Peanut Butter Brookie Pie

Where are my peanut butter lovers at? This dessert is for you, my friend! My Peanut Butter Brookie Pie is filled with one of the best flavor combinations known to mankind – peanut butter and chocolate! As you bite into this one, you’ll get layers of cookie crust, peanut butter chocolate cheesecake filling, brownies, Reese’s peanut butter cups and chocolate whipped cream! Are you drooling yet?

Inspiration from Buzzy Bee Bakery

Inspiration for this brookie pie comes from Buzzy Bee Bakery in the UK. After recreating their Biscoff Yule Log and turning it into bars (check out the video and recipe HERE), I had a few friends on Instagram send in requests to recreate their brookie pie.

Buzzy Bee has a variety of delicious creations and is always coming up with fun, new flavor combinations. You’ll see their menu is ever-changing. Not too long ago, one of their brookie pies was filled with peanut butter and chocolate – and I knew immediately, I needed to create one just like it!

What Is a Brookie Pie?

A brookie pie is a delicious dessert that combines two classic treats: brownies and cookies. It features a cookie layer and thick, chewy brownie layer. These types of pies are often baked together in a pie or deep-dish style. The result is a rich, gooey, and indulgent dessert that offers the best of both worlds—fudgy chocolatey goodness from the brownie and a soft, slightly crispy texture from the cookie.

In my version, I also added a no-bake peanut butter cheesecake filling, Reese’s peanut butter cups, and topped it with chocolate whipped cream.

Ingredients You’ll Need for a Peanut Butter Brookie Pie

For this recipe, we’ll be using a few box mixes, as well as individual ingredients:

• 1 Box Brownie Mix – my favorite is the dark chocolate Ghirardelli.
• 1 16.5 ounce Pillsbury Cookie Dough roll – this is the exact one I get
• Peanut butter
• Reese’s peanut butter cups
• Old-fashioned rolled oats
• Cream cheese
• Heavy whipping cream
• Cocoa powder
• Oil, water, and egg (for the brownie mix)
• Powdered sugar
• Vanilla extract

Tips for Making this Peanut Butter Brookie Pie

• Give yourself time – a lot of things can be made ahead of time, or if you make everything all in one day, just make sure you give the brownies and the cookie crust time to cool completely to room temperature. You can also make the brownies, cookie crust, and even the cheesecake filling ahead of time. Store the brownies and cookie crust in airtight containers or wrapped with plastic wrap. Both can be left at room temperature. The cheesecake filling can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
• Spray your springform pan or pie dish with nonstick spray – this will help the cookie crust release from the pan as you cut and serve the pie.
• Bake the cookie crust with parchment and a 6-inch round cake pan on top (or you can use pie weights). The first time I attempted the crust, I didn’t use any kind of weight on it, and it didn’t hold it’s pie crust shape. Using the pan or the pie weights (on parchment) help to keep the cookie dough in a pie-crust shape.
• Let the cookie crust cool completely before removing the pan (or pie weights) and parchment. If you remove them too soon, the sides of the pie crust might crumble a little.
• Have fun with this one!

Print

Peanut Butter Brookie Pie

A chocolate peanut butter pie with a peanut butter and oat cookie crust, layered with brownies and Reese's peanut butter cups, and topped with chocolate whipped cream.

Course Dessert

Cuisine Pie

Keyword No bake pie, Peanut Butter Brookie Pie, Pie

Ingredients

For the Cookie Crust

• 16.5 oz. Pillsbury Ready to Bake sugar cookie dough roll
• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 3/4 cup old fashioned rolled oats

For the Brownies

• 1 box Ghirardelli dark chocolate brownie mix
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup water

For the Cheesecake Filling

• 8 ounces cream cheese
• 1 cup peanut butter, smooth
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons dark cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the Chocolate Whipped Cream

• 1 1/4 cup cream
• 1/3 cup powdered sugar
• 3 tablespoons cocoa powder

Add-Ins

• 10 Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups
• Chopped peanuts

Instructions

For the Cookie Crust

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray an 8-inch spring form pan or an 8-inch deep-dish pie pan with nonstick spray. Set aside.
• In a medium-size mixing bowl, mix together the cookie dough and the peanut butter until the peanut butter is fully incorporated. Stir in the oats.
• Press the dough into the springform pan or pie dish, making sure to push some of the dough up the sides of the pan. Alternately, you can roll the dough into a 10-inch circle and lay it into the pan. To do so, roll it out on parchment or a floured surface.
• To ensure the cookie crust holds its shape, cover the cookie crust with parchment paper and place a 6-inch cake pan on top. Refer to my video HERE on Instagram to see a tutorial.
• Bake (with the pan on the crust) for 25 minutes.
• Allow to cool completely before removing the pan and parchment.

For the Brownies

• Follow the instructions on the brownie box for an 8-inch by 8-inch pan. Allow to cool completely before adding to the pie.

For the Cheesecake Filling

• In a medium size bowl, combine the peanut butter and cream cheese and mix until combined. Mixture will be slightly thick. Set aside.
• In a stainless steel bowl, beat the whipping cream, powdered sugar, cocoa powder and vanilla on medium-high speed until still peaks form.
• Fold the whipped cream mixture into the peanut butter mixture until smooth.

