An easy no bake pie that is just right for summer parties.This decadent peanut butter pie is absolutely delicious. Rich, creamy peanut butter mousse is piled lightly on layers of gooey caramel with walnuts in a salty pretzel crumb crust.
The caramel walnut sauce on the pretzel crust is heavenly, this cake is so versatile, you can do as you like, with oreo crust or graham crackers.
We have a caramel recipe from scratch that is delicious with this cake Here recipe
Although this isn’t an every day dessert it is a show-stopper at those special occasions and church potlucks.
Caramel Peanut Butter Pie
Yields 1, 9-inch pie
Ingredients
Crust:
1 1/2 cups pretzels
2/3 cup unsalted butter, melted
Caramel Sauce:
1 1/3 cups sugar
1/3 cup water
1 1/4 cup heavy cream
1 cup roasted chopped walnuts
1/3 cup crème fraiche
Filling:
1 1/4 cups smooth peanut butter
1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
Directions
Preheat oven to 350º F.
Pulse pretzels in food processor until semi-finely ground (or chop pretzels by hand).
Drizzle in melted butter until coarse mixture comes together. Turn out into a 9 or 10-inch pie plate and use your hands to firmly press pretzels into a packed crust.
Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until dry and set. Set aside.
In a medium saucepan over medium heat, cook 1 1/3 cups sugar with 1/3 cup water to begin your caramel sauce.
Stirring frequently, cook for about 10 minutes, or until mixture is a dark, amber color.
Remove from heat and add heavy cream.
Return to heat and bring to a boil. Stir continuously so caramel cooks evenly and becomes smooth again.
Pour into a bowl and stir in crème fraiche. Refrigerate 35-45 minutes, or until chilled, then mix in chopped walnuts.
For filling: In a large bowl or mixer, beat together peanut butter and cream cheese on medium-high speed until pale, fluffy and smooth.
Gradually add in sugar, vanilla extract and sea salt, and beat until fully incorporated.
In a separate medium bowl, beat heavy cream until soft-medium stiff peaks form.
Spoon 1/3 cup peanut butter mixture into heavy cream and fold it in. Then return 1/3 cup heavy cream into peanut butter and fold in to incorporate.
Repeat with remaining heavy cream in 1/3 cup increments.
Remove crust and sauce from refrigerator and pour caramel sauce in an even layer over the crust.
Then use a rubber spatula to smooth peanut butter mousse over the caramel sauce. Make sure they don’t blend together. Refrigerate 30-40 minutes, or until set.
Garnish with whipped cream and more pecans if desired, and serve chilled.
Recipe slightly adapted from: 12 tomatoes 
