Chocolate Peanut Butter Pretzel Bars
Featuring a tasty combination of peanut butter, chocolate and pretzels, these Chocolate Peanut Butter Pretzel Bars will become a new family favorite!
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What happens when you mix peanut butter, chocolate and crushed pretzels together? You end up with a dessert that takes every ounce of your willpower to keep from eating the entire batch before they’re even sliced into bars.
These Chocolate Peanut Butter Pretzel Bars have been a favorite recipe in our house for years – my grandmother used to make a version of these every Christmas. Aside from the taste, one of the best things about these bars is how easy they are to make. Other than blitzing up a bunch of pretzels in a food processor, there’s nothing to this recipe.
These Chocolate Peanut Butter Pretzel Bars are almost no-bake. You do need to melt the chocolate chips, and while that step isn’t technically ‘baking,’ it does involve heat. Either way, the point remains that this is an easy recipe that doesn’t require you to turn on the oven.
What this recipe does require, though? Chilling in the fridge for a bit to let the bars harden before slicing. As these bars were often made during the holidays, I remember my grandma would set the pan outside on the screened-in porch. It makes sense, right? Fridge space is often at a premium during the holidays, and you’ve got a huge natural refrigerator just outside. As long as the squirrels and other critters can’t get in, then a porch is a great place to let these bars harden.
Chocolate Peanut Butter Pretzel Bars
Chocolate Peanut Butter Pretzel BarsThese bars totally remind of homemade Reese’s cups. The peanut butter base is sweet and salty, and the melted chocolate on top brings it all together. It’s hard to take just one bite of these bars!
Growing up, I remember my grandmother would sometimes crush the pretzels by hand rather than pulverize them into pretzel dust. As a result, the base was a bit crunchier thanks to the small bits of pretzels scattered throughout. Both versions are tasty, and I think I prefer the smoother base but with broken pretzels on top. Either way, pretzels, peanut butter and chocolate go really well together, and I promise these bars will become a favorite in your family, too! Enjoy!
Did you make a batch of these Chocolate Peanut Butter Pretzel Bars? Leave a comment, or snap a photo and tag me on Instagram (@Spicedblog)!
Chocolate Peanut Butter Pretzel Bars
Ingredients
- 8 cups (10 oz.) mini pretzels, divided
- 1 cup unsalted butter melted
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter
- 2 cups confectioner’s sugar
- 1⅓ cups semisweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Line an 8”x8” pan with foil or parchment paper; leave enough excess foil or paper so that it extends over the sides. (Tip: This makes it easy to lift the squares out of the pan later.) Spray parchment paper with non-stick baking spray.
- Set 1 cup of mini pretzels aside for topping squares later.
- Using a food process, pulse the remaining pretzels until finely ground.
- Using a large bowl, add ground pretzels, melted butter, peanut butter and confectioner’s sugar; stir until well combined.
- Press mixture evenly into prepared pan; set pan aside.
- Using a microwave or double-boiler, melt the chocolate chips; stir until smooth. Spread chocolate evenly on top of pretzel mixture.
- Break apart reserved pretzels and place evenly on top of melted chocolate.
- Cover and refrigerate for 1-2 hours before slicing into squares.
Notes
Looking for more chocolate + peanut butter dessert recipes? Check out these other favorites:
Will be making this soon can i use vegan butter i never had chocolate peanut butter pretzel bars before perfect for my after office snacks love your recipes as always brightens up my day everyday after work will dm you if i make this qnd let you know how it goes Thanks Ramya
Hey Ramya! Yes, you can certainly use vegan options here. This is an easy and tasty treat – especially if you like salty + sweet desserts. Let me know what you think!
As you probably know, I am a huge fan of sweet & salty desserts, so these bars are right up my street! That’s why I cannot make them (Because I won’t have any willpower!) But I don’t mind you sending me a few pieces, so I would be able to control myself better. 2 to 16 pieces would be enough LOL.
Yes, I do remember you commenting about salty + sweet before, Ben – this dessert is right up your alley! You should make a batch. Actually, you shouldn’t. It’s way too hard to stop eating these once you start! 🙂 Although I hear these bars help you shovel snow faster…so maybe you should consider a batch…
nothing better than chocolate and PB. especially with a sprinkle of salt. yum.
I hear ya, Sherry! There’s something magical that happens when chocolate and peanut butter meet each other. 🙂
Oh David. Chocolate and peanut butter combined. AND pretzels too? You’ve hit the nail on the head with this amazing Christmas desert! Yum Yum! 🙂
This is definitely a Christmas treat, Neil! Enjoy the holidays…we can eat soup in January. 🙂
Love the combination of sweet and salty — plus the crunch from the pretzels, yum!
The bars have all my favourites in it. So good!
Thank you so much, Taruna! This recipe is super simple…and super delicious! 🙂
I can’t resist salty sweet treats like this, David! I’m almost afraid to make them!
Haha – I totally understand where you’re coming from! These treats did indeed disappear quickly…too quickly. 🙂
Salty, savoury and sweet. Every element on this reipce was well thought of.
Thank you so much, Raymund! This recipe really is quite irresistible! 🙂
Chocolate + peanut butter + pretzels = heaven in my book! YUM.
I hear ya, Nicole – all the good things in one recipe. You can’t go wrong with this one! (Of course, we’re in January detox mode now, so I can only look at these pictures and drool…haha.)