Sweet & Salty Peanut Butter Chocolate Pretzel Bars

By srumbel

The richness of the peanut butter base is offset by the sweetness of the chocolate topping and the pretzels add texture and make the bites have that addicting salty sweet combination. No baking is required and they can be made ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator (or your garage if you live in the North!). While this recipe is only for an 8×8 baking dish, it can easily be doubled to make a large batch to feed all of your friends and family!
from akitchenaddiction.com

Ingredients

• 1 C creamy peanut butter, divided
• 1/3 C butter, softened
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 3/4 C confectioner’s sugar
• 1/4 C brown sugar
• 2 1/2 C crushed small pretzel twists, divided
• 1 C chocolate chips

Preparation

Step 1

Line an 8×8 or 9×9 inch baking dish with aluminum foil and spray with non-stick cooking spray.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, or with an electric mixer, beat together ¾ C peanut butter, butter, and vanilla extract until creamy. Add in confectioner’s sugar and brown sugar. Slowly beat sugars into peanut butter until well-combined. Add 1 cup pretzels and beat to combine.
Press mixture into the bottom of prepared baking dish.
In a small microwave safe bowl, melt together chocolate chips and remaining ¼ cup peanut butter. Stir until smooth. Pour over the top and smooth with a spatula. Sprinkle with remaining ½ cup of crushed pretzels. Press down lightly.
Refrigerate for at 3 hours before cutting into bars and serving.