Peanut Butter Pretzel Brownies

Last Updated on December 29, 2020 by Kayla Berman

I am a sweets girl through and through. Like i always order the dessert and also more often than not end up eating most of it! Now I am a fan of all things sweet, but my true favorite has got to be chocolate and more specifically brownies. Which could by why I have like four brownie recipes already up on on my site. And these Peanut Butter Pretzel Brownies might just be my new favorite.

I mean they pretty much combine everything that is good in this world into one delicious little bite of chocolatey goodness. They’ve got melty chocolate chips, crunchy and salty pretzels, a dreamy peanut butter swirl, and an absolutely perfect brownie texture. Honestly i’m struggling to describe the texture … my sisters are saying the brownies are cakey but I feel like they are a little fudgy … either way it’s fantastic. Just look for yourself!

a stack of the brownies, one with a bite taken

What you need for these Peanut Butter Pretzel Brownies!

  • peanut butter (the natural and runny kind!)
  • eggs
  • coconut oil (refined so it doesn’t taste like coconut!)
  • coconut sugar
  • applesauce
  • maple syrup
  • almond flour
  • cocoa powder
  • dairy free chocolate chips
  • pretzels (gluten free if you need!)
  • vanilla extract
  • baking powder
  • salt

The base of these brownies is some delicious creamy peanut butter. Peanut butter was legitimately my favorite food for a few years. I mean I still love it and eat it almost every day, but like back in the day I would truly devour it multiple times a day. Anyway, peanut butter as the base of a sweet treat almost guarantees that I am going to love it! And that is just what happened with these brownies.

Moving on from the peanut butter! Next we got some coconut oil. I used refined coconut oil so that it didn’t give the brownies an overwhelming coconut flavor. I highly recommend that you use refined coconut oil as well! Then for sweetness we have coconut sugar and maple syrup, my tried and true refined sugar free options. Next up we have flour! These brownies actually don’t require a lot at all. They have a little bit of almond flour and an equal amount of cocoa powder, which also acts as flour. This makes the brownies themselves gluten free, but this could change depending on your choice of pretzels for topping.

peanut butter pretzel brownies

Toppings time! And trust me the toppings on these brownies definitely bring their deliciousness up. They are loaded with more chocolate chips, peanut butter swirls, and chopped pretzels. It gives such a great texture element and salty sweet flavor to the brownies! You can also keep these brownies gluten free if you use gluten free pretzels in this step.

a close up shot of one of the peanut butter pretzel brownies

How to make these Peanut Butter Pretzel Brownies!

  1. Set the oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Combine the peanut butter, eggs, melted coconut oil, coconut sugar, maple syrup, applesauce, and vanilla extract until smooth.
  3. In a separate bowl combine almond flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and pinch of salt.
  4. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and combine until smooth.
  5. Stir in the chocolate chips.
  6. Pour batter into a greased or parchment paper lined 8×8 baking tray.
  7. Make peanut butter swirls by dolloping spoonfuls of peanut butter on top of the batter, about two tablespoons but you could do more or less. Make the swirls with a knife or toothpick.
  8. Then add additional chocolate chips, crushed pretzels to the top, and a sprinkle of salt. Press the chocolate chips and pretzels into the batter a little.
  9. Bake for 15 minutes.
  10. Let cool, cut into squares, and enjoy!
a hand holding one of the brownies, a close up bite shot

Check out my other brownie recipes!

Connect with me!

If you make these Peanut Butter Pretzel Brownies or any of my other recipes, I would absolutely love to know! Tag me @wellnessbykay on instagram so I can see and share your recreations!

peanut butter pretzel brownies on a white background
a short stack of the brownies
Print

Peanut Butter Pretzel Brownies

These Peanut Butter Pretzel Brownies have everything you want in a dessert and are made with good-for-you ingredients!  They have melty chocolate, crunchy & salty pretzels, smooth peanut butter swirls, and the perfect brownie texture.  Dairy free and can be gluten free!

  • Author: Kayla Berman
  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Cook Time: 15 minutes
  • Total Time: 35 minutes
  • Yield: 16 Brownies 1x
  • Category: Brownies
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1/2 cup peanut butter + more for topping (the natural and runny kind!)
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/4 cup melted coconut oil
  • 1/2 cup coconut sugar
  • 1 tbsp applesauce
  • 2 tbsp maple syrup
  • 1/4 cup almond flour
  • 1/4 cup cocoa powder
  • 1/4 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 cup dairy free chocolate chips (+ more for topping!)
  • crushed pretzels (about 1/4 cup)
  • pinch of salt

Instructions

  1. Set the oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Combine the peanut butter (1/2 cup), eggs, melted coconut oil, coconut sugar, maple syrup, applesauce, and vanilla extract until smooth.
  3. In a separate bowl combine almond flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and pinch of salt.
  4. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and combine until smooth.
  5. Stir in the chocolate chips (1/4 cup).
  6. Pour batter into a greased or parchment paper lined 8×8 baking tray.
  7. Make peanut butter swirls by dolloping spoonfuls of peanut butter on top of the batter, about two tablespoons but you could do more or less. Make the swirls with a knife or toothpick.
  8. Then add additional chocolate chips, crushed pretzels to the top, and a sprinkle of salt. Press the chocolate chips and pretzels into the batter a little.
  9. Bake for 15 minutes.
  10. Let cool, cut into squares, and enjoy!

Keywords: brownies, peanut butter brownies, peanut butter pretzel brownies, gluten free brownies, healthy brownies, dairy free brownies, easy brownies, chocolate, peanut butter

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6 Comments

  1. What can you use besides coconut sugar

  2. my 2 fave things in a brownie. SO PERFECT. saving this one for later!

  3. Wish I waited and added the pretzels after; they got a little soggy after storing

  4. Loved them! Not too sweet, pretty good ingredients and loved the texture!

  5. This recipe is so good! I used date syrup instead of maple syrup, and regular butter instead of coconut oil, and added some crushed pretzels in the batter as well as on top. It took longer for mine to bake but maybe that’s just differences in ovens. These brownies are truly delicious! Fudgy, rich but not too much, and soft. I’m not even a huge peanut butter person yet these were amazing. Can’t just stop at one!

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