Fluffy No-Bake Peanut Butter Pie

Ingredients:

1 package (8 oz.) of cream cheese, softened

1 cup of creamy peanut butter

1/2 cup of brown sugar

2 teaspoons of vanilla extract

1 tablespoon of granulated sugar

1 1/2 cups of whipping cream, divided

1 prepared graham cracker pie crust (6 oz.)

Chopped peanuts for garnish (optional)

Instructions:

Using an electric mixer at medium speed, beat together the softened cream cheese, peanut butter, brown sugar, and 1/4 cup of whipping cream until the mixture becomes light and fluffy, which should take about 4 minutes.

In a separate bowl, beat the remaining whipping cream, vanilla extract, and granulated sugar at high speed until stiff peaks form.

Fold about one-third of the whipped cream into the peanut butter mixture to loosen it up, then gently fold in the rest of the whipped cream until well combined.

Spoon the peanut butter mixture into the prepared graham cracker crust, spreading it evenly. Cover the pie and refrigerate for at least 8 hours before serving.

Serve each slice of pie with a sprinkling of chopped peanuts, if desired.

Notes:

For the best texture, it's recommended to use regular cream cheese rather than substituting with lower-fat Neufchatel cream cheese.

If preferred, you can substitute an 8-ounce container of Cool Whip for the homemade whipped cream. Omit the whipping cream, granulated sugar, and vanilla extract used for homemade whipped cream. Instead, use Cool Whip in place of homemade whipped cream and add 1/4 cup of milk to the cream cheese/peanut butter mixture in step 1.

This pie is ideal for peanut butter dessert lovers looking for a light and fluffy texture.