For the Chocolate Whipped Cream

• In a chilled stainless steel bowl, combine the whipped cream, powdered sugar, cocoa powder and vanilla. Beat on medium-high speed until medium-stiff peaks form.

Assembly

• Spread 1/3 of the cheesecake filling over the cookie crust.
• Layer with the brownies. I cut the brownies into small pieces and placed them over the filling, patting them down into the filling a little.
• Spread another 1/3 of the cheesecake filling over the brownies.
• Cover with the Reese’s peanut butter cups. I used 8 regular size peanut butter cups and cut them in half before placing them on the filling.
• Cover the peanut butter cups with the remaining cheesecake filling.
• Cover with the chocolate whipped cream and sprinkle with remaining brownie pieces, peanut butter cup pieces, and peanuts.
• Best served cold.

The post Peanut Butter Brookie Pie Topped with Chocolate Whipped Cream first appeared on Cake by Courtney.

Growing up, one of my favorite desserts was brownies topped with pink peppermint ice cream and hot fudge sauce. My mom made it for us nearly every week during the month of December. It’s still one of my favorite memories and favorite desserts.

Peppermint Oreo Pie

As we approach the holidays, I’ve had this dessert on my mind and wondered how I could transform it into another type of dessert. Of course I thought about cake, but I know how much you love a simple, easy-to-make dessert, so I switched things up and went with pie! (I know, so out of character for me – ha!)

How to Make Peppermint Pie

This easy Christmas dessert is basically a no bake dessert. Yes, you have to bake the Oreo cookie crust, but that’s it. Once the crust is baked (under 10 minutes), the rest requires no baking at all.

Oreo Crust

The Oreo crust is simply made of Oreos and melted butter. That’s it! Of course, you can use a store bought Oreo crust, but I highly recommend you make your own. The homemade crust is thicker and cuts so much nicer than the thin store bought version.

You’ll pulse the Oreos in a food processor or blender and then toss with melted butter. Make sure to press the crumbs firmly into an 8-inch or 9-inch pie pan. The crust bakes for 7 minutes at 350 F and then needs to cool completely before you put the filling in.

Peppermint Filling

To make the whipped peppermint filling, all you’ll need are a few easy-to-find ingredients:

• Heavy whipping cream
• EZ Gel
• Cream cheese
• Powdered sugar
• Peppermint extract (not mint)
• Crushed candy peppermint candies
• Red food coloring (optional)

You’ll start by beating the heavy whipping cream in a stainless steel bowl with a whisk attachment. While you’re whipping the cream, gradually add the EZ Gel. Whip until stiff peaks form.

What is EZ Gel?

EZ Gel is an alternative stabilizer to gelatin. I love using EZ Gel instead of gelatin because it’s very easy to use and you don’t have to spend time “blooming” gelatin or worrying about getting the right consistency of the gelatin before using.

In a separate bowl, beat the cream cheese, powdered sugar, and peppermint extract until smooth. Once that’s done, you’ll fold in the whipped cream, followed by one small drop of red food coloring and the peppermint candies.

I like to top the pie with chocolate ganache and homemade whipped cream.

FAQs

Video Tutorial: How to Make Peppermint Pie

More Holiday Desserts to Love

Print

Peppermint Pie with Oreo Crust

Oreo Crust with a light and fluffy peppermint filling, chocolate ganache and whipped cream.

Course Dessert

Cuisine Pie

Keyword no bake, no bake peppermint pie, No bake pie, Peppermint, Peppermint Pie

Ingredients

For the Oreo Crust

• 25 Oreo cookies
• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• *You can use a store-bought crust but the crust of the pie will be thinner than pictured and it's harder to cut cleanly.

For the Peppermint Filling

• 1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
• 1 tablespoon EZ Gel, LINKED
• 8 ounces cream cheese
• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon peppermint extract
• 1 drop red food coloring
• 1/3 cup crushed peppermint candies

For the Ganache

• 1/4 cup dark chocolate chips
• 2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream

For the Whipped Topping

• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1/3 cup powdered sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Instructions

For the Oreo Crust

• Preheat your oven to 350 F.
• Using a food processor or blender, pulse the cookies until you’ve created a fine crumb. (No need to remove the cream filling).
• Combine the Oreo crumbs and melted butter in a mixing bowl. Mix until the crumbs are “wet.”
• Firmly press the Oreo mixture into an 8-inch or 9-inch pie pan, making sure to form the crust up the sides of the pan.
• Bake for 7 minutes.
• Let cool completely before adding the filling.

For the Peppermint Filling

• In a chilled stainless steel bowl, beat the heavy whipping cream on high speed. While beating the cream, gradually sprinkle in the EZ Gel. Beat the cream until semi-stiff peaks form. Set aside.
• In a separate mixing bowl, combine the cream cheese, powdered sugar, and peppermint extract. Mix until smooth.
• Gently fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture.
• Fold in a small dollop of red food coloring, followed by the crushed peppermint candies.
• Once the pie crust is cooled to room temperature, add the peppermint filling and refrigerate until the ganache and whipped topping are complete.

