These easy-to-make No-Bake Peanut Butter Pretzel Fudge pieces are basically like homemade candy bar bites.
They are a fantastic combination of savory, salty, sweet, and crunchy. They have it all going on.
Plus, you don’t even have to turn on the oven–just a food processor, microwave, and maybe a stand mixer. The fridge does all the lengthy work.
These went over so well at my husband’s work that a guy immediately logged onto my website via his phone to try to find the recipe. Uh, sorry, dude. There is quite a lead time between the initial baking/making and the online post.
However, by his enthusiasm, maybe he’ll find this post is worth the long wait.
Modified from America’s Test Kitchen, Christmas Cookies 2013.
Bready or Not: No-Bake Peanut Butter Pretzel Fudge
These no-bake fudge bites are kinda like candy bars with an incredible combination of savory, salty, sweet, and crunchy. They require almost no labor, but will need several hours of chill time in the fridge.
Ingredients
Fudge:
- 5 ounces thin pretzel sticks 2 cups, divided, broken into pieces
- 12 Tablespoons unsalted butter melted
- 1 1/2 cups creamy peanut butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3 cups confectioners' sugar
Chocolate Ganache:
- 3 Tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3 1/2 ounces bittersweet chocolate chips or semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1 Tablespoon light corn syrup
Instructions
- Line an 8x8 or 9x9-inch pan with aluminum foil and apply nonstick spray.
- In a food processor, process 1 cup of broken pretzels until finely ground. Stir together the pretzel crumbs and melted butter in a large mixing bowl and let sit to cool a few minutes.
- Add peanut butter, vanilla extract, and salt to the butter mixture, and mix until the peanut butter is smooth. Slowly mix in the confectioners' sugar until it all comes together. Add the additional 1 cup of pretzel sticks and stir to combine.
- Transfer the mix to the prepared pan and spread into an even layer. Cover surface directly with plastic wrap or waxed paper and smooth out more, then stash in fridge for 30 minutes.
- Microwave the three ganache ingredients at 50% power, stirring often, until melted and smooth. This will total about 1 minute or so. Let cool slightly.
- Remove plastic cover from atop the fudge and use an uneven spatula to spread ganache on top.
- Chill pan for about 4 hours. Use the foil sling to lift contents from pan and onto a cutting board to parcel into bars.
- Keeps well in fridge for days in a sealed container.
- OM NOM NOM!
