This Peanut Brittle Pie replicates the exact flavors of the candy, but replaces the crisp snap of brittle with a lusciously soft caramel tinged with 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 muscles once in a while. They say you’re also supposed to be very precise when baking, but my “throw it all together haphazardly” method seems to contradict that. In particular, I seem to enjoy baking pies, as evidenced by this Peanut Brittle Pie.

If you’re one of those people who shies away from baking due to the degree of difficulty, do not fret. Thankfully, this recipe is extremely forgiving and outrageously easy—totaling 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 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!

Prep Time: 20 min. Cook Time: 25–30 min. Yields: 9″ pie

What You’ll Need to Make Sweet and Salty Peanut Brittle Pie:

• 9″ pie crust
• 4 ounces butter
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 14 ounces sweetened condensed milk
• 1/2 tsp fleur de sel* or other course ground salt to taste
• 1/2 cup roasted salted peanuts
* Fleur de sel is fancy French salt that has a chunky grain, usually used in salted caramel desserts. You can use any salt in its place, but you must salt to taste according to the type and brand you use.

* For an easy metric conversion chart, search the Internet for “metric kitchen.”

What You’ll Do To Make Sweet and Salty Peanut Brittle Pie:

1. Preheat oven to 320° F.
2. In a small frying pan, toast the peanuts (without any oil) until they become fragrant and begin to turn golden.
3. Prepare pie crust in a pie tin; crimp edges.
4. In a saucepan, melt the butter, then add the brown sugar. Cook for 2 minutes or until bubbling.
5. Pour in the condensed milk, and whisk the whole mixture until it thickens slightly, about 5 minutes.
6. Add the salt to the caramel mixture; stir to combine.
7. Pour the mixture into the pie crust and scatter toasted peanuts on top.
8. Bake for 25–30 minutes until golden brown on top.
9. Allow to cool completely before serving.