I was at the grocery store the other day and my kids were a little disappointed that their favorite Nutter Butter cookies were all sold out. My first thought was “How can Walmart be sold out of Nutter Butters? Aren’t they supposed to have EVERYTHING?!?” After that shock wore off in like 0.3 seconds, I got back to business to why I was at the store in the first place. To get some ingredients to make a dessert for a get-together I was having.
Next to the empty space where the Nutter Butters used to be were the Nutter Butter Creme Patties. Now, I’ve baked with Nutter Butter cookies plenty of times but I’ve never put the Creme Patties into any of my creations. Now this became a challenge to me. I needed to figure out how to incorporate these crispy peanut butter wafers into a delicious dessert.
Last night I got to work. I knew that the Creme Patties would work great with brownies and chocolate cookies. There is nothing better with peanut butter than chocolate, right? But which one – br0wnie or cookie? Since I couldn’t decide, I LOVE layered desserts and my Ultimate Pretzel Crusted Peanut Butter Cookie Candy Brownie Bars were a worldwide hit, I thought I would do both!
Then I decided since I was doing layers, I had to throw some pretzel crust into the mix. But with the Nutter Butter Creme Patties – I couldn’t just do regular pretzel crust – I had to do peanut butter pretzel crust! It only makes sense, right?!?
After brainstorming for the perfect dessert for my get-together, I had it – Double Chocolate Peanut Butter Pretzel Bars. (At least the name isn’t as insanely long as my “Ultimate Bars“!) This dessert has a peanut butter pretzel crust, topped with a double chocolate cookie layer and a Nutter Butter Creme Patties and peanut butter sauce layer and finished off with Double Chocolate Chunk Brownies. Yes, peanut butter and chocolate overload but it’s amazing!
Ingredients:
- 1 3/4 cups crushed butter pretzels
- 1 stick butter, melted
- 3 tbsp sugar
- 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter, divided
- Betty Crocker Double Chocolate Cookie Mix and all the ingredients the mix calls for
- Brownie Mix (8×8 size box + all the ingredients the mix calls for)
- 24 squares Nutter Butter Creme Patties (1/2 package)
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Make the Peanut Butter Pretzel Crust. Heat 1/4 cup peanut butter in the microwave for about 25 seconds to make it melty. Crush the pretzels in a food processor or however you like to crush pretzels. Any kind of pretzels will do but I recommend using crushed butter pretzels (you find them next to the regular pretzels and they are literally called “Synder Butter Pretzels”) for the recipe. I also recommend not crushing the pretzels to dust but keep some small pieces to keep the crust crunchy. Mix the melty peanut butter, melted butter (melt in microwave), sugar and pretzel crumbs. Press into lightly greased 8×8 pan. Put the pan of pretzel crust in the freezer while you make the cookies. Putting it in the freezer is important for when you try to spread the cookies on top. If you don’t chill it, it will be super hard to get the cookie dough evenly over the pretzel crust.
Cookie Dough Layer. Make the cookie dough according to the package. Remove the pretzel crust from the freezer and lightly press the cookie dough evenly on top of the pretzel crust.
Nutter Butter Creme Patties Layer. Set 24 Creme Patties on top of the cookie dough. Heat the other 1/4 cup peanut butter in the microwave for about 25 seconds to make it melty. Pour the peanut butter evenly over the cookies.
Make the brownies. Make the brownies according to the package. Pour the brownie batter evenly over the peanut butter Creme Patties layer.
Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. You want to check the top brownie layer and make sure it isn’t raw but don’t burn the brownies either.
*IMPORTANT: You have to let this dessert cool all the way before cutting. This dessert needs to be cut and enjoyed at room temperature. If you try to cut it when it is still warm, the Nutter Butter Creme Patties will give you all kinds of problems. If you try to eat it right out of the oven, the Creme Patties will be chewy. It will still be delicious BUT ideally you want the dessert to sit for at least an hour to completely cool and to give the Nutter Butter Creme Patties a chance to cool and crisp up again. This dessert is best made the night before and enjoyed the next day! When cooled, it becomes a delicious peanut butter crisp center sandwiched between a chocolately cookie and gooey brownie layer all set in a peanut butter pretzel crust!
Double Chocolate Peanut Butter Pretzel Bars
Ingredients
- 1 3/4 cups butter pretzels crushed
- 1 stick butter melted
- 3 tbsp sugar
- 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter divided
- Betty Crocker Double Chocolate Cookie Mix and all the ingredients the mix calls for
- Brownie Mix 8×8 size box + all the ingredients the mix calls for
- 24 squares Nutter Butter Creme Patties
Instructions
Make the Peanut Butter Pretzel Crust.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat 1/4 cup peanut butter in the microwave for about 25 seconds to make it melty. Crush the pretzels in a food processor or however you like to crush pretzels. Any kind of pretzels will do but I recommend using crushed butter pretzels (you find them next to the regular pretzels and they are literally called “Synder Butter Pretzels”) for the recipe. I also recommend not crushing the pretzels to dust but keep some small pieces to keep the crust crunchy. Mix the melty peanut butter, melted butter (melt in microwave), sugar and pretzel crumbs. Press into lightly greased 8×8 pan. Put the pan of pretzel crust in the freezer while you make the cookies. Putting it in the freezer is important for when you try to spread the cookies on top. If you don’t chill it, it will be super hard to get the cookie dough evenly over the pretzel crust.
Cookie Dough Layer.
- Make the cookie dough according to the package. Remove the pretzel crust from the freezer and lightly press the cookie dough evenly on top of the pretzel crust.
Nutter Butter Creme Patties Layer.
- Set 24 Creme Patties on top of the cookie dough. Heat the other 1/4 cup peanut butter in the microwave for about 25 seconds to make it melty. Pour the peanut butter evenly over the cookies.
Make the brownies.
- Make the brownies according to the package. Pour the brownie batter evenly over the peanut butter Creme Patties layer.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. You want to check the top brownie layer and make sure it isn’t raw but don’t burn the brownies either.