Chocolate Peanut Butter Tart
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All the flavor of a Reese’s peanut butter cup—only fancier. This chocolate peanut butter tart comes together with minimal effort but feels special.
Whenever I need a decadent, crowd-pleasing dessert, I turn to this quick-bake chocolate peanut butter tart, adapted from Food & Wine. With a chocolate wafer crust, creamy peanut butter center, and silky ganache topping, it’s like a fancier Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup. It needs a few hours in the fridge to set up, and you can even make it a day ahead—just cover and refrigerate until you’re ready to serve.
To get the pretty fluted edges, you’ll need a tart pan with a removable bottom, which you can find at any kitchen store or online (my local hardware store even sells them). If you don’t have one, you can also use a springform pan.
“You knocked it out of the park. My husband and son both say that this is the BEST DESSERT EVER!”
What you’ll need to make a chocolate peanut butter tart
- Crust (semisweet chocolate, butter & cookie crumbs): Melted chocolate and butter bind the crumbs and add richness, while the cookie base—whether Oreo baking crumbs or Oreo thins—provides deep cocoa flavor and a crisp, chocolatey foundation for the filling.
- Filling (cream cheese, peanut butter, sugar, vanilla & heavy cream): The filling gets its rich, creamy texture from the cream cheese and peanut butter, while sugar sweetens the mix and vanilla adds depth. Cold whipped cream lightens it all into a mousse-like consistency.
- Topping (semisweet chocolate, heavy cream & roasted peanuts): Cream and chocolate combine into a smooth ganache that sets into a glossy top layer, while chopped salted peanuts add crunch and classic peanut butter pie flavor.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1. Make and bake the crust. Preheat the oven to 375°F. In a medium microwave-safe bowl, melt the butter. Add the chocolate and stir until melted (microwave again for 20 to 30 seconds if needed). Stir in the cookie crumbs until evenly combined. Press the mixture evenly into the bottom and up the sides of a 10-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Bake the tart shell for 10 minutes, then cool on a rack.
Pro Tip: A flat-bottomed measuring cup is your best friend for pressing crumb crusts—press firmly so it holds together, but don’t compact it into concrete; you want it set yet still tender when sliced.
Step 2. Make the peanut butter filling. In a stand mixer, beat the cream cheese, peanut butter, sugar, and vanilla until smooth. In a separate bowl, whip the cream to stiff peaks. Beat in a third of the whipped cream to lighten the peanut butter mixture, then gently fold in the rest with a spatula until light and mousse-like. (Use wide, sweeping motions so the filling stays airy.)
Pro Tip: Make sure your cream cheese is fully softened before mixing—cold cream cheese can cause a lumpy filling.
Step 3. Fill and chill. Spoon the peanut butter filling into the cooled crust and smooth the surface. Refrigerate, uncovered, for about 1 hour.
Pro Tip: An offset spatula works well for smoothing out the top (if you don’t have one, the back of a large spoon works nicely too). Having a smooth top will make it easier to spread the chocolate layer.
Step 4. Make the chocolate topping. After the pie has cooled, in a microwave-safe bowl, combine the chocolate and heavy cream. Microwave in 20-second bursts until the chocolate is melted and the cream is hot. Stir until smooth, then let cool until just warm, stirring occasionally. (You want the mixture warm enough to pour, but not hot enough to melt the peanut layer; when you can comfortably touch the bottom of the bowl, it’s ready.) Spread the chocolate over the chilled peanut butter layer.
Step 6. Finish and serve. Sprinkle chopped peanuts around the edges of the tart. Chill uncovered for 3 more hours. To serve, carefully remove the tart ring by pressing up on the bottom while holding the rim in place. Slice with a sharp knife, wiping clean between cuts. Grab a fork and enjoy!
The tart can be made up to a day ahead and stored in the fridge, covered with plastic wrap or foil.
More Sweet Ways to Combine Chocolate and Peanut Butter
Chocolate Peanut Butter Tart
Ingredients
For the Crust
- 4 oz semisweet chocolate, chopped (best quality, such as Ghirardelli)
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into tablespoons
- 2 cups cookie crumbs from Oreo baking crumbs, Dewey’s Brownie Crisp Cookies, or Oreo Thins (no need to remove the cream)
For the Peanut Butter Filling
- 8 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1 cup smooth peanut butter (I use Skippy All Natural, No Need To Stir)
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup cold heavy cream
For the Topping
- 4 oz semisweet chocolate, best quality such as Ghirardelli, chopped
- ½ cup heavy cream
- ¼ cup salted roasted peanuts, chopped
Instructions
- Make the chocolate crust: Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). In a medium microwave-safe bowl, melt the butter. Add the chocolate and stir until melted. (If necessary, place the bowl back in the microwave for 20 to 30 seconds.) Add the cookie crumbs and stir until evenly combined. Press the cookie crumbs evenly over the bottom and up the rim of a 10-in (25-cm) tart pan with a removable bottom (see note below). Bake the crust for 10 minutes, then cool on a rack.
