These Chocolate Peanut Butter Pretzel Candies are an easy, no bake treat for the holidays (or any day!)! A crisp chocolate coating is filled with creamy peanut butter filling, chopped salted peanuts and pretzels for the ultimate sweet and salty dessert!
Friends, I have been planning this recipe for a long time. A long, long time.
One day, quite some time ago, I recall being in a grocery store an hour from home long past my girls’ nap time. We had been in the city doing some shopping and were just about ready to head home, and the kids were not going to last much longer.
We survived — barely — and when we were on our way through the cash register I saw a bag of these chocolate peanut butter pretzel cluster type candies. I swear they keep them there for parents shopping with toddlers.
Often I feel the need to reward myself for keeping my cool at times like these (mamas — am I the only one?!?). I grabbed a bag and consumed the whole thing during the drive home while my kids were passed out in their car seats.
It has been on my list to recreate since then, and with Christmas and Thanksgiving and alllll the holidays and family gatherings and gifting coming up, I thought these would be the perfect treat to share!
I mean, if you can share because — I’ll be honest — it’s not easy!
These Chocolate Peanut Butter Pretzel Candies are perfectly sweet and salty, and although they’re not exactly “healthy”, the peanuts and peanut butter do add a good amount of protein, and they say that dark chocolate has tons of antioxidants (<— “they” being my favorite people ever), so I say these little bites are a perfectly reasonable holiday treat!
And honestly, one of these bites post-dinner is really all the dessert you need, which is saying a lot for me because I have a major sweet tooth!
NOTES:
- You know me. I am a recipe risk taker and rule breaker. So when I say there are rules that can’t be broken, there are rules that can’t be broken. To coat candy in chocolate, melt the chocolate in a double boiler (or a makeshift one — that’s all I use!) and do not add anything to it. Use good quality solid chocolate bars, baking chocolate or candy coating wafers. I’m not going to tell you how much seized chocolate I scraped into the garbage while testing this theory for you.
- Feel free to mix up the add ins in this recipe! Try crisped rice cereal, puffed quinoa cereal, corn flakes, dried fruit, etc., etc., etc.. The options are endless!
*This post has been sponsored be The Peanut Bureau of Canada! Thank you for supporting the brands that help me to bring you these tasty treats!
Chocolate Peanut Butter Pretzel Candies
written by Ashley Fehr
Ingredients
- 1 cup peanut butter I used creamy, but chunky would work just as well
- ½ cup powdered icing sugar
- ⅓ cup cream or milk
- ⅔ cup pretzels coarsely crushed
- ½ cup salted peanuts, chopped
- 1½ cups dark chocolate about 150g
- 1½ cups white chocolate about 150g
Instructions
- In a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat together peanut butter, icing sugar, and cream until smooth.
- Stir in the peanuts and pretzels into the peanut butter mixture until evenly distributed.
- Drop the mixture by tablespoonfuls onto a wax paper or parchment paper-lined baking sheet, then freeze them until completely firm. This will take about 1–2 hours.
- Just before removing the candies from the freezer, melt the chocolate and white chocolate with a double boiler (or makeshift one!). Place one inch of water in a small pot and bring to a simmer. Place a larger glass bowl over top (one that will sit on top and not sink down to touch the water) and add the dark chocolate. Stir over the heat until melted. Repeat with the white chocolate in a new bowl.
- Remove the candies from the freezer and coat in the dark chocolate and white chocolate. Let them set slightly on the baking tray before drizzling with extra melted chocolate if desired. Place in the refrigerator or freezer until set.
Notes
Ingredients and Substitutions:
- Peanut butter: I usually use smooth peanut butter for this recipe, but chunky will work as well. I have not tested this recipe with natural peanut butter; it may work somewhat, but the filling will be thinner.
- Chocolate: choose any kind of chocolate you like! I prefer the contrast of a darker chocolate with the sweet peanut butter filling and salty crunch, but you could swap for milk chocolate or even a flavored chocolate if it melts well.
- Pretzels and peanuts: I love the salty crunch to balance out the sweetness! You can also use other chopped nuts, crushed salted potato chips, or dried fruit in the same amount.
Storage
- Store: Store these an airtight container in the refrigerator, they can last for up to two weeks. However, given how delicious they are, they might just disappear faster!
- Freeze: You can keep your homemade candies in the freezer for up to 2 months. Let them thaw slightly at room temperature before serving them.
