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There are a whole lot of good things going on in this Pretzel Peanut Butter Pie: a creamy homemade peanut butter pudding filling, a chocolate ganache layer, and a pretzel crust. It’s a sweet and salty, creamy, no-bake pudding pie you will love – and it’s from scratch!
If you’re a peanut butter cup fan, you will love this recipe! It has a rich peanut butter pudding filling and chocolate ganache on a crunchy pretzel crust.
I love my semi-homemade no bake peanut butter pie but this his old fashioned peanut butter pie is made entirely from scratch, and it’s worth it! I love homemade pudding, and if you’ve never made it, I think you’ll be surprised how easy it is. It’s combined with homemade whipped cream for the best light and creamy filling.
The secret to making a perfect peanut butter pie is making the best homemade peanut butter pudding. This is a pudding thickened with cornstarch (no eggs) and has tons of peanut butter flavor. You can serve this pudding in any pie crust, but adding a salty crunchy crust and chocolate ganache makes it so good.
Ingredient in Peanut Butter Pie
- Cornstarch is the thickener of the pudding (it’s a pudding without eggs).
- Whole Milk is best for pudding when you’re making pie because the extra fat in the milk makes the pudding much thicker, ensuring your pie sets up. You can also use nonfat or low fat milk but the lower the fat the thinner the pudding. This recipe has not been tested with nondairy milk.
- It’s important to use a no-stir Peanut Butter (shelf stable like Skippy or Jif, even Skippy Naturals is fine). Don’t use one where the oil separates; the extra oil will make the pudding oily.
- When making the pudding pie, you can use your favorite crust, but I love a pretzel crust with this recipe. I also love adding a chocolate ganache bottom made with heavy whipping cream and chocolate chips.
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Dorothy’s Expert Pie Making Tips
- When you cook the pudding, be sure to stir constantly, so you don’t end up with lumps. Also, maintain the heat at medium-low. If it’s too hot, you can scorch the milk.
- In order to properly activate the cornstarch you MUST let the pudding mixture boil. It will not activate without boiling, and if it doesn’t activate your pudding won’t thicken.
- Don’t skip the chilling step for the pudding. It needs time to set up – you can make it a day ahead if it makes it easier!
- When you melt the chocolate and cream, don’t microwave them for more than 30 seconds. If your chocolate is still not melted after you stir, warm them again for 15 to 20 seconds and stir again. If you microwave them for too long, the chocolate will seize.
- After making the whipped cream, carefully fold it into the pudding, and don’t stir. Stirring will deflate the whipped cream so take your time and gently fold it in.
- Make Ahead Instructions: To make things easier, you can make and assemble the pretzel crust and the peanut butter pudding a day ahead and then assemble and chill the pie the next day.
Pretzel Peanut Butter Pie Recipe
Recipe Video
Ingredients
For the peanut butter pudding:
- ⅔ cup (133 g) granulated sugar
- ¼ cup (32 g) cornstarch
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 cups (474ml) whole milk
- ½ cup (134 g) peanut butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
To assemble the pie:
- 1 recipe Pretzel Pie Crust
- 2 cups + 2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream divided (474ml + 30ml)
- ⅓ cup (64g) chocolate chips
- 2 tablespoons (14g) powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Chopped peanuts and pretzels for garnish
Instructions
Prepare pudding:
- Whisk sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a medium saucepan. Add milk and whisk a few times. Place the pan over medium-low heat, switch to a wooden spoon for stirring, and cook, stirring constantly, until thickened, about 5-8 minutes. Remove from heat once it is thick and coats the back of a wooden spoon.
- Add the vanilla and peanut butter and stir until smooth.
- Pour the pudding into a bowl and cover with plastic wrap (touch the plastic to the pudding, so a skin doesn’t form). Let cool to room temperature then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until set, at least 4 hours.
Make and assemble pie:
- Prepare crust in a 9-inch pie plate. Chill until ready to fill.
- Place 2 tablespoons (30ml) heavy whipping cream and chocolate chips in a small microwave safe bowl. Heat for 30 seconds, then whisk until smooth. Don’t overheat or you risk seizing the chocolate. Immediately spread the chocolate in the bottom of the crust, while it’s still hot. Chill while preparing filling.
- Make whipped cream: Once pudding is set and you’re ready to assemble the pie, beat heavy cream with powdered sugar and vanilla until stiff peaks form. Fold half of the whipped cream into the pudding carefully. Place peanut butter mixture in prepared pie crust.
- Top pie with remaining whipped cream and chopped peanuts and pretzels. Chill at least 1 hour before serving.
- Store loosely covered in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
Recipe Notes
Recipe Nutrition
How to Make Peanut Butter Pie
- Place the sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a saucepan. Add the milk and whisk to combine. Warm the mixture over medium-low heat and stir with a wooden spoon until the mixture thickens.
- Add the vanilla and peanut butter and stir until smooth.
- Pour the pudding into a bowl and cover it with plastic wrap, so the wrap is touching the surface of the pudding. This will prevent a skin from forming on top.
- Cool the pudding to room temperature, and then refrigerate for four hours or until it’s set.
- Place the chocolate chips and two tablespoons of cream in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat them in the microwave for 30 seconds, and then whisk until the chocolate is smooth.
- Spread the melted chocolate on the bottom of the chilled pretzel crust. Chill the crust again while you make the filling.
- Once the pudding is set, you can make the filling. Beat the rest of the cream with the powdered sugar and vanilla until the mixture holds stiff peaks.
- Fold half of the whipped cream into the pudding. Spoon the filling over the chocolate layer in the chilled crust.
- Spread the rest of the whipped cream over the top of the filling. Decorate the top with chopped nuts and pretzels. Chill the pie for at least one hour before serving.
FAQ
You don’t have to add eggs to homemade peanut butter pudding. It’s easy to make it without them! Whisk sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a pan. Add the milk and heat the mixture while constantly stirring. The pudding will thicken, and then you can pour it into a bowl and chill it so it can set.
Use regular peanut butter, not natural peanut butter.
Yes, you can skip making the whipped cream and fold Cool Whip into the pudding instead.
Don’t skip the chilling step for the pudding. The pudding needs to set up and be cold when you add the whipped cream. If it’s warm, it can melt the whipped cream. When you fold the whipped cream into the pudding, use a folding motion instead of stirring. Folding takes a little longer, but it prevents the whipped cream from deflating or breaking, which can cause your pie not to set up correctly.
Homemade peanut butter pie with pretzel crust is guaranteed to get rave reviews. The sweet and salty combo with the rich peanut butter filling is seriously the best. Make it soon and let me know what you think!
