No-Bake M&M’s Pie
No-bake M&M’s Pie with an Oreo crust is creamy, nutty, with a rich chocolate filling and lots of M&M’s! It is so colorful and festive that it makes a great dessert for kids and kids at heart!
This is more than just an M&M’s pie. It also has creamy peanut butter, thick, rich chocolate ganache, whipped cream, and Oreo cookies! It is simple to make since it does not need to be baked or cooked in any way. It takes less than an hour to make and looks like it came from a fancy bakery. Everyone will think you spent all day working on it, but in reality, it was easy as… pie!
Table of contents
No-Bake M&M’s Pie is a dessert that is a nice take on everyone’s childhood favorite and is perfect for Halloween season, when you have extra candies on hand! This recipe has it all: M&M candies, Oreo Cookies, chocolate, peanut butter, and whipped cream. Rich, creamy, and decadent, this is a must try no-bake dessert! Perfect for a family picnic or barbecue, take it to a church potluck, everyone will be impressed!
One of the best things about this recipe (besides how incredible it tastes) is how amazing it looks! Perfect for a party or themed celebration since M&M’s come in all color combinations. It can be a holiday décor just as easily as it can be turned into a simple family dessert. Either way, it is easy to make, and the kids will love helping decorate it.
The classic chocolate candy is the center of this dessert and others, too! Check out my M&M’s recipes for Christmas Oreo Ornaments, and Cookie Bars made with just 4 ingredients!
Why you will love this recipe
- It’s full of candy: Lots of M&M’s, Oreos, and chocolate to enjoy.
- No baking: The house stays cool, and the pans stay clean.
- Save money: Just a fraction of the cost of buying one.
- Great for parties: Show it off, make extras.
- Freeze leftovers: Save them for midnight snacks.
What you’ll need to make no-bake M&M’s pie
Special items
- Pie pan – I use a nine-inch pie pan.
- Food processor – To crush the cookies.
- Electric mixer – For mixing.
- Bowls
- Cooking utensils
Ingredients:
For the crust:
- Oreo crumbs – I grind my Oreos in a food processor to make sure I get fine crumbs.
- Melted butter – To hold the crust together.
For the pie filling:
- M&M’s – I used one cup of regular and peanut M&M’s, but you can use your favorites.
- Creamy peanut butter – Jif is the brand I used, I prefer creamy peanut butter in this recipe.
- Cream cheese – Use full-fat brick-style cream cheese, softened.
- Melted unsalted butter – For melting the chocolate.
- Milk chocolate – Use the finest chocolate, preferably Belgian.
- Powdered sugar – The added starch in the powdered sugar helps it stand up longer.
- Heavy whipping cream – Make sure it is at least 35% fat.
- Vanilla extract – Be sure to get 100% pure vanilla extract.
For the chocolate ganache:
- Chocolate chips – Again, get the best chocolate, since thats what you will taste.
- Heavy whipping cream – For whipping the topping.
- Mini M&M’s – For decoration.
For the garnish:
- M&M’s – These are for decoration.
- Oreo Cookies – Chopped up for decoration.
- Whipped cream – To make the rosettes.
How to make no-bake M&M’s pie?
For exact measures, please see the recipe card below. Also, watch the recipe tutorial and see how easy it is!
- Make the crust: Crush the Oreo cookies and then, mix in the melted butter. Once fully moist, press the crushed cookies at the bottom of the pan, preferably the springform type. Make the crust compact by pressing it with the bottom of a measuring cup. Refrigerate it and while it is in the fridge, prepare the filling.
- Prepare the filling: Mix the cream cheese and the peanut butter, then, fold in the candies and whipped cream until fully incorporated. Pour this into the crust and level the top. Refrigerate or freeze it.
- Make the ganache: If you want to put a layer of ganache on top, you can do so by melting chocolate chips in a heated heavy cream. Cool it down, and then, spread it on top of the pie.
- Decorate the top: Pipe out whipped cream on the top and use the M&M’s to decorate the top in whichever way that you want to.
- Chill and serve: Cover the whole pie with foil and chill until set. Once ready to serve, let it warm up a little before slicing.
Make it in advance:
Since you do not want to serve a gooey mess of peanut butter and cream filling, you need to plan when making this dessert. You must consider the following:
- Take the cream cheese out of the fridge early because it needs to be at room temperature.
- It takes about half an hour for the filling to set a little before you can top it with the ganache.
- To let it set, you must chill it for at least 4 hours. For best results, let it chill overnight.
Considering this prep time, you may need to make this the night before. Besides, it keeps well in the fridge or freezer for some time. So, you can make it way in advance.
Expert tip
Using the best
I have mentioned this before because it is important. When making a recipe, no matter what it is, it is essential to get the best ingredients that you can afford, especially with the “main ingredients.” For example, in this recipe, that would be the M&Ms, peanut butter, cream cheese, and chocolate. Actually, I would consider Oreos to be equally important.
M&M and Oreos are name brands I use because they are the best of their kind. I would not use a replacement for either of those. I prefer the Philadelphia brand for cream cheese, but there are others out there that are good as well. Peanut butter is something I am not as picky about, but it has to be either JIF or Peter Pan. Chocolate, for me, has to be Ghirardelli or Baker’s.
Now, when I mention all these brands, I am not trying to sell them or get them extra business. I will only use what I feel is the best when I make certain recipes. And all of my readers should follow that advice. Especially when making a dessert like this. Why make something so delicious if you’re not going to use the best ingredients?
Recipe variations and add-ins:
- Other candy: Add other candy, like Skittles, chopped candy bars, Nerds, Sour Patch, and even Lemonheads would be delicious substitutions.
