This Vegan Peanut Butter Pie tastes like a chocolate peanut butter cup! There’s no baking required, so all you have to do is assemble the layers and then let it chill until firm. The hardest part is waiting to eat it!
Why You’ll Love It
This creamy peanut butter pie is:
- No-bake
- Gluten-free
- Dairy-free
- Soy-free
- Egg-free
- and totally delicious!
It’s also a great dessert to make for a holiday gathering, because it won’t take up any oven space. Keep in mind that it will melt if you leave it out at room temperature for too long, so I recommend storing it in the freezer until about 10 to 15 minutes before serving.
Ingredients You’ll Need
What’s in a vegan peanut butter pie?
- Peanut butter
- Coconut oil (see tips below)
- Maple syrup
- Salt
- Cacao powder
- Almond flour (for the crust)
That’s seriously all you need, for all 3 layers! The coconut oil is key for making this pie firm-up when chilled, because coconut oil is solid when cold.
Pro Tip: If you don’t want a coconut-flavored dessert, be sure to shop for “refined” coconut oil, which is also called expeller-pressed coconut oil. This type of coconut oil has ZERO coconut flavor, so your dessert will only taste like peanut butter and chocolate!
How to Make It
Before you get started, make sure your ingredients are at room temperature, and not cold from the fridge. If you store your maple syrup in the fridge, it’s a good idea to measure out what you need, then let it sit out for at least an hour before getting started.
1. Make the crust. Stir together the almond flour, cacao powder, maple syrup, coconut oil, and salt. It should stick together into a big ball when you’re done stirring it.
Line an 8-inch baking pan (or springform pan) with parchment paper, so the pie will release easily later. Press the chocolate crust into the bottom of the pan evenly, then place it in the freezer to set while you make the filling.
2. Prepare the filling. Add the peanut butter, maple syrup, coconut oil, water, and salt to a blender and blend until smooth. (I tried simply whisking this mixture together, but using a blender makes a huge difference here. It turns silky smooth!)
Pour the filling into the prepared pie crust, and place the pan back in the freezer. Make sure it’s sitting on a flat surface, so the pie will set evenly.
3. Make the chocolate topping. You can make this topping right away and swirl it into the peanut butter layer, or you can wait until the peanut butter layer is totally frozen, and add it as a topping.
I usually wait and add it as a topping, with a few crushed peanuts on top, but the choice is totally up to you! You can see an example of the swirling option here, if you’d like to give it a try.
To make the chocolate topping, make sure all 3 ingredients are NOT cold, and the coconut oil should be melted, in its liquid state. Use a whisk to stir them all together, until the chocolate looks smooth and silky.
4. Decorate. Drizzle the chocolate topping over the top, then add a few crushed peanuts on top, if you’d like. (I add them to help cover up my mediocre decorating skills, but they also add a nice crunch.)
Slice and serve chilled, for the best texture.
Store this vegan peanut butter pie in the freezer for the most firm texture, and keep it tightly covered to preserve the flavor. It will keep well for up to 3 months frozen in an airtight container.
Expert Tips & Common Questions
Can I omit the coconut oil? The coconut oil is important for the texture of this pie. It won’t firm up without some sort of fat that is solid when chilled. You could most likely use a vegan butter as a swap, or real butter if you don’t need a vegan recipe.
If you’re trying to avoid a coconut flavor, use refined or expeller pressed coconut oil, which will add no coconut taste to the final pie.
Can I use a different nut butter? Of course! Almond butter, sunflower seed butter, or cashew butter should work well in its place. Just keep in mind that the flavor will change, depending on which nut or seed butter that you use.
Can I make a full pie crust? Sure! If you don’t want a pie crust that is only on the bottom, you could try adding cocoa powder and a little extra sweetener to my oat flour pie crust or almond flour pie crust recipes.
Adding a full crust will make this pie more calorie-rich, so I don’t think it’s necessary, but I love to hear how you experiment with it.
