These Chocolate Peanut Butter Candies are an easy, no-bake treat for the holidays, but we love them any time of year! The crisp chocolate coating has a creamy peanut butter center, filled with chopped salted peanuts and crushed pretzels for the ultimate sweet and salty dessert!
You might also enjoy this Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie, these Peanut Butter Balls or these Soft Peanut Butter Cookies!
Table of Contents
- Ingredients Needed:
- How to Make Chocolate Peanut Butter Pretzel Candies
- How do I store Chocolate Peanut Butter Pretzel Candies?
- Can I freeze Chocolate Peanut Butter Pretzel Candies?
- Tips and Notes
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Candies Variations
- Serving Suggestions
- More Delicious Chocolate Desserts
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Pretzel Candies Recipe
The first time I tried Chocolate Peanut Butter Clusters, I grabbed in a grocery store as a pick-me-up during a stressful shopping experience.
They surpassed my expectations and proved to be irresistible; it was love at first bite—I finished off the whole bag in an afternoon!
Needless to say, I had to make my own chocolate peanut butter candy recipe to make them at home.
While they do make a fabulous edible gift for the holidays, they are notoriously hard to share!
These little bites can satisfy any sweet tooth; they’re a perfect bite-sized treat for the holiday season.
Ingredients Needed:
- Creamy Peanut Butter: this is the heart of our candy, bringing in the creamy, nutty goodness that pairs exquisitely with chocolate. You can also use chunky, but I have not tested this recipe with natural.
- Powdered Sugar: adds sweetness and a bit more substance to the peanut butter mixture.
- Cream: used to make the mixture smooth and palatable, adding a touch of richness to the candies. Milk will work well too. Use full-fat options for the best flavor.
- Pretzels: they add a delightful crunch and a hint of saltiness, contrasting well with the sweetness of the other ingredients.
- Salted Peanuts: to enhance the nutty flavor and bring an extra layer of crunch to the candies.
- Dark Chocolate: provides a rich, bittersweet contrast to the sweet and salty peanut butter mixture.
- White Chocolate: for a sweeter contrast to the dark chocolate.
How to Make Chocolate Peanut Butter Pretzel Candies
This recipe is quick and easy to put together, just give yourself time to let them set properly before serving them! Full instructions are included in the recipe card below.
- Make peanut butter mixture: Beat together peanut butter, icing sugar, and cream.
- Mix in peanuts and pretzels: Stir the peanuts and pretzels into the peanut butter mixture.
- Make candy clusters and freeze: Drop the mixture by tablespoonfuls onto a lined baking sheet, then freeze them until firm.
- Melt chocolate and coat candies: Melt the dark chocolate and white chocolate, remove the candies from the freezer, and coat them in the dark chocolate and white chocolate. Place in the refrigerator or freezer until set.
How do I store Chocolate Peanut Butter Pretzel Candies?
These easy treats can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. However, given how delicious they are, they might just disappear faster!
Can I freeze Chocolate Peanut Butter Pretzel Candies?
You can keep your homemade candies in the freezer for up to 2 months. We enjoy these chocolate candies just as much right out of the freezer!
Tips and Notes
- Melting chocolate. To coat candy in chocolate, melt the chocolate in a double boiler (or a makeshift one—that’s all I use!) and do not add anything to it. Simple place a glass bowl over a small pot with about 1″ of simmering water in it. Ensure the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water.
- Use good-quality ingredients. For best results, use good-quality chocolate bars, baking chocolate, or candy-coating wafers. I’m not going to tell you how much seized chocolate I scraped into the garbage while testing this theory for you!
Chocolate Peanut Butter Candies Variations
- Use other crispy add-ins. Feel free to mix up the add-ins in this recipe! Try Rice Krispies, puffed quinoa cereal, or cornflakes instead of pretzels for a similar crunchy texture.
- Add in fruit. Dried fruit like raisins or cranberries would work well to add extra texture here.
- Use other nuts. Use other kinds of chopped nuts, like pecans or walnuts, for a different flavor.
- Add candy. Add some crushed M&Ms, crushed Reese’s Pieces, peanut butter chips, or other flavored baking chips to the peanut butter mix for more flavor and texture.
Serving Suggestions
Serve these yummy treats at your next hoilday party, or on a Dessert Charcuterie Board for a sharing dessert.
Some of my other favorite bite-sized treats that would go well with these chocolate candy pieces include Snickers Brownie Bites, Oreo Balls, Caramel Popcornand these Popcorn Balls.
If you’re gifting these chocolate peanut butter pretzel bites, put them in a decorative tin or bag with a piece of parchment paper underneath them, and between each layer to prevent them from sticking.
More Delicious Chocolate Desserts
Chocolate Peanut Butter Pretzel Candies
Ingredients
- 1 cup peanut butter I used creamy, but chunky would work just as well
- ½ cup powdered icing sugar
- 2 tablespoons cream or milk
- ⅔ cup pretzels coarsely crushed
- ½ cup salted peanuts, chopped
- 1½ cups dark chocolate about 150g
- 1½ cups white chocolate about 150g
Instructions
- In a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat together peanut butter, icing sugar, and cream until smooth.
- Stir in the peanuts and pretzels into the peanut butter mixture until evenly distributed.
- Drop the mixture by tablespoonfuls onto a wax paper or parchment paper-lined baking sheet, then freeze them until completely firm. This will take about 1–2 hours.
- Just before removing the candies from the freezer, melt the chocolate and white chocolate with a double boiler (or makeshift one!). Place one inch of water in a small pot and bring to a simmer. Place a larger glass bowl over top (one that will sit on top and not sink down to touch the water) and add the dark chocolate. Stir over the heat until melted. Repeat with the white chocolate in a new bowl.
- Remove the candies from the freezer and coat in the dark chocolate and white chocolate. Let them set slightly on the baking tray before drizzling with extra melted chocolate if desired. Place in the refrigerator or freezer until set.
Notes
Ingredients and Substitutions:
- Peanut butter: I usually use smooth peanut butter for this recipe, but chunky will work as well. I have not tested this recipe with natural peanut butter; it may work somewhat, but the filling will be thinner.
- Chocolate: choose any kind of chocolate you like! I prefer the contrast of a darker chocolate with the sweet peanut butter filling and salty crunch, but you could swap for milk chocolate or even a flavored chocolate if it melts well.
- Pretzels and peanuts: I love the salty crunch to balance out the sweetness! You can also use other chopped nuts, crushed salted potato chips, or dried fruit in the same amount.
Storage
- Store: Store these an airtight container in the refrigerator, they can last for up to two weeks. However, given how delicious they are, they might just disappear faster!
- Freeze: You can keep your homemade candies in the freezer for up to 2 months. Let them thaw slightly at room temperature before serving them.
Nutrition
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