Homestyle Amish Peanut Butter Pie

Step One: In a medium-sized heatproof bowl, combine the granulated sugar and cornstarch. Whisk them together thoroughly until no lumps remain. This ensures even distribution and prevents cornstarch clumps in your final pudding.

Step Two: Crack the eggs into the sugar and cornstarch mixture. Whisk vigorously until the mixture is completely smooth and uniform, with no visible egg streaks. Set this egg mixture aside momentarily.

Step Three: While heating the milk and salt in a saucepan until simmering, carefully temper the egg mixture. Gradually pour about a cup of the hot milk mixture into the egg mixture while continuously whisking. This crucial step slowly raises the temperature of the eggs, preventing them from scrambling when added to the hot milk.

Step Four: Pour the entire tempered egg mixture back into the saucepan containing the remaining hot milk. Return the saucepan to medium heat, ensuring all ingredients are well combined before cooking further.

Step Five: Continue to whisk the mixture constantly and vigorously over medium heat. You’ll notice it gradually begin to thicken and bubble. Once it reaches a rolling boil, cook for approximately 30 seconds to ensure the cornstarch is fully activated and the pudding is adequately thickened. This vigorous whisking prevents lumps and ensures a perfectly smooth custard.

Step Six: Immediately remove the thickened pudding from the heat and pass it through a fine mesh sieve into a clean bowl. This step is essential for achieving an incredibly silky-smooth texture, removing any tiny egg bits or lumps that might have formed during cooking.

Step Seven: Once the pudding has cooled slightly (around 140℉ or when it’s still warm but not scalding), whisk in the unsalted butter, one tablespoon at a time. Ensure each piece of butter melts completely and is fully incorporated before adding the next. This enriches the pudding and gives it a beautiful sheen.

Step Eight: Finally, stir in the vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste until thoroughly combined. Cover the surface of the pudding directly with plastic wrap to prevent a “skin” from forming. Refrigerate for a minimum of 4 hours, or preferably overnight, until completely chilled and set.

Step Nine: In a separate bowl, combine the heat-treated flour, powdered sugar, and creamy peanut butter. Use a fork to mash and mix the ingredients until distinct peanut butter crumbles form. These crumbles should be moist and hold together when pressed. Sprinkle about three-quarters of these delicious crumbles evenly into the bottom of your perfectly baked and cooled pie shell.

Step Ten: Once the vanilla pudding is thoroughly chilled and set, gently spoon it over the layer of peanut butter crumbles in the pie crust. Use an offset spatula or the back of a spoon to carefully spread the pudding evenly, ensuring it reaches the edges of the crust and completely covers the crumbles.

Step Eleven: Prepare your homemade whipped cream by beating heavy whipping cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla until stiff peaks form. Once whipped, delicately spread or pipe this light and airy whipped cream on top of the vanilla pudding layer. Create beautiful swoops and swirls for an appealing presentation.

Step Twelve: Finish your masterpiece by sprinkling the remaining peanut butter crumbles over the whipped cream topping. These extra crumbles add a final touch of flavor and texture, as well as a beautiful rustic appearance. Your Amish peanut butter pie is now ready to be sliced and served!

Expert Tips for the Perfect Amish Peanut Butter Pie

• Strategic Preparation for Effortless Baking: To significantly streamline your baking day and ensure optimal flavor development, prepare the vanilla pudding up to three days in advance and the pie crust one day in advance. This allows the pudding to chill thoroughly and the crust to become perfectly ready for assembly, reducing stress and enhancing the final taste.
• Mise en Place is Your Best Friend: Before you even begin making the vanilla pudding, gather and set up all necessary tools and ingredients. Having everything measured and within arm’s reach will make the process much smoother and prevent any rushed mistakes, especially when dealing with the delicate tempering of eggs.
• Temperature Control for Smooth Custard: When making the vanilla pudding, ensure the custard cools to about 140℉ before whisking in the butter. If you don’t have a digital thermometer, allow the custard to cool for approximately 5-7 minutes off the heat, stirring it every minute. Adding butter too early can cause it to separate, while adding it too late can result in a less smooth finish.
• Freshness for Superior Taste: For the absolute best flavor and texture, use a freshly baked (and completely cooled) pie crust and aim to enjoy the pie on the same day it’s assembled. While it stores well, the crust is at its crispiest and the flavors at their peak when fresh.
• Perseverance with Peanut Butter Crumbles: Don’t be discouraged if the peanut butter crumbles seem stubborn to come together. It requires a bit of “elbow grease” and persistent mashing with the tines of your fork. Just keep working at it; the mixture will eventually form those perfect crumbly bits.