For the Ganache

• Combine the chocolate chips and cream in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave in 20 to 30 second intervals until the chocolate chips melt and create a silky smooth consistency when you stir.
• Allow the ganache to cool before spreading on top of the peppermint filling

For the Whipped Topping

• Combine the heavy whipping cream, powdered sugar and vanilla in a stainless steel bowl. Beat until soft speaks form. 
Spread the whipped cream on top of the ganache.
• *When you’re ready to serve, sprinkle the pie with crushed peppermint candies and crushed Oreos.
• **This pie is best made a day ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator. Leave garnishes off until serving.

The post The Most Delicious and Easy-to-Make Peppermint Oreo Pie first appeared on Cake by Courtney.

Peanut Butter Oreo Pie

While pie, in the traditional sense (you know – the one with the flakey crust) isn’t my cup of tea… a pie with any kind of cookie, graham cracker, or pretzel crust gets a thumbs up from me every time. This no-bake Peanut Butter Oreo Pie is no exception. Inspired by my Peanut Butter Pie, I’ve switched up the crust and added Oreos into the peanut butter cheesecake-like filling.

How to Make a Homemade Oreo Crust

Once the pie crust is formed, place the crust into the refrigerator while you work on the filling.

How to Make the Peanut Butter Oreo Filling

For the peanut butter Oreo filling, you’ll need: cream cheese, peanut butter, powdered sugar, heavy whipping cream, vanilla and Oreos.

You’ll get started by mixing the cream cheese and peanut butter until smooth. Once that’s done, set it aside, while you whip the heavy whipping cream, powdered sugar and vanilla to stiff peaks. To finish, you’ll fold the two mixtures together and then stir in your Oreo chunks.

Evenly spread the mixture into the prepared Oreo crust and refrigerate for an hour or two.

Before serving you can even whip up some homemade whipped cream to pipe onto the top of the pie.

FAQs

Can this be made ahead of time? Yes, in fact, making it at least a few hours before you want to serve it is ideal. The Oreos in the filling will soften a bit, but it will still be delicious. If you want the crust to be crunchy, however, you’ll want to bake it at 400 F for 5-7 minutes before adding the filling. I didn’t bake my crust and served it within a few hours of making the entire thing and it was delicious. Definitely a little softer, though, than if I had baked it.

What size pie dish should I use? I used an 8″ pie dish and have also used an 8″ springform pan (which makes for easy cutting and serving).

Print

No-Bake Peanut Butter Oreo Pie

Oreo crust, topped with a peanut butter and oreo no-bake cheesecake filling and fresh whipped cream.

Course Dessert

Cuisine Pie

Keyword Oreo Pie, Peanut Butter, Peanut Butter Oreo Pie, Peanut Butter Pie, Pie

Servings 16

Ingredients

FOR THE CRUST

• 2 cups (240 g) Oreo cookie crumbs, use whole Oreos and pulverized in food processor
• 1/2 cup (113 g) unsalted butter, melted
• 1/4 cup (50 g) granulated sugar

FOR THE FILLING

• 8 oz cream cheese
• 1 cup (256 g) peanut butter, smooth
• 1 cup (240 g) heavy whipping cream
• 1/2 cup (62.5 g) powdered sugar
• 1 tsp (4.2 g) vanilla extract
• 6 Oreo cookies, broken into chunks

Whipped Cream

• 1 cup (240 g) heavy whipping cream
• 1/4 cup (31.25 g) powdered sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon (2.1 g) vanilla extract

Instructions

For the Crust

• Spray an 8-inch pie pan with nonstick spray and set aside.
• In a mixing bowl, combine Oreo crumbs, melted butter and granulated sugar. Mix until the mixture resembles "wet sand."
• Firmly press the crust into the pie pan, pushing it up against the sides a bit.
• Refrigerate while you make the filling.

For the Filling

• In a medium size bowl, combine the peanut butter and cream cheese and mix until combined. Mixture will be slightly thick. Set aside.
• In a stainless steel bowl, beat the whipping cream, powdered sugar and vanilla on medium-high speed until still peaks form.
• Fold the whipped cream into the peanut butter mixture until smooth. (See picture above).

For the Whipped Cream

• In a stainless steel bowl, beat the whipping cream, powdered sugar and vanilla on medium-high speed until still peaks form.

The post The Best No-Bake Oreo Peanut Butter Pie first appeared on Cake by Courtney.

No Bake Strawberry Biscoff Cheesecake

My No Bake Strawberry Biscoff Cheesecake is made with a Biscoff cookie crust, a no-bake cheesecake filling, and a deliciously fresh strawberry compote. You are going to love how easy this dessert is to make just as much as you’ll love how delicious it tastes.

To make my No Bake Strawberry Biscoff Cheesecake, you’ll need:

• Biscoff cookies
• Sugar
• Butter
• Cream cheese
• Whipping cream
• Lemon juice
• Strawberries
• Cornstarch

6 Reasons to Try a No-Bake Dessert This Summer

1. Beat the Heat

The most compelling reason to opt for no-bake desserts in the summer is to avoid adding extra heat to your home. Ovens can significantly raise the temperature in your kitchen, making an already hot day even more unbearable. No-bake recipes allow you to create delicious treats without contributing to the heat, keeping your kitchen and yourself cool.

