake for 8–10 minutes until set and fragrant. Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack while preparing filling.

Whip cream

In a chilled medium bowl, pour 1 cup heavy cream and using a hand mixer or stand mixer with a whisk attachment, beat on medium-high speed until soft peaks form. Set whipped cream aside.

Beat cream cheese and peanut butter

In a large bowl, beat the room-temperature cream cheese on medium speed until smooth and creamy, about 1–2 minutes. Add peanut butter, vanilla and salt and beat until fully combined and smooth, scraping down the bowl as needed.

Sweeten and combine

Gradually add sifted powdered sugar to the peanut butter mixture, beating on low speed until incorporated and smooth. Fold one-third of the whipped cream into the peanut butter mixture to lighten it, then gently fold in the remaining whipped cream until uniform and fluffy. Avoid overmixing to keep the filling light.

Fill crust

Spoon the peanut butter filling into the cooled crust and smooth the top with an offset spatula. Chill the pie in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or until set. For best texture chill 4 hours or overnight.

Make ganache

Place chocolate chips in a heatproof bowl. Heat 1/4 cup heavy cream in a small saucepan over medium heat until it just begins to simmer (do not boil). Pour hot cream over chocolate chips and let sit 1 minute, then stir until smooth. Stir in 1 teaspoon butter until glossy.

Top pie

Let ganache cool slightly (about 5 minutes) so it's pourable but not hot. Pour or spoon ganache over chilled peanut butter filling and use an offset spatula to spread to the edges. Return pie to refrigerator for 15–30 minutes to set the ganache.

Before serving, garnish the pie with chopped roasted peanuts, dollops of whipped cream, and a light sprinkle of sea salt flakes. Slice with a sharp knife dipped in hot water and wiped dry for clean slices.