A real, scratch, low carb peanut butter pie made using whole ingredients. From the peanut flour crust to the peanut butter pudding, this easy low carb pie is a gluten-free, ketogenic dream come true!
Everybody needs a good peanut butter pie recipe.
I’m not talking about those peanut butter pies that call for cream cheese. No. They always taste like sour peanut butter to me. Sure, they are easy and no bake, but…. mixing peanut butter with cream cheese should be against the rules. Am I the only one who thinks so?
This is a real peanut butter pie. A low carb peanut butter pie. A gluten-free peanut butter pie that is going to keep you in ketosis. A no-bake peanut butter pie to end all peanut butter pies. This is an amazing made from scratch, low carb, gluten-free, sugar-free peanut butter pie. This is a peanut butter pie of epic proportions. I bet you haven’t had anything like it before since starting your low carb diet.
Okay, there is a little stove cooking involved - about 10 minutes, and the crust goes into the oven for 15 minutes to firm up, but honestly - this is a Real. Easy. Recipe. I promise if you give it a try, you may never go back to those cream cheese peanut butter pies. Really!
Okay, I'll stop. I'm sorry. I've been mean to all of those nice cream cheese no-bake peanut butter pies. They aren't bad at all. But this one tastes better.
This sweet, creamy, indulgent, peanut butter pie consists of three basic easy recipes - each taking about 15 minutes or less to prepare:
- Peanut Flour Pie Crust (10 mins to prepare, 10-15 mins to set in the oven)
- Peanut Butter Pudding (15 minutes prep. and cooking time combined)
- Homemade Whipped Cream (5 minutes)
They combine in 10 minutes to create something otherworldly.
Recipe Tips:
- You can make both the peanut flour crust and the peanut butter pudding (pastry cream) the day before. I did!
- The peanut butter pudding can be made with xanthan gum and cornstarch/arrowroot powder for a softer and very silky pie. I prefer this method.
- -OR- the peanut butter pudding can be made with cornstarch/arrowroot powder and gelatin for a touch more firmness. My husband prefers this. (pictured)
- The pudding will smell eggy after cooking. It will NOT taste eggy after the peanut butter and whipped cream are added in. Don't worry, I don't like "eggy" either.
- Stabilize the whipped cream with xanthan gum or gelatin. I used xanthan gum.
- Use a vegetable peeler on the chocolate.
- If the chocolate is cold, it will make tiny slivers, which is pretty. If you put the chocolate in the microwave for about 10 seconds, you will get larger pieces.
This epic Low Carb Peanut Butter Pie is 6 net carbs per serving.
Low Carb Peanut Butter Pie
Ingredients
- 1 recipe Peanut Flour Pie Crust or your favorite crust
Peanut Butter Pudding
- ¾ cup unsweetened almond milk (170 g)
- ½ cup heavy cream (113 g)
- ½ cup low carb sugar (95 g)
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch or arrowroot powder* (15 ml)
- ¼ teaspoon xanthan gum*
- 4 large whole eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla (10 ml)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- â…” cup peanut butter (345 g)
To Be Folded into the Peanut Butter Pudding
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons low carb powdered sugar
Whipped Cream Topping
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ¼ cup low carb powdered sugar
Optional Garnish
- 2 ounces sugar free chocolate shavings
- 3 tablespoons chopped roasted peanuts
Instructions
- Pie Crust: I suggest making the pie crust in the morning or the day before.
- Peanut Butter Pudding: Have a sieve, whisk and rubber spatula hand near the stove.
- Pour the almond milk and heavy cream into a medium sauce pan/pot over medium heat. Measure the dry ingredients into a medium heat-proof bowl and stir together with a whisk. Add the eggs, mixing well. If the milk hasn't begun simmering around the edge of the pan, turn the heat up to medium-high until it does. Turn off the heat.
- Slowly pour the hot milk into the egg mixture, whisking the whole while. Put the pot back onto the stove and pour the pudding mixture back into the pot. Scrape out as much of the pudding as you can. PUT THE SIEVE over the empty bowl.
- Turn the heat to medium and begin whisking the pudding mixture. Nothing will happen for at least 5 minutes. The erythritol has to melt and the mixture will not begin to warm until it does. Continue to whisk. The mixture will get looser and then it will begin to thicken all-at-once and look a grainy. Turn the heat down just a little and continue to whisk for 1 minute. (If you stop whisking for a moment, the mixture should be bubbling lazily). Turn off the heat, move the pot to a cool burner and continue whisking for 1 minute more.
