Skip to Content

No Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Pretzel Pie

Sharing is caring!

Salty and sweet, this light no bake chocolate peanut butter pretzel pie makes a great special dessert on a hot day! #dessertideas #nobake #peanutbutter #chocolate #easypies #easyrecipe #foodideas

Salty and sweet, this light no bake chocolate peanut butter pretzel pie makes a great special dessert on a hot day!

Salty and sweet, this light no bake chocolate peanut butter pretzel pie makes a great special dessert on a hot day! * Recipe on GoodieGodmother.com #nobake #easypierecipe #peanutbutter #chocolatepeanutbutter

There is something special about the combination of peanut butter and chocolate. Maybe it’s the nostalgia from childhood candy, or just the salty sweet goodness, but it’s one of the best flavor combinations in the world to me. So when I was thinking of a great dessert to make, a no bake chocolate peanut butter pretzel pie seemed like a perfect choice!

I’ve actually been working on a chocolate and pretzel pie for a little while – even taking photos. But something didn’t feel quite right, and that’s because the dessert needed a layer! As soon as I added the peanut butter layer to this easy no bake pie, we had a winning dessert. You’ll love it because it’s easy to make, beautiful plated, and tastes so decadent!

How do I make a pretzel pie crust?

Changing up the pie crust from a classic graham cracker crust really takes this chocolate peanut butter pie to the next level. Imagine a peanut butter cup with a pretzel on top… salty sweet perfection.

The only catch? You can’t buy pretzel crumbs in the baking aisle! So, we have 2 ways to make your crumbs for a pretzel crust.

finished no bake pretzel crust pie

The first is the easiest, using a food processor. Measure out your pretzels, then pulse until you have a fine crumb. You may have a few slightly larger pieces, but that’s usually okay.

The second option, which requires a little more work, is to manually crush the pretzels. Place the pretzels in a freezer-weight gallon plastic bag, remove as much air as possible, and use a rolling pin to crush the pretzels. You’ll have to flip the bag a few times and turn it in different directions to ensure an even crush, but it works! And the bonus is that you have less dishes!

Let’s talk pie filling…

This layered pie filling is dreamy! I am very tempted to use it in individual parfaits sometime in the future as an alternative way to present this pie recipe. Both layers of the filling are just delicious.

layered no bake pie recipe no gelatin

First, you have a layer of whipped chocolate ganache. The ganache is loose, with a high cream to chocolate ratio, so it stays nice and soft in the refrigerator. The whipped chocolate almost has a consistency like mousse, but much much easier to make.

Then, you top the pie with a stabilized peanut butter whipped cream. I’ll repeat… PEANUT BUTTER WHIPPED CREAM! All the emphasis is needed here as this was probably the most popular layer of pie at a recent dinner party. Cream cheese acts as an easy stabilizer for the whipped cream, which keeps it light and fluffy. A big scoop of peanut butter adds the perfect amount of flavor. This is one of the best flavored whipped cream recipes I think I’ve ever tried.

A quick note about stabilizing whipped cream:

For this recipe, I use cream cheese because I almost always have on hand. If you’d prefer, you can substitute mascarpone, or use the gelatin method for stabilizing your cream cheese. Just don’t skip a stabilizer!

easy no bake holiday pie recipe

I recommend a stabilizing agent for your cream cheese so that it holds its shape for a little while. Without a stabilizer, you could only assemble the pie within a few hours of serving so the whipped cream doesn’t deflate. All whipped creams begin to deflate after a few hours in the refrigerator. The stabilizer helps prevent this. As written, you could make the pie as early as the day before serving, with no significant loss in quality.

I need more chocolate and peanut butter recipes!

You can really tell how much I love peanut butter and chocolate together with the number of recipes on the blog! There’s a chocolate peanut butter caramel cake, chocolate peanut butter brownies, an easy chocolate peanut butter sheet cake, and these soft and chewy chocolate peanut butter cookies. All delicious and made when the chocolate and peanut butter craving hits!

peanut butter cup pie recipe on a fork

I hope you enjoy this no bake chocolate peanut butter pretzel pie, darlings! It’s a perfect no bake pie recipe for peanut butter cup lovers.

Salty and sweet, this light no bake chocolate peanut butter pretzel pie makes a great special dessert on a hot day! * Recipe on GoodieGodmother.com #nobake #easypierecipe #peanutbutter #chocolatepeanutbutter

No Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Pretzel Pie

Yield: 8 servings
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

Crust

  • 3 cups miniature pretzels, crushed
  • 3 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 6 tablespoons butter, melted

Chocolate Layer

  • 8 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate
  • 2 cups heavy cream
  • 1 tablespoon butter, softened

Peanut Butter Whipped Cream

  • 2 cups heavy whipping cream, chilled
  • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
  • 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

Garnish (optional)

  • extra pretzels
  • mini chocolate chips
  • chopped peanuts

Instructions

  1. Crush the pretzels into a fine crumb using either a food processor or by placing the pretzels in a heavy duty plastic bag and using a rolling pin.
  2. In a large bowl, combine the pretzel crumbs with the brown sugar. Stir to combine. Pour in the melted butter, and mix until all the crumbs have been moistened.
  3. Press the crust into a 9-inch pie dish, pressing evenly around the bottom and up the sides. Place in the refrigerator.
  4. To make the chocolate layer, chop your chocolate (if not using chips), and place in a heat proof bowl.
  5. Bring the 2 cups of heavy cream just to a simmer over medium heat. Remove immediately and pour over the chocolate. Allow to sit 5 minutes.
  6. Add the butter to the chocolate, and making small circles with a spatula, stir until the ganache is smooth and shiny. This will take a few minutes.
  7. If the ganache is still warm, set aside, stirring every 5 minutes or so, until completely cool.
  8. Use a hand mixer, or transfer to the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, to whip the ganache. You are looking for a slight lightening in color and a point where it just holds its shape. Don't over-whip or it will become grainy.
  9. Pour the chocolate ganache layer into your pie and refrigerate.
  10. In a clean bowl, whip your cream cheese on medium speed until light and fluffy. Scrape the sides of the bowl.
  11. Add your whipped cream, sugar, and peanut butter. Start whipping on low speed, working your way up to medium, slowly, as the ingredients incorporate. Scrape the bowl as needed. Whip to firm peaks.
  12. Top the chocolate layer of the pie with your peanut butter whipped cream. Garnish and refrigerate until ready to serve. May be made up to a day in advance. Enjoy!

Did this recipe inspire you?

Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Instagram

Salty and sweet, this light no bake chocolate peanut butter pretzel pie makes a great special dessert on a hot day! #dessertideas #nobake #peanutbutter #chocolate #easypies #easyrecipe #foodideas

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Shrn

Tuesday 27th of June 2023

Would this work ok with natural creamy peanut butter or do I have to get the kind with added sugar and palm oil and stuff?

Mary (The Goodie Godmother)

Tuesday 18th of July 2023

This should work with a natural creamy peanut butter.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Skip to Recipe