2. Quick and Easy

Summer is all about enjoying the outdoors, spending time with family and friends, and making the most of the long days. No-bake desserts are typically quick and easy to prepare, allowing you to spend less time in the kitchen and more time enjoying your summer activities. With minimal preparation and a few simple ingredients, you can whip up a delightful dessert in no time.

3. Refreshing Flavors

No-bake desserts often feature light, refreshing flavors that are perfect for summer. Think creamy cheesecakes, fruity parfaits, and icy treats like popsicles and icebox cakes. These desserts are not only cooling but also take advantage of the season’s fresh produce, making them a delicious way to savor summer’s bounty.

4. Kid-Friendly Fun

Summer break means kids at home looking for fun activities. No-bake desserts provide a fun opportunity to get children involved in the kitchen. Since these recipes don’t require using an oven, they’re safer for little hands to help with. Plus, the process of mixing, layering, and decorating can be a fun and creative project for kids of all ages.

5. Versatility and Creativity

No-bake desserts offer endless possibilities for creativity. From no-bake cookies and bars to puddings and mousses, there’s a no-bake version of almost any dessert you can think of. You can experiment with different flavors, textures, and presentations to create a treat that’s uniquely yours. Whether you prefer something rich and chocolaty or light and fruity, there’s a no-bake recipe to suit your taste.

6. Perfect for Entertaining

Summer is prime time for barbecues, picnics, and outdoor parties. No-bake desserts are ideal for these gatherings because they can often be made ahead of time and require minimal effort to serve. Their portable nature makes them easy to transport, ensuring that you can bring a delightful dish to any event without hassle.

Change It Up

One of the many things I love about this recipe is how easy it is to change up based on the flavors you love. Don’t have Biscoff cookies? Use graham crackers. Don’t like strawberries? Use blueberries. This no-bake cheesecake recipe is so versatile. Have fun with it!

More no-bake Desserts to try

Print

No-Bake Strawberry Biscoff Cheesecake

Delicious Biscoff cookie crust with a smooth and creamy no-bake cheesecake filling and a fresh strawberry compote topping.

Course Dessert

Keyword biscoff, cheesecake, no bake, No-Bake Strawberry Biscoff Cheesecake, Strawberry

Ingredients

For the Crust

• 30 Biscoff cookies
• 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup (113 g) unsalted butter, melted

For the Cheesecake

• 16 ounces cream cheese
• 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar
• juice of half a lemon
• 1 cup (240 g) heavy whipping cream

For the Strawberry Compote

• 1 pound fresh strawberries, chopped
• 3/4 cup (150 g) granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup (118 g) water
• 2 tablespoons (18 g) cornstarch, sifted
• juice of half a lemon

Instructions

For the Crust

• In na food processor or blender, combine the cookies and the sugar. Pulse until the cookies become a fine crumb.
• Add the melted butter and pulse until the mixture resembles wet sand.
• Evenly and firmly press the crust into a springform pan or an 8-inch by 8-inch square pan. Refrigerate while you make other elements.

For the Cheesecake

• In a medium size mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, sugar, and lemon juice until smooth – about 2 minutes. Set aside.
• In a chilled stainless steel bowl, beat the heavy whipping cream until stiff peaks form.
• Fold the heavy whipping cream into the cream cheese mixture.
• Spread the cheesecake filling over the crust with a spoon or an offset icing spatula. Cover and refrigerate until you're ready to add the strawberry compote.

For the Compote

• This one is best made ahead of time so it can cool before adding to the cheesecake.
• Combine all of the ingredients in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Bring the mixture to a soft boil and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occassionally. It should coat your spoon well.
• Refrigerate until no longer warm. Spread evenly on top of the cheesecake.
• Refrigerate the dessert until ready to serve.

The post No Bake Strawberry Biscoff Cheesecake first appeared on Cake by Courtney.

No-Bake Grasshopper Pie

With St. Patrick’s Day around the corner, my new No-Bake Grasshopper Pie will be the perfect dessert to celebrate with! This simple and delicious no-bake dessert recipe is made with a Mint Oreo crust, a whipped mint cookies and cream filling, chocolate ganache and whipped cream.

How to Make a No-Bake Grasshopper Pie

To make this no-bake pie, you’ll start with the Mint Oreo crust. Using a food processor or blender, pulse the cookies until you create a fine crumb. Don’t worry about removing the cream filling. We want that!

Once the cookies are looking like sand, you’ll add the melted butter and mix until the cookie crumbs are “wet.”

Firmly press the cookie mixture into your pie dish. I like to push some of the crust up the sides of the dish, as well. Once you’ve done that, you’re done with the crust and can move on to the ganache.

I like to pour the ganache on top of the crust and spread it around the bottom and sides. Refrigerate the crust with the ganache on it while you work on the filling.

