The best peanut butter pretzels
It’s hard to beat a peanut butter sandwich. Or peanut butter on toast. Or even a quick swipe of the stuff on a celery stick or apple slice. But peanut butter is way too messy to make the party food list. Unless it’s neatly tucked inside a pretzel.
Pretzels and peanut butter are an ingenious pairing, a tasty snack that pairs with everything from coffee to beer.
Fun fact: Peanut butter pretzels haven’t been around forever. They arrived in the 1980s, thanks to advances in extruding technology. But unlike many extruded snacks, peanut butter-filled pretzels are a fairly healthy pick. At 5 grams per serving, they’re high in protein, low in added fat and sugar and great for long commutes, study sessions and, did we mention they pair well with beer?
The best peanut butter pretzels have a generous dollop of fresh, moist, richly flavored peanut butter inside a thin layer of toasty pretzel. The worst offer thick dough stuffed with a filling that’s dry, stale, overly sweet or simply flavorless. The most important thing to look for when buying peanut butter-filled pretzels is the expiration date. Peanuts turn rancid fast. The closer they are to that sell-by date, the less fresh they are.
Here’s the scoop on the best peanut butter pretzel bites and the dry disappointments. Nutrition details refer to a 30-gram serving, which is typically 8 to 12 bites.
Kirkland HK Anderson Valencia Peanut Butter Filled Pretzel Nuggets
Fresh, full-flavored Valencia peanut butter tucked into an extra-thin, toasty pretzel makes a perfect bite. Sweetening the peanut butter with molasses is genius. 140 calories, 7 g fat, 230 mg sodium, 1 g sugar. $8.59 for 55 ounces at Costco.
Good Health Peanut Butter Filled Pretzels
Lots of bold, extra-nutty flavored paste inside a delicately toasted wrapper earn these bites top stars. They taste less sweet than their 2 g of sugar would imply, because half the sugar comes from the peanuts. 150 calories, 7 g fat, 230 mg sodium, 2 g sugar. $2.99 for 5 ounces at Whole Foods.
Trader Joe’s Peanut Butter Filled Pretzels
Crispy pretzels and a generous dash of peanut butter combine for a tasty snack. Pull back on the salt and these bargainpriced bites would score higher. 140 calories, 7 g fat, 300 mg sodium, 2 g sugar. $1.99 for 16 ounces.
Snack Artist Peanut Butter Filled Pretzels
The peanut butter is bland, but these salty bites have a winning balance of filling to pretzel. 150 calories, 7 g fat, 330 mg sodium, 2 g sugar. $3.99 for 18 ounces at Safeway.
365 Peanut Butter Pretzel Nuggets
The tiny sliver of sweet peanut butter inside a thick, salty pretzel shell make these lower in fat, but also a lot less tempting. 130 calories, 4.5 g fat, 320 mg sodium, 1 g sugar. $2.49 for 10 ounces at Whole Foods.
Snyder’s of Hanover Peanut Butter Filled Pieces
Dry, overly sweet peanut butter inside a thick, dull-flavored pretzel makes for an edible, but inferior snack. 150 calories, 7 g fat, 330 mg sodium, 2 g sugar. $3.69 for 10 ounces at Raley’s.
Sprouts Peanut Butter Filled Pretzels
The fresh, flavor-packed peanut butter in these pretzels from the Sprouts bulk bin is a win, but the tough, thick and under-toasted pretzel is unappealing. 140 calories, 7 g fat, 330 mg sodium, 1 g sugar. $5.99 per pound.
Market Pantry Peanut Butter Filled Pretzels
Bland peanut butter and tasteless pretzel dough make these a great choice for those on a diet: They are entirely binge-proof. 140 calories, 7 g fat, 330 mg sodium, 2 g sugar. $7.46 for 44 ounces at Target.
First Street Peanut Butter Filled Pretzel Nuggets
Have a water bottle nearby: These nearly flavor-free bites filled with powdery peanut butter require serious hydration. 150 calories, 7 g fat, 330 mg sodium, 2 g sugar. $3.69 for 16 ounces at Smart & Final.
Reviews are based on product samples purchased by this newspaper or provided by manufacturers.