Georgia Peanut Pie: Peanut Brittle's Older, More Mature Sister

When I first heard about Peanut Pie from Virginia Diner, I was skeptical. It's not peanut butter pie. It's kind of got a pecan pie base. I mean, it sounds like knock-off pecan pie, does it not? But, as per usual, I was terribly wrong. Peanut pie is its own, independent entity, belonging in a peanut-y, sweet-salty category of its own. Unlike super sweet pies like chess pie or some unmentionable cloying apple pies, the roasted and salted peanuts cut through the rich molasses base and balance the whole mix. I've heard many people say it tastes like soft, gooey peanut brittle in a pie crust. So I suppose, as the title suggests, it's kind of like the mature older sister to peanut brittle.

Unfortunately, it's hard to sell people on the concept of a peanut pie in California. I'm not entirely sure why that is, probably having something to do with the fact that peanuts seem less bougie than pecans. But I can't recommend this pie highly enough. Try it out yourself next time you have a bunch of roasted peanuts laying around that you don't know what to do with. You may end up forming a dangerous peanut pie habit.

This is the "Virginia" version. These peanuts came from VA. I like to get mine sourced from Georgia.

Georgia Peanut Pie

Recipe adapted from the Virginia Diner's Peanut Pie

Note: In the picture, I've made a half-pint jar version. This recipe is for a full 9" pie. If you want to make a jar pie, just press the crust lightly into 3-4 buttered jars. The mix should make 3-4 jar pies, depending on the size you use.

Ingredients

1 partially pre-baked pie crust 

3 large eggs

1/2 cup sugar

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup molasses or sorghum

1.5 cups of roasted, salted peanuts (don't get honey roasted or unsalted or raw or anything funny like that)

1 tbsp unsalted butter, melted

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350F

2. Lightly crush or roughly chop the peanuts, leaving them mostly intact and in a variety of sizes of chunks

3. Beat the eggs and then whisk in the sugar and flour. 

4. Stir in the molasses and butter, then add in the peanuts. 

5. Pour the filling into the crust. Bake 40-45 minutes or until the top puffs just slightly and wiggles just a bit when you move it. The edges should be lightly browned.

6. Cool to room temperature. Serve room temp. or cold with whipped cream.