Virginia Peanut Pie
This creamy, crunchy Virginia Peanut Pie is perfect for any peanut lover. With a flaky crust, this scrumptious dessert is like a pecan pie but with peanuts!
A SOUTHERN VIRGINIA CLASSIC PIE
This flavorful Virginia Peanut Pie is a classic that I grew up eating in Southern Virginia. If you’ve ever traveled in the southern half of Virginia, you will know it’s a famous dessert served at Virginia Diner Restaurant in Wakeville, VA. In fact, this recipe is so fantastic, I’ve written it so it makes two pies. I like to enjoy one with my family and give the other to friends or other family members. Or just save the other one to use later in the freezer. A win win!
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQ’S):
Like I mentioned earlier, the Virginia Diner is known for this pie. You might be familiar with Virginia Diner peanuts that are sold all over America. Southern Virginia is known for everything peanuts. Fun fact, Virginia was the first colony in the U.S. to plant peanuts. Previously, they were a South American crop, but even today, Virginia is still one of the largest producers of peanuts. In fact, Suffolk, Virginia dubs itself as the peanut capital of the world and is the home to Mr Peanut himself! So, it’s only natural that the best Peanut Pie comes from the home of the best peanuts around!
Sure, if you don’t want two Virginia Peanut Pies, the amount of filling you get from this should fit into a deep dish pie crust (with a little leftover) but baking times will vary and I haven’t tested in a deep dish so you’d have to play that by ear.
You can add other nuts or even some cinnamon for a fun twist to the pie filling.
You can serve this Peanut Pie at room temperature, cold, or warmed slightly in the microwave, either way this is a super delicious, sticky pie! I would say serve it however you enjoy serving pecan pie.
I think this pie is fantastic with the Virginia Diner brand of Peanuts. They are absolutely delicious, but they can be pretty expensive, so we often make it with good ol’ Planters Peanuts since they’re a brand that can be found pretty much everywhere and tend to be a bit cheaper.
Honestly, I personally enjoy it without any toppings but my family loves it with a scoop of ice cream. You could even put a little whipped cream on top or a drizzle of caramel sauce!
This easy Peanut Pie should be kept in the fridge for up to 4 days and it should be covered to keep fresh. It can be kept longer by freezing for up to 3 months.
INGREDIENTS NEEDED: (SEE RECIPE CARD BELOW FOR THE FULL RECIPE)
- salted dry roasted peanuts – see my FAQ’s above for more information on the types of peanuts you can use.
- light brown sugar– if you really love a deep molasses flavor, try using dark brown sugar with the dark corn syrup. It will obviously make the pie much darker but does add a bit more flavor.
- large eggs – if you have time, allow the eggs to come to room temperature. This just helps them mix into the batter more evenly.
- all-purpose flour – this helps to thicken up the filling a bit. Do not substitute for cornstarch.
- dark corn syrup– or light corn syrup can be used. I think the dark brown corn syrup adds a deeper molasses flavor that I love but light corn syrup works just fine.
- vanilla extract
- unsalted butter – if all you have is salted butter, that is just fine. There isn’t much salt in salted butter to really make much of a difference in taste.
- unbaked pie shells – just regular – not deep dish (or make homemade pie crusts)
HOW TO MAKE VIRGINIA PEANUT PIE
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Place the peanuts into a zippered plastic bag and use something like a rolling pin to crush the peanuts. You want some larger and smaller pieces, set them aside. In a large bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, eggs, flour, corn syrup, and vanilla until smooth.
Add the peanuts and stir them in. Add the melted butter and stir until smooth.
Divide the filling between the two pie shells that have been placed on a sheet tray, this will make handling the pies easier. Bake for 45-60 minutes until just the center of the pies are slightly jiggly. Cover with foil about 30 minutes into the bake time to prevent over-browning.
Allow to cool for at least 4 hours at room temperature before slicing and serving.
CRAVING MORE RECIPES?
Virginia Peanut Pie
Ingredients
- 8 ounces salted dry roasted peanuts
- 1 ¼ cups light brown sugar, packed
- 3 large eggs
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 ¼ cups dark corn syrup (or light corn syrup)
- 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 2 (9-inch) unbaked pie shells
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Place 8 ounces salted dry roasted peanuts into a ziptop plastic bag and use something like a rolling pin to crush the peanuts. You want some larger and smaller pieces, set them aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together 1 1/4 cups light brown sugar, packed, 3 large eggs, 1/2 cup all-purpose flour, 1 1/4 cups dark corn syrup and 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract until smooth.
- Add the peanuts and stir them in.
- Add 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and stir until smooth.
- Divide the filling between the 2 (9-inch) unbaked pie shells that have been placed on a sheet tray, this will make handling the pies easier.
- Bake for 45-60 minutes until just the center of the pies are slightly jiggly. Cover with foil about 30 minutes into the bake time to prevent over-browning.
- Allow to cool for at least 4 hours at room temperature before slicing and serving.
Notes
- Please refer to my FAQ’s (Frequently Asked Questions) and ingredient list above for other substitutions or for the answers to the most common questions.
- This makes 2 pies. You can cut in half to make only one pie.
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
“The Country Cook” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories and other nutritional values can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
