Chocolate Peanut Butter Tart
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my full disclosure policy.
Think of this chocolate peanut butter tart as a grown-up version of a Reese’s Peanut Butter cup.
Whenever I’m in need of a decadent “wow” dessert, I make this quick-bake chocolate peanut butter tart modestly adapted from Food & Wine. With a chocolate wafer crust, rich peanut butter filling, and silky chocolate ganache topping, it tastes like a grown-up Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup. 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.
What you’ll need to make a chocolate peanut butter tart
How to make a chocolate peanut butter tart
Begin with the crust. Place the chocolate wafers in a food processor fitted with the steel blade.
Process until the cookies are finely ground and set aside.
In a medium microwave-safe bowl, melt the butter. Add the chocolate pieces.
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-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. 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, combine the the cream cheese with the peanut butter, sugar and vanilla extract.
Beat 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.
Beat on low speed to combine.
Add the remaining cream.
Using a large rubber spatula, fold until evenly combined.
The filling should be nice and light.
Spoon the filling into the crust.
Smooth the surface and refrigerate, uncovered, for about 1 hour.
Once the pie has cooled, make the chocolate topping. In a medium microwave-safe bowl, combine the chocolate with the heavy cream.
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 until barely warm, stirring occasionally.
Spread the chocolate topping over the chilled peanut butter filling.
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 knifer clean between each cut. Serve chilled.
You may also like
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Squares
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Icebox Cake
- Chocolate Tart
- Chocolate Cream Pie
- Buckeyes
Chocolate Peanut Butter Tart
Think of this chocolate peanut butter tart as a grown-up version of a Reese’s Peanut Butter cup.
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, Oreo Thins (no need to remove the cream), or Nabisco Chocolate Wafers
For the Peanut Butter Filling
- 8 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1 cup smooth peanut butter (I use Skippy Natural)
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup cold heavy cream
For the Topping
- 4 oz semisweet chocolate, chopped (best quality, such as Ghirardelli)
- ½ cup heavy cream
- ¼ cup salted roasted peanuts, chopped
Instructions
- Make the chocolate crust: Preheat the oven to 375°F. 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-inch 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.
- Make-Ahead Instructions: This pie can be made a day ahead, then covered and refrigerated until ready to serve.
- Note: 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-inch springform pan and bring the crust about 1 inch up the rim (or for a 9-inch springform pan, bring the crust about 1-½ inches up the rim).
Nutrition Information
Powered by 
- Per serving (10 servings)
- Calories: 703
- Fat: 50 g
- Saturated fat: 24 g
- Carbohydrates: 60 g
- Sugar: 46 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 12 g
- Sodium: 221 mg
- Cholesterol: 76 mg
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.
See more recipes:
Comments
Add a Comment
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
I was hoping to top this with whipped cream (fresh) instead of a chocolate glaze. Any ideas or hesitations around doing that?
Hi Amanda, It won’t have quite the same “finished” look or chocolate flavor but it should still be good. I’d love to know how it turns out!
Off the charts. Made this for wifey’s birthday and she loved it. Used a springform pan, probably made bottom crust too thick but flavor was amazing. I thought maybe filling was too light – have you tried making this without the whipped cream in the filling? Tasted the cream cheese and sugar peanut butter vanilla before adding whipped cream and thought it matched Reese’s cup flavor and consistency. Thanks for recipe I will try again when I get a tart pan. Thanks!
WOW this was an amazing recipe! Made as written and it came out beautifully! The mousse was solid but not dense and held up to the chocolate topping perfectly! The wafer crust was easy to make and added fantastic texture. This was a huge hit at my Christmas Dinner. Thank you!!
This is a great tart. I made it gluten and corn free by using Pamela’s chocolate cookies to replace Nabisco and Organic Valley neufatchel cheese. It also freezes well. My family thinks it’s delicious!
So absolutely sensational.
I want to make some of these in 4″ quiche pans to give as gifts – do you think that will work?
Yes, I think that would work. Glad you like it!
I made this for Thanksgiving and it was so delicious! Everyone raved about it! The only thing I would do differently is buy a box of the chocolate wafer crumbs instead of crushing my own, only because I don’t have a food processor therefore my crust was a big coarser than it should have been. Still tasted delicious just didn’t have a firm crust. This one is a hit!