How to Make the Mint Cookies and Cream Filling

This Mint Cookies and Cream Filling is inspired by the filling in my Grasshopper Pie Cake. It’s light and fluffy and not overly minty. In fact, we’re only adding 1/2 teaspoon mint extract to the filling. The cookies add the rest of the flavor!

To make the filling, beat together the cream cheese, mint extract and powdered sugar until smooth. In a separate bowl beat the whipped cream, while gradually sprinkling in the E-Z Gel (this helps stabilize the filling). Fold the whipped cream mixture into the cream cheese mixture and then gently stir in the food coloring, followed by the cookies.

MORE RECIPES to love

Print

No-Bake Grasshopper Pie

Mint Oreo crust with a light and fluffy mint cookies and cream filling, chocolate ganache and whipped cream.

Course Dessert

Cuisine Pie

Keyword grasshopper pie, Mint Oreo, no bake, no bake grasshopper pie, No bake pie

Ingredients

For the Oreo Crust

• 40 Mint Oreo cookies
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted

For the Ganache

• 1/4 cup dark chocolate chips
• 2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream

For the Mint Cookies and Cream Filling

• 1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
• 1 tablespoon EZ Gel, LINKED
• 8 ounces cream cheese
• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon mint extract or emulsion, I use THIS
• 1 drop green food coloring
• 8 Mint Oreo cookies, crushed

For the Whipped Topping

• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1/3 cup powdered sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Instructions

For the Mint Oreo Crust

• Using a food processor or blender, pulse the cookies until you’ve created a fine crumb. (No need to remove the cream filling).
• Combine the Mint Oreo crumbs and melted butter in a mixing bowl. Mix until the crumbs are “wet.”
• Firmly press the Oreo mixture into an 8-inch or 9-inch pie pan, making sure to form the crust up the sides of the pan.
• Set aside.

For the Ganache

• Combine the chocolate chips and cream in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave in 20 to 30 second intervals until the chocolate chips melt and create a silky smooth consistency when you stir.
• Allow the ganache to cool before spreading on top of the pie crust.

  Refrigerate the crust with the ganache on it while you make the filling.

For the Mint Cookies and Cream Filling

• In a chilled stainless steel bowl, beat the heavy whipping cream on high speed. While beating the cream, gradually sprinkle in the EZ Gel. Beat the cream until semi-stiff peaks form. Set aside.
• In a separate mixing bowl, combine the cream cheese, powdered sugar, and mint extract. Mix until smooth.
• Gently fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture.
• Fold in a small dollop of green food coloring, followed by the broken cookie pieces.

  Evenly spread the filling on top of the pie crust.

For the Whipped Topping

• Combine the heavy whipping cream, powdered sugar and vanilla in a stainless steel bowl. Beat until soft speaks form. 
Spread the whipped cream on top of the pie or use the Wilton 1M piping tip to pipe buttercream around the edges.
• Refrigerate at least three hours before serving.

  Can be made ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator overnight, covered.

The post The Best No-Bake Grasshopper Pie Recipe first appeared on Cake by Courtney.

Peanut Butter Pie with Graham Cracker and Pretzel Crust

I know you’re scratching your head thinking, “what on earth is a pie recipe doing on Courtney’s blog?!” Yes, it’s true, I’m not a huge pie lover, HOWEVER, a pie with a graham cracker and pretzel crust is a pie I can stand behind!

Years ago I made a Magnolia Bakery Peanut Butter Pie that filled a deep-dish 9-inch pie pan with a Nilla wafer crust, peanut butter and cream cheese filling and caramel. It was heavenly! I haven’t had it in years and suddenly started dreaming about it. As I thought about looking for the recipe, I wondered if I could create my own version. I remember thinking the original was a little too rich for me (like, how is that even possible?).

So instead of hunting down the recipe, I decided to create my own version of this decadent dessert!

Pie Crust

While I’m not one for a pastry pie crust, I love a cookie crust, a pretzel crust, or a graham cracker crust. Combine any of those two elements, and you’ve got yourself a serious winner in my book! Magnolia Bakery uses a Nilla wafer crust, but I decided to go with a mixture of a graham cracker and pretzel crust to maximize the sweet and salty flavor combinations.

To make the crust, you’ll simply combine all of the ingredients in a food processor and blend until you have a “wet sand-like” mixture. Once the crust is made, you’ll press the crumbs firmly into a pie pan. I used a deep-dish 8-inch pie pan, but a standard pie pan will work beautifully since this pie isn’t as thick as the original.

Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Filling

The original Magnolia Bakery recipe has three blocks of cream cheese in the filling! Three! It was a little too much cream cheese for my taste, so I lowered the amount of cream cheese in my recipe to one 8-oz block of cream cheese. I really want the peanut butter to stand out, rather than the cream cheese.

To make the filling, you’ll start by whipping the heavy whipping cream, powdered sugar and vanilla to stiff peaks. Next, grab another bowl and combine the cream cheese and peanut butter, and mix until combined. To finish, fold the whipped cream into the peanut butter mixture.

Caramel

Before adding this incredible filling to the pie, you’ll first coat the crust with homemade caramel (see picture above). Again, just another element of sweet and salty that makes this pie so dang amazing!