Yes, absolutely! While the homemade vanilla pudding provides an unparalleled depth of flavor and a more natural taste, there’s no reason you can’t opt for the convenience of instant pudding. Simply prepare one small box of instant vanilla pudding according to the package instructions, and then proceed to incorporate it into your pie as specified in the assembly steps. This is a great time-saving hack for busy bakers.

Indeed, using a frozen pie crust is perfectly acceptable and can save you valuable time. However, it is critically important to completely blind-bake the crust before adding any of the filling. Since the pie’s delicious filling is entirely no-bake, the crust will not receive any additional baking time once assembled. Ensure your frozen crust is baked until it’s golden brown and fully cooked through to prevent a soggy bottom.

Grainy pudding is often a result of the eggs scrambling, which typically happens if the heat was too high or if the eggs were added too quickly to the hot milk without proper tempering. The key is to gradually introduce a small amount of hot liquid to the eggs while whisking vigorously before combining them with the rest of the hot milk. If you do end up with a slightly grainy texture, you can try to salvage it by either pureeing the pudding in a food processor until smooth or, for smaller lumps, passing it through a fine mesh sieve a second time to remove any additional chunks and achieve a silkier consistency.

Heat treating flour is a crucial safety step for any no-bake recipe that contains raw flour, as it kills potential bacteria. To do this, simply spread the desired amount of all-purpose flour on a baking sheet and bake it at 300°F (150°C) for about 5-7 minutes, stirring halfway through. Alternatively, microwave the flour in a microwave-safe bowl in 30-second increments, stirring after each, until it reaches an internal temperature of 160°F (71°C) as measured by a digital thermometer. Allow it to cool completely before using in your recipe.

Amish Peanut Butter Pie

By Callan Wenner

This creamy Amish peanut butter pie recipe is filled with small peanut butter crumbles, a creamy layer of homemade vanilla pudding, and topped with homemade whipped cream and more peanut butter! Nested into a traditional pie crust, this old-fashioned pie screams nostalgia. It’s a simple, no-bake dessert (aside from the crust) that brings pure comfort and joy.

Equipment

• 9″ pie plate
• Fine mesh sieve
• Whisk
• Digital kitchen thermometer

Ingredients

For the Crust

• 1 disc sweet pie crust (see recipe)

For the Vanilla Pudding 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

For the Peanut Butter Crumbles

• ½ cup all-purpose flour (60g) – must be heat-treated
• 1 ½ cups powdered sugar (180g)
• 1 cup creamy peanut butter (270g)

For the Whipped Cream Topping

• 1 cup heavy whipping cream (8 fl oz)
• ¼ cup powdered sugar (30g)
• 2 teaspoons vanilla paste or extract

Instructions

Pie Crust Preparation

1. Lightly flour a work surface and rolling pin, then roll out the sweet pie dough until it’s approximately ⅛” thick. Remember to turn the pastry a quarter turn every few rolls and dust with additional flour as needed to prevent sticking.
2. Carefully transfer the rolled pie dough into your 9″ pie plate, gently pressing it into the contours. Crimp the edges as desired for a decorative finish. Place the pie crust in the freezer for 15 minutes to firm up before baking.
3. Preheat your oven to 400℉ (205℃).
4. Remove the chilled pie dough from the freezer. Using a fork, “dock” (prick small holes) the bottom and sides of the crust all over. This helps prevent puffing during baking.
5. Crumple up a piece of parchment paper, then carefully unwrap it and place it into the pie crust. Fill the parchment-lined crust completely with pie weights, or use dried rice or beans as an alternative, to hold the crust’s shape during baking.
6. Bake the weighted crust for 15 minutes. After this initial bake, remove it from the oven and carefully lift out the parchment paper along with the pie weights.
7. Return the unweighted crust to the oven and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes, or until the bottom of the pie crust is completely dry and lightly golden, indicating all moisture has evaporated. Allow the crust to cool completely before proceeding with assembly.

