Happy Pi Day 🥧

ath made me do it! Pi day comes once a year and it's a great excuse to bake a homemade pie. This Peanut Butter Chocolate one is full of different textures, not too sweet, and easy to make. This dessert is unapologetically indulgent (no regrets!!), but I've included some "healthier" swap-outs in case you want to lighten it up without sacrificing too much taste. Sometimes when I bake, I like to go big or go home and this is definitely one of those times.

Tools

• Pie plate
• Stand mixer, hand mixer, or a whisk and your foreman strength!

Ingredients

Graham Cracker Crust

• 1 ½ cups graham cracker crumbs or 12 graham cracker sheets
• 2 Tablespoons sugar
• 1 Tablespoons brown sugar packed
• 7 Tablespoons butter melted

Optional Swap: Gluten-free, Low(er) Carb Crust

• 1 1/2 cups almond flour
• 1/4 cup coconut sugar
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup butter melted

The Filling

• 8 ounces cream cheese at room temperature
• 1 cup powdered sugar divided
• 1 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

The Top

• 2 cups heavy cream cold
• 1/4 cup powdered sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup semi sweet chocolate melted
• 1/4 cup roasted peanuts

Optional Swap: Gluten-free, Low(er) Carb Crust

• use dark chocolate
• leave out powerder sugar

Instructions

For the Crust:

• Preheat oven at 350 degrees.
• Pulverize the graham crackers with a food processor or put them in a Ziploc bag and pound them by hand using some sort of smashing device like a rolling pin.
• Mix in melted butter and sugar until texture is like wet sand.
• Transfer your crumbs to your pie plate and press them tightly into the bottom and sides of the pan. I like to use the (clean) bottom of a measuring cup to press the crumbs — it makes for a smooth, even surface.
• Bake for 10 min

For the Filling:

• Add the peanut butter, cream cheese, powdered sugar to a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and beat together until smooth.
• In a separate bowl whip the cream until soft peaks form then fold into peanut butter mixture.
• Spoon into the cooled graham cracker crust. Smooth and chill for at least three hours.

For the Whipped Cream:

• Whip the cold cream with 1/4 cup of powdered sugar (optional) and the vanilla extract.
• Chill before serving.

For the Assembly

• Add the whipped cream to the chilled pie. Arrange it into a mount that almost reaches the crust.
• Drizzle melted chocolate onto the pie. Toss roasted peanuts in the some of the melted chocolate and sprinkle on top.