Creamy, crunchy, with a hint of salt, and just bursting with tangy jelly. This peanut butter and jelly pie is the creamy dessert of your dreams!
This pie. I hardly know where to begin. I’ve mentioned before that I am a fan of Christina Tosi and all of her Milk Bar creations, so when I noticed that she was offering an online baking course, I jumped at the chance. It was my sister who gave me the idea of creating a peanut butter and jelly dessert. I immediately knew that would be perfect for the pie section of the course.
You will see some Christina Tosi influences in this recipe in the use of sub-recipes, kosher salt, and my own riff on her famous Birthday Cake Crumb. But what I am most proud of is creating a recipe that far exceeded my own expectations.
This pie hits every possible note a dessert can hit. It’s crunchy and creamy, sweet and salty, with pockets of sweet and tangy raspberry jelly. This recipe does require some planning ahead and will take two days to make. But it is so, so, so worth it. Trust me, this is one dessert you won’t be able to stop eating!
Ingredient Notes
Peanut Butter Cookies: When conceptualizing this recipe, I knew I wanted to get in as much peanut butter flavour as possible and what better way than to make a peanut butter crust! Sure, making a batch of peanut butter cookies just for the crust might take a bit more time but it is so worth it. My recipe for Peanut Butter Cookies is what I use when making this pie but you could certainly use your own recipe or even store-bought if you want to save time.
Peanuts: I knew the pie filling was going to be sweet, soft, and creamy so my goal with the crust was to make it a bit salty and add some crunch. The addition of salted peanuts hits all those notes.
Unsalted Butter: I typically use unsalted butter when baking and this recipe was formulated based on using unsalted butter. If you use salted butter then just decrease the amount of salt a bit to compensate.
Kosher Salt: I have to credit Christina Tosi for turning me onto using kosher salt in baking. Kosher salt is not iodized and has a cleaner flavour than table salt. It is also not as ‘salty’ tasting as other salts which helps to create really well rounded flavours in your baked goods. The kosher salt I use is Diamond Crystal, which is my preferred brand. However, if you use table salt then you must reduce the amount of salt by at least half. Table salt is considerably more denser than kosher salt and you need to make an adjustment if you are using table salt.
PB2 Powder: I wanted to add a crunchy element to the pie to balance it out and I absolutely love the crumb recipes that Christina Tosi adds to desserts. I thought that a peanut butter version would be perfect for this pie. I chose not to use peanut butter in the crumb recipe since I knew it would make the end product soft and chewy. Instead, I use PB2 Powder which is essentially powdered peanut butter. PB2 is made from defatted peanuts which helps lower the moisture content in the crumb recipe but packs a lot of peanut butter flavour. I don’t have a substitute that I have tested, but PB2 powder should be widely available in grocery stores, health food stores and online. Be sure to get the original flavor.
Cream Cheese: I originally tested two different versions of the peanut butter filling, one made with cream cheese and one with a pastry cream base. I initially thought I would go with the pastry cream base but after the test batches chilled overnight it was obvious that the cream cheese version was the way to go. The peanut butter flavor was more pronounced and the filling benefitted from that hint of tanginess that cream cheese brings.
Peanut Butter: The star ingredient! I use creamy, Kraft brand peanut butter. This is no time for gritty, natural peanut butter!
Frozen raspberries: Grape jelly may be a childhood favourite for some, but for me it was all about the raspberry jelly. I use frozen raspberries for the jelly filling since they produce a lot more juice and purée than fresh berries. This recipe calls for puréeing the fruit and straining out the seeds. You could use fresh berries, but you may need more to get the right amount of fruit purée.
Unflavoured gelatin: Getting the right texture of the jelly filling was important. I used a combination of cornstarch and a bit of unflavoured gelatin. You don’t need much but it will help the filling set to the perfect consistency.
How to Make Peanut Butter and Jelly Pie
This recipe is actually made up of four sub-recipes that are prepared individually and then brought together to form the finished dessert. I will go through each recipe here in the order that I would make them.
If you are planning on making your own peanut butter cookies for the crust then start with that recipe. You can use my recipe here or your own recipe.
1. Make the Raspberry Jelly Filling
I strongly recommend that you make this recipe the day before you intend to put together the pie. This filling really benefits from sitting overnight to reach the proper consistency.
