Chocolate Peanut Butter Tart
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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
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- 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.
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Comments
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Hi there, loved the recipe!
Do you have any suggestions for why my topping layer wasn’t shiny like yours? Looked shiny when first mixed, then by the time i put it on was a bit thicker and less glossy. Did i stir it too much or let it cool too long? Thanks 🙂 🙂
Kate
Hi Kate, so glad you enjoyed this! You may have let it cool too long and it lost some of its sheen. Keep in mind though that it does naturally lose some of its shininess as it sits. (The picture that I took was likely right after I finished preparing the tart.) Hope that helps!
I made this for my mom’s birthday. My dad loved it! He and my mom ate it up. It was easy to make as well.
I’m just attempting to make this, and have not got past the crust as despite following directions exactly, I have a sludge instead of crumbs, and it is far too liquid to stick to the tart pan. I see many others have done this recipe with great success so really can’t understand what has gone wrong. I did think the amount of melted chocolate was too much, and may re attempt using 2 oz instead of 4. Cannot fathom how the quantities as written result in crumbs that can be pressed into the dish!
Not sure how I can rate this when I can’t seem to make the dish work as written.
Been making this pie for probably 8 years for my on choc loving husband’s birthday. After eating half or so, we freeze in sets of two slices, which quality wise works great, but doesn’t last long there. I use TJ chocolate cats and TJ organic dark chocolate bars.
Wonderful dessert – looked just like the photo. Potential problem, however, is that Nabisco wafers are apparently discontinued. I found one local store that carried them as does Amazon.
I always use chocolate graham crackers. This recipe is incredibly delicious! Thanks Jen!
Hi, I was wondering what I did wrong if my crust just sort of all sunk to the bottom of the pan. It didn’t really stick to the side of the pan. Help!
Hi Victoria, sorry you had a problem with this! I’m wondering if perhaps you need to push the crust up the sides of the pan a bit more forcefully. Once you put the crust ingredients in the pan, try using something like a measuring cup to push the crust ingredients up the sides of the pan. Hope that helps!
Oh my gosh, chocolate and peanut butter together in the most yummy way! I’ve made this dessert several times, usually over the holidays, and it always gets rave reviews. I was happy how nicely it came out of the tart pan. It both looks and tastes divine 🙂
Wow! This was incredible! Delicious, and it looked like something I would have bought from an upscale bakery, yet it was very easy to make. What an impression it will make on dinner guests! It froze really well. I cut into individual servings and wrapped each piece in press and seal then put them all in a large zip loc freezer bag. I could take out enough for just my husband and I or more if the kids were here. It defrosted well in the frig and I let it come to room temp before serving.
Thanks Jen for another keeper!
This looked lovely and tasted really good. I wasn’t able to find the wafers so instead separated oreos from the centers and used those. I also forgot to add the crushed peanuts to the top before the final chill but added them after – it still looked pretty but of course they didn’t really set in the ganache. I like PB and chocolate combos that are just a touch less sweet but that didn’t stop me from chowing down on this tart. The filling was very light and airy. The directions for the ganache was the easiest one I’ve ever done with the best results and I have since used it on several different recipes that call for chocolate ganache!
I halved the recipe, divided in four 4” paper tartlette pans and only baked the crust for 5 minutes. Perfect dessert fix – rich ganache, light and creamy peanut butter filling and dark crunchy crust. My husband said if he was served this in a restaurant he would be in heaven. One tartlette cut in half was plenty for each of us to satisfy the chocolate peanut butter craving. Wondering if I can freeze the rest.
So glad you enjoyed them! I’ve never frozen it/them before and not confident about how it would freeze, but if the alternative is letting it go to waste, it’s worth a try. Please LMK how the leftovers are if you do freeze it!
This was a delicious and elegant looking dessert in made for my wife’s birthday. We had leftovers so we decided to freeze it. Thawed it out a week later for one hour before eating and thought it survived freezing nicely.
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).
I made this and WOW!! One of my favorite tart recipes. Easy to follow and came out delicious!
I bake and cook from scratch daily and this dessert is in my “Top 5” for all time favorite desserts. Amazing and everyone loves it.
AWESOME! I’ve been meaning to review recipes on this site as they are great. I’ve been making this recipe for a couple of years now and everyone raves about it. It doesn’t hurt that looks great but tastes even better and very creamy, not heavy at all. Looks like it came from a high end bakery!
Literally perfect.
I love to cook and bake and am always trying new recipes I find online but I rarely comment/review but I made an exception for this recipe. It was one of the best thing’s I’ve ever made! My son who is somewhat of a foodie and does not like pie proclaimed this was one of the best desserts he ever had and I agree! It was perfect. Can’t wait to make it again. Thank you!
