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This peanut butter pie recipe is SO GOOD – it’s a Peanut Butter Chess Pie filled with peanut butter goodness! This is an easy recipe that is so creamy, it tastes like the inside of a peanut butter cup!

Peanut Butter Lovers rejoice – THIS is the pie you’ll want to make over and over.

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One slice of peanut butter chess pie with whipped cream on top


BEST Baked Peanut Butter Pie

I am a serious fan of chess pies, and you probably already know I am a peanut butter addict, so it was only a matter of time before I combined the two into one amazing pie recipe. This peanut butter chess pie is seriously one of the best, although I could never choose ONE favorite – chess pies are all equal in my eyes.

This is my favorite baked version of a peanut butter pie recipe

Why do They Call it a Chess Pie?

This type of pie’s origins are murky, but it’s a popular type of pie that most people associate with southern desserts. It has a rich, buttery filling that is very hard to resist.

There are tons of variations, but most are made with a base of eggs, sugar, butter, and something acidic like vinegar, buttermilk, or lemon juice. The filling is thickened with either flour or cornmeal, and the flavor options are endless. Once you know how to make a basic chess pie, you can easily switch it up with all sorts of things to create new flavors.

This peanut butter chess pie, which is a pretty fantastic variation, is pretty much to die for if I do say so myself.

Overhead shot of the ingredients used to make peanut butter chess pie

Ingredients for Peanut Butter Chess Pie

You can make this peanut pie from scratch with my all-butter crust or make it easy with refrigerated dough. For the filling, you will need:

  • Melted butter – I use unsalted
  • Eggs – this is the body of a chess pie
  • Sugar
  • Cornmeal is traditional in a chess pie recipe
  • Flour – for stability
  • White vinegar is also a traditional part of chess pie. Substitute lemon juice if you don’t have vinegar.
  • Vanilla – for flavor
collage of 3 photos showing ingredients in bowl, mixed ingredients and pouring filling into pie crust

Easy Peanut Butter Pie Recipe

Three steps to the perfect chess pie:

1. Prep the crust: Place the dough in a 9″ pie plate and crimp the edges. Place it in the refrigerator to chill while you make the filling.

2. Mix the Filling: In a mixing bowl, whisk the butter and peanut butter until smooth. Add the eggs, sugar, cornmeal, flour, vinegar, and vanilla and whisk until the filling combined.

3. Bake the Pie: Pour the filling into the chilled crust and bake the pie for 35 to 40 minutes at 350°F. Once the crust is browned, and the filling is still a little jiggly in the center, the pie is done.

Cool the pie at room temperature before slicing and serving.

How do you know when Peanut Butter Chess Pie is done baking?

The pie will no longer be wet looking, and it will puff and crack a bit around the edges and be just the teeniest bit jiggly in the center. It shouldn’t look wet or wiggly all over.

Once it cools the center will fall a bit and look solid.

Peanut butter chess pie in glass pie dish with one slice missing

Does Chess Pie Need to be Refrigerated?

You should cool the pie at room temperature and then store it in the refrigerator until you’re ready to serve it. If you have leftover pie, keep it covered in the fridge, and it will last for up to three days.

Is Chess Pie Supposed to be Runny?

No, the filling should not be runny. Be sure to carefully measure the ingredients when you make it. The cornmeal and flour act as a thickener for the pie, and if you mismeasure them, it will change the texture of the filling.

Be sure to bake the pie long enough. Mine usually takes around 40 minutes, but every oven is different, so check on it periodically. The pie is done when the center is still a little wobbly.

Also, you should allow the pie to cool completely before slicing it. The filling will set up as it cools, so if you cut into it too soon, it may be runny.

Also, you should allow the pie to cool completely before slicing it. The filling will set up as it cools, so if you cut into it too soon, it may be runny.

