This rich and indulgent peanut butter pie is a dream dessert; every bite bursts with creamy peanut butter and sweet chocolate—the ultimate flavor combo. Built on an Oreo cookie crust, it’s layered with a rich peanut butter filling, a smooth 2-ingredient chocolate ganache, and fresh whipped cream. Finish it off with chopped peanuts and Reese’s Pieces for an unbelievable dessert no one will forget.
I originally published this recipe in 2016 and have since added new photos and additional success tips.
There’s no flavor duo quite like peanut butter + chocolate. In the kitchen, I’ve made desserts like chocolate peanut butter cheesecake bars, no-bake peanut butter bars, and peanut butter ice cream pie. My chocolate chip cookie layer cake is even filled with a chocolate peanut butter frosting. Today, we’re including a wildly decadent pie to the mix: unbelievable peanut butter pie.
There’s a lot to cover, so let’s dive right in.
This Is Unbelievable Peanut Butter Pie
The layers! The textures! This might just be the richest dessert I’ve ever made, right alongside chocolate peanut butter cake. Today’s recipe is a new twist on classic peanut butter pie with a crisp Oreo cookie crust, ultra creamy peanut butter filling, smooth chocolate ganache, and fluffy whipped cream. Crunchy toppings include Reese’s Pieces and chopped peanuts.
It’s a peanut butter lover’s dream come true.
Here’s why you’ll love it:
- Easy to prepare
- Mostly no-bake (just briefly bake the crust)
- Made with only 10 ingredients; some are repeated in the various layers
- Tons of textures in each bite
- Perfect for birthdays and celebrations
- A great make-ahead recipe
One reader, Lexi, commented: “Another amazing peanut butter recipe! So creamy, dreamy, and easy to put together! ★★★★★“
One reader, Ferrin, commented: “A must-try for peanut butter fans! This was seriously one of the most delicious desserts I have ever made. It was on par with a restaurant dessert that would probably cost you $8 a slice. I made no changes to the recipe and I would definitely make it again. Thanks, Sally, for another great recipe! ★★★★★“
One reader, Melanie, commented: “This was so delicious! It was hard to stop ourselves from getting another slice! Super easy to make and very quick to put together! ★★★★★“
4 Parts to Peanut Butter Pie
- Oreo Crust
- Peanut Butter Filling
- Chocolate Ganache
- Whipped Cream & Toppings
While the full written recipe is below, here I’ll guide you through each component so you know exactly what to do and how to time everything efficiently.
Oreo Crust
A graham cracker crust would be excellent here, but I always make this peanut butter pie with an Oreo crust. You can even use peanut butter Oreos, to really amp up the flavor. We’re using the same recipe and technique found over on my Oreo crust recipe page. Pulse the Oreos (the whole Oreo, including the chocolate cookies and the filling) into a fine crumb, then combine the Oreo crumbs with a little melted butter. Just 2 ingredients and very easy.
Press the mixture firmly into a pie dish and bake the crust. I recommend beginning with this step so the crust has time to cool down before assembling. This is the only layer that requires baking—the rest of the recipe is completely no-bake. I love making this pie in the warmer summer months when our kitchen welcomes a break from the hot oven.
You could use a Biscoff pie crust instead, if you’d like.
Chocolate Ganache Topping
Next, I recommend making the chocolate ganache so it can briefly cool and thicken while you make the peanut butter filling. If it’s too hot, it will start to break down the filling underneath it.
You only need 2 ingredients for the chocolate ganache topping: chocolate and heavy cream. Simply pour warm cream over chocolate and stir. Use a quality chocolate because it’s where all of the flavor comes from. I would avoid using chocolate chips because they contain stabilizers to help them keep their shape—use the real deal. Pure chocolate never lets you down. See my chocolate ganache page if you need extra help with it.
Peanut Butter Pie Filling
This peanut butter filling is about as rich as they come. You need just 5 ingredients including heavy cream, peanut butter, cream cheese, confectioners’ sugar, and vanilla extract. You can’t really taste the cream cheese; rather, all you taste is extra creamy peanut butter. We use the exact filling as a layer in peanut butter banana cream pie, too.
Here I add *a touch* more heavy cream, to add a bit more volume. Start by whipping the heavy cream to turn it into whipped cream. In a separate bowl, beat the other 4 ingredients together, then gently fold the whipped cream into the peanut butter mixture. The result is a creamy, airy peanut butter filling. The steps will remind you of this crème de menthe pie.
Let me show you that in photos. Top left: whipped cream. Top right: peanut butter mixture. Bottom left: whipped cream folded into the peanut butter mixture. Bottom right: spreading it all into the baked Oreo crust.
Spread the thickened chocolate ganache on top and then refrigerate the pie for at least 6 hours or overnight. The pie won’t slice nicely unless it’s been sufficiently refrigerated.