To top it off, sprinkle on salted peanuts, chopped chocolate peanut butter cups and more salted caramel.

This one is best served cold, so it’s a great dessert to make ahead of time. Just be sure to cover it and store in the refrigerator.

Truly an easy pie recipe you’ll love even if you don’t love pie!

Other Recipes You May Like

• The Most Delicious Caramel Cake
• Dark Chocolate Salted Caramel Cake
• Peanut Butter Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Untraditional Carrot Cake with Apricot Filling and White Chocolate Buttercream
• Chocolate Pretzel Cake

Print

Peanut Butter Pie

Graham cracker and pretzel crust, topped with caramel sauce and peanut butter cream cheese filling.

Course Dessert

Cuisine Pie

Keyword Peanut Butter, Peanut Butter Pie, Pie

Servings 16

Ingredients

FOR THE CRUST

• 1 cup crushed pretzels
• 9 graham crackers full rectangles
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter melted
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar

FOR THE FILLING

• 8 oz cream cheese
• 1 cup peanut butter smooth
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

FOR THE CARAMEL

• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 4 Tbsp water
• 2 tsp light corn syrup
• 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp salt

Garnish

• Salted peanuts
• Chocolate peanut butter cups

Instructions

For the Crust

• Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. Spray an 8-inch pie pan with nonstick spray and set aside.
• In a food processor, combine the pretzels, graham cracker crumbs, melted butter and granulated sugar. Pulse until the mixture resembles "wet sand."
• Firmly press the crust into the pie pan, pushing it up against the sides a bit.
• Bake the crust for 7 minutes and then remove from oven to cool completely before assembly.

For the Filling

• In a medium size bowl, combine the peanut butter and cream cheese and mix until combined. Mixture will be slightly thick. Set aside.
• In a stainless steel bowl, beat the whipping cream, powdered sugar and vanilla on medium-high speed until still peaks form.
• Fold the whipped cream into the peanut butter mixture until smooth. (See picture above).

For the Caramel

• Mix sugar, water and corn syrup in a small saucepan.
• Bring the water and sugar mixture to boil over medium heat, but DO NOT STIR. (Stirring encourages crystallization). Let the mixture cook until it caramelizes into a golden brown color. It happens quickly, so keep an eye on it.
• Remove the caramelized sugar syrup from the heat and slowly mix in the cream. Pour in just a tiny bit at a time, especially at the beginning, and mix to combine. You can start adding more and more as you go along.
• Mix in salt and vanilla. Stir to combine. Let cool to room temperature.

Assembly

• Once the crust is cooled completely, pour about 3/4 of the caramel onto the crust and spread on the bottom and the sides with the back of a spoon.
• Pour all of the filling into the pie pan, on top of the caramel, and spread evenly.
• Sprinkle the top with peanuts, chocolate peanut butter cups and the remaining caramel.

The post Decadent and Delicious Creamy Peanut Butter Pie with Pretzel Crust first appeared on Cake by Courtney.

One of our favorite activities as a family is our weekly (or mostly weekly) Family Food Wars. It started about a year ago, when Westin asked me to challenge him in the kitchen (think, “Kids Baking Championship“). He and I competed, with Ryan and Avery as judges, but it soon turned into Avery verses Westin, with Ryan as the judge and yours truly as the host and mentor (a.k.a. the one who makes sure no one sets the house on fire!).

The gist of the food competition is as follows:

• The kids have 30 minutes to make their creation
• We usually have a theme they have to stick to
• I throw in a curveball (i.e. must use cereal, or an herb, or something like that)
• Presentation counts
• Have fun and cheer each other on!

The kids have loved it and so have Ryan and I. You can catch some of the recaps on my Instagram Reels.

This past week, the challenge was a no bake dessert that had to include cereal. Westin went with Fruity Pebbles Rice Krispie Treats and Avery decided on a no-bake cheesecake. She was very concerned that Ryan wouldn’t like plain cheesecake, so I suggested adding dulce de leche.

In the end, Avery came out on top with this No-Bake Dulce de Leche Cheesecake with a Golden Graham cereal crust. We all loved it so much, we decided it deserved a spot on the blog because you need to make it!

No-Bake Dulce de Leche Cheesecake

For the cheesecake element, you’re simply whipping heavy whipping cream with powdered sugar and then folding it into a mixture of cream cheese and dulce de leche. No baking is required!

• Chill a stainless steel bowl in the freezer for about 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, beat the dulce de leche and cream cheese together until smooth.
• Set the cream cheese mixture to the side and whip the heavy whipping cream and powdered sugar together in the chilled stainless steel bowl until stiff peaks form.
• Fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture and then refrigerate until ready to use.

For the Golden Graham cereal crust, grab unsalted butter, the cereal, salt, and sugar. Again, this is a no-bake element!

• Using a food processor or blender, pulverize the cereal until you’ve created a sand-like texture.
• Stir in the sugar, salt, and butter and mix until all of the crumbs are moistened.
• Firmly press the cereal crumbs into a pie plate or cheesecake pan.
• Evenly spread the cream cheese mixture on top and refrigerate until ready to serve.

