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
Next week is Fair Week. Which of you pie recipes would you suggest for Pie day? This recipe looks scrumptious! But in your experience, which would you suggest to win the ribbon?
Hi Marty, we’re unsure, but others have reported winning ribbons for some of our fruit pie recipes – let us know what you bake!
I love using some of your baked goods.And actually really good.I try others but not too crazy about it.Thank you for letting me be.Able to use some of your bakes for myself.I just eat it for me.I’m very picky what I eat.Thank you for letting me use the recipe for myself.Have a blessed day
I loved this and will have most of it to myself (eaten over time since I froze it).
My family is not really into desserts very much at all. However, I thought the recipe sounded great.
I decided to make it knowing I (maybe my husband will have a slice) would probably
be the only one eating it. ; ) Yippee!
Because it’s on the rich side (even for me) I cut the pieces on the smaller side, thus getting about 14 servings.
I don’t care for graham cracker crusts, so I loved using oreo cookies for the crust.
I used the 9″ spring form pan which made serving the slices easy to get off the bottom
& onto a plate.
I would imagine getting slices out of the pie dish might be challenging…IMHO.
Highly recommend this pie if you like peanut butter.
This was one of the best pies I’ve made in quite a while and its delicious!
Will it ruin the fun if I make a graham cracker crust?
You can definitely use a graham cracker crust if you prefer, Rebecca!
Sounds amazing!
Question- Any substitute for cream cheese to reduce the lactose?
Thank you 🙂
Hi Carrie, I haven’t tested any substitutes, so sorry. Let me know if you do!
Made this delicious pie this week. Will make again. I have a question: my powdered sugar crystallized and was crunchy =(
Have you heard of this?! I was disappointed!
Hi Jenny, how do you store your powdered sugar? It can crystallize if there is too much moisture, so it’s possible there was too much moisture in the container it was stored in, which eventually caused it to crystallize in the pie. If you wish to try it again, we’d recommend a fresh bag of powdered sugar. Hope this helps and thank you for giving this one a try!
This pie is rich and decadent, and came out beautifully! I used a 9 1/2 inch deep glass pie plate, and here are a couple of suggestions…
After baking, my crust wanted to slide down into the bottom of the pie plate. I kept persuading it back up the sides with a small spatula as it cooled. Ultimately it didn’t end up all the way up the sides but the filling is stiff enough it wasn’t really an issue when I served the finished pie. Maybe Oreos are different here in Canada?
When I added the filling, I sort of shaped it with the outer edges raised somewhat and then placed it into the fridge for about 20 minutes before pouring the ganache on – worked perfectly!!
Delicious!! I made it for Father’s Day. I stole a slice before he even got any lol.
I made this in a springform pan after reading the comments. I agree it would be too much for a regular pie pan, but that is the same way for the French silk pie from Sally so I expected it. The springform worked perfect!
I made the whipped cream with milk powder to keep it stabilized, and decorated with peanut m&ms!
This is the best peanut butter pie ever!
Thank you for an amazing recipe, it’s so so so good!
1. make sure to have all the recommended tools necessary for this recipe.
2. It was very messy. The peanut butter mixture doesn’t look like the recipes. I’ve never made whipping cream before and it seemed like it would never come to peaks. When ‘folding’ it in the peanut butter mixture it seemed like it wouldn’t combine. I used a standard pyrex pie plate and it seemed like there wasn’t enough room for the layers. I had the ganache all over the sides. I’ve made quite a mess doing this recipe.
I’ve made it on Saturday for Sunday. I sure hope it tastes great. I’ll let you know.
FYI: I’m not a dessert maker so I’m sure that has a lot to do with my ineptness.
This is a great recipe! I’ve made it several times over the past few years since my husband loves peanut butter and chocolate desserts. I normally use regular Oreos, and I reduce the amount of Reese’s pieces and include chopped peanuts to help balance the sweetness a little. I will try it with just chopped peanuts next time. I also had a hard time getting the crust out of the pie dish the first few times, so I started using a spring form pan, which is perfect. Thanks for the recipe!
Am I crazy, or was there a version of this recipe with Reese’s Pieces placed on the crust before the filling, then more on the ganache as seen in the picture?
I found this recipe yesterday, double checked it in the grocery store, but now I don’t see that part?
I did see comments saying that was too many Reese’s Pieces, but I’d still like to try it with some.
Unless I was seeing things…
Hi Jackie! Yes! I updated the photos. You can add the crushed Reese’s Pieces right on top of the crust, add the peanut butter filling, and then sprinkle more on top of the ganache before refrigerating.
