Chocolate Peanut Butter Slice-and-No-Bake Cookies
An easy no-bake cookie recipe made with dark chocolate and peanut butter and filled with peanuts and pretzels.
MakesAbout 24 cookies
Prep10 minutes
Cook6 minutes to 9 minutes
Chocolate salami (salame di cioccolato) is an Italian dessert that’s as whimsical as it sounds. A base of melted chocolate is speckled with biscuits and an array of add-ins, formed into a sausage shape, and cut into rounds that resemble slices of salami. The playful dessert is delicious with a cup of hot coffee, and it’s one of my favorite treats.
When my oven broke recently I started brainstorming fun no-bake treats, and thus this playful twist on chocolate salami was born. It borrows the same shaping and slicing technique, but the base is more akin to a peanut butter ganache that hardens into a fudge-like texture, and each bite is packed with salty pretzels and peanuts. It’s rich, creamy, and a perfect winter treat. Here’s how to make it in four simple steps.
1. Melt chocolate, peanut butter, milk, and butter in a double boiler until completely smooth.
To make the base of these cookies, you’ll melt together semisweet chocolate chips, creamy peanut butter, milk, unsalted butter, vanilla extract, and kosher salt to create a fudge-like mixture. Using a double boiler slowly melts the chocolate and prevents it from scorching, ensuring your chocolate doesn’t seize or burn.
When it comes to picking a peanut butter, you’ll want to use a stabilized creamy peanut butter (like Skippy) rather than a natural variety, which tends to separate and will give these cookies an unpleasant chalky texture. If you prefer sweeter desserts, feel free to swap in milk chocolate chips. The cookies will be slightly lighter in color but just as pretty.
Read more: What’s a Double Boiler and What’s the Best One to Buy (or DIY)?
2. Mix in peanuts and chopped pretzels for crunch, then let cool.
Once the base is completely melted, add in toasted, chopped peanuts and roughly chopped pretzels. I like to use Snyder’s Mini Pretzels because they’re coated in large salt crystals that provide a nice crunch and salty contrast against the sweet chocolate. Give the mixture a stir to distribute them, cover with plastic wrap, and let refrigerate for about an hour. You want the chocolate to be somewhat firm yet still malleable. If after an hour the chocolate is still too soft, refrigerate another 15 minutes and check again.
3. Form the chocolate into a log and wrap it up.
This is the most fun step and where the real magic happens. Once the chocolate is cooled and malleable, transfer it onto a large piece of plastic wrap, spray your hands with nonstick cooking spray, and form the chocolate into a 1 1/2-inch thick log with your hands. Tightly wrap the log with the plastic wrap, twisting the ends together to keep it snug. The log will look exactly like a sausage, and that’s precisely what you’re going for! Transfer the log into the fridge and let it set for at least six hours.
4. Slice the log into rounds and enjoy!
Once the log is completely set, it’s time to slice it! Using a thin, sharp knife, slice the log into rounds that are about 1/4-inch thick. If the log starts to crumble or break apart, run your knife under hot water and try again. The heat of the knife will make slicing easier and create picture-perfect slices. I like to sprinkle each one with a bit of flaky sea salt.
If you don’t want to slice all of the cookies at once, you can re-wrap the remainder of the log in plastic and save it for later. The unsliced log lasts for several days in the fridge and is great to slice from throughout the week as a little treat.
Ready to bake these cookies? Tag your photos #Jessescookieclub to join in the fun!
Welcome to Jesse’s Cookie Club, where Studio Food Editor (and resident cookie expert) Jesse Szewczyk shares a brand-new monthly recipe that transforms a classic cookie into something new, bold, and exciting. From nutty brown butter blondies to chewy sweet potato snickerdoodles, these treats are anything but boring — and every recipe includes step-by-step photos so any level of baker can make them. Follow along and share your cookie creations using #Jessescookieclub.
Chocolate Peanut Butter Slice-and-No-Bake Cookies
An easy no-bake cookie recipe made with dark chocolate and peanut butter and filled with peanuts and pretzels.
Prep time 10 minutes
Cook time 6 minutes to 9 minutes
Makes About 24 cookies
Nutritional Info
Ingredients
- 1 cup
roasted, unsalted peanuts
- 7 ounces
salted mini pretzel twists or thin pretzel rods
- 12 ounces
semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chips (about 1 1/2 cups)
- 6 tablespoons
(3/4 stick) unsalted butter
- 1 cup
creamy peanut butter, such as Skippy
- 1 cup
whole milk
- 1 teaspoon
vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspooon
kosher salt
Cooking spray
Flaky sea salt, for sprinkling (optional)
Instructions
Place 1 cup roasted, unsalted peanuts in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the blade attachment and pulse until coarsely chopped, 5 to 7 pulses. Transfer to a medium bowl. Place 7 ounces pretzels in the food processor and pulse until coarsely chopped into 1/2-inch pieces, 5 to 8 pulses. Add to the bowl of peanuts. (Alternatively, chop both peanuts and pretzels by hand with a knife.)
Fill a medium saucepan with 2 inches of water and bring to a simmer over medium heat; reduce the heat as needed to maintain a simmer. In a large, heat-proof bowl slightly larger than the saucepan, place 12 ounces chocolate chips, 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, 1 cup creamy peanut butter, 1 cup whole milk, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, and 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt. Place the bowl on the saucepan simmering water and heat, stirring often, until completely melted and smooth, 6 to 9 minutes. Remove the bowl from the heat. Add the peanuts and pretzels and stir to evenly combine. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm but malleable, about 1 hour.
Prepare two sheets of plastic wrap, each about 20 inches long. Transfer half of the chocolate mixture onto each sheet. Lightly spray your hands with cooking spray and form each portion into a 7-inch log, spraying your hands with more cooking spray if the chocolate starts to stick. (If the chocolate is too soft to work with, refrigerate for 15 minutes and try again.)
Wrap each log in the plastic wrap and twist the ends together tightly to create a uniform log shape. Refrigerate until firm, at least 6 hours or up to overnight.
When ready to serve, unwrap the logs and place on a cutting board. Using a serrated knife, cut the logs crosswise into 1/2-inch thick round slices. Sprinkle the cut side of the slices with flaky sea salt if using, and serve immediately (they will get soft as they warm up). If you don’t want to slice both logs at once, slice just one and keep the remaining uncut log refrigerated in the plastic wrap for later.
Recipe Notes
Toasting the peanuts: If using raw peanuts, place them in a large, dry skillet and heat over medium heat. Cook, stirring often to prevent burning, until the peanuts darken in color slightly and are fragrant, 4 to 6 minutes. Transfer onto a cutting board and let cool, then coarsely chop.
Storage: Leftover cookies can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 7 days. The log can also be frozen for up to 2 months. Thaw in the refrigerate overnight before slicing.