Chocolate Peanut Butter Pretzel Tart
It’s time for a sweet and salty combo of the highest order here on Salted & Sweet. A chocolate peanut butter pretzel tart to be precise. The crust is made up of both pretzels and graham crackers for just the right amount of crunch. The peanut butter filling is SUPER fluffy and creamy with just the right amount of sweetness. Top that all off with a bittersweet chocolate ganache with just a hint of peanut butter, and you have got yourself a chocolate peanut butter pretzel tart fit for a queen.
Love for a good chocolate and peanut butter combo runs deep in my family, particularly among the women. Both of my sisters, my mom, and myself all love it. I personally don’t discriminate against any sweets if we are being honest. But this chocolate peanut butter pretzel tart is sweet and salty in all of the right ways. And since salty and sweet goods are the namesake of this blog, it only seems right to share this recipe with you. It is unbelievably easy and a total showstopper.
The crust:
This tart is almost no-bake. The crust does have to bake for 10 minutes, but after that you can turn that hot oven off and finish up the tart. I used a combination of graham crackers and pretzels to balance out both the texture and the sweetness of the crust. The graham crackers break down into a much finer crumb than the pretzels so the combo of both helps make a more sturdy crust. I used salted butter and just a little bit of granulated sugar as well in the crust.
All of these ingredients come together in a food processor, or in a bowl of course if you don’t have one. If you do not have a food processor you’ll want to use a rolling pin and a plastic storage bag to crush both the pretzels and the graham crackers. Once it is all combined you’ll press your mixture into a tart pan and bake for 10 minutes.
The filling:
The peanut butter filling is totally luscious. It is silky smooth, perfectly creamy, and sweet. I think it is a perfect contrast with the saltiness of the pretzels in the crust. I typically wait until the crust is done baking and already cooling before I start the filling. The reason for this is because we want the crust to be cool before we fill it. The filling comes together in just a few minutes so no need to make it way in advance. The two main ingredients are cream cheese and creamy peanut butter. I don’t recommend using natural peanut butter in this recipe. It has a different texture and sweetness so it wouldn’t turn out exactly the same. Jif or Skippy is what we are looking for here.
Using a stand or hand mixer you’ll combine the room temperature cream cheese, and the peanut butter. At this point it will look a little strange when it’s combined. It has an almost curdled appearance. Adding in the powdered sugar next changes it into a smoother consistency. After the powdered sugar you’ll add in heavy whipping cream, vanilla, and salt and whip together until light and fluffy.
Let’s put it all together:
Once your crust is cool and your filling is done you’ll simply dump the filling right into the crust. Stick this in the freezer for about 10-15 minutes while you make the ganache. To make the ganache simply warm up your heavy whipping cream for about 45 seconds to a minute in the microwave. Pour the warm cream over your chocolate chips and stir. It will take a couple of minutes for the chocolate to fully melt and incorporate. Once it is melted and smooth, add in the peanut butter and stir until combined. The heat of the ganache will melt the peanut butter. Set it aside for a few minutes.
Once the tart has been in the freezer for 10-15 minutes take it out. The tart being cold makes it easier to spread the ganache on top. Top with ganache and spread to the edges evenly. Top with any desired garnishes while it is still warm. I topped mine with chopped pretzels, chopped roasted peanuts, and flaky sea salt. Stick it in the fridge for at least four hours to set before slicing and serving. Enjoy!
For another chocolate and peanut butter recipe check out my peanut butter chocolate chip cookies here.
Chocolate Peanut Butter Pretzel Tart
Ingredients
Pretzel crust
- 1 1/2 cups mini pretzels
- 6 full size graham crackers
- 2 tbsp granulated sugar
- 8 tbsp salted butter, melted
Peanut butter filling
- 8 oz cream cheese, room temperature
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp vanilla
Chocolate peanut butter ganache
- 2/3 cup bittersweet or semi sweet chocolate, chips or chopped
- 2/3 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 tbsp creamy peanut butter
Optional garnishes
- crushed pretzels
- salted peanuts
- flaky sea salt
Instructions
Pretzel crust
- Preheat oven to 350°. Prep a 9 inch tart pan or pie pan by greasing with butter or oil. Set aside.
- In a food processor or using a plastic bag and a rolling pin, pulse together mini pretzels and graham crackers until broken down into a fine crumb. The pieces of pretzel will be bigger than the graham cracker and that's okay. Add in sugar and pulse again to combine. Add melted butter and pulse until combined and mixture resembles the texture of wet sand. If doing this without a food processor just mix ingredients in a bowl.
- Press mixture into prepared tart or pie pan. Using the bottom of a cup or measuring cup press the mixture flat into the pan and up the sides of the pan. Bake in preheated oven on the middle rack for 10 minutes. When finished set aside to cool fully.
Peanut butter filling
- In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, or using a hand mixer combine the cream cheese and peanut butter for about one minute on medium speed. Scrape down the bowl occasionally. It will look a bit curdled at this step when it is combined. Add in the powdered sugar one cup at a time. Once the powdered sugar is added mix for another full minute. Add the heavy whipping cream, salt, and vanilla and mix to combine for about 30 seconds. After that turn the mixer up to medium-high speed for one to two minutes. Whipping the heavy cream in like this should give the filling a smooth, fluffy consistency.
- Spoon into cooled tart pan when crust is fully cooled and smooth out to the edges in an even layer using a spatula. Stick It in the freezer for 10-15 minutes while you move on to making the ganache.
Chocolate peanut butter ganache
- Add the 2/3 cup of chocolate chips or chopped chocolate to a heatproof bowl. In another heat proof container warm up your heavy whipping cream in the microwave. It should be hot to the touch but not scalded, about 45 seconds to a minute. Pour hot cream over chocolate. Allow to sit for one minute to melt. After it has started to melt stir continuously to combine. This can take a few minutes. It should be completely smooth and look similar to hot fudge. Add the peanut butter and stir until melted and combined. Set aside to cool for a few minutes.
- Take tart out of freezer and pour ganache over the top. Spread in an even layer to the edges. Top with any desired garnishes and place in refrigerator to set for at least 4 hours before cutting into slices.