Peanut Butter Pie Recipe

Prepare crust

Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Place the chocolate sandwich cookies in a food processor and pulse until very fine crumbs form (about 1 to 1½ cups packed; yields ~1.75 cups). If you don't have a food processor, place cookies in a sturdy zipper bag and crush with a rolling pin until fine. Transfer crumbs to a medium bowl and stir in the melted butter, granulated sugar, and salt until evenly moistened and mixture holds together when pressed.

Press the crumb mixture evenly into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch (23 cm) pie dish, using the bottom of a measuring cup to compact firmly. Bake the crust for 8–10 minutes until set and fragrant. Remove from oven and let cool completely on a wire rack. Reduce oven to 325°F (163°C) if you prefer to chill rather than bake crust.

Soften and mix base

In a large bowl, beat the softened cream cheese with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth and free of lumps (about 1–2 minutes). Add the peanut butter, granulated sugar, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract. Beat on medium speed until creamy and fully incorporated, scraping down the bowl as needed so there are no streaks.

Whip cream

In a separate chilled medium bowl, pour the cold heavy cream. Using clean beaters, whip the cream on medium-high speed until soft peaks form (the cream will hold a peak but the tip will fold over). This should take about 2–3 minutes. Do not overwhip to stiff dryness; you want a light texture to fold in.

Combine

Gently fold about one-third of the whipped cream into the peanut butter mixture to lighten it, using a spatula. Then fold in the remaining whipped cream in two additions until uniform and fluffy, taking care not to deflate the mixture. The filling should be smooth, airy, and scoopable.

Spoon or pipe the peanut butter filling into the cooled pie crust, smoothing the top with a spatula. Refrigerate the pie for at least 2 hours to set, or for best texture chill 4 hours to overnight.

Make ganache

Place the semisweet chocolate chips in a heatproof bowl. In a small saucepan, heat 1/2 cup heavy cream over medium heat until it just begins to simmer and small bubbles form around the edge (do not boil). Pour the hot cream over the chocolate chips and let sit for 1 minute to soften. Add the butter, then stir gently until the chocolate and butter have melted and the mixture is smooth and glossy.

Let the ganache cool for 5–10 minutes until it thickens slightly but is still pourable. Spoon or pour the ganache over the chilled peanut butter filling and spread evenly with an offset spatula or the back of a spoon. Return to the refrigerator for 15–30 minutes for the ganache to set.

Before serving, sprinkle the chopped roasted peanuts and mini chocolate chips or shaved chocolate over the set ganache. Lightly scatter sea salt flakes on top to taste for contrast. Slice with a warm, dry knife (wipe the blade between cuts) and serve chilled.