Boozy Bacon Pretzel Peanut Butter Bars

Boozy Bacon Pretzel Peanut Butter Bars are the perfect salty-sweet dessert! This twist on a classic peanut butter blondie incorporates bacon, pretzel pieces and bourbon into the batter. Press mini pretzels on top before baking, then let these chewy peanut butter squares cool before cutting into bite-sized pieces. Perfect for a crowd, Boozy Bacon Pretzel Peanut Butter Bars make a versatile sweet treat for game day, a casual dinner party and more!

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 20

Cooling Time 30

Total Time 1 10

Servings bars

Calories 222kcal

Ingredients

½ cup unsalted butter softened
1 cup light brown sugar lightly packed
1 egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
½ cup creamy peanut butter unsweetened (if at all possible!)
¼ cup bourbon I used a pecan bourbon, but you can use whatever you have on hand!
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons bacon cooked and chopped into small pieces (about 2 slices)
1 cup mini pretzels broken into pieces
16 whole mini pretzels for decorating

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 9"x9" baking dish with nonstick baking spray, and set aside.
In a large glass bowl, cream together butter and brown sugar. You can use either a stand mixer or a hand mixer to accomplish this.
Break the egg, and add it to the mixture. Pour in the vanilla, and beat with the mixer until combined.
Pour the bourbon, and mix until it is completely incorporated into the batter.
Measure in the peanut butter, then mix until smooth.
Add in the flour, and beat until combined.
If you haven't already, break the pretzels into pieces. (We used our hands for this step, but you could also put them into a plastic bag and smack them with a rolling pin or a tenderizer to get them all crumbly.)
Using a rubber spatula, fold in the pretzels and the bacon into the batter. Folding them in will ensure they don't break up too much or lose their crunchy texture.
Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan, and spread until evenly distributed.
Place the additional whole pretzels on the top of the batter. Using your fingers, press them slightly into the mixture to get the pretzels to stick.
In the preheated oven, bake for 20 minutes or until the middle is set and a toothpick comes out nearly clean.
When they are cooked through, remove from the oven, and let cool completely on a wire rack.
Using a sharp knife, cut, and then store in an airtight container for up to a week.

Notes

Recipe adapted from Take Two Tapas.

Nutrition