- Pour/scrape the pudding into the sieve to strain out any cooked egg. Work the pudding gently through the sieve with the rubber spatula and scrape any remaining pudding from the bottom of the sieve. Add the vanilla to the pudding and stir. Add the peanut butter to the pudding and stir. Taste for seasoning. Add powdered sweetener (or stevia glycerite) if you want it sweeter. It should taste a little salty like peanut butter. If not, add more salt. Put a piece of plastic wrap over the pudding and let cool completely in the fridge. I make mine the day before.
- Whipped Cream: Pudding - Measure ½ cup of heavy cream into a small-medium bowl. Add 2 tablespoons of powdered erythritol and 2 pinches of xanthan gum. Whip with a hand mixer until stiff. This will be added to the pudding. Topping - Pour the remaining 1 cup of whipping cream into the bowl and add ¼ cup of powdered low carb sweetener and ⅛ teaspoon of xanthan gum. Whip until thick and creamy but not quite stiff.
- Assembly: Ready the crust. Remove the peanut butter pudding from the refrigerator and whip with a hand mixer until it's soft and fluffy. Add the stiffly beaten whipped cream and gently fold until the white streaks are gone. Spoon the peanut butter pie filling into the pie crust and smooth to the edges. Top with the remaining whipped cream and garnish if desired.
- Best if served the next day.
Kmoss
What does the whey protein powder do in the peanut butter pie crust recipe?
Kim Hardesty
Hi Kmoss, great question. It's almost crystalline texture breaks-up the other ingredients preventing them from becoming so compact. It really does improve texture. If you don't have it, you can omit it, but the crust was better with the addition. -Kim
Suzanne
Hello, I am interested in making this recipe for my bf for Thanksgiving but I do not have almond milk. Could I use cow's mile instead?
Kim Hardesty
Sure. -Kim
Sue
Are the carbs for the Peanut Crust INCLUDED in the nutritional information for the pie?
Kim Hardesty
It sure is, Sue. -Kim
Natalie
So deliicious! Th peanut butter crust is amazing too and i love this custard pie with no cream cheese in sight! My tiny modifications: i like to mix sweeteners, and used swerve, bocha sweet and a little pyure, I still used the recipe amount just mixed them all in one measuring cup. I wanted the silky texture of cornstarch but was afraid of the extra carbs so used half tablespoon of cornstarch, the xantham gum as called for and then added half teaspoon of gelatin. It set up perfectly. I left my pie plain on top, no whipped cream topping or decorations, to save a few calories. Thank u so much for this amazing recipe!
Sharon Deeter
Could this pie be frozen and partially thawed to serve? Thank you.
Kim
Absolutely, Sharon. -Kim
Cookie
Wonderful recipe, perfect texture and flavor!
But, what exactly is 1 serving size?
1/8, 1/12, 1/16 ?
Kim
Hi Cookie. I'm glad you like the recipe. This pie serves 10 people, because it is so rich and filling. -Kim
Michelle
This pie is absolutely amazing!!! We made it for Easter last week and made another one tonight because it’s so delicious! My husband eats a piece for breakfast with his coffee and it holds him for hours. Thank you so much for sharing!!!
Kim
Fantastic, Michelle. Really, this is one of my favorite desserts. I'm so glad you and your husband like it. Enjoy your weekend. -Kim
Cadie
Could stevia in the raw be substituted for sukrin 1?
Kim
The packets, Cadie? I have never used them. If you don't find them bitter, then maybe. -Kim
PJ
First, I want to thank you for all the awesome recipes! You make eating low carb a lot more fun than the last time I tried it! I made this recipe at my sister's house and she had gelatin, but no cant xanthan gum, but there were no instructions for using it so we looked up a recipe for another cream pie that used it. We dissolved one packet of unflavored gelatin in 3 Tbsp of boiling water and added that. The pudding came out great!
sue
I am confused as to the "gelatin"......I do not see it listed in the ingredients. thank you
Kim
I'm sorry about the confusion, Sue. I removed it from the recipe and obviously forgot to remove it from the directions. The xanthan gum and eggs works just fine to thicken the pudding. -Kim
sue
thank you for your replies! you are one of a few that do reply. I am seeing that the Isopure is fairly expensive...will try to work around it................you are appreciated...........
Jane Nagy
I cannot find the quantity of gelatin to be used...I have cornstarch already,which I think of as a thickener,but it sounds like I need a second thickener agent also.....