Great dessert to make a day ahead of time!
Toppings
With the same ingredients you used in the filling, make some fresh whipped cream to go on top. The whipped cream isn’t super sweet; it’s light and fluffy, which pairs perfectly with the deeply rich pie. To round out the myriad textures, top with crushed Reese’s Pieces and chopped peanuts.
Instead of Reese’s Pieces and peanuts, try crushed M&Ms, or skip them altogether.
I usually garnish the pie just before serving because the whipped cream could begin to weep on the soft ganache. You’ll want to wait until the filling has set.
This dessert is always fun for birthdays, but I’ve also served it alongside Father’s Day recipes, Mother’s Day recipes, for Valentine’s Day, anniversary dessert—or even when there is no occasion at all (because why not?). It’s always devoured!
Print
Unbelievable Peanut Butter Pie
- Prep Time: 1 hour
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 7 hours
- Yield: 1 9-inch pie
- Category: Pie
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
This rich and indulgent peanut butter pie is a dream dessert; every bite bursts with creamy peanut butter and sweet chocolate—the ultimate flavor combo. Built on an Oreo cookie crust, it’s layered with a rich peanut butter filling, a smooth 2-ingredient chocolate ganache, and fresh whipped cream. Finish it off with chopped peanuts and Reese’s Pieces for an unbelievable dessert no one will forget.
Ingredients
Oreo Crust
- 22 whole Oreo cookies (250g; regular, not Double Stuf)
- 5 Tablespoons (71g) unsalted butter, melted
Ganache
- 3/4 cup (180ml) heavy cream
- 6 ounces (170g) semi-sweet chocolate, finely chopped
Peanut Butter Filling
- 1 cup (240ml) heavy cream, cold
- 8 ounces (226g) full-fat brick cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- 1 and 1/2 cups (375g) creamy peanut butter
- 3/4 cup (90g) confectioners’ sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Optional Toppings For Serving
- Whipped Cream
- 1/4 cup (50g) Reese’s Pieces, crushed
- 1/4 cup (30g) chopped peanuts
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C).
- Bake the crust: In a food processor or blender, pulse 22 Oreos (including the cream filling) into a fine crumb. You should have about 2 cups (packed) crumbs, or 250g. Pour crumbs into a large bowl. Add the melted butter and stir to combine. The mixture will be thick and quite wet. Try to smash/break up any large chunks. Pour the mixture into an ungreased 9-inch pie dish. With medium pressure using your hand, pat the crumbs down into the bottom and up the sides to make a compact, thick crust. See this Oreo crust page for more success tips if needed. Bake for 10 minutes. Allow to cool as you prepare the filling.
- Make the ganache: Place chopped chocolate in a medium heat-proof bowl. Heat the cream in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Once it comes to a simmer, immediately remove from heat and pour over the chocolate. Let sit for 2–3 minutes to soften the chocolate, then stir gently until the ganache is smooth. Set aside at room temperature and allow to slightly cool. During this time, it will gradually thicken as well.
- Make the filling: Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the heavy cream on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form, about 3 minutes. Spoon the whipped cream into a bowl and set aside. Using the same mixing bowl (no need to rinse it out), beat the cream cheese on medium-high speed until smooth. Then add the peanut butter, confectioners’ sugar, and vanilla extract, and beat until combined. Mixture will be thick. Fold in the whipped cream until smooth. Be gentle, you don’t want to deflate that cream.
- Spread peanut butter filling into the cooled crust; I use a small offset spatula for this.
- Spread the chocolate ganache on top of the filling.
- Note: If you don’t plan to serve the pie with whipped cream, you can add chopped peanuts and/or Reese’s Pieces on top of the wet ganache before chilling the pie (so they stick). Otherwise, wait until you garnish with whipped cream (step 9).
- Chill the pie in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours and up to 48 hours. If chilling for longer than a day, loosely cover it.
- Garnish the pie: I used Wilton 1M tip for piping whipped cream on the pictured pie. Top the whipped cream with Reese’s Pieces and chopped peanuts.
- Slice and serve cold. Cover leftover pie and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Notes
- Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: You can get started on the crust in step 2 and the ganache in step 3 ahead of time. You can keep both in the refrigerator overnight if you’re getting started the day before. Cover both tightly. This pie can be frozen up to 3 months. It’s tasty frozen or you can let it thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Food Processor | Glass Mixing Bowls | 9-inch Pie Dish | Small Saucepan | Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Silicone Spatula | Small Offset Spatula
- Peanut Butter: Use a conventional (processed) smooth peanut butter like Jif creamy or Skippy creamy. I do not suggest using natural style or oily peanut butter; both cause the filling to separate and/or turn out greasy.
