Chocolate and peanut butter is the flavor pairing American desserts are built on, and this pie is the easiest possible way to serve it to a crowd: a pressed chocolate cookie crust, a filling that whips up like a cloud, and a pour of glossy ganache that sets into a fudge-like lid. There is no baking at any point — the refrigerator does all the work while you get on with your day.
The filling follows the same no-bake logic as our No-Bake Strawberry Cheesecake Cups: cream cheese for structure, whipped cream for lightness, and patience in the fridge for a clean slice. Here the star is peanut butter, beaten with powdered sugar until the filling tastes like the center of a peanut butter cup, only softer and silkier. A pinch of salt matters more than you'd expect — it keeps the sweetness in check and makes the peanut flavor taste deeper.
Make it the morning of a cookout or the night before a holiday dinner. It slices best fully chilled, travels well in its pie plate, and has a habit of becoming the dessert people request by name. If your house loves the combination in smaller bites, our No-Bake Peanut Butter Balls use the same flavors in poppable form.
Room-temperature cream cheese is non-negotiable
Cold cream cheese beats into lumps that no amount of whisking will fully smooth out, and those lumps stay visible in every slice. Set the block on the counter for a full hour before you start, until it dents easily under a fingertip. The peanut butter should be a conventional creamy style — natural peanut butters that separate can weep oil into the filling and make it greasy and loose. Save the natural jar for toast; this pie wants the steady, emulsified kind.
Whip the cream separately, fold it in last
The filling's lightness comes entirely from air, and air is fragile. Whip the heavy cream to firm peaks in its own bowl, then fold it through the peanut butter base in two additions with a spatula, turning the bowl as you go. Stirring or beating at this stage knocks the air straight back out and the pie sets dense and heavy instead of mousse-like. It takes thirty extra seconds to fold properly, and it is the difference between a good pie and the one people photograph.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups chocolate cookie crumbs (150 g)
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted (85 g)
- 8 oz cream cheese, at room temperature (225 g)
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter (255 g)
- 3/4 cup powdered sugar (90 g)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (5 ml)
- 1/4 teaspoon fine salt (1.5 g)
- 1 cup heavy cream, cold (240 ml)
- 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips (85 g)
- 1/4 cup heavy cream, for the ganache (60 ml)
- 2 tablespoons chopped roasted peanuts (18 g), to serve
Amounts are for the yield below. US customary measures first, grams in brackets for scale users.
Step-by-step instructions
- Press the crust. Stir the cookie crumbs and melted butter together until the mixture looks like wet sand and holds together when squeezed. Tip it into a 9-inch (23 cm) pie plate and press firmly and evenly over the bottom and up the sides — the flat base of a measuring cup packs it tighter than fingers can. Chill for 20 minutes while you make the filling, so the crust firms up and slices cleanly later.
- Beat the peanut butter base. In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese with an electric mixer on medium speed for 1 to 2 minutes until completely smooth and fluffy, scraping the bowl once. Add the peanut butter, powdered sugar, vanilla and salt, and beat again until the mixture is uniform, pale and thick, about 1 minute more.
- Whip the cream. In a separate clean bowl, whip the cold heavy cream to firm peaks — when you lift the beaters, the cream should stand up with just the tip curling over. Cold cream in a cold bowl whips fastest; if your kitchen is warm, chill the bowl for 10 minutes first.
- Fold and fill. Fold one third of the whipped cream into the peanut butter base to lighten it, then fold in the rest in two additions, keeping as much air as possible. Spoon the filling into the chilled crust and smooth the top with an offset spatula or the back of a spoon, swirling it slightly for a bakery look.
- Make the ganache lid. Put the chocolate chips in a small heatproof bowl. Heat the 1/4 cup (60 ml) cream in a small saucepan until it just simmers at the edges, pour it over the chips, and let it sit for 2 minutes. Stir slowly from the center outward until you have a smooth, glossy ganache, then pour it over the pie and tilt the plate gently so it spreads to the edges in an even layer.
- Chill until fully set. Refrigerate the pie for at least 4 hours, and preferably overnight, until the filling is firm enough to slice without slumping. Scatter the chopped peanuts over the top just before serving. For the cleanest slices, dip a long knife in hot water and wipe it dry between every cut.
Nutrition estimate
| Nutrient | Per serving |
|---|---|
| Calories | 560 kcal |
| Protein | 11 g |
| Carbohydrates | 38 g |
| Fat | 42 g |
| Saturated fat | 19 g |
| Sodium | 330 mg |
| Fiber | 3 g |
| Sugar | 27 g |
Nutrition figures are estimates calculated from standard ingredient data for the yield stated. Your actual values will vary with brands, substitutions and portion sizes — treat them as a guide, not a guarantee.
Storage & reheating
The pie keeps, covered, for up to 4 days in the refrigerator, and the slices arguably improve on day two as the crust softens slightly into the filling. It also freezes beautifully for up to 2 months: wrap the whole pie or individual slices tightly, thaw overnight in the fridge, and serve still slightly cold. Do not leave it at room temperature for more than 2 hours, as the filling is a dairy-based mousse. Nutrition figures are estimates from standard ingredient data and vary with brands and substitutions.
No-Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie
Chocolate cookie crust, clouds of peanut butter filling, glossy ganache — no oven, all applause.
Ingredients
Tick ingredients off as you prep, and tap a step below to mark it done as you cook. Scaling adjusts the listed amounts - seasoning to taste stays your call.
Instructions
- Press the crust. Stir the cookie crumbs and melted butter together until the mixture looks like wet sand and holds together when squeezed. Tip it into a 9-inch (23 cm) pie plate and press firmly and evenly over the bottom and up the sides — the flat base of a measuring cup packs it tighter than fingers can. Chill for 20 minutes while you make the filling, so the crust firms up and slices cleanly later.
- Beat the peanut butter base. In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese with an electric mixer on medium speed for 1 to 2 minutes until completely smooth and fluffy, scraping the bowl once. Add the peanut butter, powdered sugar, vanilla and salt, and beat again until the mixture is uniform, pale and thick, about 1 minute more.
- Whip the cream. In a separate clean bowl, whip the cold heavy cream to firm peaks — when you lift the beaters, the cream should stand up with just the tip curling over. Cold cream in a cold bowl whips fastest; if your kitchen is warm, chill the bowl for 10 minutes first.
- Fold and fill. Fold one third of the whipped cream into the peanut butter base to lighten it, then fold in the rest in two additions, keeping as much air as possible. Spoon the filling into the chilled crust and smooth the top with an offset spatula or the back of a spoon, swirling it slightly for a bakery look.
- Make the ganache lid. Put the chocolate chips in a small heatproof bowl. Heat the 1/4 cup (60 ml) cream in a small saucepan until it just simmers at the edges, pour it over the chips, and let it sit for 2 minutes. Stir slowly from the center outward until you have a smooth, glossy ganache, then pour it over the pie and tilt the plate gently so it spreads to the edges in an even layer.
- Chill until fully set. Refrigerate the pie for at least 4 hours, and preferably overnight, until the filling is firm enough to slice without slumping. Scatter the chopped peanuts over the top just before serving. For the cleanest slices, dip a long knife in hot water and wipe it dry between every cut.
Tested in the FryDaily kitchen, October 2026. Printing? This card is designed to print cleanly on its own.
