Peanut butter mousse walks into a bar….I mean —peanut butter mousse becomes a bar courtesy of a salty, sweet pretzel crust. Peanut Butter Pretzel Bars are the easiest dessert recipe thanks to an easy peanut butter mousse, a wicked quick pretzel crust and chocolate ganache.
You’ll be making them on repeat!
Salty and sweet
In addition to the perfect pairing of salty and sweet, there are a few more reasons to make this easy peanut butter bar:
- Three ingredients are all you need to whip up the peanut butter mousse and one of them isn’t cream cheese.
- The pretzel crust bakes for all of 10 minutes and the whole thing goes into the freezer or fridge depending on how long in advance you made it.
- Top your favorite candy toppings or leftover party candy. Serve alongside a bowl of these super addictive seasoned pretzels for a savory meets sweet pairing.
The Ingredients
For the crust
- Pretzels. The good and salty kind! I used sticks because that’s what I had, but you can use any kind. If you want to use multigrain pretzels, that’s fine, but unsalted pretzels wouldn’t be my first choice.
- Butter. Unsalted real butter just to clarify. You got enough salt in the pretzels.
- Sugar. Just a bit because you have to balance out the salty.
For the mousse
One ingredient that is missing from the mousse recipe is cream cheese and you won’t miss it. Here’s what you will use:
- Peanut butter. I use Skippy. I haven’t experimented with natural peanut butters that require stirring (even though I love them) but they do have a thinner consistency. If you try using one of them, please let me know how it works for you.
- Whipping cream. Heavy cream is whipped up creating texture and body for the mousse.
- Confectioner sugar. More yin and yang balance.
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And the ganache
- chopped dark chocolate
- heavy cream (just a bit more! C’mon —it’s dessert!)
TIP
Chop up dark chocolate from a bar (not chips). Chips have stabilizers added that interfere with melting.
-Josie + Nina
Equipment
For this easy dessert tart recipe, you will use a tart pan with a removable bottom. The one I use is rectangular and non-stick. You can find round tart pans, square tart pans, individual tart pans and more.
Step-by-step instructions
Make the pretzel crust
- Crush the pretzels either by hand or in a food processor until coarse crumbs are formed [1].
- Mix the pretzel crumbs, butter and sugar together in a bowl [2].
- Press the crust mixture into a tart pan (with a removable bottom) using the bottom of a measuring cup to pack and flatten the crust tightly [3].
- Bake the crust for about 10 minutes until golden [3].
Whip up some peanut butter mousse
For all the tips and tricks for making the peanut butter mousse, read the post but here are the basics:
- Add the confectioner sugar to the whipped cream and beat until stiff peaks form.
- Gently fold in the peanut butter with a rubber spatula until the cream and peanut butter are super happy together.
Make the chocolate ganache
Simmer heavy cream and then add dark chocolate and stir until melted.
For more information on different consistencies for chocolate ganache, pay a visit to my Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream Cake recipe. (I did use chips for the ganache in the photos but have since learned the error of my ways.)
Assemble the tart
Spread the mousse mixture into the tart pan. Freeze for at least 4 hours or overnight.
Party serving ideas + variations
Any recipe that presents options is always a hit. And this pretzel peanut butter tart is alllll about the options.
Pie. Use a pie plate instead of a tart pan and you’ve got yourself a peanut butter pie without cream cheese.
Individual tarts. For a larger party or when individual servings are needed, you can make 6-8 individual tarts that you can customize. (Perfect segue!)
Custom Toppings. Best part of this whole recipe is the ability to customize the toppings. Some ideas in addition to pretzels are:
- M&M’s
- potato chip pieces
- mini candy bars
- roasted peanuts or peanut butter pieces
- marshmallow
- coconut
- sprinkles or jimmies
Helpful Tips
How to remove the tart from the pan
- Remove the pan from the freezer and let the pan sit for about 5 minutes.
- Run a butter knife under warm water. Dry it and then run it around the edges of the tart pan to loosen it from the edges. Push up bottom center of the tart pan and lift the tart up through the pan and use your other hand to catch it.
