13 Peanut Butter-Filled Pretzels, Ranked Worst To Best

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When I'm sweating every day during hot, humid Southern summers, I have a special penchant for peanut butter filled pretzels. They're salty, easily transportable, and can fill me up in just a few handfuls. But that's not to say that I won't readily devour them during the winter, too. So delicious are peanut butter pretzels that I found myself curious about how different brands' recipes might stack up. Thus, I embarked on a taste test to help you know which products are worth your money and which should be left behind.

Once you start going down the Google rabbit hole, it's surprising just how many brands of peanut butter pretzels are on the market. I picked out a large handful of the most readily available products, including grain-free options. I then ranked them according to factors like crispness of the outer shell, sweetness of the peanut butter filling, amount of salt, and shape and size, both of which affect mouthfeel. You can find more information regarding my methodology at the end of this article.

Despite being a grain-free alternative to traditional peanut butter filled pretzel nuggets, I found Quinn Peanut Butter Filled Pretzel Nuggets readily available online and in stores. They're also soy-free, corn-free, dairy-free, and vegan, making them a great choice for those with dietary and ethical constraints.

Instead of wheat flour, these pretzels star whole grain sorghum flour, brown rice flour, tapioca starch, and potato starch. Over the years, I've fallen deeper and deeper in love with sorghum flour, which is an environmentally sustainable ingredient commonly used in health-conscious Indian cooking.

I was slightly disappointed to find that sorghum's nutty, sweet flavor did not shine through in these nuggets. Instead, they tasted musty and stale. I double-checked the best by date (which didn't fall until seven weeks after I tasted the pretzels) and confirmed that they were indeed safe to eat. The crunchiness of the shells also led me to believe that these nuggets were in their intended state. Sadly, the overpoweringly stale flavor of these nuggets masked the peanut butter filling entirely. They therefore earned the lowest spot in this ranking.

I liked that FitJoy Grain Free Pretzel Peanut Butter Nuggets were individually packaged, making them easy to pack in school lunchboxes and in the glove compartment as an emergency snack. I also liked the fact that they use cassava flour, chickpea flour, potato starch, and tapioca starch in place of wheat flour. These nuggets are certified gluten-free and vegan, making peanut butter filled pretzels accessible to more folks.

However, I had several critiques of this product. Because the pretzels lacked the protection of a hard plastic jug, they were mostly broken. Additionally, the sea salt was unevenly distributed, with some nuggets covered in plenty of granules and others completely naked. On a similar aesthetic front, these pretzels lacked the dark brown color for which pretzels are famous.

The pretzel component was wonderfully crunchy, though not as crisp as in this product's wheat-based counterparts. There is, of course, a different flavor to the casings that might be off-putting for some, especially when it comes to the nuggets that are not masked by salt. Nor was the peanut butter filling particularly standout in flavor. The taste of this product was marginally more tolerable than Quinn's version, though. If I were trying to avoid gluten, I'd definitely buy this product. Otherwise, I would leave it on the shelf.

Reese's cups were my favorite Halloween candy as a kid, and I can only imagine how delicious the Reese's Peanut Butter Filled Pretzels would be when combined with chocolate. Such products exist from brands like FitJoy and It's Delish, though a homemade peanut butter pretzel bark also sounds delightful. 

But let's get back to peanut butter-filled pretzels. The filling in Reese's version contained powdered sugar in addition to standard sugar, as well as natural flavor. The aroma of these pretzels was quite distinct from that of their competitors. Frankly, they smelled more like candy than a savory snack. Upon biting into my first pretzel, my suspicions were confirmed; these pretzels taste as if they belong in the candy aisle! If that's what you're into, then I won't fault you. But I would have preferred the peanut butter to boast a darker, more roasted flavor rather than remind me of Reese's cups. 

Because I was so ambivalent about the taste of this product, it received one of the lowest rankings, only beating the gluten-free varieties. I also felt that each nugget was way too large. On a positive note, I liked the crunchiness and saltiness of each pretzel. The sweetness helps balance the sodium  – 240 milligrams per serving, as opposed to the 330 milligrams in some other brands.

The ingredients list attached to Snyder's of Hanover Peanut Butter Filled Pieces was nothing special. These pretzels consist of enriched wheat flour, sweetened peanut butter, vegetable oil, salt, and other ingredients.

I had high expectations for this product, considering that Snyder's of Hanover is my preferred brand for other pretzel products, like pretzel snaps and sticks. I found them to be surprisingly distinct from other products, with an umami flavor that stood out as soon as I cracked open the pretzel layer with my teeth. I found this umami twist interesting, but not ideal, as it detracted from the sweetness of the nuggets. That's why this product received a lower ranking, narrowly beating out Reese's version; after all, I'd rather my nuggets have a strange savory flavor than a strange sweet flavor. Nevertheless, I enjoyed the crunchiness of these pieces and the peanut butter-to-pretzel ratio.

