Peanut Butter Pretzel Pie

With a toasted and buttery pretzel crust, a peanut butter-flavored filling and a shiny chocolate ganache topping, our peanut butter pretzel pie is a masterpiece. Sweet-and-savory desserts offer the best of both worlds and, here, a salty-sweet pretzel dessert meets an equally flavored chocolate-peanut butter cup. This is the perfect treat for anyone who isn’t into unctuous, cloyingly sweet baked goods and, instead, finds the beauty in flavor and texture complexity.

Ingredients for Peanut Butter Pretzel Pie

• Pretzel crust: To create crushed pretzels, place the pretzels in a food processor and pulse them until fine crumbs form. A few larger pieces are acceptable and even add a nice texture, but most of the mixture should be a fine crumb. However, don’t overdo it—they become powder.
• Gelatin: Unflavored gelatin powder is normally found in the baking aisle. I like the Knox brand, but use whatever you prefer.
• Creamy peanut butter: The peanut butter should be a no-stir creamy peanut butter. Grab a jar of the best peanut butter for a high-quality peanut butter taste. Avoid natural peanut butter, as it may separate the filling.
• Butter: You’ll need butter for two components: the pretzel crust and the peanut butter filling. The butter should be melted for the crust, but the butter for the filling needs to be only softened to room temperature.
• Cream cheese: Soften the cream cheese by taking it out of the fridge 30 minutes before starting the recipe. This is a good time to take the butter out too.
• Heavy whipping cream: Heavy whipping cream thins the peanut butter filling and helps melt down the chocolate chips for the gorgeous ganache.
• Milk chocolate chips: Milk chocolate chips melt with heavy whipping cream to create a chocolate ganache for the top of the pie. Feel free to use semisweet or dark chocolate if you prefer.

Directions

Step 1: Mix the pretzel crust

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Combine the crushed pretzels and 1/3 cup sugar with the melted butter. Using the bottom of a glass or a measuring cup, press the pretzel mixture onto the bottom and up the sides of a greased 9-inch deep-dish pie plate.

Editor’s Tip: Avoid packing down the pretzel mixture with the glass or measuring cup. Packing will make it almost impossible to cut through when serving. Instead, lightly press the mixture into the mold.

Step 2: Bake the crust

Bake the pretzel crust until it’s set and lightly golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Take the pie out of the oven and place it on a wire rack to cool completely to room temperature.

Step 3: Bloom the gelatin

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Meanwhile, sprinkle the gelatin powder over cold water in a microwave-safe bowl. Let the gelatin stand for five minutes to bloom.

Step 4: Whip the peanut butter filling

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In a large bowl, use a hand mixer or stand mixer to beat the peanut butter, softened butter, cream cheese and remaining sugar until smooth and lump-free.

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Gradually beat in 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream.

Editor’s Tip: Take a moment to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure everything is incorporated.

Step 5: Melt the gelatin

Microwave the gelatin on high until it’s completely melted and homogenous, 10 to 20 seconds.

Step 6: Pour into the crust

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Stir the melted gelatin into the peanut butter mixture until they’re well-combined. Pour the peanut butter filling into the room-temperature pretzel crust. Use a mini offset spatula to spread it out evenly, if needed.

Step 7: Melt the chocolate and heavy whipping cream

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Microwave the milk chocolate chips and remaining heavy whipping cream on high in 30-second intervals. Stir in between intervals, and continue melting and stirring until the mixture is smooth. Allow the mixture to cool slightly at room temperature.

Editor’s Tip: Chocolate can burn easily in the microwave, so it’s extremely important to microwave in 30-second intervals and stir in between each.

Step 8: Spread the chocolate mixture on top

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Spread the chocolate mixture over the peanut butter filling. If desired, decorate with additional crushed or whole pretzels.

Step 9: Chill the pie

Cover the pretzel peanut butter pie, then pop it in the fridge until the filling and topping are set, about three hours.

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Peanut Butter Pretzel Pie Variations

• Change the crust: For a sweeter pie, forgo the pretzel crust for a graham cracker crust or Oreo pie crust.
• Try another nut butter: Instead of peanut butter, try hazelnut butter, almond butter or cashew butter. Fans of crunchy peanut butter can reach for a jar of that too!
• Go nut-free: It’s super easy to make our peanut butter pretzel pie recipe nut-free. Sunflower seed butter is a great alternative to peanut butter.
• Make it gluten-free: Avoiding gluten? Simply use gluten-free pretzels in place of regular ones. Also, double-check all packaged ingredients to ensure they’re gluten-free. Even naturally gluten-free foods may have been processed in a facility that handles wheat or gluten. Depending on the severity of the allergy, you’ll need to check that.
• Add toppings: Have fun here! Sprinkle the top with finishing salt like Maldon, or swoosh clouds of Cool Whip on top. Arrange pretzels, peanut butter-stuffed pretzels or mini Reese’s peanut butter cups all over. Or, drizzle the pie with melted peanut butter, dulce de leche or caramel.

How to Store Peanut Butter Pretzel Pie

Store pretzel-crusted peanut butter pie covered tightly with storage wrap. If there’s only a little bit of pie left, store slices in an airtight container to save room in the fridge. It can last in the fridge for up to two days. Keep in mind, though, that the crust will become soggy the longer it sits.

Can you make peanut butter pretzel pie ahead of time?

Yes, you can make peanut butter pie with pretzel crust ahead of time, but only by a day at most. As the pie sits, the pretzel crust gets soggy, so it’s best eaten fresh. However, if you’re really pressed for time, make it the night before or morning of serving.

Peanut Butter Pretzel Pie Tips

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Why are there bits of stringy gelatin in my pie?

There will be bits of stringy gelatin in the peanut butter filling if you did not melt the gelatin all the way. The gelatin must be completely melted and homogenous before it’s stirred into the peanut butter.

Why is my pretzel crust falling?

Your pretzel crust may fall if the pretzels are too ground up or not ground up enough. They should be ground finely, but a few large pieces are OK for texture. Also, make sure the pretzel crust is baked until it’s slightly crisped and browned.

What is the best pie dish for peanut butter pretzel pie?

Use a deep-dish 9-inch pie pan for a peanut butter pretzel pie recipe. It’s important that the pie pan is deep dish, otherwise the pretzel crust will take up too much room and there will be hardly any space for the peanut butter filling.