Obsessed with this recipe. I’ve made it so many times and it’s always a go to favorite. Easily made gluten free too for my gluten free friends! The banana version is just as perfect and makes a delicious summer treat!
One of the BEST pies ever!!!
This pie is delicious, but I do agree with some of the other reviewers. I substituted peanuts in lieu of the Reese’s pieces because it seemed like those would make it over the top, but 1 cup of either was way too much for me. I reduced to 1/2 c and that seemed more appropriate for the 2 layers. I followed the filling and crust directions to a T, and thought both turned out just fine. The peanut butter mixture folding into the whipped cream was certainly not smooth, but it eventually mixed in and I think lead to a more sliceable pie. If it were to be looser I would think it would have oozed when serving which I do not find desirable. I reduced the portion of the ganache based on other reviewers as well because I hate to waste things. I used 1/2 c heavy cream with 4 oz chocolate and it was the perfect amount to me to top and not have any left overs. It’s not often I tweak any of Sally’s recipes but I think some of the other reviewers offered some really valuable advice.
Hi!! Will this pie keep for 2 days in the fridge? I fully made the pie, put it in the fridge, but my guests will not be eating it for another 48 hours. Thanks!!
Yes!
I have made this recipe quite a few time! Both as a pie and in muffin tins! It’s great every time!!!
This pie is PERFECTION. I’ve made others more labor intensive that weren’t nearly as good. The filling on this pie is a richer, almost truffle consistency. My adult son proclaimed that he’ll be asking for this pie in lieu of birthday cake for the rest of his life.
I agree that this needs to be made in a deep dish pie crust. If you were wanting to shave some time, I imagine using two of the shallower, pre-made Oreo pie crusts would yield good results.
My only note is that being generous with the Reeces pieces, I didn’t use even half of that amount call for. I ended up with a bunch of extra crushed Reeces (no biggie, they got saved for ice cream topping!), so next time I will crush about half as much.
I tried this recipe, awesome! My husband loves peanut butter & went crazy for this pie! Favorite of mine too
I think this recipe needs to be amended to state that it should be made in a deep dish pie crust. I made it in a standard 9.5″ Pyrex glass pan, and there was significantly too much peanut butter filling and ganache. I was concerned by the amount of peanut butter filling and only put in about 3/4 of the amount it made, and even that was too much. The ganache was extremely thin (I weighed all ingredients) and I only used less than half, and it was flooding over the edge of the pie pan. I’m sure it’ll taste amazing, but it looks like a hot mess. Definitely trust your gut if you feel like there is too much filling and ganache for your pan, because there certainly is!
Could I do this in muffin tins?
Hi MG, we haven’t tested it ourselves, but that shouldn’t be a problem!
This pie is outrageously good! I make it without the Reese’s pieces and there’s plenty of rich flavor. This has become our family’s favorite for special occasions. Thank you Sally.
This turned out well but my ganache was a bit too loose even after chilling. I would adjust next time or try a different chocolate brand.
Like one of the other reviewers, I found the filing to be too dense. I had to use the whip attachment on my stand mixer to complete the filing because there was no way to fold the whipped cream into the rest of the filing. The addition of the ganache is interesting, but this is an average chocolate peanut butter pie. I’ll continue my quest for a recipe where I can actually fold the whipped cream into the filing
I made this for my husband’s birthday and it was an incredible hit. The filling is light and silky, with just enough peanut butter flavor. I used some chopped up peanuts for crunch instead of the Reese’s pieces. It’s the first time I ever made a pie and Sally’s detailed instructions made it easy to get it right. Love this recipe!
This was tasty but if I could do it again, I probably would have kept the same amount of cream (or 8oz) and decrease the peanut butter to 1 cup. The texture was a little thicker than used to for a pie like this.
If you want a thick, super peanut buttery pie, this is it, but I used salted (because I like salty/sweet desserts) and was hoping for something a little more fluffy/sweet on the palate.
This is the 2nd time my husband has requested this for his birthday. That pretty much says it all. I have better tools and more experience this time so I hope it’s as evident in the taste as it is in the presentation. This is a great pie for beginners. When you get another request to make this (and you will), you can put a little finesse on it just for you 😉
Fabulous!!!!
I just made this and it’s settling in the fridge! While I haven’t tasted it all together, each component was devine!! I have to wait till tomorrow to eat it.
I chopped up a combo of Reese’s Cups and peanuts instead of the Reese’s pieces because I couldn’t find those.