- Slicing. Use a sharp knife and slice the tart into your desired size. I love cutting it crosswise into triangles for a fun presentation.
Make ahead
You can make assemble the tart the day before you plan to serve it.
Storing
Leftovers (if you have any!) can be stored for about a day or two or frozen for a couple of weeks).
Freezing
The dessert sets up best in the freezer and also slices better that way.
Made this recipe?
I’d love it if you’d share your review and leave a star rating and comment!
Peanut Butter Pretzel Bars
Equipment
- tart pan with removable bottom
Ingredients
For the crust
- 5 cups pretzels, to yield 2 cups crushed; any shape-see notes*
- ¾ cup unsalted butter, melted
- 3 Tablespoons sugar
- 2 Tablespoons flour
For the peanut butter mousse
- 1 cup peanut butter, I use Skippy's
- 1 cup heavy cream, chilled
- ⅔ cup confectioner's sugar
For the chocolate ganache
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 8 oz dark chocolate, preferably from a bar
Toppings
- assorted candies, pretzels, coconut, nuts, marshmallows
Instructions
For the crust
- Preheat oven to 350°.
- Spray a tart pan(s) with a removable bottom(s) or pie plate with some baking spray and set aside.
- Crush the pretzels in either a food processor with the pulse feature until you get coarse crumbs. You can also put the pretzels in a sealed ziploc and use a rolling pin to crush the pretzels until you get the desired texture. (The second option is a good stress reliever!)5 cups pretzels
- In a medium bowl, stir together the pretzel crumbs, butter, sugar, and flour until well combined.3/4 cup unsalted butter, 3 Tablespoons sugar, 2 Tablespoons flour
- Pour the crust mixture into the prepared tart pan and use the bottom of a measuring cup to press the crumbs evenly into the pan.
- Bake for 10 minutes in a preheated oven until golden. Remove and set aside to cool on a rack.
For the mousse
- In a clean mixing bowl, whip the heavy cream and the confectioner sugar with a hand or stand mixer on medium high until you get stiff peaks (about three minutes*). Tip: chill the beaters and bowl to make the cream whip faster.1 cup heavy cream, ⅔ cup confectioner's sugar
- Gently add the peanut butter to the bowl and using a rubber spatula, fold the peanut butter into the whipped cream. It will eventually all incorporate (just don't stir like crazy but gently fold). For more detailed information, check out the Peanut Butter Mousse recipe.1 cup peanut butter
- Chill the mousse if you aren't ready to assemble the bars.
- If you aren't using the ganache until the next day, refrigerate overnight and bring to room temperature before spreading on the tart. You can also quickly microwave in 10 second increments stirring between to soften. BE CAREFUL not to burn the ganache or you will be starting over.
For the ganache
- Heat the heavy cream in a small saucepan over medium heat until small bubbles appear on the outside. Don't boil the cream! Remove the pan from the heat and add the chocolate stirring with whisk until the chocolate is completely melted and the ganache is thicker.1/2 cup heavy cream, 8 oz dark chocolate
Assemble the bars
- Spread the mousse over the pretzel crust to the edges.
- Freeze for 4 hours or overnight.
- See tips below for slicing/serving.
- SERVING OPTION #1: Remove the pan from the freezer. Slice into bars, remove to plates and pour the ganache over. Allow guests to decorate their own bars with assorted candy and nut toppings.assorted candies, pretzels, coconut, nuts, marshmallows
- SERVING OPTION #2: Pour ganache over the whole tart as shown, decorate and refrigerate/freeze until the ganache hardens. Remove and let sit for about 10 minutes before slicing into bars, triangles or any shape you desire.
Notes
- Remove the pan from the freezer and let the pan sit for about 10 minutes.
- Run a butter knife under warm water. Dry it and then run it around the edges of the tart pan to loosen it from the edges. Push up bottom center of the tart pan and lift the tart up through the pan and use your other hand to catch it.
- Use a sharp knife and slice the tart into your desired size. I love cutting it crosswise into triangles for a fun presentation.
- Heat the ganache and pour into a bowl. Offer guests a topping bar to customize their chocolate peanut butter pretzel bars.
