This pie is a quick and easy crowd pleaser. Simple steps and very little oven time make this a great recipe for kids to help with. Make with peanut butter, or soy based “peanut” butter, like Wowbutter for those with nut allergies. This recipe makes a pie with a thick graham cracker base, with a rich peanut butter and cream cheese filling, topped with chocolate ganache, peanuts and chocolate bits.

Category: dessert
Serves: 8-10 slices
Preparation time: 30 minutes active, 4 hours refrigeration

Ingredients:

• 2 packages graham crackers or 2 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 3/4 cup butter, melted
• 2 cups peanut butter
• 1 package (250g) cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups whipping cream, or whole milk
• 1 cup icing sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup whipping cream
• 4oz semi sweet baking chocolate, chopped
• 1/4 chocolate chips, or chopped milk or dark chocolate
• 1/4 cup peanuts or crushed peanuts

Instructions:

If you bought whole graham crackers, and not graham cracker crumb, fill a food processor, or a high powered blender with graham crackers. Blitz until they are a crumble or almost powdered. 

In a large bowl combine graham crackers and melted butter. Mix well until all the graham is damp with butter.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Pour the graham mixture into a 9 inch pie pan, smooth the graham evenly across the bottom and up the sides of the pan with the help of a spoon. Once even, use the base of a flat, smooth glass to compact the bottom to create the dense crust. Use a spatula, or even your hands, to compact the graham tightly around the sides of the pan. The harder it is all pressed down, and the more even it is, the stronger the base will be. Bake the pie shell, empty, for 10 minutes. Let cool while you prepare the rest. This is the only step in the oven, so it can now be turned off. 

In a large bowl with a hand mixer, or in a stand mixer, combine peanut butter, cream cheese, cream, icing sugar and vanilla until completely smooth.

Scoop the peanut butter pie mix into the cooled pie shell, smooth out with a rubber spatula, then place the pie in the refrigerator.

In a medium sized mixing bowl warm whipping cream in the microwave for 45 seconds to a minute, until hot enough to melt chocolate. Place the chopped bakers chocolate into the whipping cream and let sit for a minute, then whisk the chocolate and cream vigorously until smooth and glossy. Let sit for a few minutes, then pour the chocolate ganache over the pie, gently smoothing it to the edges and only touching the surface of the ganache to not mix into the pie filling. Sprinkle with chopped chocolate and crushed or whole peanuts. Place in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours before serving.

To serve, remove from refrigerator 20 minutes prior to serving and cut with a hot, clean knife. 

Recipe created by Jess Emin