Last Monday was a dreary, stormy day in Dallas, so icky and gross that our plans for the evening were canceled, leaving us giddy at the prospect of a low-key night at home. James and I had already planned on making a delicious dinner but we decided to branch out and whip up a tasty dessert, too – after all, I felt the need to celebrate since I had tackled both the Social Security office and the DMV all in one day in an attempt to knock out as many items on my name change to-do list as possible (that’s definitely a cause for celebration, right?). While at the DMV on Monday evening, I answered e-mails and texted friends and checked my bank account and trolled Pinterest where, lo and behold, I found a recipe that nearly made me salivate: Peanut Butter Cup Pie.

The list of ingredients was manageable, and while there were a few additional things that I needed, I decided that with the crazy rain (and the unpredictable drivers), I didn’t want to have to run to the store. So James and I improvised using baking supplies we already had at home. The result was an insanely delicious, distinctly non-vegan version of the Minimalist Baker’s pie, a treat that was so irresistible that we finished it in two days (and then went running for a really long time…#worthit). This pie is definitely going to be in our recipe rotation forever and always.

Peanut Butter Cup Pie

Adapted recipe (& photo) inspired via Minimalist Baker

Ingredients:

• Graham cracker pie crust (or you can make your own, per Minimalist Baker’s instructions)
• 4 ounces cream cheese
• 1/2 cup creamy salted natural peanut butter (we used Earth Balance for the first time & loved it)
• 1/4 cup honey
• 8 ounces Cool Whip topping (or you can make your own, per Minimalist Baker’s instructions)
• 1/2 – 3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips (we used 1 full cup, per the instructions, and while it resulted in some delicious, chocolatey goodness, we felt like we’d be okay with a touch less)
• 1/3 cup milk (we used whole but next time we want to try almond)
• Coarse sea salt (like Maldon) or crushed, salted peanuts

Directions:

1. Add cream cheese, peanut butter, and honey to a bowl and use a hand mixer to blend together, scraping down the sides as needed. Taste and adjust as needed, adding more honey for sweetness or a pinch of salt if your peanut butter isn’t salty enough.
2. Fold the peanut butter-cream cheese mixture into the Cool Whip using the hand mixer. Blend slowly and steadily.
3. Pour filling into the crust and pop into the freezer to chill for about one hour. Once it’s fairly chilled and slightly firm, prepare your ganache.
4. Add chocolate chips to a bowl and heat your milk to a low simmer. Then pour the milk over the chocolate chips. Don’t touch the mixture for about five minutes, letting the chocolate chips melt. Then stir gently with a spoon or a rubber spatula until a smooth ganache forms.
5. Spoon the ganache over the top of the pie and spread in an even layer with a knife or spatula, working quickly as the ganache will get clumpy if it sets too long.
6. Top with flaky sea salt or crushed, salted peanuts (optional) and pop back into the freezer to set. 20 minutes before serving, remove from the freezer and serve.
7. After the initial chill, store the pie in the refrigerator to maintain a smooth but firm consistency. Keep it fresh by covering it with plastic wrap.