Reese’s peanut butter cups are a beloved candy made of chocolate and peanut butter. They are delicious on their own, but can also be incorporated into desserts like pies, cheesecakes, and ice cream. One popular dessert is the Reese’s peanut butter cup pie – a rich, chocolatey pie with a Reese’s peanut butter cup filling. But with all that chocolate and peanut butter, just how many calories are in one slice of Reese’s peanut butter cup pie?
Calories in Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups
To determine how many calories are in a Reese’s peanut butter cup pie, we first need to know the calorie count of the main ingredient – Reese’s peanut butter cups. According to the nutrition information on the Reese’s website, one standard size peanut butter cup (about 1.5 ounces) contains:
- 210 calories
- 12 grams of fat
- 9 grams of sugar
- 3 grams of protein
So one peanut butter cup packs a decent amount of calories and fat into a small package. The calorie count comes from the chocolate, peanut butter, and sugar in the candy.
Typical Recipe for Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup Pie
Reese’s peanut butter cup pie recipes can vary, but a typical recipe includes:
- A graham cracker or Oreo cookie crust
- A filling with cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla, and egg
- 16-24 full-size Reese’s peanut butter cups, chopped, divided between the filling and topping
- Chocolate and peanut butter drizzle on top
The crust and filling provide extra calories and fat in addition to the rich Reese’s peanut butter cups.
Calories in Pie Crust
The pie crust provides a base layer of calories. A graham cracker crust would have:
- About 132 calories per 2 ounce serving
- Depending on the brand, roughly 5-7 grams of fat per serving
- About 18 grams of carbohydrates
An Oreo cookie crust would clock in a bit higher:
- About 160 calories per 2 ounce serving
- 8 grams of fat
- 22 grams of carbs
So the crust alone accounts for 130-160 calories per slice.
Calories in the Pie Filling
The creamy peanut butter-chocolate filling also adds a hefty amount of calories and fat. A typical filling might contain:
- 8 ounces cream cheese
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon vanilla
- 12 chopped Reese’s peanut butter cups
Let’s break this down:
- Cream cheese: About 100 calories and 10g fat per ounce, so 8 ounces would be 800 calories and 80g fat
- Powdered sugar: About 115 calories per 1/2 cup
- Egg: 70 calories
- Vanilla: Negligible calories
- 12 chopped peanut butter cups: About 210 x 12 = 2520 calories and 144g fat
In total, the filling has about 3605 calories and 224g fat.
Calories for 16 Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups
Many Reese’s peanut butter cup pie recipes call for 16 full size peanut butter cups total. If 12 get chopped up and mixed into the filling, that leaves 4 more peanut butter cups to chop up and sprinkle on top of the pie.
4 peanut butter cups x 210 calories each = 840 additional calories
Calories of Drizzle and Toppings
To finish it off, the peanut butter cup pie gets drizzled with chocolate and peanut butter before serving. Just a couple tablespoons of each can tack on a few hundred extra calories:
- 2 tablespoons peanut butter: about 190 calories and 16g fat
- 2 tablespoons chocolate sauce: around 104 calories and 2g fat
That’s nearly 300 additional calories just from the drizzle.
Total Calories per Slice
Putting it all together:
- Crust: 132-160 calories
- Filling: 3605 calories
- Topping peanut butter cups: 840 calories
- Drizzle: 294 calories
The total calories per slice of Reese’s peanut butter cup pie falls between 4871-4899 calories.
That’s an astronomical amount for one slice of pie!
Calorie Breakdown per Slice
Here is the full calorie breakdown for a slice of Reese’s peanut butter cup pie:
| Pie Component | Calories | Fat (g) | Carbs (g) | Protein (g) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Graham cracker crust (2oz) | 132 | 5 | 18 | 2 |
| Filling (8oz cream cheese, 1/2 cup powdered sugar, 1 egg, 1 tbsp vanilla, 12 chopped Reese’s cups) | 3605 | 224 | 385 | 68 |
| 4 topping peanut butter cups | 840 | 48 | 52 | 12 |
| Drizzle (2 tbsp peanut butter, 2 tbsp chocolate sauce) | 294 | 18 | 17 | 8 |
| Total Per Slice | 4871 | 295 | 472 | 90 |
How Many Calories Should You Eat Per Day?
To put this in perspective, the recommended daily calorie intake for an average adult is around 2000-2500 calories per day. So enjoying one slice of Reese’s peanut butter cup pie would use up nearly 2 days worth of calories in a single serving!
Here are some examples of recommended daily calorie intakes:
- Women: 1600-2400 calories per day
- Men: 2000-3000 calories per day
Of course, calorie needs vary depending on age, activity level, and other factors. But no matter who you are, a slice of Reese’s peanut butter cup pie far exceeds anyone’s recommended daily caloric intake.
Nutritional Pros and Cons
Clearly, Reese’s peanut butter cup pie is extremely high in calories, fat, and sugar. Each slice contains:
Pros:
- Protein from the peanut butter cups and eggs
- Carbohydrates from the crust and sugar
- Some calcium from the cream cheese
Cons:
- Extremely high in calories, total fat, saturated fat, trans fat, sodium, and sugar
- Low in nutrients like fiber, vitamins, and minerals
While the peanut butter provides some protein, the pie is lacking in nutrients and almost guarantees to exceed your daily recommended intake for calories, fat, and sugar.
Ways to Make It Healthier
Here are some tips for lightening up a Reese’s peanut butter cup pie:
- Use reduced-fat or fat-free cream cheese in the filling
- Substitute sugar-free chocolate chips or cocoa powder for some of the Reese’s cups
- Use a whole grain graham cracker crust
- Reduce the amount of chocolate drizzle on top
- Enjoy a sliver instead of a whole slice!
While these tweaks can help reduce the calorie count, the pie will still be very high in sugar and fat. So it’s best enjoyed in moderation.
Healthier Peanut Butter Dessert Alternatives
If you’re looking for a peanut butter dessert that’s lower in calories, sugar, and fat, consider these options instead of Reese’s peanut butter cup pie:
- Peanut butter banana smoothie with milk and Greek yogurt
- Peanut butter protein balls or energy bites made with oats, honey, cocoa powder, and protein powder
- Peanut butter nice cream made by blending frozen bananas with peanut butter and milk
- Peanut butter apple slices
- Peanut butter and celery sticks
- Peanut butter, banana, and dark chocolate quesadilla
These all provide the peanut butter flavor you crave in a healthier, more nutritious package. Portion size will still be key, but they are vastly lower in calories than an entire slice of Reese’s peanut butter cup pie.
Conclusion
A Reese’s peanut butter cup pie is an indulgent, delicious dessert. However, each slice of pie contains nearly 5000 calories and 295g of fat, blowing away any person’s recommended daily calorie intake. While the peanut butter provides some protein, the pie is lacking in essential nutrients and fiber. If enjoyed occasionally and in moderation, a small slice of Reese’s peanut butter cup pie can be a fun treat. However, be mindful of portion size and accompaniments to minimize the calorie impact. For a healthier peanut butter fix, smoothies, energy bites, fresh fruit with nut butter, and other alternatives can help satisfy your craving in a more nutritious way.