Virginia peanut pie isn’t a dessert that appears on many menus across the nation. You won’t even find it on many menus across Virginia. But in the Tidewater region—on the eastern edge of the Commonwealth—peanut pie is legendary.
In its early days, the dessert was often referred to as the “poor man’s pecan pie.” But nothing about this pie feels like a compromise. Peanut pie achieves the right amount of sweet and salty, with crunchy, caramelized peanuts set atop a creamy filling and buttery, flaky crust. Plus, those who’ve made both claim that peanut pies are easier to make than pecan pie.