This Peanut Brittle Pie takes the exact flavors of the candy, but replaces the firm snap of brittle with a lusciously soft caramel and hints of salt.
They say you’re either into cooking or baking. I guess I break the mold on that one, because as much as I love cooking, grilling, smoking and braising meat, I also like turning on the oven and flexing my baking muscle once in a while. They say you’re also supposed to be very precise when baking, though my “throw it all together haphazardly” method seems to contradict that. In particular, I seem to enjoy baking pies, as evidenced by this key lime pie and this buttermilk, molasses and white pepper number.
If you’re one of those people who shies away from baking due to degree of difficulty, fret not. Thankfully, this recipe is extremely forgiving and outrageously easy – totalling a mere six ingredients (if you count a pie crust as one). Pies like this one are a great “make in advance” dessert, so you can focus your cooking efforts on the main meat event.
I’ll concede – there is nothing brittle about this pie. I named it so because I think it tastes exactly like peanut brittle, albeit with a different texture. The soft set caramel filling develops a chewy crust when baked, offset by the crunch of the roasted peanuts. A generous sprinkling of fleur de sel rounds out the sweetness. It’s incredibly rich, and you’ll want to serve it in pretty thin slices…until you can build up to a bigger portion!
Keep scrolling for the recipe, after the pics:
Sweet & Salty Peanut Brittle Pie
- Total Time: 40 minutes
Ingredients
1 x 9″ pie crust
4 oz butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
14 oz condensed milk
1/2 tsp fleur de sel or other salt to taste
1/2 cup roasted salted peanuts
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 320f.
- In a small frying pan, toast the peanuts (without any oil) until they become fragrant and begin to turn golden.
- Prepare pie crust in a pie tin, crimp edges.
- In a saucepan, melt the butter the add the brown sugar. Cook for 2 minutes until bubbling. Pour in the condensed milk, and whisk the whole mixture until it thickens slightly, about 5 minutes.
- Add the salt to the caramel mix, stir to combine. Pour the mix into the pie crust, and scatter toasted peanuts on top. Bake for 25-30 minutes until golden brown on top. Allow to cool completely before serving.
Notes
Note 1: Fleur de sel is fancy French salt that has a chunky grain, usually used in salted caramel desserts. You can use any salt in it’s place, but you must salt to taste according the type and brand you use. (here’s why).
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 30
- Category: Dessert
Keywords: pie, dessert