This recipe was insanely good! I cheated and used store bought Oreo cookie crust because I was making your Beef Stew and couldn’t put it in at the same time to bake the crust because the temps are different and I didn’t want to mess anything up. Next time I will bake the crust the NIGHT before and refrigerate overnight. That’s the only advice I have to make this recipe work better—serve it right out of the fridge because it cuts so nicely on day 2. Otherwise it’s perfect! Every one of the recipes I’ve made from your site and your book have knocked it out of the park! Thank you Jen for making me finally start to enjoy cooking and hosting parties because I am always confident when I am making one of your recipes.
I’d love to make this for my in-laws Christmas but my sister-in-law is allergic to wheat. Any suggestions for a gluten free chocolate wafer to use in the crust?
Hi Bethanie, I’ve never made a gluten-free version of this, but one reader commented that she used Pamela’s chocolate cookies for a gluten-free option. Hope you enjoy if you make it!
U can also use gluten free Oreos (with cream scraped out), which r pretty easy to find, and delicious!
Sure!
Looking for something different for Thanksgiving I made this recipe and it was beyond delicious. Rich chocolate ganache, light peanut butter middle, crunchy chocolate crumb crust, completely indulgent and heavenly. Thank you!!! I did add a bunch of chocolate to the topping to make it thicker, mine was milky thin til I doubled the chocolate.
Is the whipped cream more for texture than taste? I was thinking of using almond milk whipped cream. 2 family members can’t have dairy and another can’t have coconut. My family’s dietary restrictions have made family dinners much more complicated. :/
Hi Cassie, I’ve never tried this with something like almond milk whipped cream but I suspect it should work. And yes, it’s primarily for the texture, not the taste (just to add some lightness). Please LMK how it turns out if you try it!
This is out of this world good and the presentation makes it look pretty fancy. One of my favorites to make and serve as it looks impressive but is so easy to make.
I love chocolate and peanut butter, and this recipe showcases both so well! My 11 inch tart pan worked great, and the only changes I made to the recipe was to use the full 9oz package of cookies for more crust and added some more peanuts at the end for the finish.
Hi Jenn, would you be able to add metric measurements to this recipe, please and can you tell me what the UK equivalent of semi-sweet chocolate and heavy cream is? I am really loving all your recipes, thank you
Done! Semi-sweet chocolate is dark chocolate with a cacao content of around 60%. I believe heavy cream in the UK is double cream. Hope that helps! 🙂
That’s great, thank you
This is really a WOW recipe. A real hit. No changes needed.
This has now made it on my Christmas menu. Served it to some foodies a few weeks ago at a dinner party – huge hit! Brought it to the office Christmas potluck this week – disappeared in a flash with multiple requests for the recipe. So simple, but so delicious.
Could I put in freezer to speed time to serve?
Not sure the pie would freeze very well long term, but it would be fine to speed up the chilling process. Enjoy!
Hi Jenn, I freeze this pie routinely, especially a few weeks before a holiday especially when I am hosting a big event and need to make a few things ahead. I prepare the topping on the morning of the event after the pie has thawed and refrigerate until serving. Always a big hit and requested time and time again! Please forgive me for using a store bought Oreo pie crust. It works beautifully, especially if you are fixed for time. Blessed Thanksgiving!
Thank you, Donna. Very helpful!
But I do allow the pie to set in the refrigerator first overnight and then freeze. Again, top the pie after thawing.
Excellent. I made this for my husband to reward him for completing a project at our house. We both loved it and were impressed. Your recipes (I’ve tried at least five so far) are so clear and thorough that even someone like me who tends to bumble around the kitchen can create a high-quality, professional dessert like this one!
Amazing, easy and so so rich. It can easily stretch to 12 servings, especially with whipped cream, which I thought was a nice complement to the density of the tart. A real favorite of both kids and adults.
I’m not a baker, but this was really easy and so great!
I made this in an 11oz tart pan. This is an incredible dessert! I used 9oz of chocolate wafers and it was perfect for my tart pan. This is our new family favorite for sure!!!
Could this recipe be cooked in a 8×8 or 13×9 pan to make squares instead of a pie? I’m trying to maximize the output – looks delicious!
Hi Janet, Yes, but the best size would be a 9-inch square pan. My only concern is that it will be difficult to cut.
Thanks; decided to use the tart pan, but the one I have is 11-inch! Can I use this (I imagine shorter height) or should I get 9-in?
Thanks again; love your recipes and cookbook!
Glad you like the recipes and the cookbook! Using an 11-inch pan will work, but it will be quite thin.
