Chocolate Peanut Butter Layer Dessert

4.67 from 204 votes

Love peanut butter desserts? This rich chocolate peanut butter layer dessert recipe will do the trick. The sweet and salty pretzel crust is amazing!

Prep Time45

Cook Time10

Total Time55

Servings: slices

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a 9x13 pan, add in the crushed 2 1/2 cups pretzels, 1/4 cup granulated sugar, and melted 3/4 cup butter. Stir to coat all the pretzels in the melted butter.
Firmly press the crushed pretzels into the pan.
Place into the oven and bake for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool. Begin working on the cheesecake filling.

In a medium bowl, add in the 8 ounces cream cheese, 1 cup creamy peanut butter, and 1 tablespoon butter Beat on medium/high until light and fluffy.
Add in the 1 cup granulated sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract Beat until incorporated.
Add in a quarter of the whipped cream and fold it into the cream cheese mixture. This will lighten up the mixture before adding the remaining whipped cream and deflating it all.
Add in the remaining whipped cream and carefully fold it in.
Spread the filling into the cooled crust. Be sure to get to all of the edges of the crust. Seal off any holes on the edges to prevent the pudding from seeping through and making our pretzel crust soggy.

In a mixing bowl, add in the 5.85 ounce box instant chocolate pudding mix and 2 cups whole milk. Using a handmixer, beat on medium until incorporated. Let thicken about 5 minutes before spreading on top of the cheesecake layer.
Spread the pudding evenly over top of the peanut butter cream cheese layer. Be sure to get to the edges.
Remove the lid from the 11.75 ounce jar hot fudge topping and microwave for 45 seconds. Stir well.
Scoop all of the fudge topping into a sandwich bag. Cut a small hole out of the corner of the sandwich bag.
Drizzle the hot fudge topping all over the top of the pudding. I started from the corner and drizzled back and forth until everything was covered.
Spread the thawed 8 ounces whipped topping all over the top of the dessert. Again, make sure to take the topping all the way over to the edges.
Add the 1 1/2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter into a sandwich bag. Place into the microwave for about 20 seconds. Squish it around in your hand to make sure it's all runny.
Cut a small hole in the corner of the sandwich bag. Drizzle peanut butter on top of the dessert. I drizzled one direction all the way across the dessert and then drizzled in the opposite direction all the way across.

Storage: Store covered or in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.