Vanilla Pudding Filling

1. In a medium-sized bowl, thoroughly whisk together the cornstarch and granulated sugar until well combined. Add the eggs and whisk until the mixture is completely smooth with no lumps. Set this egg mixture aside.
2. Before beginning the milk mixture, prepare a large bowl with a fine mesh strainer positioned over it. You will need this setup immediately after the pudding comes off the heat.
3. Pour the whole milk and kosher salt into a medium saucepan. Place over medium-high heat and bring the mixture to a gentle simmer, just below a boil. Stir occasionally to prevent milk solids from burning at the bottom of the pan.
4. Once the milk is simmering well, carefully ladle about ⅓ of the hot milk into the reserved egg mixture while continuously whisking. This process, known as tempering, slowly warms the eggs and prevents them from scrambling. Once tempered, pour the entire egg and milk mixture back into the saucepan with the remaining hot milk and return to medium-high heat.
5. Whisk the mixture vigorously and constantly. It will gradually begin to thicken, and you will observe the small milk bubbles on the surface starting to disappear. The mixture will then quickly thicken and come to a boil. Allow it to boil for approximately 30 seconds, then immediately remove it from the heat. Pass the hot pudding through the sieve into the prepared bowl, using a rubber spatula or whisk to help push it through and ensure maximum smoothness.
6. Allow the pastry cream to cool to about 140℉. Then, whisk in the unsalted butter, adding one tablespoon at a time. Do not add a new piece of butter until the previous one has been fully incorporated and melted. Once all the butter has been added, stir in the vanilla extract or paste until well combined. Cover the surface of the pudding directly with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming, and refrigerate for a minimum of 3 hours, or until completely firm and cold.

Peanut Butter Crumbles Preparation

1. Add the all-purpose flour to a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave in 30-second increments, stirring well in between each interval, until the flour reaches an internal temperature of 160℉ (71℃) as measured by a digital thermometer. This heat-treating step is essential to ensure the flour is safe to consume in a no-bake recipe.
2. Once cooled, pass the heat-treated flour through a fine mesh sieve into a large bowl to remove any potential hard chunks. Add the powdered sugar and mix thoroughly with a fork until well combined.
3. Add the creamy peanut butter to the flour and sugar mixture. Using a fork, vigorously mash and combine the ingredients. This step requires a bit of effort, or “elbow grease,” but continue mashing until the mixture comes together and forms distinct, doughy crumbles.

Homemade Whipped Cream Topping

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (or using a handheld mixer), combine the heavy whipping cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract or paste. Beat on high speed until stiff peaks form. The whipped cream should be light, airy, and hold its shape.

Assembling the Delicious Pie

1. Sprinkle ¾ of the prepared peanut butter crumbles evenly into the bottom of your cooled, baked pie crust. Gently press them down to form a light, textured layer.
2. Carefully pour the thoroughly chilled vanilla pudding mixture over the peanut butter crumbles. Use an offset spatula to smooth the pudding evenly across the crust, ensuring it meets the edges.
3. Spread a generous layer of the freshly made whipped cream over the vanilla pudding. You can create beautiful swirls with the back of a spoon or use a piping bag for a more refined look. Finally, sprinkle the remaining peanut butter crumbles over the top of the whipped cream for a finishing touch and extra texture. Slice and serve your magnificent Amish peanut butter pie immediately, or chill for another 30 minutes to firm up further if desired.

Notes

Store the Amish peanut butter pie, lightly covered (or uncovered if space allows to prevent condensation), in the fridge for up to three days. Be aware that the pie crust will begin to absorb moisture from the filling and may become slightly chewier after the first day. The homemade whipped cream may also start to weep after day two, but the pie will still be delicious.

This pie is not suitable for freezing. The delicate texture of the pudding and whipped cream will not hold up well during the freezing and thawing process, often resulting in a watery and unpleasant consistency.

Tips for Success:

• To manage your time efficiently, you can prepare the vanilla pudding up to three days in advance and the pie crust one day in advance. This allows for convenient assembly on serving day.
• Ensure all necessary tools and ingredients for the vanilla pudding are ready and organized before you begin cooking. This speeds up the process and reduces the chances of error.
• If you do not have a digital thermometer, allow the cooked custard to cool for about 5-7 minutes, stirring it every minute, before incorporating the butter. This helps prevent the butter from separating.
• The pie tastes best when enjoyed on the same day it’s assembled, especially with a freshly baked and cooled pie crust.
• Achieving the perfect peanut butter crumbles requires patience and some firm mashing with a fork. Don’t be afraid to put a little “elbow grease” into it until the ingredients fully combine and crumble effectively.

Nutritional Information

The provided nutritional information is an estimate per serving. Accuracy is not guaranteed.

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