- Fun decorating shapes: Instead of candy, try using candy decorations like stars, hearts, rainbows, and other fun shapes.
- Different frosting: Rather than using ganache, frost this delicious pie with my rich cream cheese frosting.
- Another crust: For even more peanut butter flavor, use Nutter Butter cookies instead of Oreos for the crust.
- Crunchy stuff: To make this pie crunchy, use chunky peanut butter and add nuts to the topping.
- No peanut butter: Replace peanut butter with almond butter, Nutella, or another spread or use another brick of cream cheese.
Serving suggestions:
No-bake M&M’s pie goes great with all sorts of side dishes. Here are some ideas my family loves:
- Serving a cold pie like this with ice is actually delicious. Especially with my 3-ingredient Oreo ice cream.
- If you prefer something lighter to go with it, try a bowl of fresh fruit.
- Keep the whole meal no-bake. Serve this pie with my crack turkey pinwheels and a fresh strawberry spinach salad.
- For a beverage to go with this delicious dessert, a hot mug of peanut butter hot chocolate would be perfect.
- Rather enjoy this with a glass of wine? Try Gamay or Pinot Noir.
Frequently asked questions
How do I thicken no-bake M&M’s pie?
The main ingredients that no-bake pies rely on are cream cheese and heavy cream. Both of these have to be full of fat. Low-fat or fat-free cream cheese will not have the same results and light cream will not set up the same as heavy cream because it needs more fat. If the filling is runny, try giving it some more time to chill before doing anything else. Leave it overnight. If that does not work, you might need to scoop the filling into a bowl, add a cornstarch slurry, or fold in more peanut butter.
Can I make this without peanut butter?
Yes. Use almond butter or cashew butter. Or try hazelnut spread like Nutella. It is possible to leave out the peanut butter, but I would add a little more cream cheese to replace the volume. Since this recipe calls for a cup of peanut butter, add another whole brick of cream cheese. It may seem thicker than the other way, but that is a good thing.
What is the difference between no-bake pie and no-bake cheesecake?
In general, a cheesecake is much thicker, with more cream cheese, heavy cream, added sour cream, and other ingredients like gelatin, more sugar, butter, lemon juice, and vanilla extract. The cake is usually made in a springform pan while the pie is made in a regular cake pan because the cake is shorter and does not need to be that high. It also has to chill longer and will often last longer in the fridge, depending on its ingredients.
How to store:
- Refrigerate: Refrigerate for up to five days in an airtight container.
- Freezing: Carefully wrap in plastic and place individually in freezer bags. They can be frozen for up to three months.
- Defrost: Thaw for several hours before serving.
More no bake recipes to try:
Recipe tips:
- Shorten prep time by using a store-bought Oreo pie crust and Cool Whip.
- If the pie does not set right, let it chill longer. It needs at least four hours, but eight hours is better.
- Another reason it may not set properly is if your ingredients do not have enough fat. Be sure they are not fat-free or low-fat.
- Make this pie in advance so it will be ready when you want to serve it.
No-Bake M&M’s Pie
Ingredients
No-Bake Oreo Crust:
- 3 cups oreo crumbs
- 6 tablespoons butter melted
No-Bake M&M’s Chocolate Pie Filling:
- 1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 16 oz milk chocolate chopped
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter melted
- 8 oz cream cheese room temperature
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1 cup M&M’s
Chocolate Ganache:
- 1 1/2 cups chocolate chopped
- 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1/4 cup mini M&M’s
Garnish:
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
- 6 Oreo cookies
- 1/4 cup M&M’s
Instructions
- Grease a 9½-inch pie pan with butter or baking spray. Set aside.
No-Bake Oreo Crust:
- Mix melted butter with Oreo cookie crumbs in a medium-sized bowl until thoroughly combined.
- Press the cookie crumbs mixture into the bottom and up the sides of the pie pan, using a measuring cup to press the cookie crumbs into the pie pan shape. Place the pie pan in the fridge for the crust to harden.
No-Bake Chocolate Pie Filling:
- Add 1 cup of heavy whipping cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract into the bowl of an electric mixer and whip on high until it begins to thicken and holds its shape. Set aside.
- Add the chocolate, the remaining ½ cups of heavy cream, and butter to a microwave-safe bowl and microwave for 1 minute. Stir with a spatula and microwave for another minute until the mixture starts to boil.
- Stir until the chocolate fully melts and the mixture is smooth and shiny.
- Whisk in the cream cheese and peanut butter into the chocolate mixture until thoroughly combined and smooth.
- Fold the whipped cream into the chocolate mixture with a spatula and stir until thoroughly combined.
- Pour the chocolate mixture evenly into the chilled pie crust.
Chocolate Ganache:
- Using a medium microwave-safe bowl, combine the chocolate chips and heavy whipping cream.
- Place into the microwave in increments of 30 seconds until the chocolate chips start to melt.
- Use a whisk and whisk until the chocolate is completely melted and the ganache starts to appear thick.
- Pour the ganache onto the top of the filling and spread evenly with an angled spatula.
- Sprinkle with the chocolate chips and mini M&M's.
- Place into the fridge for another hour or until the chocolate ganache has hardened.
Garnish:
- Add 1 cup of heavy whipping cream and the powdered sugar to the bowl of an electric mixer and whip on high until the mixture begins to thicken and holds its shape.
- Add whipped cream to a piping bag fitted with the star tip and pipe whipped cream onto the pie.
- Top with crushed Oreo cookies and M&M’s.
- Chill for 4-6 hours or overnight. Enjoy!