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These no bake peanut butter bars are the perfect treat for any occasion. Think lunch lady bars but with pretzels instead of crackers – the salty sweet combination is out of this world.

stacked peanut butter bars with a layer of chocolate on top with a pretzel.


Peanut Butter Bars with Pretzels

You know when you make something and then the next day you realize you ate the entire pan? (Or is that just me?) Yeah, that was what happened when I made these peanut butter squares. But what can you expect? It’s chocolate and peanut butter… How could you resist THAT?  

I’m all about these no bake peanut butter bars since they only take 10 minutes to put together and the refrigerator does the rest of the work. How easy is that? 

Why you’ll love this recipe

  • Only 5 simple ingredients you may already have
  • Quickly assemble these peanut butter squares in no time at all
  • It’s a crowd-pleaser! Perfect to make for large parties because everyone loves them!
ingredients in pretzel peanut butter bars.

Ingredients Needed

  • Butter: I’m using unsalted butter at room temperature to easily mix ingredients together 
  • Pretzels: use any shape pretzel you like since we will finely crush them 
  • Peanut butter: I recommend no-stir, creamy peanut butter to avoid the mess of natural peanut butter
  • Chocolate chips: any kind of chocolate chips you like work for this. Like milk or sweet chocolate chips. 

Click to see the recipe card below for full ingredients & instructions!

process shot of pretzel peanut butter bars.
process shot of pretzel peanut butter bars.
process shot of pretzel peanut butter bars.
process shot of pretzel peanut butter bars.
process shot of pretzel peanut butter bars.
process shot of pretzel peanut butter bars.

How to make no-bake peanut butter bars

  1. Line a pan with foil or parchment paper and spray with cooking spray.
  2. Mix melted unsalted butter, pretzels, powdered sugar, and 1 cup of peanut butter in a large bowl until combined. 
  3. Press the mixture firmly into the prepared pan.
  4. Heat the chocolate chips and the remaining peanut butter in a microwave-safe bowl in 30-second increments, stirring between each, until melted and smooth.
  5. Pour the chocolate peanut butter over the bars and spread to evenly coat. 
  6. Chill for at least 1 hour to set, and slice into bars. 
stacked peanut butter bars with a layer of chocolate on top with a pretzel.

Expert Tips

  • Be sure to measure the pretzels THEN finely crush them in a food processor or in a large bag with a rolling pin. If you measure the crushed pretzels the mixture will end up being too dry.
  • For a thicker bar, make these in a 9×9-inch pan.
  • Top with candy or chopped pretzels if you want!

FAQs

Why is my mixture too dry?

You may have added too much pretzels to your 

How to store peanut butter bars? 

These no-bake peanut butter bars can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature or in the refrigerator, depending on how warm your house is. 

Can you freeze no-bake peanut butter bars?

Yes. To freeze this no-bake peanut butter recipe, be sure to place your bars in a sealed bag or airtight container. Peanut butter bars stay fresh for up to 1 month if frozen. 

stacked peanut butter bars with a layer of chocolate on top with a pretzel.

No Bake Peanut Butter Pretzel Bars

4.83 from 28 votes
These no-bake bars come together in minutes and are so easy a kid can make them. And they taste better than a peanut butter cup!
Prep Time 10 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Yield 24 bars
Serving Size 1 serving
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Ingredients
 

  • 12 tablespoons (170g) unsalted butter melted
  • 2 cups (70g) pretzels rods or twists , finely crushed
  • 1½ cups (170g) powdered sugar
  • 1¼ cups (300g) creamy peanut butter , divided
  • 1 ½ cups (255g) milk or semi-sweet chocolate chips
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Instructions

  • Line a 9×13” pan with foil and spray with cooking spray.
  • Place melted butter, pretzels, powdered sugar, and 1 cup peanut butter in a large bowl. Mix by hand until combined. Press firmly into prepared pan.
  • Place chocolate chips and remaining 1/4 cup peanut butter in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat on HIGH power in 30 second increments, stirring between each, until melted and smooth. Pour over bars and spread with a spatula to evenly coat. Chill for at least 1 hour to set, slice into bars.
  • These can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature or in the refrigerator, depending on how warm your house is. The chocolate will get melty if it’s too hot, so use your judgement on where you should store them.

Recipe Video

Recipe Notes

  • Be sure to measure the pretzels THEN finely crush them in a food processor or in a large bag with a rolling pin. If you measure the crushed pretzels the mixture will end up being too dry.
  • For a thicker bar, make these in a 9×9-inch pan.

Recipe Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 250kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 16mg | Sodium: 142mg | Potassium: 156mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 181IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 17mg | Iron: 1mg
Nutritional information not guaranteed to be accurate
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Author Dorothy Kern

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Other No Bake Bars



Dorothy Kern

Welcome to Crazy for Crust, where I share recipes that are sometimes crazy, often with a crust, and always served with a slice of life.

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4.83 from 28 votes (16 ratings without comment)

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102 Comments

  2. I love peanut butter bars and even more I love that these are no bake AND they are made with pretzels! If I didn’t just eat ice cream I would totally have made these right now! YUM! Gotta try em.

    Reply

  3. Dorothy
    I made these this morning before I left for work so I dive into them when I got home….  they are AMAZING !

    And EASY, and no bake !?  I do believe this are going to be
    DANGEROUS for sure !  :  ) 

    Reply

  4. Jordan did a great job! So pretty and scrumptious looking! I have got to make these — pretzels, PB and chocolate, now that’s a combination that can’t be beat!

    Reply

  5. I am obsessed with anything peanut butter related so this recipe is definitely one that I need to recreate! These bars look super delicious.. pinned!

    Reply

      1. I need help according to directions! The last ingredient say milk OR chocolate chips? So, is the chocolate chips for the topping? And does that get mixed with the 1/4c. Peanut butter to make like a chocolate “frosting” on top? Then where does the milk come into play at if you don’t use the chocolate chips?

      2. I apologize it should say milk or semi-sweet chocolate chips – I will fix that now. Basically, you can use any kind of chocolate chip you like.