Peanut butter pie is a creamy, no-bake dessert made with a cream cheese and peanut butter filling in a graham cracker crust. I started making this the Amish way my aunt taught me years ago, no oven, no fuss, just a mixer and a fridge. It is ready in 15 minutes of hands-on time plus an hour to chill, which makes it the pie I reach for when I need something impressive without turning on the oven.
The filling is silky and light, almost mousse-like, and the graham cracker crust gives you a little crunch against all that creaminess.
It is a crowd-pleaser that requires no oven and minimal effort, which makes it a good pick for hot days when you still want a real dessert on the table.
Super easy. Just enough sweetness. I topped it off with Hershey Kisses.
~ kimsue79 on Pinterest
Ingredients:
Every ingredient here is doing a job, not just filling space.
- Cream cheese, full-fat and fully softened; this is what gives the filling body and that slight tang against the sweetness of the peanut butter. Cold cream cheese will not cream out smooth like softened cream cheese will, so pull it out of the fridge at least an hour ahead.
- Creamy peanut butter, a standard shelf-stable jar like Jif or Skippy. Regular creamy peanut butter is what gives you a filling that holds its shape when you slice it.
- Powdered sugar sweetens the filling and, because it is finer than granulated sugar, it dissolves into the cream cheese and peanut butter instead of leaving any grit behind.
- Whipped topping, thawed; folding this into the filling is what turns a dense cheesecake-style mixture into something light and mousse-like. It also tops the pie for that classic diner-pie look.
- Graham cracker crust, store-bought. This recipe is built around the convenience of a ready-made crust, and I like that the plastic lid it comes with doubles as storage later.
Recipe Card?
To find the full printable recipe with specific measurements and directions CLICK HERE to go to the recipe card.
How to make this recipe:
Growing up, I knew this as Amish no-bake peanut butter pie, and my aunt calls it old-fashioned peanut butter pie. Whatever name you use, this is the version my friends ask me to bring, and the recipe they always ask for.
Cream the filling
In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese, peanut butter, and powdered sugar on medium-high speed for 2 minutes, until light and fluffy.
Sarah's Tip
For a smoother filling, sift the powdered sugar before adding it to the mixture.
Fold in whipped topping
Gently fold in half of the whipped topping until fully incorporated; you are looking for the mixture to lighten in color and puff up slightly, with no white streaks left. Fold with a spatula rather than the mixer here. Stirring or beating it in knocks the air back out, and you lose the light, mousse-like texture that makes this pie work.
Assemble the pie
Pour the filling into the graham cracker crust and spread it evenly to the edges with an offset spatula or the back of a spoon. Top with the remaining whipped topping, swirling it out to the crust so the peanut butter layer is fully covered. Store-bought crusts vary a little in depth; if yours is on the deeper side, you may have a spoonful of filling left over, and that is normal, not a mistake on your part.
Chill
Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving; the filling firms up as it sits, so you are looking for it to hold a clean slice when you cut into it, not spread on the plate. I have let this chill for a full 4 hours plenty of times when I am making it ahead, and it only gets easier to slice the longer it sits.
Tips and Storage
- For garnish, drizzle the top with chocolate syrup, scatter on chopped peanuts, or crush a few extra graham crackers over the whipped topping right before serving.
- Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Save the plastic lid that came with your graham cracker crust; flip it over and it snaps right back on, so you do not need to hunt down plastic wrap.
Did you make this recipe?
Do you have feedback that would be helpful to others? If so can help this small business owner by leaving a rating and a review in the comments section? Thank you for being part of the Savoring The Good Community. ~ Sarah
Another no-bake dessert recipe that is popular on the site is my eclair cake; it gives you all the flavor of an eclair without making pate choux. If you love this peanut butter pie recipe, you will love my friend's easy fudge pie recipe too; grab a fork and a glass of milk.
This easy peanut butter pie comes together with ingredients you likely already have in the pantry. It assembles in about 15 minutes, and after an hour of chilling in the refrigerator, you have a quick dessert everyone will love. The filling is silky smooth with a mousse-like texture, closer to a peanut butter cloud than a dense cheesecake.
Seasonal Favorite
This is the best homemade seedless black raspberry jam recipe made with fresh or frozen black raspberries.
FAQ's and Tips
Don't toss away the plastic cover of the store-bought graham cracker crust. Save it and flip it over, making a lid for the pie.
To garnish this pie you can drizzle some chocolate syrup, chop, chopped peanuts chocolate chips or even some crushed peanuts or graham cracker crumbs.
I have not tested this pie with a chocolate cookie crust yet, though peanut butter and chocolate are a classic pairing, so I would expect it to work well. I will update this answer once I have made it that way myself and can tell you exactly how the filling and crust hold up together.
On the off chance there is leftover pie, I store it in the aluminum pie pan it came in, with the plastic lid in place. It keeps in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Yes. A 9-inch homemade graham cracker crust made from about 1 ½ cups of crushed graham crackers, ¼ cup sugar, and 6 tablespoons of melted butter works in place of the store-bought crust. Press it into a pie plate and chill it for 15 minutes before filling so it holds together when you slice.
You can, though the texture softens a bit once thawed since the filling relies on cream cheese and whipped topping. Wrap the pie tightly and freeze it for up to 1 month, then thaw it overnight in the refrigerator before serving.
I do not recommend it. Natural peanut butter separates and is oilier than a shelf-stable jar like Jif or Skippy, and that extra oil can keep the filling from setting up firm. Stick with regular creamy peanut butter for a clean slice.
Yes, this is one of the better make-ahead desserts. Assemble it up to a day in advance and keep it covered in the refrigerator; the flavor and texture hold up well, and it slices even more cleanly after a longer chill.
Ingredients
- 1 (1) Graham cracker crust
- 8 Ounces (226 ⅘ Gram) Cream Cheese
- 1 Cup (258 Gram) Peanut butter
- 1 Cup (120 Gram) Powdered Sugar
- 1 tub (1 tub) Non-Dairy whipped topping
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl with the paddle attachment, cream together the cream cheese, peanut butter and powdered sugar.8 Ounces (226 ⅘ Gram) Cream Cheese, 1 Cup (258 Gram) Peanut butter, 1 Cup (120 Gram) Powdered Sugar
- Beat on medium high speed for 2 minutes until light and fluffy.
- Fold in ½ the tub of cool whip until fully incorporated.1 tub Non-Dairy whipped topping
- Pour the peanut butter filling into the graham cracker crust, spreading evenly to the edges.1 Graham cracker crust
- Top the filling with the remaining whipped topping.
- Chill in the refrigerator for a minimum of 1 hour.
Nutrition
Notes
Sarah's Culinary Insight
- I have made this pie more times than I can count, and the one thing that never changes is the cream cheese has to be fully room temperature before you start. Cold cream cheese leaves small lumps that no amount of mixing will beat out.
- The filling looks loose right out of the mixing bowl; that is normal. It is the hour in the fridge that turns it from soft to sliceable, not the mixing.
- If your whipped topping is still a little frozen when you fold it in, you get streaks instead of an even filling. Give it a few extra minutes in the fridge to thaw first.
- Store-bought graham cracker crusts vary in depth from brand to brand. If yours is on the shallower side, you may have room for a thicker filling layer; if it is deeper, you might have a little filling left over. Either way is fine.
I am Sarah Mock. Welcome!
Sarah Mock is a classically trained Chef and a graduate of Johnson & Wales University. A culinary blogger for 17 years, Sarah helps the home cook prepare her recipes with professional results.
Josie Kay says
This was so yummy
Sarah Mock says
Thank you for letting me know Josie! I appreciate the five stars too.
~ Sarah