This recipe will definitely satisfy your craving for sweet, salty and crunchy. And if you like the combination of peanut butter and chocolate, you’ll love these layered bars.
The base layer of these bars is basically peanut butter brownies. There isn’t an overwhelming peanut butter flavour, just enough to balance with the chocolate. The top layer is melted chocolate mixed with a bit of peanut butter so it stays soft enough to cut but not so soft that it’s messy. They’re topped with chopped nuts and salty pretzels that stay crunchy for days.
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You can make these with crunchy or smooth peanut butter. Crunchy peanut butter gives you maximum peanut chunks. And you can use any type of nuts on top. Peanuts would be the obvious choice but pecans would be extra decadent. Use your imagination!
What’s the best type of chocolate for melting?
The best chocolate for melting is one with a higher percentage of cocoa butter which is the edible fat from cocoa beans. If you start reading labels you’ll discover that some chocolate has cocoa butter and other “chocolate” does not. Then there’s dark, milk, semi sweet, bitter sweet. Somewhere in that range is probably the best choice, depending on your preference. The chocolate with a very high percentage of cacao can get quite chalky and bitter. Chips have extra ingredients as stabilizers to hold their shape so they’re harder to melt. So a decent quality baking bar would be the best choice. I prefer semi sweet which is sweet enough without being too sweet.
While your cookie base is baking, chop up your chocolate and melt it gently in a double boiler or over a bowl of hot water. Be patient, it may seem your chocolate is not melting very fast but it will soon be a smooth river of deliciousness. The peanut butter melts right into the mixture with a quick stir. Pour it over the base and spread close to the edges.
Pour the chocolate mixture over top of the baked peanut butter base once it’s had a chance to cool just a bit. Spread it close to the edge of the base.
Next, chop up your nuts and pretzels. Scatter them evenly over top. Give them a gentle press to make sure they stick in the chocolate. If you’ve got some finishing salt or salt flakes, sprinkle a bit over the nuts. It adds an extra salty kick and crunch.
Now the hardest part. Waiting for the bars to cool. The chocolate won’t harden because of the addition of peanut butter. It will be semi smooth with a soft fudge like texture. You don’t need to store these in the refrigerator. But you might need to hide them from others. Or yourself.
Here’s the recipe:
Peanut Butter Chocolate Crunch Bars
Ingredients
- 1 cup flour
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup white sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar packed
- ½ cup butter
- ½ cup peanut butter
Topping
- 4 oz chopped baking chocolate half of 225 g box
- 2 Tbsp peanut butter
- â…“ cup chopped peanuts or mixture of nuts
- â…“ cup chopped salty pretzels about 15 small pretzel twists
- 1 tsp finishing salt optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° and line a 9 inch square pan with parchment paper.
- In stand mixer or with hand mixer cream butter with white and brown sugar until fluffy. Add egg and peanut butter and mix to combine.
- Sift together flour, baking powder and salt. Add to creamy mixture and blend until combined.
- Spread evenly pan and bake for 20 - 22 minutes until a toothpick inserted in centre comes out clean. Do not over bake.
- Meanwhile, chop chocolate into small pieces. Melt in top layer of double boiler or in a bowl over a container of very hot water. Stir until completely melted. Stir in peanut butter.
- Chop nuts and pretzels. Pour chocolate mixture over top of peanut butter layer. Spread evenly to edges. Sprinkle nut and pretzel mixture over top. Press down gently to ensure toppings stick into the chocolate. If desired, sprinkle finishing salt over top. (do not use regular salt)
- Wait until chocolate layer has cooled enough to set before cutting into squares.