Buckeye Pie

5 from 14 votes

Buckeye Pie is quick and easy to make and the best way serve the classic candy flavors in the form of a slice instead of a ball. Creamy, rich, sweet-n-salty, and decadently delicious!

Prep Time20

Cook Time10

Chill Time6

Total Time6 30

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Calories: 654kcal

Author: Jennifer Fishkind

Ingredients

26 chocolate creme cookies crushed into fine crumbs
5 tbsp unsalted butter melted
8 ounces cream cheese room temperature
1¾ cups (1 - 16 oz. container) creamy peanut butter
2 cups powdered sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract divided
⅓ cup + 4 tablespoons heavy cream divided
3 ounces semi-sweet chocolate baking bar broken into small pieces

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F. You will need an 9-inch pie dish.
In a medium mixing bowl, add the chocolate creme cookie crumbs and melted unsalted butter. Stir to coat all the cookie crumbs in the butter.
Press the cookie crumbs into the bottom, and up the sides, of an 9-inch pie dish.
Bake the crust for 10 minutes. Allow the baked crust to cool on the counter while making the peanut butter filling.
To make the pie filling, add the cream cheese to a large mixing bowl and beat on medium-high speed for 30 seconds to 1 minute or until smooth.
Add the creamy peanut butter to the beaten cream cheese and beat for an additional 1-2 minutes. You want a smooth cream cheese and peanut butter mixture.
Add the powdered sugar 1 cup at a time, mixing on medium speed with each addition, to incorporate all the powdered sugar with no lumps remaining.
Add 1 ½ teaspoons of the vanilla extract and ⅓ cup + 1 tablespoon of the heavy cream to the peanut butter mixture and beat on high for 1-2 minutes. You should have a smooth and creamy buckeye pie filling.
Carefully transfer the peanut butter filling to the cooled pie crust and smooth it out into an even layer. Set aside while you make the ganache topping.
In a microwave-safe mixing bowl, add the remaining 3 tablespoons heavy cream, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract, and the semi-sweet chocolate baking bar pieces. Heat on high for 30 seconds. Remove from the microwave and whisk until smooth.
Spoon the chocolate ganache into the center of the pie and carefully smooth it out into a circle in the center of the pie. You do not want to spread it all the way to the edges of your buckeye pie. You will want to leave about a 1-1½ inch border where you can still see the peanut butter filling.
Refrigerate your buckeye pie for 6 hours or up to overnight before slicing and serving.

Video

Notes

Storage:

You can store your buckeye pie, covered in the refrigerator, for 5-7 days.

Tips:

This pie is best served after it has fully chilled so that all the creamy filling and ganache sets properly and gives you cleaner slices.
I used original Oreo cookies for this recipe and placed them into my food processor to pulse into fine crumbs. You can also use a high-powered blender or even a heavy-duty zip-top bag and a rolling pin to crush your cookies into fine crumbs.
You can add an additional garnish of chopped honey roasted peanuts to the top of the pie after the chocolate ganache is added. Make sure to add the chopped peanuts while the ganache is still soft so that they stick once your pie has been refrigerated.
Make sure that your cream cheese is room temperature so that it beats up nice and smooth without any lumps.
I only tested this recipe using standard creamy peanut butter. I used the JIF brand for this recipe, but your favorite brand (even generic) will also work. However, I do not suggest using the natural peanut butter that can be found widely in stores these days. They have too much liquid fat in them, so they typically do not work well with these types of recipes. The liquids separate from the nut butter and create separation with the filling resulting in a not-so-pleasant final result.
If your Buckeye Pie has been refrigerated overnight, allow it to allow it to sit at room-temperature for 15 minutes before slicing and serving. This will ensure cleaner slices as it allows the top ganache to soften slightly before trying to slice through it.
I like to use full-fat cream cheese when making this recipe, as the low-fat and fat-free varieties tend to have more liquid in them and can alter the texture of your pie filling. You will also want to make sure that your cream cheese is room temperature so that it beats up nice and smooth without any lumps.
You can substitute a milk chocolate baking bar for the semi-sweet in this recipe. I would not suggest using a bittersweet or unsweetened variety, though. Make sure to use a good-quality chocolate baking bar. They melt much easier and have more consistent results. I like using brands such as Ghirardelli, Lindt, or Baker’s, to name a few.
You can substitute 3 ounces of semi-sweet chocolate chips for the baking bars. Again, make sure you are using a good quality chocolate chip because they can be a bit temperamental when trying to heat in the microwave. The chips have added ingredients to them that the bars do not, making them a little more sensitive to the microwave's heat.

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