Creamy and rich, this Keto Peanut Butter Pie can be made dairy-free or with full dairy. It’s a classic dessert for peanut butter lovers.
So you want to hear something a little crazy? I just created a totally vegan keto dessert by accident.
Yup, by accident. This Keto Peanut Butter Pie is dairy-free, egg-free, and completely free of any animal products. And I didn’t even mean to.
The reality is that I am not vegan in any way, shape or form. I believe eating animals is what humans are supposed to do. I believe it’s better for our health and our planet.
That said, I love playing around with my keto desserts and creating delicious treats for any number of allergies and intolerances. I have been making any number of dairy free treats lately and now have a full keto dairy free recipes category.
So I intended for this keto peanut butter pie to be dairy-free, and only later did I realize that it’s also vegan. But in case you prefer the full dairy version, I have included that too.
Whichever version you make, this is one spectacular keto dessert!
Dairy Free Cream Cheese
Keto peanut butter pie is nothing new – it’s utterly ubiquitous in the keto world. Almost everyone has a recipe for it, and they tend to be slight variations on the same theme: a low carb chocolate crust filled with cheesecake based peanut butter filling.
I actually have the filling part already covered in my Easy Keto Peanut Butter Mousse. And it’s delicious and comes to together in 5 minutes flat.
But all that cream cheese and whipped cream can make things not so friendly for the dairy-free crowd.
One thing that inspired this dairy free version is stumbling upon a new vegan cream cheese alternative from Violife. It’s surprisingly good and probably tastes the most like real cream cheese of any I’ve tried. It’s made primarily with coconut oil, but also contains potato starch. Don’t be alarmed, as the total carb count per serving is only 2g.
Another good option is Kite Hill, an almond milk based cream cheese alternative. Those two are the best dairy-free versions I’ve had.
No Bake Vegan Peanut Butter Pie
With the cream cheese part of the recipe covered, I set about filling in the gaps for the other ingredients.
The crust was easy, as I simply used melted coconut oil to replace the melted butter. And instead of whipping cream in the filling, I used coconut cream and just a touch of coconut milk to help thin it out.
I created a little dairy free chocolate ganache with some additional coconut cream, and drizzled that over top of the chilled pie.
And to really take it over the top, I chopped up a few keto peanut butter cups for decoration. I used dark chocolate to keep with the dairy free theme. Either Lily’s or ChocZero would work well here.
It was so creamy and rich, and it was only as I was taking my first bite that I realized I had created a vegan keto dessert. I was amazed at how good it was, with no strange overpowering “fake cream cheese” flavor.
Tips for Keto Peanut Butter Pie
This is such a straightforward no bake pie, and it really doesn’t take much to put together. It takes less than 30 minutes to make, although you do need some patience to let it set properly!
Here are my best tips for getting the most out of your keto peanut butter pie:
- Grease your pie plate. Even though you won’t be baking the crust, it will make it easier to get the pie out later, after it’s chilled.
- The water in the crust is only if needed, to help it hold together better. This depends quite a bit on your cocoa powder, as some are more absorbent than others. You want the crust mixture to hold together well if you squeeze some in the palm of your hand.
- Make sure your vegan cream cheese and coconut cream are both room temperature, as they will combine more smoothly. Many recipes call for chilling a can of coconut milk overnight but don’t do that here. Your filling won’t be smooth.
- You can simply use the thick hard portion at the top of a can of coconut milk, but Let’s Do Organic also sells tins of “coconut cream” by itself. It still has a little of the thinner water at the bottom.
- Add just a bit of the thinner milk/water to help thin out the filling, making it lighter and fluffier. It should feel like a mousse when you are done and will firm up more in the fridge.
- For the chocolate ganache drizzle, do not put the chocolate in the microwave, as your ganache will seize. Chop the chocolate finely, and pour the hot coconut cream overtop to melt it.
- The peanut butter cup garnish is completely optional. It adds only about 0.5g net carbs per serving.