Start by thawing your frozen raspberries, you can do this in the microwave. Purée the berries in a food processor until well puréed. Pour the purée into a fine mesh strainer over a bowl. Using a spatula, scrape the purée through the strainer. This will take a few minutes, but keep at it. In the end you should only have a small, almost dry clump of seeds. Scrape the purée from the bottom of the strainer, then transfer the purée to a small saucepan and discard the seeds.
In a very small microwave safe bowl or ramekin, combine the gelatin and the water and stir together. Set aside. Alternatively, you can use a small heat-safe glass.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the sugar, kosher salt and cornstarch until there are no cornstarch lumps remaining. Whisk the dry ingredients into the raspberry purée and turn the heat on to medium low. Cook over medium low heat, whisking constantly, until the purée begins to bubble and thicken. Turn off the heat and set aside.
Carefully microwave the gelatin to melt. Start with only 5 to 8 seconds. Trust me, I learned that one the hard way! Scrape the melted gelatin into the filling and whisk together well until completely dissolved. Pour the filling into a bowl and place a piece of cling film directly on the surface of the jelly. Make sure it is completely sealed. This will prevent a skin from forming. Chill overnight.
2. Make the Peanut Butter Crumb Topping
This can be made ahead of time and will keep for several days in a covered container on the counter. This recipe makes a little more than you need but it’s perfect for snacking!
Combine all of the dry ingredients in the bowl of a mixer. Mix on low speed with a paddle attachment until all of the dry ingredients are well combined and there are no lumps. With the mixer running on low, pour in the melted butter. Continue mixing until the mixture is combined and has formed small clusters of crumb.
Pour the crumb mixture onto a parchment lined baking sheet. I like to make sure there is a mixture of large crumbs and small crumbs so you can either squeeze some of the mixture together or break it apart to reach the consistency you prefer. Spread the crumbs out evenly on the baking sheet.
Bake for 20 minutes. The crumbs should be just lightly browned. The crumbs will still feel soft to the touch but will harden when they cool. Cool completely before using in the pie.
3. Make the Peanut Butter Cookie Pie Crust
This is a pretty straightforward crust recipe. Break the peanut butter cookies into the bowl of a food processor and then pulse until ground down to crumbs. I like to chop the peanuts first and then add to the processor to chop finely with the crumbs. Add the sugar, kosher salt, and melted butter. Blend until the mixture starts to clump together.
Lightly grease a glass pie plate. Transfer the crust mixture into the pie plate and press evenly up the sides and over the bottom of the pie plate. Chill until ready to use.
4. Make the Creamy Peanut Butter Filling
If you’ve made it this far, then the end is near! First, whip the heavy cream to stiff peaks in a mixer with a whip attachment. Scrape the whipped cream into a bowl and set aside. There is no need to clean the mixing bowl, just switch to a paddle attachment. Add the peanut butter, softened cream cheese, icing sugar, and vanilla to the mixing bowl. Beat to combine, scraping down the sides as needed. Continue beating until the cream cheese mixture is fully combined and smooth.
Add a third of the whipped cream and mix on low until combined, scraping down the sides as needed. Add the rest of the whipped cream in two more additions, scraping down the bowl to make sure the cream filling is fully mixed.
Assemble the Peanut Butter and Jelly Pie
You made it! Now on to the fun part. Gather all of your sub-recipes together. Start by dropping half of the peanut butter filling in large dollops into the pie crust. Dollop about half of the jelly filling into the pockets in the peanut butter filling.
Using a knife, swirl the peanut butter filling and jelly filling together. Sprinkle on a good layer of peanut butter crumbs and spread evenly. Gently press down on the crumbs to stick.
Repeat the dolloping of filling. Start with the peanut butter and end with the jelly filling. This is a big pie, so be sure to mound the filling slightly in the centre. Swirl the two fillings together decoratively. Lastly, top with some more of the crumbs, piling a bunch of the larger pieces in the middle of the pie.
Chill the pie for at least 6 to 8 hours before slicing!
Pairing & Serving Suggestions
This pie is always the main attraction and needs nothing more on the side than a cup of coffee or a cold glass of milk!
Spread the Enchantment
More Dessert Recipes
If you love berries and cream as much as PB & J, try my Strawberry Mascarpone Cream Cake or my Sally Lunn buns topped with clotted cream and jam