Vegan Peanut Butter Pie
Ingredients
Chocolate Crust
- 1 1/2 cups almond flour
- 1/4 cup cocoa powder
- 1/4 cup maple syrup (at room temperature)
- 3 tablespoons melted coconut oil
- Pinch of salt
Peanut Butter Pie Filling
- 1 cup all-natural peanut butter
- 3/4 cup water
- 1/2 cup melted coconut oil
- 1/2 cup maple syrup (at room temperature)
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
Chocolate Topping
- 3 tablespoons melted coconut oil
- 3 tablespoons maple syrup (at room temperature)
- 3 tablespoons cocoa powder
- chopped nuts , for topping (optional)
Instructions
- Spray an 8-inch pan lightly with oil, then press a piece of parchment paper inside. (Alternatively, you can grease a springform pan.) To prepare the crust, combine the almond flour, cocao powder, maple syrup, coconut oil and salt, and stir well, until it sticks together.
- Press the crust evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan, then place it in the freezer to firm up as you prepare the filling.
- To prepare the Peanut Butter Pie filling, add the peanut butter, maple syrup, coconut oil, water, and salt to a blender, and blend until very smooth. Alternatively, you can use an electric hand mixer to beat this well. (Mixing by hand, even with a whisk, will not give you the same results.)
- Remove the pan from the freezer and pour the peanut butter filling on top of the chocolate crust. Return the pan to the freezer, making sure it's sitting on a flat surface, so the pie will set evenly.
- When the peanut butter filling has set, which can take roughly 3 to 4 hours, prepare the chocolate topping. In a small bowl, combine the coconut oil, cocao powder, and maple syrup, and whisk well until it's very smooth, with a drippy consistency.
- Once the peanut butter filling is firm to the touch, use the parchment paper to remove the peanut butter pie from the pan. Drizzle the chocolate topping over the top, and watch it harden quickly as it rests on the frozen pie. Slice and serve right away, with a few chopped peanuts on top, if you like.
- This peanut butter pie will store well in an airtight container for up to 3 months in the freezer. Serve chilled for the best texture.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
If you try this Vegan Peanut Butter Pie, please leave a star rating and comment below letting me know how you like it!
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Reader Feedback: What’s your favorite holiday dessert?
Peanut butter pie is my favorite dessert by far!!!!! And it’s my job to bring it for family gatherings. The problem, the version I use is loaded in really bad stuff, like Cool Whip, Cream cheese and other ingredients (Peter Pan Peanut Butter) anyone that just makes your sick about yourself the next day. And my Mother-in-law thought it was healthy! I didn’t have the heart to tell her the truth.
I’m so eager to try this version. My usual version uses an Oreo crust too and that’s just not great for you either.
Any chance coconut flour would work in the crust instead of almond meal?
I wouldn’t use coconut flour, since it’s too dry, but any other ground nut or seed would have a similar result. Maybe you could even try something like oat flour, if you’re not grain-free.
So I am going to make this tonight for my boys. Do you think the oat flour will taste good in the crust? I am a little hesitant, but really don’t want to go out to buy almond flour, lol.
Oh my gosh…do I really have to wait for the holiday to make this or can I just whip it up and devour it?? Looks amazing and no freaky ingredients! I love it!
Could you possibly list the amount of carbs, fat and calories, please?
Yes, please!
That looks amazing, and I love that the recipe is simple and with few ingredients as well! Can’t wait to try it 🙂
Will this recipe work with agave nectar in place of maple syrup?
Oh my gosh, this looks incredible!
Omigoodness, this looks amazing! My Dad is a huge peanut butter lover and his birthday is this month so I just might have to make him this dessert! Can’t wait to give it a try!
Def going to make this for thanksgiving! I noticed you used cocoa powder, could I use cacao powder?
Yes, they are interchangeable.
Thanks Megan! This recipe looks great.
I just made this. it’s in the freezer setting! I tried the filling and crust separately and it tasted great! I can’t wait to try the final product! My husband (a HUGE peanut butter lover) is gonna fall on his knees when he tries this! I only used parchment paper on the bottom of the pan so the sides come out nice and pretty!
Can anything possibly be better than peanut butter and chocolate?! This looks so yummy I’m going to have to make it tomorrow! Thanks for the recipe!
I made this today and it is delicious!! It’s in my freezer right now but I’ve been tasting it as I’ve been going along. I can’t wait until I can taste the layers together with the topping. Thanks for the wonderful recipe!!
I am making this now but the filling is like a liquid. Did you by any chance mean 1/4 cup of water instead of 3/4 cup? Thanks!