Kim
Hi Jane. I just emailed you. -Kim
Laurie
I cannot express how fantastic this recipe is. I made it with xanthan gum and swerve as suggested. Excellent. I did temper my eggs so did not need the straining step but it is well explained in case you do. Thank you for a decadent low carb dessert!
Kim
I am so pleased you liked the recipe, Laurie, and appreciate the time you took to leave a comment. It's one of my favorites. -Kim
Jen
O.M.G. Seriously amazing! I made this for our Christmas dinner dessert and it was absolutely DELICIOUS! Thank you for such an incredible recipe! Merry Christmas!
Kim
I’m honored you made this for your Christmas dessert and so glad you enjoyed it, Jen. Merry Christmas and have a Happy New Year. -Kim
Deanna
How can this be keto when it's using cornstarch? Or arrowroot? Cant you use gluccomannin? Or psyllium?
Kim
Deanna, this is a keto recipe and I stand behind it. I have been eating low carb at ketogenic levels for over eight years now and I enjoy a little bit of everything. It's not any different than some folks having cheat meals. The arrowroot (or cornstarch) really does help the texture. I tested the recipe many, many times over the course of a few weeks. Using only xanthan gum makes it slimy and slippery. Using glucomannan makes it gloppy and psyllium powder leaves it gritty. I work very hard to provide the absolute best texture and flavor possible in the recipes I share and many people who are not low carb can't tell the difference. I weigh the pros and cons heavily before I decide upon using an ingredient like this and like I said, I test extensively to see if there is another option. Of course you may tweak the recipe how ever you need to. You will only save 1 net carb per serving, however. Thank you very much for your kind and honest feedback. I appreciate it. Have a wonderful weekend. -Kim
Wendy
I was looking for peanut flour and was wondering if the PB2 powdered peanut butter would work in this recipe
Kim
Yes, Wendy. I think I mention it in the peanut flour crust but may not have in this one. PB2 does have sugar in it. When you run out, buy Byrd Mill from Netrition or Sukrin Peanut Flour from Sukrin USA. Enjoy the recipe. -Kim
Carla
I am taking a guess at this, you have heavy whipping cream twice.. does the 1 1/12 cup for the pudding and the 1/2 for the topping??
Kim
Let me look at the recipe, Carla.
Kim
Hi Carla. It was actually explained in the instructions, but you are right, that was confusing. I hope I have fixed the problem now. Please let me know. Have a wonderful day and enjoy the pie. -Kim
Nancy
Oh.em.gee. Just served this - IT IS FANTASTIC! I am a THMer so I used gluccie in place of Xantham Gum and Pyure. The crust is l.e.g.i.t., the filling is creamy and delish - PERFECTION! Thank you SO much for sharing ?
Kim
Fantastic, Nancy! I'm so glad you enjoyed the recipe. Did you think the peanut butter pastry cream was gloppy with the gluccie? Gucomannan can get gloppy sometimes... Please share this recipe with your THM friends with your change if they are looking for a peanut butter treat. Thanks for taking the time to leave such a thoughtful comment. Enjoy your Sunday. -Kim
Mackenzie
I had a question, the nutritional facts is that for a piece of pie or the whole pie?
Kim
That's for 1 piece of the pie, Mackezie. It's a pretty tall pie and almost all fat. It tastes wonderful and makes a great once-in-a-while-treat. -Kim
Kim
That's for 1 piece of the pie, Mackezie. It's a pretty tall pie and almost all fat. It tastes wonderful and makes a great once-in-a-while-treat. -Kim
Krista
Thank you so much for this recipe! Made this to celebrate pi day and will be having again for my birthday. I'm a peanut butter addict and it's so nice to not be missing sugar-filled desserts on special days. I do have a suggestion, that is to move the salt up with the dry ingredients in your ingredient list, I almost missed adding it. Also perhaps subheadings for the whipped cream for the pudding and the whipped cream topping on the ingredient list might make things clearer. I was a bit confused for a bit, but I'm no expert baker so perhaps it's just me. Figured it out though and so glad I did. Delicious!
Kim
I'm so glad you liked the recipe Krista! I think I wrote this recipe before I started categorizing the ingredients. I will take a look and make changes accordingly. Thanks so much for the feedback and for letting me know how you liked the recipe. Have a wonderful day (and birthday!) -Kim
Stephanie
How long does this keep once assembled? I'm having Thanksgiving on Thursday and I was hoping to have Leftovers for another Thanksgiving on Saturday.