Who doesn’t love peanut butter and chocolate!!! This pie is always a crowd pleaser. Made the recipe as written.
A new family favorite – like a giant Reese Cup!!
I made this on Thanksgiving for a fellow chocolate-peanut butter lover, and wow, was everyone impressed! It truly looked like something that a professional had made and tasted delicious. I added a little extra peanut butter to the filling because I wanted it to stand out. I had considered leaving off the chopped peanuts, but was glad that I didn’t because it really dressed it up and added a nice crunchy texture.
Just an FYI, be careful when handling the tart pan as the side may come off if you don’t hold it by the edges. That happened to be as I was carrying it to the cooling rack and the crust broke, but since it was still hot I was able to press it back into the pan and once it was covered with the filling and the ganache no one could tell.
This recipe is perfect! I make this for every family birthday and everyone loves it. It is much easier to make with the tart pan!
OMG, made this for Thanksgiving and it was AMAZING. I also used mini Reese’s cups instead of the peanuts for garnish. So rich, so easy, so delicious. And it looked so professional!
Also, I couldn’t find the Nabisco wafers at my smallish local supermarket, but I had a container of chocolate cat cookies from Trader Joe’s and the worked perfectly.
I made this for Thanksgiving dinner – it was a huge hit! Very tasty and easy to make. I would offer 2 suggestions, be sure to weight the crust with stones or beans before you bake it – I didn’t and my crust shrank (my own fault). Also, when you spoon the filling into the crust make the top as flat as possible, if there are high spots the ganache runs off. I will definitely make this again.
Help! No Nillas in my small town. :/. I picked up Teddy Grahams and Oreos. Will the TG’s work? I asked my DH what he wanted to eat this weekend for his bday. So far: your meatloaf, chicken pot pie. Tonight it’s your filet with red wine sauce with the peanut butter pie to celebrate the actual bday tomorrow. Thanks for making me look so good. Got the book on preorder. Can’t wait!
Hi, I’d love to be celebrating your husband’s birthday with you– sounds like everyone in your house is being well fed this weekend! This recipe actually calls for chocolate wafers, not vanilla wafers. YOu can use Oreos here but scrape the filling out. You’ll need about 32 cookies (or 8 ounces). Hope you enjoy and happy birthday to your hubby!
I did use the Oreos. It was way easier than I thought. We’ve had everything but the peanut butter pie before — and that was the star of the show. It’s gone! Thank you for helping me with a great weekend!
To do some of this ahead of time, can you make and freeze the crust?
Yes, I don’t think the pie would necessarily freeze that well, but the crust should be fine.
Excellent!
This is just the most fabulous dessert. Unbelievably good! Thank you for a recipe that succeeds every time.
Can’t wait to make this recipe. The comments are very helpful and reviews are promising.
My nephew is allergic to peanuts. Can this be made with almond butter? Thanks in advance!
Sure, that should work. Enjoy!
Do you think using an 11 inch tart pan would be okay? Just adjust the time of baking accordingly as the crust will be slightly thinner? Or would you strongly suggest the 10in spring form? I have both.
Hi Sanda, I’d go with the 10-inch springform; just bring the crust about 1 inch up the rim. Hope you enjoy!
Hi Jenn – I am making this dessert tomorrow and am wondering whether I can use the Neuf Chatel cheese I have in my fridge in place of the cream cheese. Seems like the same stuff, not sure. Thanks!
Hi Delada, I’ve never made this with anything but regular cream cheese, but one reader commented that she has used neufchâtel and was happy with the result. I’d love to hear how it turns out if you go that route!
Hi Jenn – I used neufchatel and it worked just fine! Great dessert! Mmmmm
Hello! My grocery store doesn’t have the chocolate wafers. Can I use oreos with the filling scraped out? Any idea how many of the wafers I’d need?
Hi Liz, yes Oreos will work. You’ll need about 32 cookies (or 8 ounces). Hope you enjoy!
Awesome thank you! I can’t wait to serve this at girl’s night tonight!
