Chocolate Pretzel Bark
Sweet and salty Chocolate Pretzel Bark with peanut butter makes both a tasty snack and a holiday gift for loved ones! It’s an easy, quick snack made with 5 ingredients.
Do you find yourself adding more and more people to your holiday gift giving list every year?
Coworkers, friends, neighbors, delivery drivers, your mailman, your landlord, teachers, janitors, coaches, etc.?
Of course who has that kind of money? But you also don’t want to look like a Grinch.
I hear you. That’s why I always recommend making homemade food gifts such as this Chocolate Pretzel Bark.
It’s sweet. It’s salty. It’s nutty. It’s irresistible.
Not only is my pretzel bark recipe more thoughtful than a scented candle, it’s much more enjoyable and won’t clutter your home with another thing you don’t need (seriously – I don’t ever burn candles. Or use lotion).
If you’re weak in the knees for anything chocolate peanut butter, imagine both chocolate peanut butter bark and banana bark at your fingertips alongside your Christmas cookie tray.
In fact, you’ll want to make a double batch because once you take a bite, you won’t want to give any of your chocolate pretzel bark away.
Ingredients For Chocolate Pretzel Bark
Here’s what you need to make your chocolate peanut butter bark:
- Baking chocolate: Made from ground cocoa nibs containing both cocoa solids and cocoa butter. I prefer bittersweet which is around 70-80% cacao because it balances the peanut butter chips and cups, but you can also use semisweet which is around 55% cacao. Do not use cheap chocolate and do not use chocolate chips.
- Peanut butter chips: These are chocolate chips but made with peanut butter. You need the chips and not regular peanut butter so it sets up like chocolate.
- Butter: Optional in case your peanut butter chips are too thick when melted
- Peanut butter cups: Adds more nuttiness and texture on top of the peanut butter chips
- Pretzels: The star of the pretzel bark!
How To Temper Chocolate
One technique you need to understand when making pretzel bark is tempering chocolate.
Now before you run away from such a “scary” term, I’ll let you in on a little secret: if you’ve melted chocolate before, you’ve already been tempering. You just didn’t know it!
Tempering chocolate means melting the chocolate to a certain temperature (below 88F) so when it hardens back into a solid, it remains smooth and glossy with a crisp snap you’d expect when you take a bite.
There are two key points to remember:
- Don’t get any water or steam in your bowl as that will seize (clump) your chocolate.
- Be patient. You can’t rush the melting process. Trust me – if you try to turn up the heat to melt your chocolate faster, you’ll end up redoing the entire batch.
If you want to learn more about the science behind tempering chocolate, America’s Test Kitchen produced a 4-minute informative video about it.
I don’t think you need me to bore you with crystal formation when somebody else can explain it better.
How To Make Chocolate Pretzel Bark
Here’s how to make your pretzel bark recipe:
- Melt chocolate then spread it on top of parchment paper.
- Melt peanut butter chips then swirl into the chocolate.
- Sprinkle pretzels and peanut butter cups on top.
- Let chocolate harden then break into pieces.
Store leftover bark at room temperature for up to 1 week or refrigerate for 2-3 weeks.
Chocolate Pretzel Bark FAQ
Luckily you don’t need a candy thermometer (affiliate link) (although if you have one, it certainly wouldn’t hurt!).
Yes! Use white chocolate chips or leave out the peanut butter chips then use your favorite candy for the peanut butter cups.
Yes! You may need to use two cookie trays when assembling.
More Homemade Gifts From The Kitchen
Looking to make more homemade holiday gifts? Check out these recipes:
Chocolate Pretzel Bark
Sweet and salty Chocolate Pretzel Bark with peanut butter makes both a tasty snack and a holiday gift for loved ones! It’s an easy, quick snack made with 5 ingredients.
Ingredients
- 8 ounces good quality bittersweet chocolate (70-80%), finely chopped
- 6 ounces (1 + 1/4 cup) peanut butter chips
- 1 teaspoon butter (optional)
- 1/2 cup chopped pretzels
- 1/2 cup chopped peanut butter cups
Instructions
- Bring a medium pot of water to a simmer. Once simmering, turn off the heat.
- Put the chocolate in a heatproof bowl and place it over the water (make sure no steam or water gets in the bowl). Let it sit over the hot water, uncovered, until about 2/3 melted. Gently stir it and allow it to melt further until completely smooth.
Do not rush this process. If the water gets too cold, you can turn on the heat for a little help, but don't overdo it. - Once fully melted, pour onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and spread into an even layer.
- Immediately in another heatproof bowl, add the peanut butter chips and place it over the hot water (if it's not hot enough, repeat Step 1). Let it sit until softened. Gently stir until completely smooth. If the mixture is too thick, add the butter to help smooth it out.
- Spoon the melted peanut butter chips on top of the chocolate, leaving space between each spoonful. Run a knife through to form decorative swirls. Sprinkle evenly with peanut butter cups and pretzels.
- Let sit at room temperature for 1 hour or until set (you can refrigerate to speed this up). Cut into desired pieces.
Store leftover bark at room temperature for up to 1 week or refrigerate for 2-3 weeks.
Notes
- Don't want to use peanut butter? Use white chocolate chips and your favorite chopped up candy.
- Enjoyed this recipe? Check out my Peanut Butter Bark and Peppermint Bark Brownies.
First published December 15, 2016
This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchase.
I love homemade gifts! Especially the sweet-and-salty kind. Who can say no to that? Even though melting chocolate the right way takes patience, there is something meditative about the processes.
Sweet and salty is very addicting! And yes I agree. I zen out when melting chocolate.
oooooh I love love love this bark! You know I love the sweet and salty!
This looks sooo good ????
Will try with my almond peanut butter ????
I bet that’d be good! Let me know how you like it.
what can you wrap them in?
Do you mean wrap as in a gift? I know most stores have holiday decorative plastic treat bags that would work. You can also do fun Christmas tins.