Reader Comments and Reviews
!!! Ahh!!! I over baked the crust. I haven’t had a slice yet. It still has to cool over night. And my crust on the bottom was still on the hot side but the top of the crust seemed cool to the touch . Otherwise everything came together well. I was terrified of over folding the filling but I think I did it well. We will see tomorrow
Hello,
Do you think mascarpone would work instead of cream cheese in this recipe?
Thanks.
Hi Jennifer, we haven’t tested the recipe with mascarpone, but I’m guessing that it would be a lot softer and not set up as well. The block-style cream cheese is firmer and is what gives this pie its structure. If you try it, let us know how it turns out.
I messed up!!! UGH! I beat the whipped cream in with the filling and didn’t fold it in! 🙁 I have it in the fridge now and going to see how it turns out. I’m bummed.
How did it turn out? I just did the same thing.
could I use reese’s min PB cups instead of reese’s pieces?
Absolutely!
I’ve made this a couple of times, it is truly decadent, a peanut butter and chocolate lover’s dream! The recipe should specify to press the cookie crumb up the sides of the pie dish. The first time I made this I saw the pictures show the crust up to the top, the second time I didn’t notice and forgot to so the bottom was overly thick.
Made this for a recent birthday party abd it was goggked up almost as soon as the dessert table was set up
A real hit!
Used Double Stuff Oreos and topped the pie with both crushed Reeces Piwces and chopped mini Reeves PB Cups. Definitely a keeper!
My Son-in-law said this was the best pie in the world…ever! Thanks Sally for making me look good!
This was so delicious! It was hard to stop ourselves from getting another slice! Super easy to make and very quick to put together!
Hi Sally, one more quick question…when making the crust do I spread the crumb crust all the way up the sides of the pie pan, or halfway, or just a third?! Not sure how high up the pan to spread this crust.
Thank you once again,
Brenda
Hi Brenda, you’ll want to spread it all the way up the pan. If it’s not quite all the way that is okay, as the pie filling firms up nicely and will still cut clean slices. Enjoy!
Hi Sally, I am unable to find peanut butter oreos where we live as we live in a small town. Need to make this recipe asap (it looks and sounds fantastic ). Any ideas what to use in lieu of that for the crust. Thank you
Brenda
Hi Brenda! Regular Oreos would work great! Or you could always do a graham cracker crust instead.
Can I use crunchy peanut butter as that is what I have or will I have to alter the ingredients?
Hi Aj, the filling might be a bit too thick or even dry/crumbly if using chunky peanut butter. For best results, we recommend sticking with smooth peanut butter here.
Sally,
Could you use 1/2 and 1/2 instead of heavy whipping cream?
What type of peanuts would you recommend ie cocktail peanuts?
Thank you.
Thank you
Hi Marilyn, heavy cream is necessary here for the filling to whip and set properly. You can use your favorite type of peanuts for the garnish—cocktail peanuts work great!
Could I substitute full fat coconut milk instead of the heavy cream?
Hi Allison, Full-fat coconut milk (the canned kind) should be ok! The taste of the finished pie will be a bit different, though.
I made this exactly according to the recipe, and it was delicious; a definite hit! I’m curious to know how you chopped the Reese’s pieces. I used the food processor and then my marble rolling pin, but got a lot of powder and some big chunks…….. not the nice small chunks that your photos show.
My husband’s favorite pie!! He is a peanut butter nut so this worked perfect for him and my family. Didn’t use Reese’s pieces just chopped peanuts, also put some of the ganache on crust before I poured in the filling. Just chill 10 min then your filling. Pies rating makes a 10 star with that addition.
Made this with Double Stuff Oreos which I grabbed by mistake – wouldn’t recommend. There was so much fat in the crust that it slid down the sides of the pie plate in the oven and had puddles of butter sitting in the bottom. I blotted up the puddles and used a rubber spatula to coax the crust back up the sides as it cooled until it finally stayed in place.
Hello. Was wondering if you thought I could make these in mini tart rings. Would the crust be able to be free standing? Thanks for all your wonderful recipes!
Hi Peggy, this is a pretty sturdy crust so it likely won’t be an issue. However, I’m not entirely certain as it hasn’t been tested. Let us know if you try it!
A family favorite! Makes two smaller pies in a store Oreo crust. All I had to add was some extra Reese’s pieces.
This is my husband’s favorite dessert and we make it every year for his birthday! I’m considering trying to make it in in small individual tart pans, to make it easier for self-serving at a birthday party. Have you tried this and do you know how many mini tarts it may make?
Thanks so much!
Hi Becky, We are so happy he loves this so much! You can definitely make it in mini tart pans. Sizes of mini pans vary greatly, so how many you get will depend on your exact pans.
