Peanut Butter Fudge Pie

Layers of peanut butter, fudge and whipped cream make this mile-high peanut butter fudge pie look like it belongs in a pastry shop window. But here’s a secret: This no-bake dessert couldn’t be easier. Since it calls for shortcut ingredients like store-bought pie crust and frozen whipped topping, it comes together in less than 30 minutes.

Rather than turning on the oven (and heating up the house), simply pop the pie into the fridge until it sets. That makes this rich hot fudge peanut butter pie a perfect summer dessert and an excellent make-ahead choice for any kind of holiday, party or potluck. The only catch? Don’t expect the decadent chocolate and peanut butter confection to last very long.

Ingredients for Peanut Butter Fudge Pie

• Cream cheese: Mix tangy, rich cream cheese into the peanut butter to make it even smoother.
• Creamy peanut butter: Use a good-tasting brand of peanut butter. Creamy peanut butter delivers the smoothest texture. Avoid crunchy peanut butter, which is tricky to mix into a fluffy filling. If using a natural peanut butter, make sure to stir it thoroughly.
• Sugar: Plain granulated white sugar is easy to beat into pie filling.
• Frozen whipped topping: Thawed whipped topping lightens and fluffs up the rich filling. The packaged stuff is more stable than homemade, and stays airy for a long while.
• Chocolate crumb crust: A premade pie crust makes this a quick dessert. Most grocery stores stock pie crusts in the freezer section.
• Hot fudge ice cream topping: Flavorful jarred hot fudge can be poured over the pie in a hurry.

Directions

Step 1: Make the filling

In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese until smooth and creamy. Beat in 1 cup of peanut butter and the sugar.

Step 2: Fold in the whipped topping

Gently fold in 3 cups of the thawed whipped topping.

Editor’s Tip: Folding ingredients is gentler than stirring them, preserving the air in the whipped topping and making for a lighter pie.

Step 3: Fill the crust

Spoon the peanut butter mixture into the crust. Smooth the top.

Step 4: Top it with fudge

In a microwave-safe bowl, heat 2/3 cup of the hot fudge topping for 30 seconds to soften it. Stir it carefully. Pour the fudge over the peanut butter layer and spread it to the edges of the crust. Refrigerate the pie for at least two hours.

Editor’s Tip: Cooling the pie gives the layers time to set and the flavors to develop.

Step 6: Add whipped cream

Spread the remaining whipped topping over the pie.

Step 7: Decorate each slice

Cut the pie into slices. Pour the remaining hot fudge topping and peanut butter into two separate plastic bags. Cut a small hole in the corner of each bag, and pipe the whipped topping and peanut butter over each slice of pie.

Peanut Butter Fudge Pie Variations

• Simplify it: While decorating each slice with peanut butter and fudge makes your pie look like it was made in an upscale bakery, it’s not essential. You can simply pipe them across the entire pie.
• Change the crust: Any crumb crust can replace the chocolate, including one made from graham crackers, peanuts, cookies or even savory pretzels.
• Add crunch: Scatter chopped peanuts across the top of the pie.
• Garnish it: Gild the lily and top the pie with maraschino cherries, chopped peanut butter cups, mini chocolate or peanut butter chips or crumbled chocolate cookies.
• Go homemade: Use homemade whipped cream instead of frozen whipped topping, if you prefer. Consider flavoring the whipped cream with vanilla or coffee.

How to Store Peanut Butter Fudge Pie

Store peanut butter and fudge pie in the refrigerator in the pie pan, tightly covered with storage wrap or foil, or transfer slices to an airtight container. It will last up to four days in the fridge.

Can you freeze peanut butter fudge pie?

Yes, peanut butter fudge pie makes a delicious freezer dessert. In fact, some recipe reviewers prefer to serve the pie from the freezer (let it sit at room temperature for about 20 minutes before eating it). Storing the pie in the freezer will make it last longer, up to two months. The whipped topping may deflate slightly once defrosted, but it will still taste delicious.

To freeze peanut butter fudge pie, wrap it tightly in storage wrap and aluminum foil. You can freeze the entire pie, a partial pie or even individual slices. If freezing slices, we suggest arranging them across a wax paper-lined baking sheet, freezing them until they’re solid, and then transferring them to a freezer-safe container. Avoid freezing garnishes, such as crumbled cookies or nuts.

Peanut Butter Fudge Pie Tips

What’s the difference between commercial peanut butter and natural peanut butter?

Commercial peanut butter has a smooth, spreadable consistency, thanks to the addition of oils and other processed ingredients. Natural peanut butter omits artificial additives, relying only on the oils inside the peanuts to make the butter smooth. As a result, natural peanut butter separates; the oil rises to the top of the jar, and you must stir it quite well to make the peanut butter spreadable.

Generally, baking with commercial peanut butter is much easier because the moisture and thickness are consistent. If you go with natural, stir the jar vigorously before measuring.

How do you get a clean slice of peanut butter fudge pie?

Getting a clean slice of pie can be tricky because the peanut butter is sticky, and the cream cheese is thick. The secret to slicing pie? Use a clean knife for every slice. Before the first slice, run the blade under hot water, then dry it. The hot knife will glide smoothly through the cold pie. Repeat the process after every cut.

Watch How to Make Peanut Butter Fudge Pie

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