you're making mealtime meaningful.
Salted caramels. Bacon and maple syrup. French fries and a milkshake. All amazing together, right? See, the thing about pairing something salty with something sweet is that it makes them both taste even better because you get a layered, complex flavor that your tastebuds never tire of. Case in point – this Chocolate Pretzel Icebox Pie, which pairs a salty pretzel crust with a cool and creamy chocolate filling. It’s utterly delicious and incredibly easy to make.
This crust is a place where you might be accustomed to seeing graham cracker crumbs, but a pretzel crumb swap is a little stroke of genius. You just buy a bag of pretzels, crush ’em up, and proceed the same way you would with a graham cracker crust – by stirring in melted butter so that it will hold together as a base for your filling.
The difference is how the pretzel crumbs add a salty bite to contrast with whatever filling you choose, and in turn, make it taste even better. We’ve chosen an easy, just-sweet-enough chocolate filling here that’s silky smooth and packed with two kinds of chocolate.
It’s a no-bake endeavor, so the only skill you truly need is a little patience while this hangs out in the refrigerator to set. I know waiting for a good thing can be pretty difficult, but I can promise you the salty-sweet combo here is one that’s well worth waiting for.
Chocolate Pretzel Ice Box Pie
Yield(s): Serves 8-10
20 minutes active, 1 hour inactive
you're making mealtime meaningful.
Ingredients
- For the crust:
- 1 1/2 cups pretzel crumbs, finely crushed
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted
- For the filling:
- 1/3 cup hot water
- 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 1/3 cups bittersweet chocolate chips
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- Whipped cream, for serving
Preparation
- Grease a 9-inch pie pan with nonstick spray.
- In a medium bowl, mix together the pretzel crumbs, 1/4 cup granulated sugar, 1/4 teaspoon salt and melted butter until thoroughly combined. Press mixture firmly into the bottom and up the sides of the pan and chill in the freezer until firm, at least 10 minutes.
- In a small bowl or measuring cup, combine hot water, cocoa, and vanilla. Set aside.
- In a separate microwave-safe bowl, microwave the chocolate chips in 30-second intervals until melted, stirring in between. Let cool for a few minutes.
- To a large bowl, add the cream and sugar, and beat with an electric mixer until soft peaks form.
- Stir the cocoa mixture into the cooled melted chocolate, and, using a whisk, fold the chocolate mixture gently into the whipped cream until no streaks remain.
- Spread filling evenly into chilled crust and chill in refrigerator until firm, at least 1 hour.
- Serve topped with whipped cream, and enjoy!