Thanks!! I may actually try it in a 9×9 pan and cut it into bars instead. Hoping that will be an easy way to create small individual servings!
Hi Sally. I made this recently and it was delicious! The only problem I had was that despite me greasing the pan (I used cooking spray), the Oreo crust stuck to the pan very badly making it impossible to cut and remove nice clean slices.
Do you have any tips for how I can avoid this sticking issue in the future? I would really appreciate it. Thank you very much!
Hi Jessica! The pie is sticking because the melted butter can solidify in the fridge and adhere to the pan. Letting the pie sit at room temp for a few minutes before serving can help. Or try to warm the bottom of the pan with some warm water (or even your hands) – this should help melt the butter and release the slices. So glad you loved it!
Thank you very much for the advice on how to prevent sticking Trina! 🙂
Hi Sally~
I have been digging deep for a peanut butter pie for my Dad’s birthday. I am traveling so I wondered if you have a recipe for an unbelievable peanut butter cake/pie that is portable? Or how can I make this one portable for a 2 hour drive?
So excited to try this!
Thank you!
Hi Lynn, if this pie has been fully chilled, it should hold up just fine in a 2-hour car ride. For extra assurance, you could always transport it in a cooler, too.
Thank you for the recipe! I am making for the 4th of July holiday. I can’t use Reese’s pieces as they are not vegetarian; wondering if I should top with crushed peanuts or just skip all-together. Thoughts?
Hi Amy, crushed peanuts would be a delicious substitution, or you can simply omit them all together. Enjoy!
I made this today for my husband’s birthday. I loved how easy it was and the no-bake option. It’s chilling in the fridge and we all cannot wait to have some tonight. I know it’s good because I tasted the layers while making it. 🙂 Thanks for another yummy recipe!
“Unbelievable” is the exact word to describe this pie. I cannot express in words how amazing this pie is in every aspect; taste, texture, density, range and joy in preparing. This pie simply tastes incredible. It is the best pie I have ever tasted (I’m not a young person). You almost need a chainsaw to cut into it. I personally liked to take small slivers of a bite and let it melt in my mouth. I did use chunky peanut butter because I like chunky peanut butter. I also used a lot of Reece’s Pieces because the smallest bag I could get had more than the recipe called for so I decided to use them. I covered this pie; both directly on the crust and on the top with broken bits of Reece’s Pieces and it was wonderfully (I REALLY like peanut butter). This pie was so much fun to make as well. I never made my own pie crust, I never made whipped cream, I never “folded” whip cream (thanks YouTube) and I broke up Reece’s Pieces (next time I’ll probably use a bread pan with its flat bottom and deep sides). I’ll be making this again. When I first found this recipe 2 weeks ago, it had a 5-star rating. Now it has a 4.8 rating. I don’t know what’s up with that. I am both elated and saddened by this pie; elated in the fact that I have tasted the best pie EVER in my life, saddened in the fact of the knowledge that I will never find another pie that will taste better.
Dana, wondering if you tried making Sally’s unbelievable-peanut butter pie in the bread pan like you mentioned? I like to make Ice Cream cakes in a glass loaf pan as you don’t have to worry about cutting into your metal pans to cut slices out, and you can cut as thick of a piece as you want. Barbara
My son and I made this for Pi day. I loved how easy it was to make, and it was really delicious. We used a pre-made crust to make it even easier.
I made this exactly as written and it was absolutely perfect! Everybody loved it! Cut it into 12 pieces as it’s rich enough, a huge piece is not necessary (although I, myself, would not be opposed to a larger slice ). Thank you Sally for yet another delicious, perfect recipe!
I made this without the candy pieces and it is delicious!
Just made this for my husband’s birthday.
It was a hit! The only change I made was using a 9.5 inch pie plate, it was deeper than my 9 inch pie plate and it was filled perfectly to the top. Delish!
Thank you for sharing this recipe! I’ve been eyeing peanut butter pies over the past couple of weeks and decided to make one myself. I followed your recipe with two exceptions- I didn’t add the Reese’s Pieces and I used a bittersweet chocolate for the ganache, and it didn’t disappoint! The pie is very rich and has delicious peanut butter flavor. I think I’ll make a batch of fresh whipped cream to add on top tonight!
Hi Sally! I’m making this on Friday for my husband’s birthday. I don’t have a pie dish, though. Could I just use a cake pan? If so, would you recommend an 8 or 9 inch cake pan? Thanks!
Hi Sera, You can make this in any 9 inch pan. We hope he has a happy birthday!
Made this twice. Second time with about 3/4 the amount of PB (because quarantine), and it was great. The full amount of PB makes a very rich pie even for someone like me with a giant sweet tooth, so I think I may continue to use a lesser amount in the future. Wonderful recipe – thank you!