Storing and serving keto peanut butter pie
This is a keto dessert that needs to be kept cold at all times, so store in the fridge and serve cold.
Wrap the leftovers up tightly with plastic wrap. Since this has no eggs or dairy, it can be refrigerated for quite a while. Up to two weeks… if it can last that long!
It can also be frozen for several months, tightly wrapped. I recommend not putting on any topping until you are ready to serve.
Ready to make this delicious keto peanut butter pie?
More dairy-free keto desserts
- Keto Angel Food Cake
- Keto Strawberry Lemonade Popsicles
- Keto Almond Joy Bars
- Keto Coconut Flan
- Keto Peanut Butter Pecan Bars
- Keto Peppermint Patties
Full Dairy Version
With just a few minor adjustments, you can easily make this pie with dairy.
Crust: Use melted butter in the crust, rather than coconut oil.
Filling: Use 6 ounces of softened cream cheese, and beat with the peanut butter and sweetener. Beat in the vanilla. If the mixture is very thick, add 2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream.
Replace the coconut cream with ¾ cup heavy whipping cream, whipped until stiff peaks. Fold the whipped cream into the peanut butter mixture and spread in the crust.
Topping: Replace the coconut cream with 3 tablespoons of heavy whipping cream.
Keto Peanut Butter Pie
Ingredients
Chocolate Crust
- 1 cup almond flour
- ¼ cup cocoa powder
- ¼ cup powdered Swerve Sweetener
- ¼ cup melted coconut oil
- 1 to 2 teaspoon water if needed
Peanut Butter Filling
- 7 ounces dairy-free cream cheese, softened (Violife or Kite Hill recommended)
- 1 cup coconut cream, room temperature
- ¾ cup creamy peanut butter
- ½ cup powdered Swerve Sweetener
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 to 3 tablespoon coconut milk as needed
Topping
- 3 tablespoon coconut cream
- ½ ounce unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped
- 1 ½ tablespoon powdered Swerve Sweetener
- 3 keto peanut butter cups, chopped (optional)
Instructions
Chocolate Crust
- Lightly grease a 9-inch glass or ceramic pie plate.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the almond flour, cocoa powder, and powdered sweetener. Stir in the melted coconut oil until the dough clumps together. If it won't hold together when you squeeze it in your hand, add a little water and mix well.
- Press the mixture into the bottom and up the sides of the prepared baking pan, as evenly as possible. Freeze while preparing the filling.
Peanut Butter Filling
- In a large bowl, beat together the cream cheese, coconut cream, and peanut butter until smooth. Beat in the sweetener and vanilla extract.
- Add the thinner coconut milk, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the mixture is light and fluffy, like mousse. Spread the mixture in the crust.
- Freeze until firm, 3 to 4 hours.
Topping
- Place the chopped chocolate in a small bowl. Heat the coconut cream in a saucepan or in the microwave until bubbling, and pour over the chocolate.
- Let it a few minutes to melt, then add the sweetener and whisk until smooth. Drizzle over the chilled pie.
- Sprinkle with chopped peanut butter cups, if desired.
TINA says
So so delicious! This will help me stick to my low carb high protein diet. Thank you!
Deb says
Fantastic !!!
Cheryl says
I’ve been following Caroline for awhile but reluctant to make anything keto or low carb. Boy was that a mistake. This pie is amazing!
Sugar free in Grand Rapids, MI says
Made this 100% dairy-free for a dinner party. Guests had no idea it was sugar-free or dairy-free. Every plate was empty and the pie got rave reviews. I did not use any peanut butter cups on top but it still had great flavor. 10/10- highly recommend!
Crystal V says
You… you told them it had coconut before they ate it, right? Because I’d be irate if I ate something that caused severe inflammation and possible breathing issues (ie coconut)… just because somebody thought it would be fine to pretend it was a full-dairy dish.
Penny Otte says
Hello! I spent a few days looking online for a gluten free vegan dessert recipe and then I thought, “Why am I am endlessly looking, when I bet Carolyn has a perfect recipe.”
