Reese's Peanut Butter Pie
This Reese's Peanut Butter Pie is the dessert you make when you need something that looks impressive but barely takes any real effort. It has a crunchy chocolate cookie crust, a fluffy peanut butter cheesecake style filling, a layer of silky chocolate ganache, and a pile of chopped Reese's cups on top. No oven required for the filling, no water bath, no fuss. Just a mixer, a fridge, and about twenty minutes of hands on time before you let the fridge do the rest of the work.
Equipment
- Electric hand mixer or stand mixer
- Food processor Or a resealable bag and rolling pin for crushing cookies
- Mixing bowls In a couple of sizes
- Rubber spatula
- Small saucepan For the ganache
- Piping bag Optional, for a decorative whipped cream border
Ingredients
- 24 chocolate sandwich cookies crushed into fine crumbs (for the crust)
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
For the Peanut Butter Filling
- 16 ounces cream cheese 454g, softened to room temperature
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter about 250g
- 1 cup powdered sugar about 120g
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream 360ml, divided (1 cup for filling, 1/3 cup for ganache)
For the Chocolate Ganache & Topping
- 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips about 170g
- 1/3 cup heavy cream 80ml (for the ganache)
- 10 mini Reese's peanut butter cups to 12, roughly chopped
Instructions
- Make the chocolate cookie crust: Pulse cookies in a food processor until fine crumbs form. Mix with melted butter until damp. Press firmly into a 9 inch pie dish and freeze for 10 minutes.
- Make the peanut butter filling: Beat softened cream cheese until smooth. Add peanut butter, powdered sugar, vanilla, and salt. Beat for 2 minutes until fluffy.
- Whip the cream: Beat 1 cup heavy cream until stiff peaks form. Fold one third into the peanut butter mixture to lighten it, then gently fold in the remaining whipped cream.
- Fill the crust: Spoon the filling into the chilled crust and smooth the top. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours until firm.
- Make the ganache: Place chocolate chips in a bowl. Heat 1/3 cup cream until simmering, pour over chocolate, let sit 2 minutes, then whisk until smooth. Cool for 10 minutes.
- Assemble and chill: Pour the ganache over the filling and spread evenly. Sprinkle chopped Reese's cups on top. Refrigerate for at least 2 more hours until set. Slice with a warm, clean knife.
Notes
- Make sure your cream cheese is fully softened before mixing, or you will end up with small lumps in the filling.
- Do not skip chilling the crust before filling it, since this helps it hold together when you slice the pie later.
- Let the ganache cool slightly before pouring it over the filling, so it does not melt into the peanut butter layer.
- Use a warm, dry knife for slicing by running it under hot water and drying it off between each cut.
- Chop the peanut butter cups just before topping the pie, since they can start to soften if left out too long.
- For a frozen pie version, freeze the finished pie for a firmer, ice cream cake style dessert.
- Store leftover pie covered tightly in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Freeze the whole pie, tightly wrapped, for up to 2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before serving.
- Natural peanut butter can work, but it tends to be thinner and oilier, which can make the filling less stable. Stir it very well first.
Nutrition
Serving: 1SliceCalories: 480kcalCarbohydrates: 36gProtein: 8gFat: 34gSaturated Fat: 17gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 65mgSodium: 290mgPotassium: 180mgFiber: 2gSugar: 26gVitamin A: 10IUCalcium: 6mgIron: 8mg
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