Amish peanut butter pie is one of the most beloved Amish desserts, and once you taste it, you'll know why! This old-fashioned Amish peanut butter cream pie features a flaky, prebaked pie crust filled with rich and creamy homemade vanilla pudding, sweet peanut butter crumbles, and topped with fluffy whipped cream.
This Amish pie equals perfection! Every bite is creamy, rich, and downright irresistible! It is a favorite at our house, and always dissapears very quickly!
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Why You'll Love This Amish Peanut Butter Cream Pie
- Made completely from scratch with simple ingredients
- Creamy, rich, and full of peanut butter flavor
- A true old-fashioned Amish dessert
- Made with a simple vanilla pudding, this pie recipe is easy to customize into a coconut, or banana cream pie
Ingredients
For the Pudding Filling
- Milk - Forms the base of the custard filling. (I prefer whole milk.)
- Egg Yolks - Add richness and help thicken the pudding.
- Sugar - Sweetens the pie filling.
- Cornstarch - Thickens the custard and gives it a smooth, creamy texture.
- All-Purpose Flour - Helps stabilize the pudding so it sets properly. (If you prefer a little thinner pudding, feel free to cut the amount of flour in half.)
- Salt - Balances the sweetness and enhances flavor.
- Butter - Adds richness and a velvety texture.
- Vanilla Extract - Brings warm, aromatic flavor to the pudding.
For the Peanut Butter Crumbles
- Creamy Peanut Butter + Powdered Sugar - Combine to form sweet peanut butter "crumbs" that add the peanut butter flavor and texture to the pie.
For the Whipped Cream
- Heavy Whipping Cream, Sugar, and Vanilla - Whipped together for a light, creamy topping. (You can also use Cool Whip for convenience.)
For the Crust
- One 9-inch Baked Pie Crust - Provides a buttery, flaky base that contrasts perfectly with the creamy filling.
How to Make Amish Peanut Butter Pie from Scratch
Step 1: Cook the Pudding
- Heat the milk in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally to prevent scorching.
- In a small bowl, whisk together sugar, flour, cornstarch, and salt. Add the egg yolks and ½ cup of the warm milk, whisking until smooth.
- When the milk just begins to rise (as it begins to boil), slowly pour in the egg mixture while whisking constantly. Continue whisking until the pudding thickens and becomes creamy.
- Remove from heat and stir in butter and vanilla.
- To prevent a skin from forming, press plastic wrap directly onto the surface. Let cool completely.
Step 2: Make the Peanut Butter Crumbles
In a small bowl, combine powdered sugar and peanut butter with a fork until you have fine, crumbly bits.
Step 3: Make the Whipped Cream
In a chilled bowl, beat the heavy cream, white sugar or powdered sugar, and vanilla until thick and fluffy. (Or use thawed Cool Whip if you prefer.)
Step 4: Assemble the Pie
- Sprinkle about ¾ of the peanut butter crumbles into the bottom of your baked pie crust.
- Spoon the cooled pudding over the crumbs.
- Spread whipped cream on top, then sprinkle the remaining crumbles over the whipped cream. (If preferred, you can sprinkle some of the crumbs over the top of pudding before adding the whipped cream.)
- Chill for several hours until firm, then slice and enjoy!
Tips for Success
- Use a heavy-bottomed pan: It helps prevent scorching while cooking the pudding.
- Cool completely before assembling: If the pudding is still warm, it can melt the whipped cream.
- Prebake the crust properly: For a flaky crust, prick with a fork and bake until lightly golden. Use my flaky Amish pie crust recipe or purchase a pre-made crust.
PreBaked Crust for Old Fashioned Peanut Butter Pie
This Pennsylvania Dutch Peanut Butter Pie is easy to make. However, I know that if you're not used to cooking and baking very much, it can feel intimidating to make a pie, and you might think it's just easier to buy it.
But believe me when I tell you that a store-bought pie (unless you buy it freshly made from a bakery) will never taste as good as homemade. And honestly, you may be surprised at how easy it actually is to make a pie.
I never bought pie crusts, so I'm not really sure how they compare with homemade Amish pie crusts. But if you are short on time, or don't feel up to making it, go ahead and buy a ready-made crust. It will need to be pre-baked for your peanut butter cream pie. If you don't know how to pre-bake a pie crust, you can find some tips here.
Variations
This pudding base can be used to make several other classic Amish cream pies. Omit the peanut butter crumbles and create a different flavor.
- Coconut Cream Pie: Stir shredded coconut into the pudding.
- Banana Cream Pie: Layer sliced bananas under the pudding and under the whipped cream.
- Chocolate Cream Pie: Whisk cocoa powder into the dry ingredients before cooking. Or use my chocolate cream pie recipe.
