When I saw this recipe in my inbox, I couldn’t get it out of my head – admittedly, it got a bit obsessive, but can you blame me? Chocolate = delicious. Peanut butter = amazing. Ritz and pretzels = salty and awesome on their own, but paired with the other two, we are talking some serious yumminess. I was drooling just looking at the pictures, and finally was able to stop obsessing and make these awesome treats
My pretzel helper is ready, so let’s get down to business!
Chocolate Peanut Butter Pretzel Ritz Bars (Recipe Courtesy of The Girl Who Ate Everything)
Ingredients
¾ cup (1½ sticks) butter, melted
1 cup pretzels, crushed finely then measured
1 cup Ritz crackers, crushed finely
1½ cups powdered sugar
1 cup crunchy peanut butter
¼ cup creamy peanut butter
1½ cups milk chocolate chips
Instructions
1. Line a 9×13 baking dish with aluminum foil.
2. In medium bowl combine melted butter, crushed pretzels, crushed Ritz crackers, powdered sugar, and crunchy peanut butter.
3. Press mixture into the bottom of the foil lined baking dish.
4. In a small bowl, melt milk chocolate and ¼ cup peanut butter in microwave in 30 second intervals until melted. Stirring in between intervals. Pour over peanut butter cracker mix and spread evenly. Refrigerate for 1 hour or until chocolate has set before cutting into squares.
Crushing up some salty snacks for the bottom layer
I made a double batch of these (because – why not?) and luckily my division skills worked out pretty well and each pan had just the right amount of each layer (really lucky since I was definitely just eyeballing it…)
*I recommend letting them sit at room temperature for a bit before trying to cut them/free them from the pan (trust me – as I learned this the hard way!)
Chocolate and peanut butter lovers beware – these are addicting! It’s that combo of salty and sweet that really gets me, plus I love the crunchy texture of the bottom layer and the sweet chocolate topping. Not only are these delicious and easy, but they are the perfect treat to let the kids help with, or to make on a hot day, as there’s no oven required – the microwave is all that’s needed to whip up these tasty treats!
Personally I find them reminiscent of a Reese’s Big Cup – which is basically a big peanut butter cup with extra peanut butter in it. It’s a rich treat that has it all – salty, sweet, crunchy, and chocolaty- what could be better?
Modern Day Betty Crocker 