I was intrigued to see that peanut butter isn't the only pretzel filling offered by Snyder's of Hanover. You might also spring for flavors like buttermilk ranch, jalapeño, or cheddar cheese. I'm sure the umami flavor would complement those savory flavors more spectacularly than it does peanut butter.

As one of Target's private label brands, Market Pantry offers peanut butter filled pretzels, just like Good & Gather. However, while the latter sells boxes of nine individually sized packages (ideal for on-the-go snacking), Market Pantry is what you'll need to buy for your next cookout or family gathering. Each 44-ounce tub of Market Pantry Peanut Butter Filled Pretzels contains 42 servings.

There was nothing surprising in the ingredients list for this product. The usual culprits of enriched wheat flour, sweetened peanut butter, salt, soybean oil, corn syrup, and barley malt extract were all present. Additionally, the sodium content was a standard 330 milligrams per serving, which was the case for several other products in this review as well. This was slightly too salty for my liking.

The texture of these pretzels was sufficiently crunchy, though their flavor was subpar compared to other brands. The peanut butter was bland, with neither enough sweetness nor roasted nuances to hold up to the pretzel layer. Furthermore, the peanut butter was skimpy in proportion to each pretzel pocket. This was not a product I'd reject outright, but it didn't blow me away with any of its components, and it therefore fell in the lower half of this ranking.

The ingredients list, nutrition label, nugget size, and weight of Amazon Grocery Peanut Butter Filled Pretzels were identical to Market Pantry's. The prices of the two products were also virtually identical; the Amazon Grocery product was $11.80, while I found the Market Pantry pretzels for $11.59 at my local Target in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. These facts lead me to believe that the pretzel nuggets were likely made by the same manufacturer, and I wouldn't be surprised if that manufacturer supplies other brands in this review, too.

Like everything else, I found Amazon Grocery's version to be nearly identical in flavor to Market Pantry's. If anything, they had a slightly more roasted flavor, which was a bonus, but that could depend on the batch. I therefore ranked these one after another.

Unfortunately, the H.K. Anderson Peanut Butter Filled Pretzel Nuggets arrived in the mail largely broken, with many of the peanut butter nuggets unsheathed from their pretzel casings. This was despite the pretzel nuggets being packaged in a hard plastic barrel. For the purposes of this taste test, this defect was actually a blessing; I could judge the fillings independently from the pretzels. However, it was less than ideal from a customer point of view.

H.K. Anderson supplies not only Utz and Kirkland Signature, but possibly Trader Joe's as well, with peanut butter pretzels. As such, these products feature strikingly similar ingredient lists. However, H.K. Anderson's product contains high-oleic canola oil and/or soybean oil instead of the palm oil present in Trader Joe's product, an environmental bonus.

Despite the similar recipes, these products have different shapes. The H.K. Anderson pretzel nuggets are the squarest of the lot, which I found pleasing. However, the peanut butter filling was slightly scant. Additionally, the outer casing was flecked with just a tad too much salt, though the sodium content of this product is on par with that of many of its competitors. Because of these minor shortcomings and the fact that these pretzels were largely broken, they received an average ranking.

There's something dreamy about the name of HT Traders Peanut Butter Filled Pretzel Pillows. Of course, nuggets bring to mind gold miners, but pillows? They bring to mind luscious moments of relaxation. These pillows live up to their namesake, especially when you get a glimpse of their price. A 24-ounce tub with 23 servings cost me only $5.99 at my local Harris Teeter in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

I felt that these pretzels could have been just slightly crunchier, though their flavor and size were nearly identical to several other products on this list. They tasted slightly sweeter than some of the other products, and the nutrition label confirmed that they contained an extra gram of sugar per 10 pretzels compared to some of their competitors. This was a plus in my books, since the sweetness helped the peanut butter layer contrast with the pretzel. It was this sweetness that boosted HT Traders' product to the top half of this review, but the texture kept it from breaking into the top five products.

As someone who's highly active, I like to keep snacks in the glove compartment of my car for when hunger pangs unexpectedly strike. That's why I was so excited to see that Good & Gather Mini Peanut Butter Filled Pretzels are sold in packs of nine, with 1.5 ounces of pretzels per single-serving pack. Admittedly, that's a slightly larger serving size than prescribed by other products.

In addition to their convenience, I adored the size of these cute little pretzel nuggets. They rested on my tongue as if they were always meant to be there, and I imagine kids will love their more manageable size, too.

These pretzels were the saltiest of all that I tasted; though that was obvious by flavor alone, the nutrition label confirmed that each pouch packed 470 milligrams of sodium. That was my primary complaint about this product, though I would have also appreciated a more roasted flavor to the peanut butter filling. The size and shape of these pretzels, however, gave them such a superb mouthfeel that they undoubtedly deserved a top five ranking.

