Peanut Butter Cloud Pie

A bountiful peanut butter pie in a chocolate crust with one slice cut from it. The pie is decorated with half and quartered peanut butter cups, mini peanut butter cups, chopped peanuts, and shaved chocolate.

I’ve been calling this mousse pie Peanut Butter Cloud Pie, because it tastes exactly like that. A silky, airy peanut butter mousse made without cream cheese or gelatin, topped with brown sugar whipped cream. Take one bite, and I bet you’ll agree Peanut Butter Cloud Pie is the perfect name.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 12

Chill Time 12

Servings slices

Calories 702kcal

Author Jennifer Field

Equipment

1 9" Pie Pan
1 OXO Balloon Whisk

Ingredients

For the Crust

130 grams all-purpose flour 4.6 oz or 1 cup plus 1 Tablespoon measured by whisking, spooning, and sweeping
57 grams granulated sugar 2 oz or about 1/4 cup
22 grams cocoa powder 0.8 oz or a scant 1/4 cup
1 ¼ tsp espresso powder or instant coffee optional, but it adds depth
⅛ tsp kosher salt I use Morton's. If using table salt, use a pinch. If using Diamond Crystal, use 3/8 tsp
104 grams unsalted butter softened, 3.7 oz
1 egg yolk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 to 2 tsp heavy cream as needed

For the Filling

340 grams heavy cream about 1 1/3 cups or 12 oz
80 grams honey 4 Tablespoons or 2.8 oz
¾ tsp kosher salt I use Morton's. If using table salt, use 1/2 teaspoon. If using Diamond Crystal, use 1 1/2 teaspoons
1 tsp vanilla extract
52 grams dark brown sugar 1/4 cup, packed or 1.8 oz
1 ½ tsp Instant ClearJel (NOT cook type) Sub 1 Tablespoon instant vanilla pudding mix if preferred
250 grams creamy peanut butter such as Peter Pan, Jif, or Skippy, 1 level cup or 8.8 oz

For the Topping

227 grams heavy cream 8 oz or 1 cup
20 grams honey 1 Tablespoon or 0.7 oz
26 grams dark brown sugar 2 Tablespoons, packed or 0.9 oz
2 tsp Instant ClearJel (NOT cook type) Sub 1 Tablespoon + 1 teaspoon instant vanilla pudding mix if preferred
⅛ tsp kosher salt I use Morton's. If using table salt, use a pinch. If using Diamond Crystal, use a slightly generous 1/4 teaspoon
½ tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

For the (Optional) Chocolate Sable Crust

In a large bowl or in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix flour, sugar, salt, espresso powder (or instant coffee), and cocoa powder together until evenly combined.
Add the softened butter and mix until the mixture is clumpy and most of the dry ingredients are moistened.
Mix in the egg yolk and vanilla, and beat on medium speed until the mixture gets clumpy and darkens in color.
Add 1 teaspoon heavy cream and continue mixing. The dough should form a cohesive ball not unlike Play-Doh. If it doesn't quite come together, add the second teaspoon of cream and mix again.
Remove the dough from the mixer, form into a disc about 1" thick (2.5 cm), and place on a work surface between two sheets of parchment paper.
Roll the dough out into a 11-12" (28-30 cm) circle of an even thickness.
Carefully peel off one piece of the parchment paper and center the dough circle on a 9" pie pan.
Gently remove the other piece of parchment paper and fit the dough into the pan.
Cut off any overhang even with the outside rim of the pan. Fold the dough edge back on itself and pinch together to reinforce the top of the crust. (See process shot for a visual.) No need to crimp--there will be plenty going on with all the filling and topping and whatnot.
Crumple and then uncrumple one of your pieces of parchment paper and fit into the crust. Fill with beans or sugar, and bake for 30 minutes.
Carefully remove the parchment and sugar. A little of the dough might stick to the parchment. Just peel it off and press it back into place. Bake for an additional 8-10 minutes, or until the center of the crust is no longer shiny but matte.
Remove from the oven and let cool completely. Crust will continue to firm and crisp up as it cools.

For the Filling

Press the brown sugar through a medium sieve or strainer to get rid of any lumps. Whisk together the brown sugar and Instant ClearJel (or pudding mix) and set aside. Measure out the peanut butter.
In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment or in a large bowl using a hand mixer or balloon whisk, whip the cream, honey, salt, and vanilla together on medium speed until the whisk leaves tracks in the cream and very softly mounds when you lift the whisk.
Add the brown sugar/ICJ mixture and continue whisking on medium speed until the cream reaches soft-to-medium peaks. Peaks will curl over gently when you raise the whisk.
Add the peanut butter and whisk on high speed just to combine--no more than 5 seconds. Finish by folding with a spatula, gently but thoroughly, until no lighter streaks remain.
Scrape into the cooled pie crust (or prepared crust) and spread evenly with an offset spatula. Filling should come to just below the rim of the crust.

For the Topping

Use the same bowl you used to make the filling. No need to wash it or even wipe it out.
Press the brown sugar through a medium sieve or strainer to make sure there are no lumps. Whisk together the brown sugar and ICJ and set aside.
On medium speed, whisk the heavy cream, honey, salt, and vanilla together until the whisk leaves tracks and the cream very gently mounds when you raise the whisk.
Add the brown sugar mixture and continue whipping to medium peaks. The peaks will curl over a little bit when you raise the whisk.
If using a stand mixer, finish whisking by hand to ensure you get all the cream incorporated. Whisk to stiff peaks--peaks will stand up straight without curling over. One caveat: if piping, only whip to medium-stiff peaks. The cream will continue to firm up as it passes through the piping tip, and you don’t want it to overwhip and turn grainy.
Apply the topping artistically to the top of your pie. Spread it, dollop it, pipe it. Have fun.
Allow the pie to chill for 12 hours or overnight. The extended chill time gives the ICJ/pudding mix time to fully bind with all the sources of liquid: cream, honey, and peanut butter.
Before slicing and serving, decorate the pie as desired with peanut butter cups, candy-coated peanut butter candy, chopped peanuts, etc.
While the pie is delicious straight from the fridge, it is eyes-rolling-back ethereal at room temperature. Either way, for the cleanest slices, cut it while cold and wipe the knife clean between each cut.

Notes

Be sure to use instant ClearJel, not the cook-type version. If using instant vanilla pudding mix instead, use the amount listed in the recipe (double the amount of ICJ).
Standard creamy peanut butter such as Jif, Skippy, or Peter Pan gives the most reliable texture. Natural peanut butter can separate or make the filling softer. I tested with Peter Pan.
Don’t rush the chill. The pie needs the full 12 hours or overnight for the filling to firm properly and slice cleanly.
For the neatest slices, cut the pie cold with a sharp knife, wiping the blade clean between cuts. For the dreamiest texture, let slices sit at room temperature for at least 10–15 minutes before serving. I’ve left slices out for over an hour for testing, and they hold beautifully.

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