Well, I cannot wait to try this out. The challenge: make a gluten free (for Passover) dessert that is also vegan for some of the family. I know this will fit the bill. Thank you again for all your recipes.
Ana says
I made this tonight in preparation for tomorrow night’s dessert. I loved all the positive reviews and can’t wait to try it. Where should I store leftovers…freezer or refrigerator?
Carolyn says
Storage information is in the blog post! 🙂
Cathy says
I have been trying to bake something without all the carbs and sugar for so long!! Finally I have found your recipes and gave this one a try. It is delicious! I can’t wait to try more. Thanks so much!!
Bonnie L. in Michigan says
Thank you Carolyn, everything always looks so delicious and I want to make it “all”! I have not found a way to compensate the cooling effect that the sweetners always seem to have whenever I try to make a good dessert. Can you or any of your readers offer any tips on this. You name it and I’ve probably tried it as far as the sweeteners and combinations go. I’ve used drops of stevia along with monk fruit blend, swerve, allulose, even the newest one I’ve found on a keto page, a cane sugar that is not sugar, but made from a soluble fiber from the cane sugar. I really thought that one would do it, but, once again, I’ve had to toss my chocolate chip cookies into the garbage after one cookie left that horrible cooling aftertaste. I’ve even thought, maybe I should try not adding any sweeteners and work with the end product to make it palatable. Do you have any suggestions? I’d really love to make this and be able enjoy actually eating a dessert I’ve made. So far the only dessert I’ve enjoyed I’ve made (and there have been many) has been a cheesecake. Thanks so much for all the time you place into preparing your meal plans and sharing with us all. They are so wonderful to receive!
NM says
Have you heard of Bochasweet? It is pricey, but it might be worth trying. I think it is cheaper if you order from their website.
Kristin says
Oh my goodness, i say it every time i make one of your recipes, but you are an absolute genius!! This is amazing, and a perfect last minute addition to our Memorial Day dinner! Thanks for all you do 🙂
Julee Tarver says
I have made this many times, it is truly incredible.
I use choc zero dark baking chips they are just delicious. The choc zero website usually has a 6 pack at a reduced cost. Carolyn thank you for your seemingly endless delicious low carb recipes, you help make our low carb life painless and most importantly Tasty!❤️
PATRICIA MACINTOSH says
Great recipe! I made it for Mother’s Day for my small group at church, and they all loved it!
Regina H says
I made several of these, varying the ingredients so that it had the flavor my husband preferred (he loves a good peanut butter pie). I found that Violife worked way better for me than Kite Hill if you’re looking for true cream cheese flavor and texture. He also felt it wasn’t sweet enough (sweeter the better for him). I tried mixing Swerve and liquid Allulose until I got the sweetness he was looking for without going overboard. Final result? I couldn’t tell much difference between this and the pie made by a local gourmet chef. Works for me! Thanks!
Josephine Hogg says
I am an Aussie and I made this one for my ex-Patriot American (home-sick) husband. He’s been living in Australia 12 years now, and is almost entirely weaned off ultra sweet foods. I halved the amount of Swerve in the crust and cut the Swerve in the filling by 3/4. And it is sheer PERFECTION! I can see this is going to be a favourite for my ex-Pat hubbie 😍😍
Carolyn says
So glad you enjoyed. Sorry he’s so homesick… I love Australia, we were there a few years ago and would LOVE to go back!
Elaine says
Wonderful Christmas dinner dessert. very rich.
Lori says
This pie is AMAZING!! Thank you so much for all you do.
Jenny says
Have you ever tried subbing almond butter for the peanut butter? We have a peanut allergy here.
Carolyn says
Yes that should work… just make sure it’s not too thin. Make sure to mix the oils in REALLY well.
Francy Moll says
This pie came very good. It is creamy and flavorful. It’s hard finding good KETO dessert recipes, but this is a keeper.