Description
This Amish Peanut Butter Cream Pie is a luscious, nostalgic dessert featuring a flaky sweet pie crust filled with a smooth vanilla pastry cream layered with rich, homemade peanut butter crumbles, and topped with fluffy whipped cream. Perfectly balanced in sweetness and texture, this pie is a comforting treat that blends classic flavors for a truly delightful experience.
Ingredients
Scale
Pie Crust
- 1 disc sweet pie crust (recipe for the crust)
Pastry Cream Filling
- ¼ cup cornstarch (25g)
- ½ cup granulated sugar (100g)
- 2 large eggs
- 2 cups whole milk (16 fl oz)
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ cup unsalted butter (cut into tablespoon pieces, 57g)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla paste or extract
- ½ cup all-purpose flour (60g)
Peanut Butter Crumbles
- 1 ½ cups powdered sugar (180g)
- 1 cup peanut butter (270g)
- ½ cup all-purpose flour (60g) – note: flour amount included in previous section but required here for crumble
Whipped Cream Topping
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream (8 fl oz)
- ¼ cup powdered sugar (30g)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla paste or extract
Instructions
- Prepare the Pie Crust: Lightly flour a work surface and rolling pin, then roll out the dough until it’s 1/8″ thick. Turn the pastry a quarter turn every few rolls, dusting with additional flour as needed to prevent sticking. Add the pie dough to the pie plate and crimp the edges as desired. Freeze the prepared crust for 15 minutes.
- Bake the Crust: Preheat the oven to 400℉ (205℃). Remove the crust from the freezer and dock (poke) the sides and bottom with a fork. Crumple a piece of parchment paper and place it inside the crust, then fill completely with pie weights, dried rice, or beans. Bake for 15 minutes, then remove the weights and parchment paper. Return the crust to the oven and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes until fully dried and golden.
- Make the Pastry Cream: In a medium bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and sugar. Add eggs and mix until smooth. Prepare a separate large bowl with a fine mesh strainer for later. In a saucepan, combine milk and salt and heat over medium-high until just simmering, stirring occasionally to prevent burning. Gradually whisk one-third of the hot milk into the egg mixture to temper it, then pour this mixture back into the saucepan with the remaining milk.
- Cook the Pastry Cream: Over medium-high heat, whisk constantly until the mixture thickens and small bubbles start to disappear. Allow it to boil for about 30 seconds while whisking, then remove from heat. Immediately strain the custard through the fine mesh sieve into the prepared bowl, whisking to pass all through. Cool the pastry cream to 140℉, then whisk in butter one tablespoon at a time until fully incorporated. Stir in vanilla extract, cover the surface with plastic wrap to prevent skin, and chill in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours.
- Prepare Peanut Butter Crumbles: Place the flour in a microwave-safe bowl and heat in 30-second increments, stirring between, until it reaches 160℉ to heat-treat the flour safe for consumption. Sift the flour through a fine mesh sieve to remove lumps into a large bowl. Add powdered sugar and mix with a fork. Add peanut butter and mix vigorously to form a doughy crumble consistency.
- Whip the Cream: In a stand mixer bowl fitted with a whisk attachment (or using a handheld mixer), combine heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract. Beat on high speed until stiff peaks form.
- Assemble the Pie: Sprinkle three-quarters of the peanut butter crumbles evenly over the bottom of the cooled baked pie crust. Pour the chilled pastry cream over the crumbles, smoothing to the edges. Spread a layer of whipped cream over the pastry cream. Finally, top with the remaining peanut butter crumbles evenly over the whipped cream.
Notes
- Heat treating the flour for the crumbles is essential to ensure the flour is safe to eat.
- Press plastic wrap directly onto the pastry cream’s surface to prevent a skin from forming while chilling.
- Pie weights can be purchased or substituted with dried rice or beans for blind baking the crust.
- This pie is best served chilled and can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Allow the pie crust to cool completely before adding the filling to prevent the cream from melting.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking, Mixing
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (1/8 of pie)
- Calories: 450 kcal
- Sugar: 30 g
- Sodium: 180 mg
- Fat: 28 g
- Saturated Fat: 12 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 14 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 40 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 9 g
- Cholesterol: 95 mg
Keywords: Amish Peanut Butter Pie, peanut butter cream pie, easy peanut butter dessert, homemade peanut butter pie, creamy peanut butter pie