What Can I Substitute for Golden Grahams cereal?

If you can’t find Golden Grahams cereal or simply don’t want to use it, I’d recommend using the same amount of graham crackers or Biscoff cookies for the crust. You’ll do everything the same way with these substitutes.

How to Make Homemade Salted Caramel Sauce

One of the elements I added to Avery’s recipe when recreating it for this post was making my homemade salted caramel sauce and pouring it over the entire cheesecake.

Making homemade salted caramel sauce is super simple and one of the most delicious confections you’ll ever make. And trust me, when you make the homemade caramel sauce, you’ll never want store-bought again.

Follow these steps, along with the recipe in THIS POST to make your own homemade caramel.

• You’ll start by combining the sugar, water, and corn syrup (or honey) over the stove on medium heat.
• Stir the mixture until the sugar dissolves and then step back!
• Allow the mixture to boil and cook. Stirring the sugar mixture at this point will encourage crystallization and we don’t want that!
• It will take a few minutes for the mixture to change color, but once it does, stay close by.
• You’re looking for the mixture to turn a dark golden brown, amber color. Check the pictures below for guidance.
• Once you’ve reached the right color and your mixture is about 380 degrees F., you’re ready to start SLOWLY adding warm heavy whipping cream.

Can This No-Bake Cheesecake be Made Ahead of Time?

Absolutely! This is actually a perfect dessert to make a few days before a party. I would make the crust and filling, and assemble them, but wait to add the caramel sauce until it’s time to serve it.

For a little extra flavor contrast, sprinkle some coarse sea salt on top when you serve!

Other Easy Desserts You’ll Love

• No-Bake Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars
• Blueberry Delight Bars
• Tres Leches Cake
• Peanut Butter Pie
• Chocolate Dulce De Leche Cake

Print

No Bake Dulce de Leche Cheesecake

No bake dulce de leche cheesecake with a Golden Graham cereal crust and homemade salted caramel.

Course Dessert

Cuisine No Bake Dessert

Keyword caramel, cheesecake, Dulce de Leche Cheesecake, No Bake Dessert

Ingredients

• 3 cups (122 g) Golden Grahams cereal, measured and then pulverized to a crumb
• 6 tablespoons (84.75 g) unsalted butter, melted
• 2 tablespoons (25 g) granulated sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon (1.5 g) salt
• 13.4 ounces (380 g) dulce de leche, usually the size of one can
• 8 ounces cream cheese
• 1 cup (240 g) heavy whipping cream
• 1/2 cup (65 g) powdered sugar, measured then sifted

Instructions

• Spray a pie dish or cheesecake dish with nonstick spray. Set aside.
• In a food processor or blender, pulse the cereal to a fine crumb. Mix in melted butter, sugar, and salt until the mixture resembles wet sand.
• Pour the cereal crumbs into your dish and press firmly to create a tight crust.
• Refrigerate the crust while you make the filling.
• In a medium bowl, combine the heavy whipping cream and powdered sugar. Beat on high until stiff peaks form.
• In a separate bowl, combine the dulce de leche and cream cheese. Beat until smooth.
• Fold the whipping cream into the dulce de leche mixture.
• Evenly spread the dulce de leche mixture onto the cereal crust and refrigerate for at least a couple hours before serving.
• Option: pour homemade salted caramel on top. Recipe linked in the post above.

The post No-Bake Dulce de Leche Cheesecake with Golden Grahams Crust first appeared on Cake by Courtney.

OK, I had to showcase just a few more pie-inspired cakes because the Thanksgiving ones cover just a small amount of all the delicious cakes! Here are 5 pie-inspired cakes you’ll love. These are some of my most popular recipes, so I know you’ll find one (or two) that become a go-to for your cake cravings. 

These 5 pie-inspired cakes cover a wide range of flavors from fruit to chocolate and everything in between, so I hope you find you resonate with the best! I always have so much fun creating new cake recipes and it’s even better when I can share the recipe and it becomes one of your favorites too. There’s nothing quite like this cake baker community! 

Cake #1: Boston Cream Pie Cake

This Boston Cream Pie Cake has been around for decades and decades! When I made my own version, I didn’t want to stray too far from the original. There’s no need when the cake is already such a classic loved by many. I hope you enjoy this nostalgic yellow cake with vanilla custard and chocolate ganache!

Cake #2: Coconut Key Lime Pie Cake

My Coconut Key Lime Pie Cake is a celebration of several flavors. Before I created this recipe, I was stuck because I wasn’t sure what I wanted in it. Once I realized lime would just be another element to the cake, I was set to bake! This delicious cake mainly showcases coconut, lime, and graham cracker crust that all go so well together. 

Cake #3: Turtle Pie Cake

This Turtle Pie Cake has all the best ingredients rolled into one cake. Caramel, chocolate, candied nuts, buttercream. Is your mouth watering yet? This cake is extremely tender and moist, exactly how cake should be. This cake has an impressive height to it, so make sure to check out the original post to see how to achieve that when you make it! 

