Sometimes you just need a good peanut butter cup, and if you can make it with dark chocolate, flaky sea salt, and a crispy pretzel, even better! These Dark Chocolate Pretzel Peanut Butter Cups are a delicious treat, any time of day. Plus, you can keep them in the freezer and enjoy whenever you want!
As always, I do include a few affiliate links in this post for products I truly use and love. This just means that if you make a purchase after clicking one of those links, I'll earn a little money (at no cost to you) to keep the kitchen up and running, which I promise to use to create more fun content like this! One of those affiliates is with Amazon, which requires a very clear disclosure: as an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. If you have any questions about affiliates, please reach out!
Ingredients you'll need
- Dark chocolate: you can use bars or chips here, whatever your preference. Also, the recipe is written with a range. If you want less chocolate, then use 9 ounces, and if you want more, then opt for 12 ounces!
- Creamy peanut butter: creamy peanut butter works best here.
- Powdered sugar: you need just a bit to mix in with the peanut butter.
- Vanilla extract: for a bit of flavor. You can even make your own!
- Pretzels: I like to use mini pretzels since they're the ideal shape to fit in the bottom of a muffin tin. You could also use a different shape, but ideally you want to choose one that can fit whole into the bottom of your tin.
- Flaky sea salt: for that salty sprinkle at the end!
Equipment you'll need
- Wilton 12-Cup Muffin Tin from Amazon
- Ridged Muffin Liners from Amazon: I prefer these to the parchment paper muffin liners (which, are my favorite for muffins). You want those ridges that we all know in love in peanut butter cups!
- GIR Spatulas from Amazon: these are great for helping to fill the cups
Assembling your cups
First, line your muffin tin with paper liners and melt half your chocolate in a double boiler. Divide the chocolate evenly among the cups. Use the back of a spoon to pull the chocolate up the sides of the cups. This doesn't need to be all the way - think about the height of your chocolate peanut butter cup. You're just trying to cover the sides here, so realistically, this is about half the height of the muffin liner.
Add a pretzel to each cup while the chocolate is still soft. You don't need to press it in, as you don't want it to sink all the way to the bottom, but you do want it to stick in the chocolate. Transfer to the freezer for 15 minutes.
Next, add the peanut butter mixture. You can do this either by spooning the peanut butter into each cup, or adding the peanut butter to a piping bag and piping it in like icing. Either way, it's a bit messy. Once it's in, use your finger to help spread and flatten it so it will be easier to cover with the final layer of chocolate.
Lastly, melt the rest of your chocolate and spoon it over each cup, covering all peanut butter. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt and freeze for at least 30 minutes before eating.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use a different type of chocolate?
Yes, if you would prefer to use milk chocolate or another type, you certainly can!
Can I use a different pretzel shape?
Yes, definitely! I recommend using a shape that will lay flat in the bottom of the muffin tin, but it could really be any shape. What you don't want is a pretzel that is too high and won't fit within your cup once you cover it with chocolate.
How should I store these peanut butter cups?
You can store them either in the fridge or the freezer in a sealed plastic bag, but I recommend the freezer!
Below is my recipe for Dark Chocolate Pretzel Peanut Butter Cups. Leave a comment and let me know what you think!
Dark Chocolate Pretzel Peanut Butter Cups
Ingredients
- 9-12 ounces dark chocolate chips or coarsely chopped
- ½ cup creamy peanut butter
- 2 Tablespoons powdered sugar
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 12 mini pretzels
- flaky sea salt for topping
Instructions
- Line a 12-cup muffin tin with 12 liners.
- In a double boiler, melt half the chocolate. Divide the chocolate among the 12 lined cups and use a small spoon to pull some of the chocolate up the sides of each cup. This only needs to be to the height of your peanut butter cup, so about halfway up the muffin liner. While the chocolate is still melty, place a pretzel in the bottom of each cup. Place the muffin tin in the freezer for 15 minutes to chill.
- In a small bowl, combine the peanut butter, powdered sugar and vanilla extract. Stir with a spoon to combine.
- Remove the muffin tin from the freezer and evenly divide the peanut butter mixture among the 12 cups. Use a spoon (or your finger) to spread the mixture so it's relatively flat in each cup.
- Melt the remaining chocolate in the double boiler, then divide evenly among the cups, covering the peanut butter layer. Gently shake the pan to help level out the chocolate. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt and freeze for 30 minutes or until chocolate is hardened. Remove from muffin tin, peel off the liner and enjoy!
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