Nope, I definitely used 3/4 cup water. It should be liquid enough to pour into the crust out of the blender– as long as it looks smooth and the oil has emulsified into everything else, it should turn out fine. The filling firms up once it’s chilled.
Thanks for your response! I ended up freaking out and throwing out the first batch of filling. I remade it with 1/4C of water which, for some reason, looked more like the picture, as it was something that I could spread. In any case, it turned out wonderfully! Thank you for another amazing recipe! Next time I will try it with the 3/4C water.
Hi Megan,
Any word on when your cookbook will be coming out? Or is it out already? I have been out of the loop for awhile and am looking forward to it!
It’s coming out next year– the wait is killing me! It’s actually already available on Amazon for pre-order, but they don’t have a cover image for it yet… so I’ll make an announcement once it actually looks like a real book for sale. 😉
When you say “almond meal” … do you mean when it is moist or in flour form after it is dehydrated.
Almond meal is just ground almonds, not almond ´pulp´which you get after making almond milk as all the oils have been taken out so it’s a lot drier. If you soak and dehydrate to activate your almonds then I would guess making it after you have dehydrated them, might just be a little drier.
Do you use unsweetened cocoa powder or sweetened? Can you share which cocoa powder you prefer? Thanks!
Our family LOVES any peanut butter chocolate combination so. Can’t wait to try this. Can i use honeyville unblanched almond flour for the almond meal? Or do I need to go get almond meal?
Perfect – I was just making a peanut butter and beetroot concoction myself so it must be the season for peanut butter:)
This looks yummy and pretty easy too. Can i substitute honey for maple syrup?
I’m avoiding sugar overall, so I think I’ll try this with SF maple syrup…and maybe a pecan meal crust with butter and coconut oil…sounds delish! Nancy…the way I understand it…almond flour is made with skinless almonds, and meal is made with the skins on. I’ve read that they can be interchanged..the meal just has tiny brown specks in it and isn’t as finely ground as almond flour 🙂
If you use real maple syrup it doesn’t have sugar cane in it, if you are using a sugar free version I assume it will be a flavored syrup full of junk to replace the taste. You just need to get a real maple syrup not one of the flavored types. Just make sure you check a lot of sugar free things have replacements that are chemicals so although I also avoid sugar I think it can sometimes be a better alternative to flavored chlorine molecules. PS Its sooooo delicious!!
This is DELICIOUS and SO easy. My chocolate topping ending up being a chunky mess but it was delicious without it, too, haha.
Your website is my go-to for all recipes and I have thoroughly loved everything I have tried. You have saved my kitchen distress for life (no exaggeration).
Can someone help me out here and let me know if almond flour can be substituted for the almond meal? I would like to make this today. Thanks!
Hi Nancy – They seem to be the same. http://www.gluten-free-around-the-world.com/almond-meal.html
At least three websites agree.
Hi Nancy – I also found this which details a few distinguishing differences. I learned thanks to you! http://www.cookinggodsway.com/how-to-make-almond-mealflour/
This was incredible!! It threw me a bit when it called for water to be added to the peanu t butter but it is DELICIOUS! !!!!Thanks for all your amazing recipes. What other four are in your top 5??
Is this recipe gluten free? Where can one find almond meal?
This recipe looks so decadent and delicious! I cannot wait to try it 🙂 Chocolate + Peanut Butter do make the best combination! 🙂 Pinned!
This is the most amazing recipe!!!!! This and the pb & j smoothie!! How do you come up with this stuff? Please keep them coming…you are so good at making anything healthy and with only a few simple and easy ingredients!!! Thank you so much!
Feel like this may be a long shot but-Sub for almond meal if you have a nut allergy. Gf and oat free too.
Do you think oat flour could be used?
Oh sorry I found the answer above. (:)
I have nut allergies and was wondering if there was a nut-free substitute for the almond four and coconut oil? This looks too yummy not to try. Thanks.
Is almond meal just ground up almonds? Or is it almond flour?
Yes, almond meal is just ground up almonds! Almond flour is similar, but the skins are removed and it’s slightly finer in texture (and more expensive!).