The Utz Peanut Butter Filled Pretzel Bites featured one of the best pretzel flavors of all the products I tested. That's fitting, considering Utz is known for its pretzel products; after all, this beloved brand hails from Pennsylvania, a state known for its pretzel industry. The shells were crispy, and the use of barley malt extract was obvious in their subtly complex sweetness. Though they were a tad too salty for my liking, each pretzel pocket held the ideal amount of sweetened peanut butter.

While the ingredient list of these pretzels was identical to that of H.K. Anderson's, they were slightly more elongated in shape. Indeed, my main complaint about this product was that each nugget was marginally too large to sit comfortably in my mouth. I'm sure others would feel the same way; after all, mini peanut butter filled pretzels exist for a reason!

Nevertheless, these nuggets received a higher score than H.K. Anderson's product (the brand behind Utz's version) because they were all intact. I'm not sure if this discrepancy is always the case, but it certainly was for me. These pretzels also beat Good & Gather because they weren't so overbearingly salty.

The Kirkland Signature Peanut Butter Pretzels were what got me started on peanut butter filled pretzels. The moment I tasted my first nuggets while hiking one summer, I was hooked. As mentioned earlier, the beloved brand behind Costco's peanut butter pretzels is H.K. Anderson, but that doesn't mean the ingredient lists are the same.

Indeed, it's the use of Valencia peanut butter and molasses that makes the flavor of these nuggets stand out so much. Valencia peanut butter is also what makes the Kirkland Signature organic creamy peanut butter so iconic (and why I'd even reach for it over my homemade peanut butter). Valencia peanuts are famously sweeter than varieties like Virginia peanuts and runner peanuts, and their selection paid off in these nuggets.

I found the peanut butter filling to be complex in flavor and contrast well with each crunchy pretzel pocket. In fact, there was no question in my mind after tasting the peanut butter that this product should rank among the top three. Meanwhile, I appreciated that there wasn't an inordinate amount of salt in this product. However, these pretzels weren't perfect; I would have preferred a bit more peanut butter per nugget.

The ingredients list of 365 Peanut Butter Pretzel Nuggets, sold by one of Whole Foods' private label brands, was much like that of other products in this review. These wheat-based pretzels contain barley malt extract, amping up the toasted undertones.

The sodium content of these pretzels was substantially lower than in other products, measuring 190 milligrams per serving. I felt this was for the best, as the spectacular flavor of the pretzel layer could shine more independently, and the sweetness of the peanut butter was more evident. This product was among the most balanced on the list in terms of flavor. The pretzels were crunchy, too, though I wish they were slightly smaller. All these factors helped boost 365's version of peanut butter-filled pretzels to one of the top slots.

Because these nuggets are sold in 18-ounce bags and contain roughly 18 servings per package, they are a good choice for folks living alone or families who don't devour these pretzels as voraciously as my own. Thanks to the smaller quantity, there's less chance of them going stale. Though I'd be interested in trying the 365 Almond Butter Pretzel Nuggets based on the quality of the peanut butter variety, a fellow writer said they're one of the worst 365 brand snacks to buy at Whole Foods.

Trader Joe's Peanut Butter Filled Pretzel Nuggets are one of the oldest fan-favorite Trader Joe's snacks that you can still buy today. I have been buying them for years, and while some folks have recently reported receiving bad batches, I've never had a disappointing experience. These pretzels were far less salty than many other products in this review. That's a win in my books because I can enjoy more of them at once without guzzling down water. The restraint shown with regard to salt also meant that I could better appreciate the sweet flavor of the peanut butter. 

These nuggets were shaped into long rectangles, distinguishing them from other brands' nuggets, which erred on the square side. That meant each nugget felt like a little less of a mouthful. These nuggets boast a beautiful brown hue and the signature savory flavor of other pretzel varieties.

Finally, these nuggets' shells were extraordinarily crispy. However, from personal experience, I'll readily share that it's important to transfer these pretzels to an airtight container, lest they absorb moisture and soften over time. As long as you have them fresh, you might also find that the well-rationed saltiness, texture, mouthfeel, and flavor of these nuggets are winning.

In curating the products that I would sample, I chose a wide range of popular brands, including grain-free options. To keep all these products straight, I gave each one a score on a scale from one to 10, with 10 being the best. 

For the sake of comparison, I tasted these pretzels side by side, paying special attention to the differences between those products with similar recipes. Frequently, that fell down to a difference in shape and size; some nuggets felt too bulky, while others rested comfortably on my tongue.

Pretzels that were crispy and crunchy received kudos, as did those with generous amounts of soft, sweet, roasted peanut butter filling inside. Nuggets that were too salty lost points; I judged saltiness by taste alone, but checked the nutrition label afterward for additional context. Pretzels with a subpar mouthfeel due to excessive bulkiness (a combination of shape and size) likewise lost points; not only did such pretzels bother me, but I can imagine that kids with smaller mouths would prefer smaller nuggets, too.