Chocolate Cream Pie With Peanut Butter Cups

If you love chocolate, peanut butter, creamy, easy, and delicious look no further, you have found the pot at the end of your dessert rainbow.

 I aquired this recipe from my Mom (she uses Twix candy bars) years ago and made it once before but for some reason passed it over since then. When I was preparing for our Thanksgiving meal I was trying to come up with desserts that would please everyone and thought of this one. I decided to use Peanut Butter Cups instead of the Twix Bars and they loved it! So did I for that matter. Now I had a problem because I liked all 3 kinds that we had that day, Pumpkin, Pecan, AND Chocolate Cream Pie. Sigh, always you have choices.

It is super easy to prepare if you use refrigerated pie crust, which I did for the sake of time. Also because I'm not what you would call crazy about making them from scratch. Using the instant pudding also makes it an easy option. DO NOT USE RAW COW'S MILK TO MAKE ANY KIND OF INSTANT PUDDING, IT WILL TASTE LIKE HAND SOAP. That is the truth, I have tasted it and it is disgusting! Whew! now that I got that out I think we will move on to the good part.

Ingredients:
9.5 inch deep Pyrex Pie Pan
1 Refrigerated Pillsbury Pie Crust
2 small boxes Instant Chocolate Pudding
3 cups cold milk
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
½ cup powdered sugar
16 ounces Cool Whip, divided
12 Peanut Butter Cups

Preheat oven to 375°

Let the crust rest on counter for 15 minutes before unrolling. After unrolling I like to use my rolling pin just a little to smooth the edges and stretch it out just a bit. Fit into pie pan as evenly as you can making sure you fit it tightly into the curve of the pan. I don't cut any of the extra off. Just fold over and flute the edges. Prick bottom and sides of crust with a fork to help prevent shrinking while baking. I like to put the crust into the oven soon after oven starts heating . This also helps prevent the shrinking because the heat will be a gradual thing helping the crust to set up before the desired temperature does the actual baking. Another trick I learned from my Mom. Obviously I don't have pie weights, but apparently you don't really need them because this worked for me.

Bake for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown.

Let cool.

Cut Peanut Butter Cups into little squares and spread evenly over the bottom of the baked crust.

In a medium sized mixing bowl, combine the cold milk and the 2 boxes Instant Pudding and whisk briskly till smooth. Let set until very firm. (I like to refrigerate it till I'm ready to fold in the Cool Whip mixture.)

In the meantime combine the cream cheese and powdered sugar in another mixing bowl:

Mix with a hand mixer until smooth.

Stir in Cool Whip until well blended. Do this step gently. Cool Whip gets runny and doesn't set up right again if beaten too vigorously. Fold into the chocolate pudding.

Blend well.

Pour over top of chopped Peanut Butter Cups in the crust. Spread evenly. Top with more Cool Whip and garnish with more Peanut Butter Cups as desired.

I prepare mine the evening before the day I want to serve them and have not had any trouble with the crust getting soggy. But I also don't cover it completely or tightly.

I hope you enjoy your stress free dessert!

Linking to:
Mom's Crazy Cooking
Sweet As Sugar
Cupcake Apothecary
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Be Blessed!