Silky, sweet, and a touch of salty make this No Bake Peanut Butter Pretzel Pie a new summertime knockout.
Creamy peanut butter, cream cheese, and a crunchy pretzel crust are the core of this no bake dessert.
Plus, it's easily gluten free if you grab gluten free pretzels!
TLDR: Best things about this gluten free pie
NO BAKE: Serve up a delicious dessert without keeping the oven on all day! Note that you can bake the pretzel crust for a short stint in the oven, but you can prepare it the day before.
UNIQUE: This pie isn't one of the traditional favorites; it's a new showstopper that everyone will want the recipe for.
PB LOVERS: Peanut butter lovers rejoice! Creamy PB and salty pretzels make an epic combo.
Jump to:
Ingredients
A gluten free pretzel crust makes the base for this pie, and a simple cream cheese and peanut butter combo makes the filling.
Crust ingredients
PRETZELS: Gluten free pretzels keeps this crust and recipe gluten free, but feel free to use whatever pretzels you prefer. You can use any shape; twists, sticks, or snaps!
BUTTER: The binder for the crust!
Filling ingredients
PEANUT BUTTER: Creamy, all-natural peanut butter is the way to go here! Just make sure it is truly creamy for a silky-smooth pie. I like Justin's and Once Again brands. You can also make your own peanut butter!
HEAVY CREAM: Or whipping cream. We'll whip it up to create a fluffier texture for the peanut butter layer, as well as topping the whole pie!
CREAM CHEESE: Blended with the peanut butter, cream cheese provides a cheesecake-like flavor without making the pie too dense. You'll just need one 8-oz package of cream cheese for this recipe.
HONEY: The sweetener for this pie. I LOVE the honey + peanut butter flavor combo!
CINNAMON: Adds a little more flavor to the filling without overpowering it.
TOPPINGS: Additional pretzels, creamy peanut butter, and honey-roasted nuts make amazing toppings for this pie! Other ideas: toasted nuts (not honey-roasted), dusting of cinnamon.
How to make the GF pretzel crust
PROCESS THE PRETZELS
Add the pretzels and brown sugar to a food processer and process until the pretzels are the texture of grainy sand. Larger chunks will still work, but make the pie harder to slice evenly.
ADD BUTTER
Add melted butter to the food processor and pulse 6 to 8 times until the mixture resembles wet sand.
PRESS INTO PIE PLATE
Dump the mixture into a pie plate and press into the bottom and up the sides of the plate in an even layer.
BAKE CRUST
NOTE: I do suggest baking the crust for 10 minutes. However, you can freeze the crust for 30 minutes before filling for a truly no-bake pie.
For a baked crust, bake at 350 degrees F for 10 minutes. Cool completely before filling.
How to make the PB filling
PREP CRUST
Make the pretzel crust before starting the filling. You can even prep this crust a day in advance if you choose!
To keep this recipe gluten free, make sure you opt for gluten free pretzels. If it's not a priority for you, though, feel free to use any pretzels!
You can use whatever crust you prefer for this recipe, including pre-bought or a no cook option. For most press-in crusts, you will have to bake the crust.
BLEND FILLING
Add peanut butter, cream cheese, honey, and cinnamon to the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat until smooth.
Transfer the peanut butter mixture to another bowl and wipe the bowl of the stand mixer clean.
WHIP CREAM
Add the heavy cream, a little more cinnamon, and remaining honey to the bowl of the stand mixer and beat until stiff peaks form.
Add about 1 cup of the whipped cream to the peanut butter mixture and stir to combine.
ASSEMBLE THE PIE
Add the peanut butter mixture to the cool crust, using a spatula to smooth to the edges. Top with the remaining whipped cream and any other toppings you'd like.
Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before slicing and serving.
Variations and alterations
USE A DIFFERENT CRUST: While changing the crust will take the "pretzel" part out of this peanut butter pie, you can easily change up the flavors here by changing the crust.
A graham cracker or Oreo crust would work well with this pie!
CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER PIE: Brush your crust with a generous layer of melted chocolate before adding the peanut butter filling. Fold 2 tablespoons cocoa powder into the reserved whipped cream that tops the pie.
