The Best Easy & Creamy No-Bake Peanut Butter Pie

Is there any flavor combination more iconic, more decadent, or more universally beloved than rich chocolate and salty-sweet peanut butter? This incredible, almost entirely No-Bake Peanut Butter Pie is the ultimate tribute to that perfect pairing. With a light, fluffy, cloud-like peanut butter mousse filling, a crisp chocolate cookie crust, and a ridiculously rich, from-scratch hot fudge sauce, this is the easy, show-stopping dessert you’ve been dreaming of.

This isn’t just a recipe; it’s your guide to the ultimate crowd-pleasing dessert that requires absolutely no oven time for the filling. We’ll show you the simple secrets to a perfectly airy mousse and a decadent hot fudge sauce that takes the entire pie over the top. Get ready to make the dessert that will have every single person asking for the recipe.

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

Recipe Overview: The Ultimate No-Bake Indulgence

What makes this Peanut Butter Pie so spectacularly delicious is its incredible combination of textures and its wonderful ease of preparation. The filling is a true mousse—a rich and tangy peanut butter and cream cheese base that is lightened with a cloud of fresh whipped cream, creating a texture that is unbelievably light and airy. This is all piled into a crisp, dark chocolate cookie crust and set in the freezer until firm. The final, crowning glory is a simple, from-scratch, warm hot fudge sauce that you drizzle over each cool, creamy slice.

Metric	Time / Level
Total Time	5 hours (includes freezing time)
Active Prep Time	25 minutes
Difficulty Level	Easy
Servings	8-10 slices

The Essential Ingredients for This Decadent Pie

This recipe is built from three delicious, easy components.

• The Chocolate Cookie Crust: The crisp, dark, and buttery foundation.
  • The Shortcut: The recipe calls for one 9-inch baked chocolate cookie pie crust, which you can easily find in the baking aisle of your grocery store for a fantastic, time-saving shortcut.
  • The Easy Homemade Version: For a from-scratch touch, a chocolate cookie crust is incredibly easy to make! Simply pulse about 25 chocolate wafer cookies (like Oreos, cream removed, or Famous Chocolate Wafers) in a food processor until they are fine crumbs. Mix the crumbs with 6 tablespoons of melted butter and press the mixture firmly into the bottom and up the sides of your pie plate. Bake at 350°F for 10 minutes and let it cool completely.
• The Light & Fluffy Peanut Butter Mousse Filling:
  • The Base: A rich and tangy foundation of room temperature, full-fat, block-style cream cheese and a good quality, standard creamy peanut butter (like Jif® or Skippy®) is the key to a smooth, non-lumpy base with the perfect, classic peanut butter flavor.
  • The Whipped Cream: The secret to the “mousse” texture is folding in freshly whipped cold heavy cream. This is what transforms the dense peanut butter base into a light, airy, and cloud-like filling.
• The Rich, Homemade Hot Fudge Sauce: This is what takes the pie to the next level! It’s a simple, foolproof, stovetop sauce made with heavy cream, light brown sugar, light corn syrup, unsweetened cocoa powder, and good-quality semisweet chocolate.

Step-by-Step to the Best Peanut Butter Pie

This easy, no-bake pie comes together in just a few simple steps.

Part 1: The Rich, Homemade Hot Fudge Sauce

Step 1: In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, add the 1/3 cup of heavy cream, the 1/4 cup of light brown sugar, the 1/4 cup of light corn syrup, the 2 tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa powder, and the 1/8 teaspoon of table salt.

Step 2: Place the pan over medium heat and bring the mixture to a simmer.

Step 3: Add the 4 ounces of finely chopped semisweet chocolate. Reduce the heat to low and stir continuously until the chocolate is completely melted and the sauce has thickened, which will take about 3 to 4 minutes.

Step 4: Remove the sauce from the heat and stir in the 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract. Let the sauce cool for at least 10 minutes before you plan to serve it. This sauce can be made several days in advance and stored in the refrigerator.

Part 2: The Light & Fluffy Peanut Butter Mousse Filling

Step 1: In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the 8 ounces of room temperature cream cheese, the 3/4 cup of confectioners’ sugar, and the 3/4 cup of creamy peanut butter on medium-high speed for about 3 minutes, until the mixture is completely smooth, light, and fluffy.

Step 2: In a separate, chilled bowl, whip the 1 cup of very cold heavy whipping cream with an electric mixer until it is thick and light. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of confectioners’ sugar and the 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract. Continue to whip until the cream holds beautiful, stiff peaks.

Step 3 (The Secret to a Fluffy Mousse!): Now for the most important technique. Take about one-third of your prepared whipped cream and add it to the bowl with the peanut butter mixture. Use a spatula to stir this mixture together until it is completely combined. This crucial step is called “lightening the base.”

Step 4: Gently add the remaining whipped cream to the lightened peanut butter mixture. Use your spatula to gently fold the two mixtures together until they are just combined and no white streaks remain. Be very careful not to stir or overmix, as this will deflate all the beautiful air you have whipped into your cream.

Part 3: Assemble, Freeze, and Serve

Step 1: Pour the finished, fluffy peanut butter mousse filling into your completely cooled, pre-baked chocolate cookie pie crust. Use a spatula to spread it into a beautiful, even layer.

Step 2: Sprinkle the top of the pie with the 2 ounces of shaved milk chocolate.

Step 3: Place the pie in the freezer and let it chill and set until it is firm, for at least 4 hours.

When you are ready to serve, you can let the pie sit out at room temperature for about 10-15 minutes to make it easier to slice. Serve each slice with a generous drizzle of the warm hot fudge sauce, an extra dollop of whipped cream, and a sprinkle of chopped peanuts, if desired.

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Storage and Make-Ahead Tips

This Peanut Butter Pie is the absolute perfect make-ahead dessert for a stress-free party.

• Make-Ahead: This pie is designed to be made ahead! It needs at least 4 hours in the freezer to set up properly, but you can make it completely up to 3 days in advance.
• Storage: Store the finished pie, well-covered with plastic wrap, in the freezer for up to 2 weeks.
• Serving: For the best texture, let the frozen pie sit at room temperature for about 15-20 minutes before slicing and serving.

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Creative Recipe Variations

1. Add a Crunchy Pretzel Crust: For an incredible salty-sweet combination, you can substitute the chocolate cookie crust with a simple, press-in crust made from 2 cups of finely crushed pretzels mixed with 1/2 cup of melted butter and 1/4 cup of sugar.
2. Make it a “Buckeye” Pie: For the ultimate Ohio-inspired treat, you can spread a thin layer of your prepared hot fudge sauce on the bottom of the cookie crust before you pour in the peanut butter filling.
3. Use Chunky Peanut Butter: If you love a bit of texture, you can substitute the creamy peanut butter in the filling with an equal amount of your favorite chunky peanut butter.

Enjoy The Ultimate No-Bake Dessert!

You’ve just created a truly special, show-stopping dessert that is the very definition of a sweet indulgence. This classic, no-bake Peanut Butter Pie is a perfect harmony of a crisp chocolate crust, a light and fluffy peanut butter mousse, and a rich, decadent hot fudge sauce. It’s a rewarding and deeply satisfying recipe that is guaranteed to be a massive hit at any party.

We hope you enjoy every last, perfect, and delicious bite!

If you enjoyed making this recipe, please leave a comment below or share it with a friend who loves the classic combination of chocolate and peanut butter!

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)