Cake #4: Chocolate Cherry Pie Cake

I invented this Chocolate Cherry Pie Cake by combining two desserts that effortlessly go together: the black forest cake and cherry pie. I’m so glad I did because this cake couldn’t taste more amazing! I use acetate strips to hold the cake together while assembling it since it’s a little harder for it to stick when adding wetter ingredients in between layers. There’s also a secret to the bottom cake layer, so make sure to check that out before baking this cake! 

Cake #5: Cherry Cheese Pie Cake

My Cherry Cheese Pie Cake is the perfect combination of sweet, tart, and tang. This recipe is inspired by the incredibly easy no-bake dessert, cherry cheese pie. Thinking of all the ingredients that make up this dessert, I knew they would taste delicious baked as a cake. This cake also features my buttercream frosting, so you can never go wrong there! 

I know out of these 5 pie-inspired cakes you’ll love at least one of them. Let me know which one you try first! For more tips and new recipes, follow me on Instagram @cakebycourtney. Happy baking! 

The post 5 Pie-inspired Cake You’ll Love first appeared on Cake by Courtney.

I love this time of year, for baker’s especially, because we get to try really warm and inviting cake flavors! As you all know, I’ve never been a huge fan of pies, so I’ve tried turning several different pies into cakes and have LOVED them. A lot of them have turned out to be inspired by Thanksgiving flavors, which is actually perfect. Here are the 7 Thanksgiving cakes you have to try. 

I get so excited just thinking about all the different cake flavors on this list. A lot of them are pumpkin for obvious reasons, but all of them have their own twist making them memorable and will leave you wanting more. If you’re in charge of bringing dessert to a family function this holiday season, one of these cakes will be the perfect choice! 

Thanksgiving Cake #1: Pumpkin Pie Cake

Out of my fall flavor cakes, this Pumpkin Pie Cake is one of my favorites! I do six cake layers so I can fit in three different layer fillings. Since there’s six layers it’s OK to keep the layers pretty thin. I just had to include all three fillings to this cake because it makes the cake a hundred times better. So, on your first bite make sure to get a piece of the cake and the filling for the best experience!

Thanksgiving Cake #2: Sweet Potato Cake

If you’ve always been on the fence about sweet potatoes or sweet potato casserole, it’s high time for you to try the Sweet Potato Cake. Everything tastes better if it’s in the form of a cake! (OK, mostly everything.) I personally love sweet potato casserole, so I was excited to try this cake recipe. Sweet potato goes so well with pecan and marshmallow, so this cake features a marshmallow filling, a pecan crunch, and a pecan buttercream.

Thanksgiving Cake #3: Triple Chocolate Pecan Pie Cake

This Triple Chocolate Pecan Pie Cake is close to my heart because it’s inspired by Ryan’s mom’s famous Triple Chocolate Chunk Pecan Pie. It was always the first pie gone at our family dinner, so I knew I had to find her secret and turn it into a cake! This cake has so many different elements to it, and they all blend together so nicely. If you’re a fan of chocolate and pecan pie, this one should be the first one you try! 

Thanksgiving Cake #4: French Apple Pie Cake

I dedicate this French Apple Pie Cake to my mom! She’s rolled so much pie crust in her life and has made each pie with love and care. She’s who taught me how to love baking! The key to this cake is to use a quality brand of apple cider. Using a cheap store brand will likely lessen the flavors of this cake. You can either make your own, or if you have a brand that you love and tastes close to being homemade, that one should work too! 

Thanksgiving Cake #5: Pumpkin Bundt Cake

This Pumpkin Bundt Cake is one of the easiest cakes you can make! It actually takes longer to bake than it does to actually put together! That sounds like music to a busy mom’s ears. Check out the full blog post for tips on how to carefully remove your bundt cake from your pan. The last thing you want is your beautiful creation to get stuck or crumble apart! 

Thanksgiving Cake #6: Pumpkin Sugar Cookie Cake

After trying my Pumpkin Pie Cake (and my Santa’s Milk and Cookie Cake), I decided to put the two together to create my Pumpkin Sugar Cookie Cake! Let me tell you, this cake tastes amazing! All the layers are so fluffy and the ermine frosting keeps it from being too sweet which is what it needs since we bake two giant sugar cookies to go in between the layers!

Thanksgiving Cake #7: Pumpkin Gingersnap Cake

This Pumpkin Gingersnap Cake was inspired by a pumpkin cream cheese streusel bread I came across on Pinterest. When I saw that recipe I immediately knew I needed to turn it into a cake! I had so much fun creating this cake recipe and experimenting what flavors would go well together. I ended up turning the streusel into a crumble for the cake and it turned it into a home run (especially paired with the cinnamon chip ganache!). 

7 Thanksgiving Cakes You Have to Try

I hope you enjoy making your very own version of these cakes! Whatever you do, don’t forget about these 7 Thanksgiving cakes you have to try when making your Thanksgiving desserts! Follow me on Instagram @cakebycourtney to let me know how it goes and for more tips on all things cake! 

Looking for more options for Thanksgiving dessert? Check out this post HERE for more fall-flavored cake inspo.

The post 7 Thanksgiving Cakes You Have to Try first appeared on Cake by Courtney.