STRAWBERRY PB PRETZEL PIE: Make a strawberry compote and spread a generous layer on top of the peanut butter filling before topping with whipped cream. Top the pie with chopped fresh strawberries.
FAQs
Since you're processing the pretzels to a sandy texture, you can use any pretzel shape you want - twists, sticks, or snaps!
As far as brands, I used both glutino and Quinn gluten free pretzels. Personally, we liked glutino better, but both worked just fine.
Absolutely. Gluten free graham crackers or Oreos would work great here! Just keep in mind that the overall flavor of the pie will change.
I've kept leftover in the fridge, uncovered, for up to 5 days. After a couple days, the whipped cream may start to get watery, so it's best eaten within 3 days.
No, I wouldn't recommend it - the whipped cream will become soupy if frozen and thawed.
Yes. While it may change the flavor a bit, you can substitute with creamy sunflower seed butter for a nut free version.
Serving suggestions
Let this pie set in the fridge for at least 2 hours before slicing and serving.
Top this pie with honey-roasted peanuts, crushed pretzels, and a drizzle of peanut butter. If your peanut butter is too thick to drizzle, you can add a little olive oil to peanut butter to thin it!
Serve this pie cold, slicing and plating right after you've taken it out of the fridge.
More summertime gluten free dessert recipes
Did you try this Peanut Butter Pretzel Pie? I'd love to hear what you think! Comment below or tag me on Instagram.
Print📖 Recipe
No Bake Peanut Butter Pretzel Pie Recipe
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 8 minutes
- Total Time: 4 hours, 28 minutes
- Yield: 8 slices 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: No Bake
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
Trust me - this No Bake Peanut Butter Pretzel Pie is unlike anything you've had before, and it's going to haunt your dreams. A simple pretzel crust and luscious peanut butter cream cheese filling create an epic combo! Use gluten free pretzels to keep this recipe gluten free.
Ingredients
Pretzel Crust:
- 3 cups pretzels, plus more for garnish (for gluten free, use gluten free pretzels)
- ¼ cup light brown sugar
- 8 tablespoons (½ cup) unsalted butter, melted
Peanut Butter Filling:
- 1 (8-oz) package cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter, plus more for garnish
- ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons honey, divided
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 2 ½ cups heavy cream, divided
- Chopped salted roasted peanuts, for garnish
Instructions
For the crust:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Add the pretzels and brown sugar to the bowl of a food processor and process for about 20 seconds, until finely ground and well combined. Add butter and pulse 6 to 8 times, until mixture resembles wet sand.
- Dump the pretzel mixture into a greased 9-inch pie plate. Press the pretzel mixture evenly into the bottom and up the sides of the plate. Bake for 8 to 12 minutes, until golden brown and crisped. Transfer the pie plate to a wire rack and let cool completely, about 30 minutes, before filling.
NOTE: For a completely no bake version, you can skip baking and transfer the crust to the freezer. Freeze for at least an hour before filling.
For the pie:
- Add cream cheese, peanut butter, ½ cup honey, vanilla, salt, and cinnamon to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on medium-high speed for about 2 minutes, stopping and scraping down the sides as necessary, until the mixture is light, fluffy, and fully combined.
- With the mixer still running on medium, gradually pour in ½ cup heavy cream, being careful to avoid pouring on the beaters. Beat for about 20 more seconds, until the mixture is well combined. Transfer peanut butter mixture to a separate large bowl.
- Wipe the mixer bowl clean (no need to fully wash). Add the remaining 2 tablespoons honey and remaining 2 cups heavy cream to the mixing bowl. Beat on medium-high speed for 1 to 2 minutes, until stiff peaks form.
- Measure out about 1 cup of the whipped cream and fold it into the peanut butter mixture with a large spatula. Transfer the peanut butter mixture to the prepared pie crust, and spread in an even layer with an offset spatula. Top with remaining whipped.
- Chill the pie, uncovered, until filling is cold and set, at least 4 hours and up to 24 hours. Garnish with toasted peanuts, crushed gluten free pretzels, and peanut butter drizzle, as desired. Serve cold. This pie keeps well in the fridge for up to 3 days.
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