I decided to pulse a container of Trader Joe’s chocolate cat cookies in the food processor. I will make this recipe tomorrow. I’m sure it should work fine.
Great recipe! It looks and tastes great. I will be making it again soon.
Delicious! Thanks so much for the recipe! People were fighting over the last slice, it is that good! The only change I made was to garnish the crusts edge with chopped up Reese’s miniature peanut butter cups instead of peanuts.
I followed directions exactly & don’t know why but as pieces were sliced the crust tended to crumble, but no one cared 🙂
Hi Jen,
I had high hopes for this recipe. And it delivered far beyond any expectations. Thank you so much. In twenty plus years cooking, this was one of the best desserts to come out of my kitchen.
Hi Jenn,
Can I substitute Nabisco Chocolate Wafers? I am in Canada and I can’t seem find these in the stores.
Thank you
Hi Nargiza, if you can’t find the wafers, Oreos would work (remove the filling). If you’re feeling ambitious, Smitten Kitchen has a recipe for chocolate wafers.
Thanks a lot Jenn, love your recipes:)
Is it ok to bake the pie crust in 11 inch tart pan instead of 10? thanks
Hi Nargiza, It will work but it will quite thin.
Hi Jenn –
I saw that this can be made in advance, but how far in advance…. a couple of days (e.g., Wednesday/Thursday for a Saturday party?)
Thanks, Emily
Hi Emily, a day ahead is best. You could get away with two days– the crust might get a little soft, but it’ll still be good.
Can this be made in a tart pan that doesn’t have a removable bottom? If so should I grease the pan since it will already be difficult to get out because of the scalloped edges? Making this tomorrow and trying not to go out and buy something.
Yes that will work (and yes lightly grease the pan) – the first piece might be a challenge to remove but after that it should be easier :).
Thanks so much for the quick reply! Made the crust with chocolate graham crackers because the store was out of the wafers. Based on the filling alone I know this pie will be AMAZING!!! 75% of my weekly cooking comes from your blog! It has never disappointed!!
I love this recipe! Looks like a lot of work, but really simple. I used my Vitamix since I didn’t have a food processor and it turn out great. Next time I will spend more time making sure the crust was even. I kind of rushed that part. This will now be my go-to dessert for parties and holidays!
I made this Saturday night for a dinner party and we all giggled over such an indulgent finish to an already decadent dinner! It WOWed this New Orleans crowd!
Jennifer – how can I post a photo?
Glad you and your company enjoyed it! If you’re wondering how to post a recipe to this site, unfortunately it’s not set up for that, but feel free to email it to me if you’d like!
I have made this twice now for different functions. I am not an experienced cook but this is always one of the first to go, even though it is usually one of the largest offerings and my wife thinks it is a bit rich. To me that is a plus! Thanks for the recipe. I love it.
I am a Red Seal Pastry Chef and my standards are very high. I prepared this and the first words out of my mouth were “Holy #&%$ that’s good!” So yeah. This is the recipe you’ve been searching for if you love peanut butter pie/tarts.
I was sceptical about using granulated sugar vs powdered sugar. No issues with texture whatsoever using regular granulated sugar. I reduced the sugar to 1/2 cup because that’s more my preference and this tart was prepared for a senior (my experience is that seniors find most desserts too sweet as they age…go figure!) and I feel jarred peanut butter has too much sugar in it already. It’s perfect! I mean really…perfection. Great job Chef!
I assume I whip the cream until it stands in stiff peaks? I’m always afraid it will turn to butter!!
Hi Naomi, You do want peaks, but not quite stiff peaks; more like soft peaks :). Hope you enjoy!
Turned out perfect—did not turn to butter!!! Thank you.
Can you make this in a pie dish?
Hi Nicole, While I think it would work, it wouldn’t have the same pretty finished product and would need to be served out of the pie plate. That said, it will still taste great!
Do you just use regular white sugar not powdered sugar??
Yes Heather, this calls for regular/granulated white sugar.
