Cracker Crust Peanut Pie
An easy (and magic) peanut pie that tastes like a PayDay candy bar
Prep Time20 minutes mins
Cook Time20 minutes mins
Total Time40 minutes mins
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: peanut pie, cracker crust
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 350kcal
Cost: $8
For the pie
- 20 Ritz Crackers crushed fine
- ½ cup of granulated white sugar
- ¾ cup chopped peanuts Dry Roasted with lower salt works best
- 3 egg whites
- ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
- ½ Cup granulated white sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
For the whipped cream
- 2 Tbs granulated white sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 Cup heavy whipping cream
For the Chocolate Gratings
- ½ ounce Bittersweet Chocolate
TO MAKE THE PIE
Preheat the oven to 350.
Crush the crackers and add the sugar and peanuts in a medium sized bowl. Give it a good mix and then set aside.
In another medium sized bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff and forming peaks. (use a hand mixer or stand mixer if you wish, but a whisk works fine and gives your arms something to do!).
Add the cream of tartar and white sugar to the stiff egg whites and ever so gently fold in with a spatula.
Fold the cracker mixture gently into the egg mix and pour into a 9” pie pan.
Bake in the center of the oven on the center rack for 20 minutes.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely. (put in the fridge and allow to become cold!). Refrigerate for 3-4 hours before serving.
When ready to serve, top with whipped cream (or cool whip, see notes) placed in the center ⅔ of the pie allowing the edge of the crust to be seen at the edges of the pie plate.
Garnish with bittersweet chocolate gratings.
TO MAKE THE WHIPPED CREAM TOPPING
***It is ok to use cool whip if that is what you want to do***
Place a medium sized metal bowl and a metal whisk into the freezer for 10 minutes.
When the bowl and whisk are cold, put the sugar, vanilla and cream into the bowl and whip vigorously until stiff peaks form. This takes a few minutes so don’t give up. How long will depend greatly upon how cold the cream, bowl and whisk are.
Gently scoop the whipped cream out onto the pie putting into the center ⅔ of the pie allowing the edges to be seen.
TO MAKE THE BITTERSWEET CHOCOLATE GRATINGS
- It is important to use fresh new nuts or they won’t rise to the top like they should.
- Crush the crackers VERY well. Make them like powder.
- It is important to use the Ritz type crackers and not some other type of cracker.
- 20 Ritz crackers is just about one sleeve of crackers
- You can use either fresh whipped cream OR cool whip. It is up to you. The whipped cream tastes better though.
- You are going to wonder how this makes a crust since the crackers mixed in with the pie filling, but trust me, it will work itself out in the oven.
- Don’t place the whipped cream onto the pie until ready to serve.
- If you don’t have bittersweet chocolate, dark chocolate is fine to use.
PRO TIP: To make the shavings more of a curl, warm the chocolate slightly by holding in your cupped hands to soften.
Calories: 350kcal | Carbohydrates: 38g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 41mg | Sodium: 192mg | Potassium: 168mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 30g | Vitamin A: 437IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 38mg | Iron: 1mg