Reese’s Peanut Butter Cream Pie (No cream cheese)
Reese’s peanut butter cream pie is the dessert of decadence. With each ingredient made from scratch, there aren’t any shortcuts here (and no cream cheese!) but the big flavor delivery is so worth it. Creamy peanut butter pastry cream, homemade whipped cream and a layer of chocolate tucked into a pretzel crust is truly a celebration.
Tips & Tricks
- Make the pastry cream first and let it chill.
- To make the crust, crush unsalted pretzels, butter and light brown sugar together in a food processor. If you don’t have a food processor crush the pretzels in a zip lock bag with a heavy skillet then add to a bowl and stir in the butter and sugar..
- Paint the chocolate ganache made from hot cream, chocolate and vanilla along the bottom of the crust to form a barrier between the pastry cream to prevent sogginess. Add a layer of Reese’s cups to the bottom as well.
- Because we aren’t using Cool Whip, you’ll need to stabilize your homemade whipped cream so it doesn’t deflate and ooze out of your pie. To do this, you’ll dissolve a bit of gelatin powder in water. You can get gelatin anywhere or you can buy it on Amazon.
- Make ahead: 1-2 days would probably be the max. Any longer than that and your pretzel crust may start getting quite soft.
- You might be able to freeze this. When real dairy is frozen and then thawed, it can split. I have never frozen this pie to test it and I just fear that because it’s made with real ingredients that it would be watery.Now that said…if you use Cool Whip and other shortcut ingredients like instant pudding it will freeze just fine. There’s a price to be paid for quality here and not freezing will just have to be it.
- Reese’s cups are perfect here but any other peanut candy would be equally good. Imagine chopped Snickers bars or Payday in this baby! Or…how do you feel about going a little Elvis and adding some sliced bananas instead of candy? That would be amazing and worth a try.
Reese’s Peanut Butter Cream Pie
This Reese's peanut butter cream pie is made of a salty-sweet pretzel crust coated in rich chocolate ganache and filled with peanut butter pastry cream, whipped cream, and actual Reese's. Yum!
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Servings: 12 slices
Ingredients
Crushed pretzel crust
- 3 1/2 cups plain (unsalted) small pretzels
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup light brown sugar
Peanut butter pastry cream
- 1 cup milk
- 1 1/2 cups half and half
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 5 large eggs
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 3/4 cup peanut butter chips
Chocolate ganache
- 3/4 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 tsp vanilla
- 1 1/4 cups semisweet chocolate chips
Whipped cream
- 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons cold water
- 1 1/2 teaspoons plain gelatin
- 2 cups cold heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar sifted
Additional ingredients
- 3/4 cup Coarsely chopped Reese’s cups for layering and garnish
Instructions
For the peanut butter pastry cream
- Add milk, half and half and 1/4 cup sugar to a saucepan. Bring to a simmer, stir to dissolve sugar.
- Whisk cornstarch, egg yolks, and remaining 1/4 cup sugar in a large bowl; about 2 minutes. Gradually add the milk mixture to the egg yolks whisking as you pour. Whisk in the salt.
- Pour the mixture back into the pot bring to a boil over medium heat stirring constantly, 5 to 7 minutes until thickened.
- Transfer to a bowl by pouring through a strainer to get any cooked egg. Add the vanilla, butter and peanut chips and stir until melted and combined. Cool 1 hour on the counter then cover the surface with plastic wrap and cool at least 4 hours or overnight.
Make the crushed pretzel crust
- Crush the pretzels finely with a food processor or in a zip lock bag down to the texture of bread crumbs.
- Heat the butter and sugar in a small saucepan over low heat until the butter melts; pour over the pretzels. Stir to combine and transfer to a 9-inch pie plate. Use a glass or measuring cup to press the mixture evenly across the bottom and up the sides.
- Preheat the oven to 350 and bake the crust 8 to 10 minutes. Let cool.
Chocolate ganache
- In a medium saucepan, bring the cream to a simmer over medium high heat. Remove the cream from heat and add the vanilla and chocolate chips. Let the mixture stand 5 minutes then stir until smooth.
- Pour the chocolate ganache over crumb crust to between 1/8 and 1/4" thick. Use the back of a spoon to spread it part way up the sides of the crust too. Set aside.
Whipped cream
- In a small bowl, add the gelatin to the water and let stand 5 minutes. Then heat in the microwave in 5 to 6 second increments, stirring in between until the gelatin melts and you can't see it in the water anymore. Set aside until lukewarm.
- Once the gelatin is cooled, pour the cream and vanilla into a medium bowl and beat with an electric mixer 3 to 4 minutes. Add the sugar and gelatin. Beat to stiff peaks and set aside or refrigerate until ready to assemble.
To assemble
- Assemble only when all components are cooled as instructed.
- Scatter a handful of peanut butter cups over the ganache layer in the crust.
- Add the peanut butter cream layer without disturbing the peanut butter cups. Mound the whipped cream in the middle and top with more chopped peanut butter cups, optional peanuts, and drizzle some remaining ganache on top.
- Refrigerate the pie loosely covered with plastic wrap until ready to serve. Can be made 1-2 days in advance.
Nutrition
Serving: 1slice | Calories: 798kcal | Carbohydrates: 73g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 53g | Saturated Fat: 29g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 16g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 169mg | Sodium: 295mg | Potassium: 486mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 45g | Vitamin A: 1335IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 156mg | Iron: 3mg
