Peanut Butter Crunch Pie

It is a sad day when I pout at the thought of getting out of my pj's. 

Is this what the holidays have done to me? I scoff at the idea of going anywhere in favor of hibernation. Granted, it is the proper season to hibernate, but I'm not a forest creature...so I don't really have a good excuse to check out for the winter. 

And it doesn't really help my productivity that my mom has a sweet tooth the size of Alaska and keeps goading me to stay in the kitchen and make her things. Then again...it doesn't take much pushing to get me to make desserts.

I'm hopeless.

And so, coupled with my extreme lethargy and inability to let go of holiday confections, I made this pie.

The filling has only FOUR ingredients. Four. That's it. And that's all it needs. 

Four.

It's the perfect pie to make if you're in a bind and you need something sweet. This happens to me fairly often. I've come to terms with this. 

This recipe is inspired by one from my sweet Granny, so you know it's gonna be good.

Let's make it!

Bake yourself a pie crust. For the record, this pie would also be fabulous with a graham cracker or an Oreo crust. Let it cool to room temperature.

You will need: cream cheese, whipped cream, powdered sugar, and peanut butter. That's it. Isn't life grand?

Plop the cream cheese into a large mixing bowl. I tried to make the cream cheese a little more photogenic...but I think I made it even worse. 

I...I'm sorry.

Add your powdered sugar.

And beat them until they're well-combined.

There we go!

Add your peanut butter. Try not to swoon.

And, again, beat the mixture until everything is well-combined.

Relevant side-note: I use chunky peanut butter in my pie. I've used both crunchy and smooth, but I enjoy the crunch that the chunky provides. If chunky peanut butter isn't your thing (or you've got a little one who will help you eat it), go for the smooth. It'll be great!

Irrelevant side-note: I didn't know that chunky peanut butter existed until last year--seriously. My mom always used smooth. I don't didn't get out much.

And...back to the pie!

Oh...this is what I like to see.

It takes about all of me not to eat this entire bowl at this point. And I'm not even done yet.

Now add your whipped cream. Or Cool Whip. I don't care what you add, actually; I like them both. That might make me uncool...but I'm already a dork, so I don't have much to lose.

Start folding the whipped cream into the peanut butter mixture. I try to do this semi-carefully so I don't disturb the body of the whipped cream. 

If you're unfamiliar with folding, take your spoon, wipe it along the sides of your bowl, and flip the mixture into the middle of the bowl. Repeat a billion times; that's the basic premise.

Keep folding!

You can do it!

You're almost there. I promise!

Mmm...hello there.

(I think you can stop folding now.)

Just spoon the mixture into your pie crust of choice. You can let it chill for a few hours to firm up the texture, buuuuuuuuut...

I don't do that. 

Not that you should be like me or anything.

This is a tried-and-true that'll serve you well at potlucks, family functions, and whenever you need a quick-fix dessert recipe.

Unless you're allergic to peanuts. I never recommend anaphylactic shock to anyone.

Peanut Butter Crunch Pie

Print this recipe

• 1 9-inch pie crust, baked and cooled
• 8 oz. cream cheese, softened
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 cup chunky peanut butter (creamy works, too, if chunky isn't your thing)
• 3 cups whipped cream, or 1-8 oz. carton of Cool Whip

In a large mixing bowl, cream powdered sugar and cream cheese until well-combined. Add the peanut butter, and mix well. Fold in the whipped cream into the peanut butter mixture; this process will take around 3-5 minutes. Pour into pie shell of choice; serve at once or chill, if firmer texture is desired. 

If you've been extra good lately, drizzle on your favorite chocolate sauce! Or...if you haven't been very good, maybe this will inspire you to do so. 

It's just a thought.