- Meanwhile, make the peanut butter filling: In a large bowl of an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese with the peanut butter, sugar and vanilla extract on medium speed until well-blended, a few minutes. In another large bowl, using an electric mixer, whip the cream until stiff peaks form. Add one-third of the whipped cream to the peanut butter mixture and beat on low speed to combine. Add the remaining cream and, using a large rubber spatula, fold until evenly combined. Spoon the filling into the crust, smoothing the surface. Refrigerate, uncovered, for about 1 hour.
- Make the chocolate topping: In a medium microwave-safe bowl, combine the chocolate with the heavy cream and microwave at high power in 20-second intervals until the chocolate is just melted and the cream is hot. Stir until well blended, then let cool to barely warm, stirring occasionally. Spread the chocolate topping over the chilled peanut butter filling and sprinkle the chopped peanuts around the edges of the pie. Chill, uncovered, in the refrigerator for 3 more hours.
- To serve: Carefully remove the rim from the pan by gently pressing upwards on the bottom while holding the rim in place. (If using a springform pan, run a thin knife around the crust to loosen it, then remove the springform ring.) Use a sharp knife to cut the pie into wedges. Wipe the knife clean between each cut. Serve chilled.
Notes
- You can find a tart pan with a removable bottom at any kitchen shop or online. However, if you can’t your hands on one, you can also use a 10-in (25-cm) springform pan and bring the crust about 1 in (2.5 cm) up the rim (or for a 9-in/23-cm springform pan, bring the crust about 1½ in/4 cm up the rim).
- Make-Ahead Instructions: This pie can be made a day ahead, then covered and refrigerated until ready to serve.
Nutrition Information
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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This was delicious. Very easy to follow along, like all your recipes. Everyone loved it! Will definitely make it again !!! I served with fresh whipped cream. Everyone was happy.
I made this recipe this last week-end for my birthday. I am a peanut butter lover and always have a peanut butter pie on my birthday, but decided this year to try out a new recipe. This recipe shamed my old pie. I loved it! It will be my updated and improved birthday dessert. Next time I will make it in a springform pan though. Even though I thought I had the correct tart pan size, there was too much filling and the chocolate overflowed a little.
I let my husband choose Thanksgiving dessert and this was his choice! I used 70% Valrhona Guanaja Feves in the crust and the topping, and used all natural Valencia Peanut Butter for the filling, and made chocolate wafers from Valrhona Cocoa Powder. Oh my, was it good. The tart was so light and so rich at the same time. My husband took two pieces to our chocolate-loving neighbors. Later, the husband came to the front door, got down on one knee and asked me to marry him!
LOL — glad it was a hit!
Utterly delicious! I made this for a birthday today, preparing it yesterday and chilling overnight. It’s a lovely treat for a special occasion, rich but not too sweet and very reminiscent of a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup indeed!
As I am in the UK, I could not get hold of Nabisco chocolate wafers (though I did try…) nor could I find anything similar. I considered using Oreos, but decided on a more economically priced British biscuit tin classic, Bourbon biscuits. I kept the cream filling in (laziness…) but found they broke down fine and made a lovely crust /base.
My question is can I freeze the remainder? The birthday girl is diabetic and there is too much for just two of us to eat quickly enough. It’s so lovely so I would hate to waste it!
So glad you liked it, Helena! I’ve never frozen it before and not confident about how well it would freeze, but if the other alternative is letting it go to waste, it’s worth a try. Please LMK how the leftovers are if you do freeze it!
How far ahead of time do you think this could be made?
Hi Mary Anne, 1 day ahead is best, but you could get away with two days. \The crust might get a little soft, but it will still be good. Hope that helps!
Hi Jen,
Can we use regular (not natural) peanut butter and if so, should we reduce the sugar?
Thank you!
I think that’s fine with no modifications to the sugar. Hope you enjoy!
This rich, decadent dessert looks like a professional chef whipped it up, but the recipe was actually quite simple to prepare. I made this for my daughter’s birthday since she loves Reese’s peanut butter cups, but I think it would be an excellent addition to a holiday table or pot luck gathering. Another OnceUponAChef success.
This was so easy to make and so delicious! My mom couldn’t stop raving about it. Will definitely make it again and soon!
HI Jenn love your recipes can I use a 9 inch tart pan for this recipe??
Glad you like the recipes! I think a 9-inch tart pan will be a bit too small for this. If you don’t want to buy a larger pan, you could still use the 9-inch pan and make a mini version with the extra crust and filling. Hope that helps!
This dessert is now one of my favourites! I followed the recipe apart from using icing sugar instead of caster (made it really smooth) and I used an 8inch tin but built it up the edges so it would be more like a thicker cheesecake style dessert. I also used oreos for the crust which worked perfectly!
Hi Jenn. I couldn’t find chocolate wafers for the crust. Food shopping frustration! Do you think I’d be better off using a prepared chocolate crust or crushing Oreos either with or without the cream filling for the crust? Hoping to make for my husband’s birthday today. Thanks!
Hi Chris, I suspect I’m weighing in too late to be helpful (sorry!) but for future reference, you can use Oreos with the filling scraped out. You’ll need about 32 cookies (or 8 ounces).