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Chocolate Peanut Butter Pretzel Bars

These irresistible no-bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Pretzel Bars are sure to satisfy the sweet and salty fans in your life. They’re delicious year-round whether you need something scrumptious for the holidays or a warm weather sweet fix.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Pretzel Bars

Easy Chocolate Peanut Butter Pretzel Bars Recipe

Sweet and salty flavor combinations are forever a family favorite so I’m constantly looking for inspiration to create the next cookie bar superstar. I came across this recipe from Nestle and fell in love. Any no bake, sweet and salty treat that using chocolate and peanut butter is a no brainer dessert to make and cook’s of all skill levels can make it. Ingredients to make no bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Pretzel Bars:

  • Peanut Butter – Two cups of creamy peanut butter.
  • Sugar – Two cups of powdered sugar.
  • Butter – Salted or unsalted butter.
  • Flavoring – Vanilla extract.
  • Pretzels – Chopped pretzels. You can use any shape, finely chopped.
  • Chocolate – One 12 ounce package semi sweet chocolate chips. You could also use milk chocolate chips or dark chocolate chips.
  • Peanuts – Dry roasted peanuts.
Chocolate Peanut Butter Pretzel Bars

How to Make the BEST Chocolate Peanut Butter Pretzel Bars

  • Kitchen tools you’ll need: Medium bowl, 9 x 9 inch baking pan or baking dish, hand mixer or stand mixer, nut chopper or sharp knife and cutting board, food processor, measuring cups and spoons, microwave-safe bowl or double boiler to melt the chocolate.
  • How to make Peanut Butter Pretzel Bars:
  • Pan – Line a 9 x 9-inch pan with aluminum foil leaving enough overhang to remove from the pan. Spray lightly with cooking spray.
  • First Layer – Beat beat together peanut butter, 1 cup powdered sugar, softened butter and vanilla until smooth. By hand mix in crushed pretzels, 1 cup powdered sugar and 1/2 cup semi sweet chocolate chips. Stir until fully moistened.
  • Press the peanut butter mixture evenly into the prepared pan.
  • Chocolate Layer – In a microwave safe bowl, melt the remaining semi-sweet chocolate chips and 3/4 cup peanut butter in 30-second intervals. Stir until completely smooth. Pour the melted chocolate over the peanut butter pretzel layer and spread evenly.
  • Garnish – Sprinkle the top with the remaining 1/2 cup broken pretzels and chopped peanuts. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours to set. You could place into the freezer to speed up the process.
  • Use foil to lift the bars from the pan. Use a sharp knife to cut into squares and serve. Store chilled.
  • You can put the pretzels into a large plastic bag and use a rolling pin to crush.
  • These bars could be made in a 13 x 9 inch pan but please note they will be very thin. I highly recommend making them in a 9 x 9 inch pan instead.
  • It’s also very important to give these bars time to set-up before you attempt to cut them. Take the time to chill them thoroughly and also store leftovers chilled. I found that the bars held together better and they’ll cut into prettier pieces as well.
  • This recipe is easy, with the bonus of being no-bake and made with ingredients I typically already have on hand. That makes these bars even sweeter.
  • Store No Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Pretzel Bars in an airtight container chilled in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Chocolate Peanut Butter Pretzel Bars

More No Bake Desserts to Make

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Chocolate Peanut Butter Pretzel Bars

Prep Time15 minutes
Chilling time4 hours
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American, Southern
Keyword: chocolate-peanut-butter-pretzel-bars, easy-bar-recipes, no-bake-desserts
Servings: 24 bars
Calories: 240kcal
Author: Melissa Sperka

Ingredients

  • 2 cup creamy peanut butter divided
  • 2 cup powdered sugar divided
  • 3/4 cup butter softened
  • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • 3 1/2 cup roughly chopped pretzels divided
  • 1 12 oz package semi sweet chocolate chips, divided
  • 1/2 cup roughly chopped dry roasted peanuts

Instructions

  • Line a 9 x 9-inch pan or baking dish with heavy duty aluminum foil leaving enough overhang to remove from the pan. Spray lightly with cooking spray.
  • In a large mixing bowl, use a mixer to beat together 1 1/4 cup peanut butter, 1 cup powdered sugar, 1 1/2 sticks softened butter and vanilla until smooth.
  • By hand mix in 3 cup chopped pretzels, 1 cup powdered sugar and 1/2 cup chocolate chips. Stir until fully moistened. Press peanut butter pretzel mixture evenly into the pan.
  • In a microwave safe bowl, melt the remaining chocolate chips and 3/4 cup peanut butter in 30-second intervals. Repeat stirring until completely smooth. Pour over the pretzel bars and spread evenly.
  • Sprinkle the top with the remaining 1/2 cup broken pretzels and chopped peanuts. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours to set. You can freeze to speed up the process.
  • Use foil to lift from pan. Use a sharp knife to cut into squares and serve. Store chilled for up to 5 days.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 240kcal | Carbohydrates: 24g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 15mg | Sodium: 318mg | Potassium: 178mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 177IU | Calcium: 15mg | Iron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @melissassk or tag #melissassk!

11 Comments

  1. I just made these in an 8×8 pan. When I pulled them out of the fridge to cut them, the bottom totally fell apart. I was going to bring them to work tomorrow, but they are so crumbly and soft, it would be embarrassing to serve them. They taste okay but are are VERY sweet. I know another poster had issues with the 9×13 pan, but I feel that size pan may have worked better because the bottom layer wouldn’t have been so thick. Not sure what happened, but I probably won’t be making these again.

    1. You have to use quality ingredients if you want the best results. All peanut butter isn’t created equal, unfortunately.

  2. I made a double batch in a 10×13 pan. I put it in the fridge overnight, and cut it into bars in the morning. I let it sit on the counter for a bit as when I first tried to cut them, they wanted to crumble a bit. The bottom layer was firm and together well. But oh holy moly are these ever sweet! My suggestion is to cut the bars small, as a little goes a loooong way! So good though, so so good! My peanut butter lovers are in heaven!

  3. I just made this recipe yesterday as it’s been taunting me for two weeks! I made it in the 9×13 pan instead of 8×8 and I know that made it a bit thin but I refrigerated it overnight before cutting into squares. The bottom layer, even straight from the fridge, was kind of soft and gooey and almost like it wasn’t set. Is this because it was thin? Would it have held up better in the 8×8 thicker squares? I brought them to work and everyone loves the recipe, as do I, but I was a little disappointed that we almost have to eat them with a spoon.

    1. I’ve never had that issue at all however, I haven’t made these in a larger pan. The issue may have been that the chocolate layer, which is the “glue” was too thin and not the bottom layer. I can’t imagine otherwise why the bottom layer would have been as you describe. If you need a double batch I would make them as directed in 2 (8×8-inch) pans.

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