No-Bake Peanut Butter Chocolate Pretzel Pie
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Is there anything better than that combination of sweet and salty? No-Bake Peanut Butter Chocolate Pretzel Pie combines layers of creamy, decadent, and luscious chocolate and peanut butter with the perfect savory pretzel crust. The best part, anyone can make this sweet treat!
Why You’ll Love No-Bake Peanut Butter Chocolate Pretzel Pie
- No-bake savior: This pie is perfect when you crave something sweet but the oven sounds like torture. Easy crust,mix-in fillings – it’s a breeze!
- Salty-sweet magic: Pretzels, peanut butter, and chocolate pudding? Yum! This recipe is a delicious balance of sweet and salty that’ll have you going back for seconds.
- Party pleaser: Bringing a dessert to a potluck? This pie is a guaranteed crowd-winner. Classic peanut butter & chocolate with a fun pretzel crust – what’s not to love?
- Freezer friendly: Leftovers? No problem! Slice and freeze this pie for a future sweet tooth emergency.
- Get creative: Feeling adventurous? Add Reese’s Pieces, caramel sauce, or swap the chocolate pudding for vanilla.Make it your own!
Ingredients Needed To Make No-Bake Peanut Butter Chocolate Pretzel Pie
- Gluten Free Pretzels
- Butter
- Cream Cheese
- Instant Chocolate Pudding
- Powdered Sugar
- Milk
- Peanut Butter
- Whipped Topping
How To Make No-Bake Peanut Butter Chocolate Pretzel Pie
Prepare the Pretzel Crust: Crush the pretzels into small pieces. Melt the butter in the microwave. In a bowl, combine the crushed pretzels and melted butter. Stir until well combined. Spread the mixture evenly in the bottom of a 7×10-inch baking dish, pressing down to form a solid crust.
Make the Peanut Butter Layer: In a mixing bowl, combine the room temperature cream cheese, powdered sugar, and creamy peanut butter. Mix until smooth and creamy. Spread the peanut butter mixture evenly over the pretzel crust.
Prepare the Chocolate Pudding: Follow the directions on the pudding package, but reduce the milk by ½ cup. For example, if using JELLO chocolate instant pudding (5.9 oz), use 2 ½ cups of milk instead of the full amount (typically 3 cups). Whisk until thickened. If using dairy-free milk, it’s best to use a hand mixer on high speed to help the pudding set properly and thicken more effectively. Once thickened, pour the pudding evenly over the cream cheese and peanut butter layer, smoothing it out.
Add the Whipped Topping: Spread the whipped topping over the pudding layer, smoothing it to cover the entire surface of the dessert.
Chill & Serve: Refrigerate for at least 1 hour to allow all layers to set properly. Slice and serve. Enjoy!
Variations & Substitutions
You can make this same dessert with different flavors of instant pudding such as vanilla or butterscotch. Have fun playing with your flavor combinations!
Because peanut allergies are so common, you can easily substitute the peanut butter in this recipe for your favorite nut butter such as almond or cashew. In addition, you can also make it completely nut free by using an alternative such as sunflower seed butter.
Commonly Asked Questions
How do I store peanut butter chocolate pretzel pie?
Peanut Butter Chocolate Pretzel Pie is the perfect make ahead dessert. It only gets better as it refrigerates and the flavors of the layers marry and the pretzel crust slightly softens. This is a dessert that needs to remain refrigerated unless it’s being served. Keep it covered tightly with plastic wrap and it will last for up to five days in the refrigerator. Trust me, it will get eaten first.
How can I make this recipe nut free?
With so many allergens and food sensitivities, I am always looking for ways to make my recipes accessible to everyone. If you or one of your friends or family have a tree nut allergy, the peanut butter in this recipe can be replaced with sunflower seed butter.
No-Bake Peanut Butter Chocolate Pretzel Pie
Equipment
- 1 hand mixer
Ingredients
- 8 oz pretzels, crushed, plus additional for topping if desired
- 4 tbsp butter, melted
- 16 oz cream cheese, room temperature
- 5.9 oz instant chocolate pudding
- 2 cup powdered sugar
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter, plus a little additional for topping if desired
- 8 oz whipped topping
- 2 1/2 Cup Milk
Instructions
- Prepare the Pretzel Crust: Crush the pretzels into small pieces. Melt the butter in the microwave. In a bowl, combine the crushed pretzels and melted butter. Stir until well combined. Spread the mixture evenly in the bottom of a 7×10-inch baking dish, pressing down to form a solid crust.
- Make the Peanut Butter Layer: In a mixing bowl, combine the room temperature cream cheese, powdered sugar, and creamy peanut butter. Mix until smooth and creamy. Spread the peanut butter mixture evenly over the pretzel crust.
- Prepare the Chocolate Pudding: Follow the directions on the pudding package, but reduce the milk by ½ cup. For example, if using JELLO chocolate instant pudding (5.9 oz), use 2 ½ cups of milk instead of the full amount (typically 3 cups). Whisk until thickened. If using dairy-free milk, it's best to use a hand mixer on high speed to help the pudding set properly and thicken more effectively. Once thickened, pour the pudding evenly over the cream cheese and peanut butter layer, smoothing it out.
