Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie and the Perfect Coffee Pairing

This post has been sponsored by J.M. Smucker Company and The WhiteWave Foods Company. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The holiday season is quickly approaching, so today I’m going to share a dessert recipe and coffee pairing that is perfect for a family get-together or friendsgiving! My favorite part of these big holiday dinners isn’t just the main course. It’s the time after everyone has eaten, the kitchen has been cleaned up and you can finally relax with some dessert and coffee! After the craziness of cooking all day, it’s nice to sit on the couch and spend time with friends and family! My all-time favorite holiday treat is my mom’s peanut butter ball recipe, so I decided to take this cookie and turn it into a pie! It’s a pretty simple recipe that’s hard to mess up—I mean peanut butter and chocolate taste amazing together no matter how you combine them! The first step is to make the cookie crust. I used chocolate wafers and mixed them in a food processor with melted chocolate chips and butter. Press them into the pie pan and let cool. Next up is the filling! You start by making the whipped cream and then create the peanut butter mixture. Gently combine the two and then pour into the cooled crust. Last, but not least: ganache! Ganache is easy to make (just chocolate chips and heavy cream) and very versatile. I’ve used it to stuff cupcakes, decorate a drip cake and top this peanut butter pie. It’s best to let the pie chill before serving so that it has time to harden. As tempting as a gooey pie sounds, it’s much easier to cut when it’s cool or slightly frozen!

If you’re making this chocolate peanut butter pie for a holiday party, be sure to serve it with some festive plates and napkins! I came across these gingham items at Target recently and couldn’t resist! Even though I didn’t have a need for them at the time, I knew they’d be perfect for a fall get-together or Thanksgiving! Isn’t that the story of every Target trip? You go in looking for one thing and come out with a cart full of other goodies. I got quite a few Target gift cards for my birthday a few weeks ago, so you can bet I did some damage in the holiday aisles!

I also love Target’s selection of coffee and creamers. Having a good selection of coffee for your guests is an entertaining must! Right now they have these cute Dunkin’ Donuts® seasonal tins, which would make a great gift for the coffee lovers in your life! The original coffee blend has a great flavor, plus the packaging is very festive. I also stocked up on Folgers® Classic Roast since the colder months always make me crave a cozy cup of coffee! The large can is a must since I go through it pretty quickly. I don’t usually drink my coffee black, so we like to have a flavored creamer on hand. The new International Delight® Reese’s Peanut Butter Coffee Creamer makes your cup of coffee taste like dessert! The chocolate peanut butter flavor is delicious and just sweet enough, but doesn’t overpower the coffee. It pairs perfectly with this chocolate peanut butter pie recipe since the flavors aren’t competing. Having similar or complementing flavors is key when pairing desserts and coffee. I mean who would want a peppermint mocha mixed with peanut butter? Not me, even though I do LOVE peppermint mochas! 

To save 5% on both Folgers and Dunkin’ Donuts coffees at Target, check out these offers on Cartwheel!

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Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie

Ingredients

For the Crust:

• 1 box (9 ounces) chocolate wafer cookies
• 6 Tbsp. butter
• 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

For the peanut butter filling:

• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• 1 1/2 cups creamy peanut butter
• 8 oz. cream cheese room temperature
• 3/4 cup powdered sugar
• 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

For the topping:

• 3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 cup salted peanuts crushed

Instructions

For the Crust

1. Preheat oven to 375F. Add cookies to a food processor and pulse until they are fine crumbs. In a microwave-safe bowl, melt chocolate chips and butter, stirring every 20 seconds until smooth. Add to food processor and mix until combined. The crumbs should stick together when pressed against the side of the food processor. If they are too dry, gradually add a little bit more melted butter. Press into the bottom and sides of a 10" pie dish. Bake for about 10 minutes, then cool on rack. 

For the Filling

1. In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the heavy cream on medium-high for about 5 minutes until stiff peaks form. Transfer to a separate bowl and set aside. 

2. Switch the whisk attachment for the paddle attachment. Add peanut butter, cream cheese, powdered sugar and vanilla to the bowl. Mix on medium until combined. Add whipped cream and mix on the lowest speed just until combined. Be careful not to over mix because that will cause the whipped cream to deflate. Pour into cooled crust and create a smooth, even layer. 

For the Topping

1. To make the ganache, place chocolate chips in a medium-sized glass bowl and set aside. 

2. Heat the heavy cream in a small saucepan over medium-high heat until it begins to boil. Pour over the chocolate chips and stir until smooth. Let cool to room temperature. This will allow it to thicken. 

3. Once ganache has cooled, pour over the peanut butter layer. Sprinkle crushed peanuts around the edge. Place in refrigerator to cool for about 5 hours or overnight. Serve chilled.