Megan, I LOVE your blog! I made this recipe last night (and I’ve decided to eat some for breakfast this morning :D!). I was wondering why my filling came out so watery. It set well thanks to the coconut oil and the freezing process but after pouring it out of my Vitamix I noticed it had bubbles and was almost like water! I believe I used the correct measurements for each ingredient. Is it possible I’m using a runnier maple syrup than yours?
I’m finding I don’t love the taste of coconut oil. Any more subtle but equally nutritious substitution suggestions?
This looks DELISH. If all I have is a 9 in pie pan and want it to not be thin, how could I increase the recipe to make it work?
Really nice recipe. I added chocolate chips to the filling and substituted “black honey” for the syrup. I live in an Arabic speaking country and can not for sure tell what the basis for this black honey might be. It is from Egypt and I think it is a type of grain molasses. Not my favorite choice, but a good substitute. The flavor is great. I will repost this recipe, with credit to my blog.
I made this tonight with Sunflower-seed butter it is really yummy although I think it would taste better with peanut butter. I am making it for someone with a peanut allergy that is why I tried a different nut butter. I also used cashew meal in place of almonds due to another allergy as well. Overall this is a real yummy treat without all the processed garbage. I love it thanks for sharing.
Has anyone successfully made this with honey instead of maple syrup?
Yes I have and it was delicious. I used same quantities.
Can you use whole wheat flour instead of almond meal? If so, would you still use 1 1/2 cups?
I would not use Whole Wheat flour. I do not feel like it would taste very good since it is raw. I think this was answered above in an earlier post. I used cashew meal and it was really tasty.
For the all natural peanut butter, would you recommend salted or unsalted? I’m thinking if I use salted, I’ll leave out the 1/4 tsp from the filling.
I used salted peanut butter and added the additional 1/4 teaspoon of salt, too, but you can taste the batter as you go and decide what you like best.
Wonderful! Thanks, Megan. I’ll let you know how it goes! Thanks for the recipe.
With using a spring form pan, would you still recommend lining it with parchment paper?
Could I use coconut butter instead of coconut oil in this recipe?
We can’t eat peanuts so I used a cup of cashew butter and then added about 1/3 cup tahini. Tahini seems to give things a the rich peanutty flavor that I like in peanut butter. Then I added 1 tsp of pumpkin pie spice. OMG!! Delicioso. Thank you.
I made a half batch to test this before tgiving. I subbed pumpkin seeds in crust and that was good. 2 of us ate the whole thing. Tried again with almond butter and that wasn’t as popular in my house. I didn’t even bother measuring, just to taste. Couldn’t be easier!
My topping was a complete failure following the recipe. It wasn’t clumpy or seized up but it was far too thick to be able to drizzle, even when warmed over a double boiler. My fix was to reduce the amount of cocoa powder and it looks great! Can’t wait to see how it tastes this evening.
This was amazing!! My favorite part of Thanksgiving!!!
I made this for thanksgiving and it was a HUGE hit!! I made it in a 9″ pan and doubled the entire recipe. I also used almond butter instead of PB. When I made it again I would omit the water in the filling – it was completely unnecessary for blending in our magic bullet and I think it caused the filling to take too long to firm up. Very excited to make it again. Thanks Megan!!
I made these treats last night for a girls get together and it was a HUGE hit!I made a couple of slight changes. I made them in cupcake liners so I wouldn’t have to worry about cutting a cake. I also added “vanilla frosting” (vegetable shortening, coconut cream, honey, vanilla) to the tops. The girls could not believe that something so delicious and creamy was made from such clean healthy ingredients! Thanks Megan!!!!
Do you it would work out to make mini tarts instead using a pop out silicone muffin mold and adding a little coconut oil in the mold to prevent sticking?
Probably, but I would use muffin cups so you can easily pop them out of the tin.
Served this on thanksgiving to a very happy crowd, incredibly rich and nobody would guess it’s “healthy” 🙂
Hi,I have been an anonymous follower of your blog and looking for no bake,no white sugar pie recipes.Our family eliminated white sugar 100% in our diet .This recipe was a treasure find that we could enjoy without much guilt.I prepared it today and its freezing now,I can positively say this pie will be a hit with my kids.Thanks.Keep up the good work.
The verdict today – This pie was way above our expectation.Healthy treat to my sugar tooth.My kids had it just out of freezer and was “mommy made icecream at home”.tricked them ;).