This is hands down the best peanut butter pie I’ve ever had. I follow the directions exactly – although sometimes I am in a hurry and buy the Oreo cookie crust to save time. Every time I make it (pretty much for every event I attend), the dessert lovers agree this is their favorite. If I want to make it even more decadent, I spoon a little hot fudge and whipped cream on it. Sigh …
My wife was somewhat disinterested. Daughter texted me when I told her what I was making and said “eww”. The consensus after 6 of the family had a slice. “Wow that was amazing” best thing I’ve made yet and I love baking.
This is a beautiful pie! I made this for my wife and step-daughter for Valentine’s Day–both love the combination of peanut butter and chocolate. They were impressed with the presentation and enjoyed the taste! The pie is delicious and and creamy. I used a 9″ springform pan (because we don’t have a tart pan). If you do this, pay special attention to the crust as you fill the pan. I thought I spread it thin enough but I actually didn’t. As Jen suggested would happen, my crust was very thick and (too) firm. So, watch out! Otherwise, this dish is a hit!
Hi Jenn! I was making your macaroons and they didn’t turn out. They were flat as cookies. Is it possible that I over whipped the egg whites? They were quite solid and wispy. Thanks.
Hi Linda, So sorry you had trouble with the macaroons — did you use sweetened flaked coconut?
I made this for my mother-in-law’s birthday dinner. She’s a fabulous cook and baker, and she loved it. (When I told my husband I was going to make peanut butter pie, he said, “I don’t think anyone will like that.” I think he was imagining a Cool Whip/pudding pie. He LOVED this pie, even though initially he didn’t even want to try any!) I decreased the sugar to 3/4 cup and it was plenty sweet. The tart pan made it so pretty! Definitely bookmarking this. It was so easy. Thanks!
I made this using a springform pan and it came out amazing! I will definitely be making this again. My husband was afraid it would be too “peanut buttery,” but it was just perfect. I’ve been making several recipes off of your site lately, and they’ve all been great. Thank you!
I’ve made this several times. Once in a tart pan, the rest in a springform pan. I get rave reviews!! This is a go to for me when I’m asked to bring something to a get together. Instead of peanuts, I use Reese’s peanut butter cups as a garnish. Great recipe! Glad I found it on FB.
Can this be made the day before?
Hi Sheila, Yes, no problem to make ahead. Enjoy!
Made this for my son’s birthday recently because a guest had an egg allergy so traditional cake was a no go. Everyone raved about it! It tastes like a big peanut butter cup only better :). I accidentally forgot the vanilla and it was still fantastic. Thanks for this great recipe!
THE most amazing peanut butter pie recipe ever. If you;re looking to wow your guests with a decadent dessert, this is the winner. It was a huge hit!
I made a half recipe of this in muffin cups (using liners) for my husband’s birthday. There are only four of us and I didn’t want leftovers taunting me in the fridge. He declared it to be the best thing he’s ever eaten and has asked me to make it for him every birthday for as long as he lives.
This is the bomb!!! I had the Bittersweet Chocolate Chips on hand and it gave it a nice rich chocolate flavor. I made this for my anniversary and thumbs up! Thank you for posting this! Your recipes are sensational!
This looks great, can’t wait to try it. But, just one question… Did Ghirardelli pay you to mention them? I am convinced that their chocolate is one of the worst. I like Callebaut and even Trader Joe’s which melts real nice and is cheap. Ghirardelli is too sweet, melts gritty, waxy, and not good flavor. Yet you see it mentioned all over. They must have a better marketing team than chocolatier I suspect.
Thanks for this!
-John
Hi John, I wish! Honestly, I like it–and it’s readily available at most large supermarkets.
Hi John! I agree with you. Callebaut is really the best chocolate but I’ve only seen it available for sale at a Whole Foods store. I used to have a small chocolate business and Callebaut is the chocolate I used.
This pie is YUM!! I cut the sugar to 3/4 cup to ease up on the sweetness and used 100% peanut butter and the flavor was epic. Great recipe!
I read through the recipe carefully but it does not say whether to spray the pan with non-stick spray before baking the crust. I guess it doesn’t hurt to spritz lightly, but if it is not necessary I would prefer to skip it.
Hi Trish, It’s not necessary to grease the pan. Enjoy!
Hi, how deep is the tart pan you used for the peanut butter cup pie?
About 1-1/2 inches deep