Stuffed with a creamy peanut butter filling and dipped in melted chocolate, these chocolate peanut butter pretzel bites are the perfect marriage of sweet and salty. Only 6 ingredients and 1 hour stand between you and a batch of the tastiest afternoon snack.
One reader, Michele, says: “I have made these before for two different parties. They are such a hit, they disappear within minutes and people are begging for the recipe! This one is a winner every time! ★★★★★“
An ode to pretzels. I’m not talking about soft pretzels (although I’ll never turn down a batch of those), but the bag pretzel twists you find in the snack aisle. Besides being a crunchy snack, pretzels happen to be a totally unassuming baking ingredient! They shine as an add-in in these chewy chocolate-covered pretzel cookies and butterscotch pretzel chocolate chip cookies. When they’re all crushed up, pretzels make for an incredibly tasty crust in my strawberry no-bake cheesecake pie. And let’s not forget about these mega-popular seasoned pretzels. So good!
Pretzels can also be the “bread” in chocolate-dipped peanut butter sandwich snacks. Who knew?! Talk about versatility!
Tell Me About These Chocolate Peanut Butter Pretzel Bites
- Sweet and salty
- Crunchy and creamy
- Simple and quick recipe with only 6 ingredients
- Easily doubled (a necessity when they disappear as quickly as these do!)
- A fun kid-friendly baking recipe (but there’s no baking involved) and bite-sized party snack. Serve alongside Oreo balls for a full spread of sweet snacks!
- Your new favorite no-bake recipe
Best Ingredients to Use & Why
These chocolate peanut butter pretzel bites could not be easier. The next time you’re at the store, grab these ingredients:
- Pretzels: Square pretzels (pictured here) or mini pretzel twists work best. Use your favorite brand.
- Peanut Butter: The peanut butter filling in these bites is very similar to the filling I use in these peanut butter balls and peanut butter eggs. For best taste and texture, I recommend using creamy processed peanut butter like Jif or Skippy. Avoid natural-style peanut butter—the filling will be drier and crumblier that way.
- Butter
- Confectioners’ Sugar
- Brown Sugar: The combination of confectioners’ sugar and brown sugar gives the filling a similar texture to a peanut butter cup’s filling.
- Baking Chocolate: Grab two 4-ounce baking chocolate bars for dipping. I usually use semi-sweet, but you can use dark, white, or even milk chocolate if preferred. Ghirardelli or Baker’s brands are my top choices (not sponsored, just a genuine fan!). Candy melts, chocolate dipping wafers, or almond bark will also work, but avoid chocolate chips. They contain stabilizers, which prevent them from fully melting—that’s why they work great in chocolate chip cookies, but aren’t ideal as a melted chocolate coating.
Success Tips for Chocolate Peanut Butter Pretzel Bites
- After sandwiching the peanut butter filling with the pretzels, place them on a baking sheet and pop them in the freezer (for 20–30 minutes) or the refrigerator (for an hour). This chill time will prevent the filling from getting too soft while handling them during the dipping. Use this time to chop and prepare your melted chocolate.
- Once the pretzel bites have been dipped in chocolate, return them to the refrigerator to help set the chocolate. I recommend the same process for regular chocolate-covered pretzels, too.
- Make a double batch. These disappear before your eyes!
If you love salty-sweet pretzel snacks, you might enjoy these cookie dough pretzel bites and pretzel hugs as well.
PrintChocolate Covered Peanut Butter Pretzel Bites
- Prep Time: 45 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 30 bites
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
Stuffed with a creamy peanut butter filling and dipped in melted chocolate, these salty-sweet chocolate peanut butter pretzel bites are completely irresistible. I’ve never regretted making a double batch!
Ingredients
- 1 cup (250g) creamy peanut butter
- 2 Tablespoons (28g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1/2 cup (60g) confectioners’ sugar
- 3/4 cup (150g) packed light or dark brown sugar
- 60 small pretzels (square or mini twists)
- 8 ounces (226g) semi-sweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
Instructions
- Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Set aside. Make sure you have enough room in your freezer for the baking sheet or use the refrigerator in step 3.
- Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the peanut butter and butter together on medium speed. If you don’t have a mixer, just use a spoon and some arm muscle. Stir or beat in confectioners’ sugar and brown sugar until a thick dough forms.
- Roll peanut butter dough into 30 small balls. Mixture can be sticky, so do your best. If it seems impossibly sticky, mix in 1/4 cup (30g) confectioners’ sugar.
- Sandwich peanut butter balls between two pretzels and place on prepared baking sheet. Freeze for 20–30 minutes, or refrigerate for 1 hour.
- While the pretzel bites are chilling, melt chopped chocolate in a double boiler or in 20-second increments in the microwave, stopping and stirring after each increment until smooth. Dip the pretzel bites halfway into the melted chocolate and place bite back on baking sheet. Refrigerate pretzel bites for at least 10–20 minutes to set the chocolate.
- Cover and store pretzel bites in the refrigerator for up to 10 days. Bites can be frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
Notes
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Baking Sheet | Silicone Baking Mat or Parchment Paper | Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand Mixer) | Double Boiler or Glass Mixing Bowl
- Peanut Butter: For best taste and texture, I recommend using creamy processed peanut butter like Jif or Skippy. Avoid natural-style peanut butter—the filling will be drier and crumblier that way.
- Chocolate: For the best results, use the bars of pure baking chocolate, not chocolate chips. I prefer Baker’s or Ghirardelli brands. You can use semi-sweet, bittersweet, white, or even milk chocolate. Candy melts, chocolate dipping wafers (such as Ghirardelli brand), or almond bark work too. Do not use chocolate chips, as they contain stabilizers preventing them from melting into the proper consistency for dipping/dunking.