Peanut Butter Pie
I've made this pie almost every year for my wife's Birthday since we've been married and we've been married 20 years. The recipe came from a friend of the family in a local cookbook that we've misplaced, but I managed to memorize years ago.
I've made this pie almost every year for my wife's Birthday since we've been married and we've been married 20 years. The recipe came from a friend of the family in a local cookbook that we've misplaced, but I managed to memorize years ago.
- Carbohydrate 40.2822377586969 g
- Cholesterol 24.489894840709 mg
- Fat 27.2715783872805 g
- Fiber 2.12446998578906 g
- Protein 7.71229655298702 g
- Saturated Fat 10.2334849644425 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (105g)
- Sodium 327.254682876431 mg
- Sugar 38.1577677729079 g
- Trans Fat 1.85099956236213 g
- Calories 427 calories
Step-by-step
- Preheat Oven to 350.
- This recipe makes two pies so we need two pie plates.
- In a medium sized bowl, combine 1 1/4 cup of the Graham Cracker crumbs (which you can buy or just crush enough graham crackers to make the amount you need) and combine with 3 tablespoons of sugar.
- Stir in 1/3 cup of the butter/margarine until thoroughly blended. I look for the graham cracker crumbs to have a uniform, darkened color (i.e. slightly darker than when you started).
- Dump mixture into 9 inch pie pan and press firmly to fill bottom and sides. The crumbs should go up the sides nearly to the top all the way around.
- Repeat steps 3-5 for another 9 inch pie pan.
- Bake both crusts for about 8 minutes and then let cool completely. Alternatively, you can chill the crusts for an hour but I prefer the baking method. Crust seems to hold up better that way and I prefer the taste.
- While crusts are cooling, cream together the powdered sugar and cream cheese in large mixing bowl until well blended.
- Add the peanut butter and mix until well blended.
- Add Cool Whip, 8 ounces at a time (I generally buy two 8 ounce tubs), until well blended. A this point the pie filling should be a light tan color.
- Dump 1/2 of the mixture into each pie shell and spread carefully with a spatular. Seriously, this is a sticky mixture so be careful and dont rush this part. You get to rough, and you risk the mixture tearing your graham cracker crust apart.
- Chill pie at least 1-2 hours before serving. The filling is soft, no matter how long you chill, so you can stick it in the freezer if you want to harden it a bit. We've done it both ways.
Will substituting natural peanut butter for standard homogenized brands break the emulsion in this filling? Standard commercial peanut butter contains stabilizers that keep the oils locked into the solid paste, whereas natural styles separate completely into oil and solids. Introducing free oil to a base of cream cheese and powdered sugar will yield a runny, unstable mixture that refuses to set. Select a conventional, hydrogenated peanut butter for consistent structure, and ensure the cream cheese reaches room temperature before mixing to prevent lumps from forming in the fat phase.
Adapting this dessert for dietary restrictions requires careful attention to specific ingredient properties. Swapping standard graham crackers for a gluten-free variety works seamlessly because the crumbs bind with melted butter and granulated sugar just like wheat-based options, provided you press the mixture firmly into the 9-inch pie pans. Dairy-free substitutions demand more precision; vegan cream cheese and plant-based whipped toppings often contain higher water content than dairy counterparts, which can soften the crust during the baking process. Bake the crusts at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 8 minutes and let them cool completely to create a moisture barrier before adding any filling.
Overbeating the whipped topping remains the primary error cooks make when constructing this dessert. Folding the whipped topping into the peanut butter base must be done gently with a spatula, as aggressive stirring deflates the aeration and results in a dense, heavy layer rather than a light tan mousse. Spread the sticky filling cautiously into the prepared shells to avoid ripping the fragile graham cracker crumb walls.
Chilling the pies for at least one to two hours firms the fats sufficiently for slicing, though transferring the pans to the freezer offers a firmer texture if preferred. Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to three days.