I plan to assemble it all Wednesday evening. Would it stay in good shape until Saturday?
Kim
Yes, I think so Stephanie, but I would use the gelatin in the recipe just in case. It never lasted past day three at my house because we ate it so quickly. Don't skimp on the cornstarch/arrowroot or it won't get thick enough. I would make the pastry cream on Tuesday to make sure it was thoroughly chilled. You may have some soggy crust by Saturday because the peanut flour crust is a little different in texture than my other crusts. You can eliminate that by spreading a thin layer of melted chocolate on the bottom of the crust before filling. Another option is making the peanut butter layered dessert (huge) and splitting it into two 8x8 desserts. It freezes very well. If you have any more question, let me know. You may also email me. Enjoy your day. -Kim
Stephanje
I made it but no one ate it! My mom brought a sugar laden sweet potato casserole and they got their sweet fix on that before dessert.
So my husband and I ate on it for 4 or 5 days afterwards and it was just as good on the last day as it was on the first. So I will not worry about making it too soon next time because it definitely holds up well. Trust me there will be a next time haha it was delicious.
I also followed your directions in the comments for the pie crust without the protein powder and it was fine without it.
Thanks again!
I pinned a bunch more of your recipes because this was such a winner. Also the filling on its own makes a wonderful easy dessert.
Stephanie
Oh I forgot to mention I sweetened with xylitol and for the parts that called for confectioners I just put the xylitol in the blender until it was a powder. You could do this with any granulated sugar and save some money. Swerve is expensive!
Kim
You are right, Stephanie, great tip. I use regular generic erythritol (and grind as necessary) for all of my recipe testing and then make the final recipes with the expensive stuff to make sure my measurements are correct. Thank you for sharing. Take care. -Kim
Kim
I'm so glad you and your husband enjoyed this recipe, Stephanie. It's one of our favorites. Yes, I agree, the filling is awesome on its own! Thanks for taking the time to leave such a nice comment. Enjoy your week. -Kim
Debbie Rainwater
My family LOVED this pie. So delicious. We wanted extra peanut butter flavor and added peanut flour to the whipped cream. This pie is so rich and delicious, you'd never know it was sugar free. As I was making it I was commenting it was taking some extra work to make and I'd probably never make it again. Wrong! It's worth the time and effort. So, so good --Thank you!
Kim
Debbie! You get an award for the best comment of the week. Thank you so much. I'm thrilled that your family liked the pie. When you think about it, it's not really a LOT of extra work, just making the pudding instead of using instant. It will go much faster next time. Again, thanks so much for the nice compliment and for sharing with me how your family liked the recipe. Have a wonderful week. -Kim
Laurie Georgeson
I never comment on these sites, BUT, I just had to drop a quick line to you to tell you how great your recipes are. We've been doing LCHF for about a month, and as a serious baker, I was sure my baking days were over. :( Since I began researching recipes, I find most have carb counts that are much too high for us, or, (gasp!) just do not taste good! But yours are always spot on! Thank you, thank you, thank you! You are truly a scientist & a magician! I offer you much appreciation from the bottom of my heart...& the top of my palate! Keep up the fantastic work!
Kim
Laurie! I don't think I have ever had a nicer comment. You brought tears to my eyes. (That's a little hokey, I know!) I am just so happy that you are finding benefit in some of the recipes. I love to bake and hope that there is something that appeals to everyone who visits. Now it's my turn to thank YOU from the bottom of MY heart for making my day. Enjoy your weekend. Sincerely, -Kim
Raana Ponstingl
Made the Low Carb Peanut Butter Pie. It was excellent! I even roasted the peanuts. The pudding had a good smooth consistency and flavor and did not involve cream cheese, which many other recipes use. I may try this recipe again with coconut cream/milk instead of whipping cream to avoid the dairy.
I'd like to try your Peanut Butter Layered Dream, as well. Seems like a cousin to this pie.
I really enjoy your recipes, not just the desserts - Good use of ingredients, spicing and adaptations to create macro-compatible ketogenic recipes.
Thanks!
Kim
Raana, you are making my night! I love this peanut butter pie. I would love to hear how the coconut cream works in this recipe. I wonder if it would fight the peanut butter taste? Make sure to use the gelatin in the pudding because of the tendency of whipped coconut cream to melt. Yes, it is a cousin to the layered dessert. Some people like the larger desserts for bigger gatherings. Thank you again for taking the time to leave a comment and for all of your kind words. Enjoy your weekend. -Kim