I only have an 11-in tart pan – could that work, or is it too wide for the ingredients?
Hi Janet, Unfortunately, I do think it’s too large. Sorry!
I made this today with an 11 inch pan and it was perfect. I did 1.5 times the crust, but the filling as recipe is written filled it to the brim perfectly.
Hello Jenn, I would love to try this recipe but we have a family member with a severe nut allergy . Do you think tahini could be substituted for the peanut butter?
Thank you, Marlene
Hi Marlene, Unfortunately, I don’t think tahini would work here. So sorry!
I’ve substituted creamy sunbutter (sunflower seed butter) in other dessert recipes before. It’s not a 100% match but still very tasty.
I made this recipe and although it looked great my husband though the filling should be firmer. I used smuckers natural creamy peanut butter. The crust also tasted good but was hard & separated from the filing when cut. Only baked for 10 minutes. I grounded up 40 wafers which actually was more like 9oz so I used them all since I already had them grounded but I had to add a little more butter and chocolate. I think I saw in another review that if the crust was to thick it would come out hard? Any suggestions for a second attempt? We both love peanut butter pie we get at a local restaurant and I really wanted to find a recipe that tasted similar so we could have it at home. Think I might try using single serve tartlets pans and make smaller portions since it’s just the two of us. Always can give away other servings as gifts.
Hi Barbara, to address your first comment about the filling not being as firm as you expected, did you whip the cream until stiff peaks formed before combining it with the peanut butter mixture? Also, did you refrigerate it for at least an hour? And regarding the crust, it will get hard if it’s a little too thick, so next time, I’d limit the wafers to 8 ounces. Hope that helps!
I really want to make this recipe but have been unable to find the nabisco chocolate wafers in any stores local to me. is there something else i can use for the crust that would be equally as good?
Hi Jackie, You can use Oreos here but scrape the filling out. You’ll need about 32 cookies (or 8 ounces). Hope that helps!
Yum! I make this but without the choc crust. I love your idea of the choc crust, though. My center is the same (crm chz & PB, but I add 3/4 cup powd sugar, and then 2 cups of cool whip that I fold in by hand. Our entire family LOVES this. I will try your version on Thanksgiving this year!!! Thank you for sharing!
I made this with Ghirardelli 60% bittersweet chocolate and it was absolutely one of the best desserts I’ve ever had! It was a hit at the dinner party we went to. Everything from this site is crazy good!
Hi! I really love this recipe. I was wondering… to speed up the chill time, would it be okay to put it in the freezer for an hour instead of the fridge for 3 hours?
Hi RC, in order to chill it more quickly, I think that would work. Enjoy!
Hi Jenn, I made the PB pie this morning and it looks great. I’m taking it to a dinner party tonight and I’m sure it will be enjoyed by all. Do you leave it on the removable bottom to serve? Won’t it get scratched using a sharp knife? Thanks for all your delicious recipes. I really like your new cookbook.
Carol
I can’t rate it yet because we haven’t tried it.
Hi Carol, I would recommend serving it right from the pan’s base as it would be very challenging to move it to another serving plate. Just cut it carefully to minimize scratching the surface. Hope you enjoy!
I absolutely love this recipe! Keep them coming. 🙂 I’ve already made this three times.
Hi Jen,
Every Saturday my husband and I engage in a friendly “bake off” competition. We invite friends over to judge. You have been my secret weapon! Lol. I won last weekend with your boy bait and this weekend I am baking your chocolate peanut butter pie. Your recipes are amazing! Thank you for helping me earn a week of bragging rights. 🙂
Alicia
LOL – that is the cutest thing! Good luck – and definitely also try the chocolate cream pie and coconut cream pie…those are winners!
Every holiday for a few years now my family asks for the same dessert. This year I came across your site, and decided to try this one instead. It didn’t disappoint. It will now be one of my key desserts in the rotation to bring to events or dinners. So easy, and amazing. Can’t wait to try more recipes out. Already have a few more bookmarked. Thanks so much.
Jenn,
Since I am not good with crusts will a store bought chocolate graham cracker crust work as well. My brother in law is so picky where the dinner is being held and I want to get this right.
That should work but if you can find an oreo crust, I would recommend that over the chocolate graham one.
We love this recipe and when I say we I mean pretty much everyone I know…it’s become my signature dessert for parties! The first time I made this was for my husband and sons…Valentine’s Day ! They thought I bought it but remembered me making it but couldn’t believe it. The directions were so easy and it looks so elegant…it is a winner all the way around. I followed the recipe to a T and it looked like yours!!! Thank you, Jenn for making me look good!