One slice of peanut butter chess pie with whipped cream on top

A Few More Recipe Tips and Tricks

  • Depending on how thick your peanut butter is, you might want to warm it in the microwave for 30 seconds before whisking it with the butter. This will melt it a bit, so it’s easier to mix.
  • If the edges are browning too fast while in the oven, cover them with foil or a pie shield while the filling finishes baking.
  • This peanut butter pie is delicious plain, but feel free to serve it with some whipped cream, a scoop of ice cream, or drizzle chocolate sauce over the top.

If you’ve never tried a peanut butter chess pie, let me warn you: it’ll knock your socks off! It’s smooth, creamy, and the perfect dessert for all the peanut butter fans in your life. Trust me, they will LOVE you for this pie!

Other Peanut Butter Pie Recipes:

Have you made this recipe?

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One slice of peanut butter chess pie with whipped cream on top

Peanut Butter Chess Pie

4.32 from 22 votes
Peanut Butter Chess Pie is an easy pie recipe full of peanut butter! This is a twist on a classic chess pie and it's SO good – peanut butter lovers will love this pie.
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Yield 8 servings
Serving Size 1 serving

Ingredients
 

  • 1 pie crust from scratch or from a refrigerated pack of two
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter butter , melted
  • 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter (regular no-stir peanut butter)
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
  • 2 tablespoons cornmeal
  • 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon white vinegar or white distilled vinegar, or lemon juice in a pinch
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
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Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350°F.
  • Place pie crust in 9” pie plate and crimp edges as desired. Chill until ready to fill.
  • Whisk together butter and peanut butter. If the peanut butter is too stiff to whisk, microwave it for about 20-30 seconds.
  • Whisk in eggs, sugar, cornmeal, flour, vinegar, and vanilla. Pour into prepared pie shell.
  • Bake for 35-45 minutes, until crust is browned and top of pie is browned. It will still jiggly slightly in the middle. Mine took 40 minutes. Cool completely before cutting.
  • Serve with whipped cream or ice cream, or chocolate sauce.

Recipe Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 493kcal | Carbohydrates: 54g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 28g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Cholesterol: 124mg | Sodium: 199mg | Potassium: 168mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 39g | Vitamin A: 490IU | Calcium: 28mg | Iron: 1mg
Nutritional information not guaranteed to be accurate
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
One slice of peanut butter chess pie on a white plate with recipe title on top

Peanut Butter Chess Pie is an easy pie recipe full of peanut butter! This is a twist on a classic chess pie and it’s SO good – peanut butter lovers will love this pie!

Last Updated on October 25, 2020



Dorothy Kern

Welcome to Crazy for Crust, where I share recipes that are sometimes crazy, often with a crust, and always served with a slice of life.

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21 Comments

  1. I so love this pie!!!!! I’ve added chopped peanut butter cups in and it gets rave reviews! Thanks for sharing.

  2. I made this last weekend and it was AMAZING!!! Where has chess pie been all my life?! Thank you for introducing me to my new baking obsession 😀

  3. If I wanted to make my own pie crust, should I pre-bake before pouring in the filling? If so, how long should I pre-bake it? 

  4. Hi ya’ll! Being from the south and according to my hillbilly roots, I have a tidbit of passed-on terminology, lol. The term “chess” pie originated from the the term “just” pie. It is pronounced in the south and other parts as “jess” pie. For example: “what kind of pie is it? it’s “jess pie”(just pie). A really good one, I might add if I may.

  5. Is the vinegar 100% necessary? What does it do to the pie texture and is there a substitute I could use in it’s place? I am one of the lucky few people in this world allergic to vinegar, but I NEED this pie in my life!

  6. I gotta admit, I am so addicted to peanut butter right now that it has become a recurring theme for me at school. I’m doing a project on the history of peanuts and peanut butter in South America for cultural connections. Also, board games are the best.

  7. I have no idea why I’m just discovering this post now, but I’m so glad that I finally did!! Chess pies are great, and when you add peanut butter to anything you just take it to the next amazing level in my opinion!!

    I have to comment though that I was a total geek for the game Risk -haha!! My friends and I played every single Sunday for years on end!! Chess on the other hand I could easily pass up…not the pie type though :-P.

    Thanks for sharing this with all of us!!