Nutrition Information
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Mary Anne says
W#hy can’t you just melt the chocolate in the microwave so much easier. can’t wait to try this have lots of peanut butter fans in my family!! Please reply
Nancy says
Hi Ashley these goodies looks so good, lam going to try this recipe.thanks a lot.
Gloria says
I made these today and followed the recipe exactly. The resulting mixture was very runny and they have been in the freezer now for three hours and are not frozen and still runny. Not sure what has happened…
Ashley Fehr says
Hi Gloria! I’m not sure what happened. There isn’t really anything that would be added to the mixture to make it runny, unless it was very warm or you used a natural peanut butter. You are only adding dry ingredients to peanut butter, so you should end up with a mixture firmer than peanut butter before freezing.
Gloria says
What about the 1/2 cup of milk? I think that was the problem.
Ashley Fehr says
Oh sorry! You’re right. There is some liquid added. I’m on holidays now with limited internet. I have never had a problem with the liquid as you add some milk or cream when making a peanut butter buttercream (which is essentially what the filling is) but it shouldn’t be runny. You could try adding more peanut butter or powdered sugar to compensate if you’re running into that problem, and I would make sure your ingredients aren’t warm.
Linda Thom says
I haven’t tryed this yet but I wanted to make sure the 1/2cup of milk is the right amount here as it’s only 1/2 cup of powdered sugar and the peanut butter mixed together before adding the rest of the ingredients????
Ashley Fehr says
If you are using milk you may want to reduce to 1/4 or 1/3 as it will be thinner than cream. You can reduce if you want your filling firmer but since we freeze them before coating it works out just fine.
Kris says
You could try adding some graham cracker crumbs to stiffen them up a bit or some finely crushed vanilla wafers.
Jessica @ A Kitchen Addiction says
I can’t resist the sweet and salty combo! These candies have all my favorites!
Joyce says
Looks good
Sarah @ The Gold Lining Girl says
YES! The combo here! I love an epic sweet & salty combo like this, and peanut butter with pretzel is one of my all-time faves! These totally warrant a spot on a holiday treat platter. Can’t believe we are talking about the HOLIDAYS!!
Sarah @Whole and Heavenly Oven says
Oh gosh, this is just like the PERFECT combo of candy! I mean, how could you ever beat chocolate, peanut butter, and pretzels all hanging out in a gorgeous little bite like this?? I wanna have 5 of these for breakfast NOW.
Ashley Fehr says
They definitely did not last long here! Thanks Sarah!
Medha says
These candies look like sweet, salty, chocolatey heaven 🙂 Love it!
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks Medha!
Zainab says
They look amazing!! I love the video too. Great combination of chocolate, pb and pretzels.
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks Zainab!
Kelly says
Lol, yes, I definitely think they put all the sweet treats right near the check-out lanes on purpose. Love your yummy and healthier homemade version of these! The sweet and salty combo is the best! So perfect for the holidays or anytime after the kiddos go to bed 😉
Ashley Fehr says
Haha! I’m not sure they’re any healthier but homemade is definitely best, right?! I need to keep a batch on hand for those near-meltdown moments!
Dorothy Dunton says
Hi Ashley! I send goodies to my far away friends at Christmas and these would be perfect! Classic combo of flavors and textures!
Ashley Fehr says
Yes, they are perfect for gift-giving! Thanks Dorothy!
Megan @ Skinny Fitalicious says
Oh, do these ever look good! I could devour a whole batch of these today.
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks Megan! I probably would if I had some — it is Monday! Lol
Rachel @ Bakerita says
Oooh I’m with Gayle, these totally remind of a Take 5 bar which are the BEST! These look so scrumptious – I want to devour one or a few… 🙂
Ashley Fehr says
Now I feel like I’m missing out — which one of you is going to send me a box for Christmas?!? 😉
Gayle @ Pumpkin 'N Spice says
Mmm these look SO good, Ashley! This is very similar to a favorite candy bar of mine, Take 5. It has pretzels, peanut butter and chocolate. Love your version and this would be perfect for the holidays!
Ashley Fehr says
We don’t have those here! It is definitely one of my favorite new combinations — just SO good!
Jess @ Sweetest Menu says
These look magical Ashley! ALL my favourite things – peanut butter, pretzels AND chocolate!
Ashley Fehr says
Mine too! Thanks Jess!