If you love cream pies, you may also want to try my recipe for butterscotch cream pie. It's another family favorite!
Frequently Asked Questions
If your pudding didn't thicken properly, it probably didn't boil long enough after adding the cornstarch mixture. Keep whisking over medium heat until it thickens and bubbles. It will also continue to firm up as it cools.
You can, but it's not ideal. Natural peanut butter tends to separate and won't make the same sweet, crumbly texture when mixed with powdered sugar. Regular creamy peanut butter (like Jif or Skippy) works best.
Yes! This is a no-bake filling, so the crust needs to be baked and cooled before assembling the pie. A lightly golden, flaky crust gives the best contrast to the creamy filling.
Absolutely. Cool Whip works great if you're short on time. Just thaw it before spreading over the pudding.
Keep the pie covered and refrigerated (I like to mostly cover the pudding and leave the crust edges uncovered so it don't get too soggy). It will stay fresh for about 2-3 days. Because of the creamy pudding and whipped topping, it's not recommended to freeze this pie.
More Amish Pie Recipes
The Amish eat lots of pies, and they are all amazing! I have linked a few other Amish pie recipes here for you...
I hope you enjoy this Amish peanut butter cream pie as much as we do. If you try this recipe, I'd love it if you left a comment and star rating below. Thank you!
The pudding/filling used in this peanut butter pie recipe is similar to my homemade cornstarch pudding.
An affiliate link to an item you may need... Glass Bakeware Pie Plate 9"
📖 Recipe Card
Amish Peanut Butter Cream Pie Recipe
Ingredients
Pudding
- 3 c. hot milk
- 3 large egg yolks, beaten
- ½ c. sugar
- 4 Tbs. cornstarch
- 2 Tbs. all-purpose flour
- ½ tsp. salt
- 2 Tbs. butter
- 1 Tbs. vanilla extract
Peanut Butter Crumbs
- ⅓ c. creamy peanut butter
- ¾ c. powdered sugar
Whipped Cream
- 1 - 1 ½ c. heavy whipping cream
- 1 Tbs. white sugar or powdered sugar
- 1 tsp. vanilla
1 - 9" baked pie crust
Instructions
To make the pudding:
- Heat the milk in a heavy-bottom saucepan over medium-high heat. You may need to stir it occasionally to keep it from burning.3 c. hot milk
- Stir together the cornstarch, flour, sugar, and salt. Whisk in the egg yolks, along with about ½ cup of the hot milk to make it creamy.½ c. sugar, 4 Tbs. cornstarch, 2 Tbs. all-purpose flour, ½ tsp. salt, 3 large egg yolks, beaten
- When the milk reaches the boiling point, it will begin to rise. So you need to keep your eye on it. As it begins to rise, turn off the burner (if you have an electric stove) and pour in the egg mixture. Whisk until it is creamy and thickened.
- Remove from the heat and add butter and vanilla. Whisk until the butter is melted and mixed.2 Tbs. butter, 1 Tbs. vanilla extract
- Cool completely. If you don't want the skin to form on the top, you will need to place a piece of plastic wrap on top of the pudding.
Peanut Butter Crumbs:
- Using a fork, mix powdered sugar and peanut butter until you have small crumbles.⅓ c. creamy peanut butter, ¾ c. powdered sugar
Whipped Cream:
- Place cream, sugar, and vanilla into a chilled mixing bowl and beat until it is thick and creamy.1 - 1 ½ c. heavy whipping cream, 1 Tbs. white sugar or powdered sugar, 1 tsp. vanilla
To assemble the pie:
- Place about ¾ of the peanut butter crumbles into the bottom of the pie crust. Fill the pie shell with the cold pudding. Spread the whipped cream over the pudding, and sprinkle the remaining crumbs on the top.
- Store the pie in the refrigerator, and eat it within a couple of days.
Pam R.
To make the pie gluten free, are you saying you substituted clear jel for the flour — same amounts — to make the pudding gluten free? What gluten free crust recipe did you use?
Anna
Yes, I believe I used the same amount of clear jel. I should have written that down. My local bulk food store carries Bob's Red Mill gluten-free pie crust mix, and that is what I usually use to make her pie crusts.
Anna
A family favorite pie!
DeVon Harbolt
Hi
Wondering how much clear jell?
Anna
This pie does not have clear jel, only cornstarch. Recipe card is toward the bottom of the post.
carole Dawson
I am making this pie now. It looks like a great recipe. I was wondering if it would freeze well if I left the whipped cream til use later. I live alone....85yrs oldl....and I may or may not have leftovers. Thanks.
Anna
I have never tried freezing cream pies. And I'm not sure if the filling would hold up well to being frozen?? If you google it, most people do not recommend freezing cream pies. But If it's between throwing it out or freezing it, I suppose you could try it. 🙂