Description
Creamy peanut butter pretzel pie delivers a perfect balance of salty and sweet in one irresistible dessert. Crunchy pretzel crust cradles a silky filling that melts in your mouth, promising pure indulgence with every delectable slice.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 1¼ cup creamy peanut butter
- 16 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 3 cups milk
- 2 cups pretzels, crushed
- 1 cup powdered sugar
Pudding and Cream:
- 2 (3.9 ounces) packages of instant chocolate pudding
- 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup whipped topping
- 8 ounces whipped topping
Binding and Finishing Ingredients:
- ¾ cup unsalted butter, melted
- ½ cup pretzels, crushed
- ½ cup chocolate sauce
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F and line a 13×9 baking dish with parchment paper, allowing extra paper to hang over sides for easy removal.
- Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat, then remove from stove and thoroughly coat crushed pretzels in the melted butter.
- Distribute the buttered pretzel mixture across the bottom of the prepared dish, pressing firmly to create an even crust. Bake for 5 minutes, then set aside to cool completely at room temperature.
- Using an electric mixer, blend powdered sugar, cream cheese, peanut butter, and vanilla extract until achieving a silky, uniform consistency. Gently incorporate whipped topping by folding carefully.
- Evenly distribute the peanut butter mixture over the cooled pretzel crust, creating a smooth layer. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to set.
- Prepare instant chocolate pudding by combining with milk, then carefully spread the pudding over the peanut butter layer. Return to refrigerator for an additional 30 minutes.
- Top the pudding layer with a uniform coating of whipped topping. Chill the entire dessert for a minimum of 3 hours or ideally overnight for optimal texture and flavor melding.
- Prior to serving, garnish with crushed pretzels and drizzle chocolate sauce across the top for a decorative and delicious finish.
Notes
- Enhance the crust’s flavor by toasting the crushed pretzels in the oven for 2-3 minutes before mixing with melted butter, intensifying their nutty and salty profile.
- For a gluten-free version, swap regular pretzels with gluten-free pretzels and ensure all other ingredients are certified gluten-free.
- Reduce sugar content by using low-fat cream cheese and sugar-free pudding mix, making the dessert more diet-friendly without compromising taste.
- Create a vegan alternative by substituting cream cheese with coconut cream, using dairy-free whipped topping, and selecting plant-based chocolate sauce.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Category: Desserts, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 8
- Calories: 370
- Sugar: 22 g
- Sodium: 420 mg
- Fat: 24 g
- Saturated Fat: 12 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 32 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 6 g
- Cholesterol: 30 mg