No-Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Cream Pie

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

A chilled slice of chain-restaurant nostalgia made at home: a pressed chocolate cookie crust, a cloud of whipped peanut butter mousse, and a glossy poured ganache finished with salted caramel and crushed peanuts. Nothing goes in the oven — the freezer sets the crust and an overnight chill gives you clean, bakery-sharp slices.

Ingredients

• 30 chocolate sandwich cookies (about 12 oz), filling included
• 6 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
• 1/4 tsp fine salt

• 8 oz cream cheese, softened to room temperature
• 1 1/4 cups creamy peanut butter (not natural-style)
• 1 1/4 cups powdered sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp fine salt
• 1 1/2 cups cold heavy cream

• 6 oz semisweet chocolate chips or chopped chocolate
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 tbsp light corn syrup (for shine)
• 1 pinch salt

• 1/3 cup jarred caramel or dulce de leche
• 1/3 cup roasted salted peanuts, roughly chopped
• 1/4 tsp flaky sea salt

Instructions

1. Pulse the chocolate sandwich cookies in a food processor to fine crumbs, about 30 seconds (or seal them in a zip-top bag and crush with a rolling pin until sandy). You should have about 3 cups of crumbs.
2. Add the melted butter and 1/4 teaspoon salt and pulse until the crumbs look like damp soil and hold together when squeezed.
3. Dump the crumbs into a 9-inch pie dish or 9-inch springform pan. Press firmly up the sides first, then across the bottom, using the flat base of a measuring cup to compact it into an even 1/4-inch layer. Freeze for 20 minutes to set while you make the mousse.
4. In a large bowl, beat the softened cream cheese and peanut butter with an electric mixer on medium speed for 1 to 2 minutes until completely smooth with no lumps. Add the powdered sugar, vanilla, and 1/2 teaspoon salt and beat 1 minute more, scraping the bowl once.
5. In a separate bowl, whip the 1 1/2 cups cold heavy cream on medium-high speed for 2 to 3 minutes to stiff peaks. Stir one-third of the whipped cream into the peanut butter base to loosen it, then fold in the rest in two additions with a rubber spatula until no streaks remain — stop as soon as it is uniform so it stays airy.
6. Scrape the mousse into the chilled crust and smooth the top with an offset spatula, mounding it very slightly in the center. Return the pie to the freezer for 30 minutes so the surface firms up before the ganache goes on.
7. Make the ganache: put the chocolate, 1/2 cup heavy cream, corn syrup, and a pinch of salt in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave in 20-second bursts, stirring between each, for about 60 to 80 seconds total, until the chocolate is fully melted and the mixture is glossy and smooth. Let it cool for 5 to 8 minutes, until barely warm to the touch (about 90°F) — hot ganache will melt the mousse.
8. Pour the ganache over the center of the chilled pie and tilt the dish gently, or spread with the back of a spoon, to flood the surface to within 1/4 inch of the crust edge.
9. Cover loosely with plastic wrap (tented so it does not touch the ganache) and refrigerate at least 8 hours or overnight; this is what gives you clean slices.
10. Just before serving, warm the caramel for 10 seconds in the microwave to loosen it and drizzle it over the top in thin ribbons. Scatter with chopped peanuts and flaky sea salt.
11. Slice with a large sharp knife dipped in hot water and wiped dry between every cut. Serve cold.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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