When summer rolls around, I often find myself craving something cold and sweet after a main meal. Easy frozen desserts are definitely my go-to during the hot months and I’ve recently expanded my range of ice cream desserts to now include this irresistible Peanut Butter Chocolate Ice Cream Pie!
With just a few simple ingredients (some of which you probably already have on hand), you can whip up a winner of a dessert that looks super impressive while being incredibly easy to make, tasting similar to an ice cream sandwich except now in pie form.
Table of contents
Loved by kids and adults alike, this Peanut Butter Chocolate Ice Cream Pie is sure to be a hit among friends and family this summer!
More Delicious Ice Cream Treats
Ice Cream Pie Ingredients
- 6 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips or chocolate wafers – we layer a rich chocolate ganache between the crust and ice cream in this pie; semi-sweet is best for ganache, but you can substitute milk chocolate if you prefer
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream, divided – we use heavy cream for both the ganache, and some decoration on top
- ½ gallon Peanut Butter Chocolate ice cream. – You really could use any type of ice cream!
- 3 tablespoons powdered sugar – to sweeten the whipped cream
- 1 cup chopped Reese’s peanut butter cups – optional for decoration and also to attract all children
- 9” baked graham cracker pie crust – you could also use a peanut butter cookie crust.
How to Make this Ice Cream Pie
Ice cream pie is really quite simple to make. The key is to soften the ice cream just enough that you can spread it into a ready to go crust, but still shape it into a neat dome.
We love putting a nice thick layer of ganache between the crust and the ice cream, too. The ganache prevents the crust from getting soggy and it adds a decadent bite of rich chocolate in the middle of your pie.
How To Store
Any leftover ice cream pie can be stored, covered, in the freezer for up to 1 month. Since this is an ice cream based pie, it’s not appropriate to be stored for an extended time in the refrigerator and you shouldn’t leave it sitting out at room temperature for longer than 20 – 30 minutes.
Can I Make This Ice Cream Pie Ahead Of Time?
Absolutely! If you’d like to plan ahead for a party or just save yourself some time later on, make your peanut butter chocolate ice cream pie a few days prior to serving and store it in the freezer.
Whenever I make this ice cream pie in advance, I prefer to only add the swirls of whipped cream just before serving as it’s tricky to store a fully assembled and decorated ice cream pie in the freezer when it has the whipped cream swirls added already. Whipped cream doesn’t thaw well either. If you’d like to assemble the whole pie ahead of time, consider using Pastry Pride instead of the whipped cream on top!
The same applies for the chopped Reese’s peanut butter cups as chocolate stored in the freezer can streak, making it look the worse for wear.
Variations and Substitutions
- If you’re not a fan of peanut butter chocolate pie (who are you?! – joking!) then you could easily make use of one of your favorite ice cream flavors instead such as strawberries and cream, vanilla and caramel or whatever else your heart desires. If you do opt for a different flavor of ice cream then keep in mind that you may need to revisit the type of chopped candy used as garnish. Fresh fruit added upon serving is also a delicious and refreshing option!
- If you’d prefer a chocolate cracker crust then you can use chocolate graham crackers or Oreos instead.
- Make mini ice cream pies instead of one large pie by dividing the ingredients to assemble in small shallow glass jars, bowls or these super convenient aluminium foil pie tins.
- Serve your peanut butter chocolate ice cream pie as is or with a small side jug of warm chocolate sauce or caramel sauce that others can drizzle over their plated pie slices, if desired.
- Get creative by adding different ice cream layers such as vanilla as one layer followed by chocolate peanut butter as the other layer, allowing each layer to set in the freezer before applying the next layer which will give you clearer ice cream layers in your dessert. This is a fun option if you have extra time and are using a deep pie dish.
Tips For Making Peanut Butter Chocolate Ice Cream Pie
- Make your own graham cracker crust by following my recipe for Graham Cracker Crust. It’s also a great idea to make a few pre-baked crusts that you can store in the freezer for quick and convenient use whenever the occasion calls for an ice cream pie!
- To get a clean slice of peanut butter chocolate ice cream pie, make sure to use a hot, wet knife. You can run your knife under hot tap water or submerge a knife blade in a mug of hot water just prior to slicing and serving.
- If you’re lactose intolerant then make use of a dairy-free ice cream, and something like Pastry Pride in place of the swirls of whipped dairy cream. Pastry Pride is essentially a non-dairy frosting substitute that has a similar texture and flavor to dairy whipped cream. I get my Pastry Pride from the freezer section of “Smart ‘n’ Final” – a discount grocery store on the West Coast but you should also be able to get it from cake supply stores.
Peanut Butter Chocolate Ice Cream Pie
Ingredients
- 1 graham cracker crust 9" pie crust; can be baked or not
- 6 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips or chocolate wafers
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream divided
- ½ gallon Peanut Butter Chocolate ice cream
- 3 tablespoons powdered sugar
- 1 cup Reese’s peanut butter cups
Instructions
- Set out ice cream for approximately 30 minutes before assembling the pie.
- Heat 1 cup of heavy whipping cream to a simmer (either on the stovetop or in the microwave). Pour the heated cream over the chocolate and allow to sit for 1-2 minutes.
- Whisk cream and chocolate mixture until a smooth, silky chocolate ganache forms.
- Pour one cup of the chocolate ganache into the graham cracker crust and spread evenly. Reserve the remaining ganache for topping.
- Place the crust with ganache into the freezer until it solidifies (approx. 15 minutes).
- Spread the tub of ice cream into the pie crust.
- Chill the ice cream pie in the freezer for at least 8 hours to firm up.
- Whip the remaining 1 cup of heavy cream with ¼ cup powdered sugar until stiff peaks form.
- Transfer the whipped cream to a piping bag fit with Tip #1M.
- Pipe swirls of whipped cream onto the pie. Top with remaining ganache, and Reese’s peanut butter cups.
Notes
Nutrition
Make this recipe?
Share it with me on Instagram @girlinspired1 and follow on Pinterest for more!
Leave A Reply!