What type of peanut butter should I use for Chocolate Peanut Butter Pretzel Pie?

I discussed this a bit in the Recipe notes section above, but just to reiterate, you will get the best results by using a creamy peanut butter that is not "natural." This means it has additional ingredients besides just peanuts and salt that keep the peanut butter from separating. In my experience, this type of peanut butter will give the pie the most smooth, silky texture!

Can I make this peanut butter pie ahead of time?

Yes, you can make this pie recipe up to 2 days ahead of time , stored in the fridge. After the ganache sets up a bit, just loosely cover the pie with plastic wrap or a lid to keep it fresh. When you are ready to serve, let the pie sit out at room temperature for about 15 minutes to let the ganache soften up, and don't forget to garnish with more pretzel pieces on top!

Can I use Cool Whip instead of making my own whipped cream?

If you want to save time on prep, you can substitute Cool Whip for the homemade whipped cream. You will need to use 2 1/2 cups of the Cool Whip and just follow the same steps for folding it into the peanut butter cream cheese mixture. Just to note however, you will still need to use the 3/4 cup heavy cream called for in the recipe to make the ganache layer!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Pretzel Pie

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5 from 9 reviews

A gorgeous three layered no bake peanut butter chocolate pie. With a salty and sweet pretzel crust and garnished with even more crunchy pretzels!

Author: Kate
Prep Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 3 hours 50 minutes
Yield: 8 servings 1x
Category: dessert
Method: no bake
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Scale

4 ounces pretzels, any type, plus additional for garnish (see note 1)
10 tablespoons (1 stick + 2 tablespoons) softened unsalted butter, divided
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 cups heavy whipping cream, divided
¾ cup chocolate chips, any type
1 ½ cups creamy (not natural) peanut butter, divided
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons powdered sugar, divided
Pinch of salt
8 ounces softened cream cheese

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Instructions

Make the ganache: place ¾ cup heavy whipping cream into a microwave safe bowl. Microwave on high for 1 minute, or until cream is steaming. Remove from microwave and add in the chocolate chips. Let sit for 2 minutes, then whisk until smooth. Set aside. (See note 2.)
Make the crust: Melt 1 stick of the butter in the microwave. Finely grind the 4 ounces pretzels in a food processor. Add in the 2 tablespoons granulated sugar and melted butter, pulse until thoroughly combined. Dump the pretzel crumbs into a 9 inch pie pan. Firmly pat the crumbs into place on the sides and bottom of the pie pan. Place the crust into the fridge while preparing the next step.
Make the peanut butter bottom layer: In a small bowl, mix ½ cup peanut butter, the remaining 2 tablespoons softened butter, 2 tablespoons powdered sugar and pinch of salt with a fork until smooth. Spread into the bottom of the prepared pie crust using a rubber spatula. Place the crust back into the fridge.
Using hand beaters or a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, whip the remaining 1 ¼ cups heavy whipping cream on high speed until stiff peaks form. If using a stand mixer, remove the whipped cream to another bowl so you can use the stand mixer bowl again for the next step (no need to clean the bowl).
In a separate bowl (or the empty bowl of your stand mixer), add the cream cheese, remaining 1 cup peanut butter and remaining 1 cup powdered sugar. Using hand beaters or the paddle attachment on the stand mixer, beat on high until ingredients are evenly combined and slightly fluffy, about 2 minutes. Scrape the bowl down once during beating to make sure all the ingredients are smooth and evenly combined.
Stir about ⅓ of the whipped cream into the peanut butter cream cheese mixture until evenly incorporated. Then add the remaining whipped cream and gently fold it into the mixture using a rubber spatula.
Scrape the peanut butter cream cheese filling into the pie plate, on top of the bottom peanut butter layer. Smooth out into an even layer using the rubber spatula.
Retrieve the ganache and check the temperature. It should be at room temperature or close to room temperature. If not, place in the freezer for a minute or two. When at room temperature, pour over the top of the pie and smooth out to evenly cover the top.
Refrigerate the pie for a minimum of three hours or up to two days before serving. Loosely cover once the ganache has firmed up to keep the pie fresh. When ready to serve, let the pie sit at room temperature for 15 minutes, then gently press additional crumbled pretzels into the top of the pie to garnish.

Notes

If you don’t have a scale to measure the pretzels, you are looking to end up with about 1 ¼ cups of crumbs.

When making the ganache, if the chocolate hasn’t melted into the cream completely even after whisking thoroughly, you can microwave the ganache again in 10 second increments, stirring in between, until the chocolate has melted. Do not overheat, however, or the ganache may split!

To melt the butter for the crust, you can use your favorite method, or do the following: cut the butter into chunks and place in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high in 15 second increments, checking in between, until melted.

To more easily remove slices from the pie pan, try carefully dipping the bottom of the pie in hot water for a few seconds to help soften the butter in the crust.

Find it online: https://nibbleanddine.com/chocolate-peanut-butter-pretzel-pie-3/