- Add the Whipped Topping: Spread the whipped topping over the pudding layer, smoothing it to cover the entire surface of the dessert.
- Chill & Serve: Refrigerate for at least 1 hour to allow all layers to set properly. Slice and serve. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
Tips
This layered no-bake icebox cake is all about the texture as much as the flavors. It’s that balance of crunchy and luxuriously silky and creamy. When mixing together the peanut butter and cream cheese layer, make sure that your cream cheese is softened to room temperature. This will allow it to mix together easily and remain lump free. Dairy Free Pudding Tip: When it comes to mixing together the instant pudding layer, it takes a little more work to get the pudding to set with Dairy Free milk. This is also true if using a lower fat or skim milk. Make sure everything is cold from the milk itself to the bowl. In addition to making sure the oat milk and bowl are cold, always mix your pudding together at a high-speed using a hand or stand mixer.This No-Bake Peanut Butter Chocolate Pretzel Pie is a lifesaver for sweet tooths with no time to spare. The layers are easy to whip up and the hardest part is waiting for it to chill. Salty pretzels, creamy peanut butter, and rich chocolate – what’s not to love?
I have never heard of a 7 x 10 dish or pan…
There is but please substitute if you do not have one
Is it one 6 oz. Cream cheese or 16 oz. Cream cheese?
16 oz ❤️
It does say 16 ounces somewhere in the recipe ~ looks great. Think I’ll make this soon !!
Keep us posted when you make it 🙂
I think I’ll use Graham cracker crumbs because I can’t serve it the day I make it
That will be delicious ????
Melissa
I haven’t tried this recipe yet, but it looks delicious. You also make a pretzel crust in the Strawberry Pretzel Jello salad recipe. In that recipe you bake the pretzel crust in a 400° oven for 8-10 minutes then let it cool completely. The crust tends to stay crunchier even when you have leftovers. Just a thought.
Jennifer
That is a fabulous suggestion for helping it last a little longer. I kept this as a no bake ❤️
The ingredients say to reduce milk by 1/2 cup but the directions say reduce milk by 1/2. Can you clarify? Thanks!
Hello,
Thank you for asking. For the recipe, please just reduce the milk but half cup to prepare the pudding.
Do the pretzels get soggy? Can the pretzel crust be baked a few minutes before adding the other ingredients?
Yes 🙂 they can be baked ❤️
If using a 9×13 pan, should I double the recipe?
Hey, That pan would work. It may not be as full but still delicious
How many days ahead can this be made?
Ideally made and eaten the same day 🙂
Dumb question 2 packages of cream cheese?
Yes, 16 ounces is 2 packages 🙂
I used the same pretzels but my pretzels are chewy and not very appetizing. The rest is really great, though!
This is best to eat the same day. Gluten Free tend to be on the chewier side
Can you use regular milk instead if oat milk? And if I don’t want to make it gluten free can I just use the same amount of regular ingredients?
Yes! Traditional ingredients can be used in replace of Oat and All Gluten Flour
This looks amazing! I can’t wait to try it. I’m on the keto diet and this can easily be changed to fit that lifestyle by swapping the pretzels with chopped pecans and a little salt and using no sugar sweetener. I’m making this today!
Let me know it turns out!!
My pretzels aren’t holding together, ideas?
For the pretzels, press firm and keep them in smaller pieces to hold up well.
Loved this! I make it with dairy (regular cream cheese, milk, & whip cream). I have made it for 2 different events and everyone loved it! Some people even going in for thirds.
Love that you were able to adapt the recipe!! So awesome to hear everyone loved it!
It was a hit. Made at 2pm and pretzels lost crispness by 6:30pm. However, it was still delicious. I melted peanut butter to drizzle on top with pretzel pieces.
Hi Christopher, So happy you loved !
Do you have to let the pudding set in the fridge? Or pour it directly on?
This is instant pudding so you put it directly on 🙂
Made this for a guest using lactose free cream cheese and milk. It came out tasting yummy but rich! My guest loved it!! Looking forward to trying another recipe soon 😊
Great easy recipe. Nice light dessert. Only problem encountered, pretzels on bottom got soft pretty quickly.
You can partially bake them to help with them getting soft
I cannot have milk. So, can I use Coconut milk? The brand I use is thicker than most. Should i use the same amount as the milk?
Any suggestion would be great.
Thank you this looks yummy.
I will be using sevia powdered sugar.
You can but make sure it is not coconut cream.
Danielle uses Ripple for most of her baking
I’m making this for a 4th of July block party. In the picture it looks like you maybe swirled some PB on the whipped topping and sprinkled some crushed pretzels on top. Is that correct? It looks fancy!
Do you have a web site to get your other good recipes, and can they be sent to me on a daily basis? That way I can print them out for future reference, parties and meals when friends drop in
Thank you
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Made this for a bbq dinner this past weekend. Very easy and even better tasting. A few folks weren’t sure about the pretzels so I might try crushing them much more next time. Thanks again for the recipe.