This homemade salted caramel and chocolate pretzel bark is made with a soft and smooth homemade caramel that only takes very basic ingredients! The homemade caramel in this recipe may be a little more time consuming than simply tossing those Kraft caramels in the microwave, but trust me, the flavor is by far superior. This quick version of homemade caramel doesn’t take a thermometer or lots of time to get it to the perfect temperature, which is great for an easier caramel topping. But this quick caramel will also be more soft set which can lead to pretzels softening if stored too long. If you prefer a firmer caramel base, you can certainly use packaged caramels instead by melting them in the microwave. You will need around 11 oz.
For more sweet and salty treats , you may also enjoy my recipe for Christmas Saltine Cracker Toffee or Chocolate Covered Peanut Butter Ritz Cookies.
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Chocolate Salted Caramel Pretzel Bark
Ingredients
- 1/2 pound mini pretzel twists Utz or Snyders brands work best
- 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips divided
- 1 tablespoon Crisco
Caramel (will be soft set):
- 3/4 cup salted butter
- 1 1/2 cups brown sugar
- 1/3 cup heavy cream can also use milk
- several dashes salt
Topping:
- sea salt optional
Instructions
- In the microwave or on a double broiler, melt 1 1/4 cups chocolate chips with Crisco, reserving the remaining 1/4 cup of chocolate for later. Stir chocolate occasionally while melting and be careful not to overheat.
- Pour the chocolate onto a parchment paper lined cookie sheet (I used a 13 by 18-inch). Spread the chocolate with a spatula until it is evenly covering the cookie sheet. Arrange pretzels on top as tightly as possible. I used nearly 8 oz. of pretzels, but this may vary depending on the size of your baking sheet.
- Chill the chocolate and pretzels in the refrigerator for 15-20 minutes to allow the chocolate to harden. In the meantime, melt butter in a medium sized saucepan. Add brown sugar and bring to a slow boil. Reduce the heat to med-low and stir constantly for 3-5 minutes to dissolve the brown sugar. Add milk and salt while stirring rapidly, then remove from heat as soon as the mixture reaches a heavy boil. Allow to cool at room temperature for 10-15 minutes *see note.
- Pour the caramel over the pretzels and spread evenly over top to coat. Chill for another 15-20 minutes or until the caramel is firm. Melt the remaining chocolate chips adding a splash of milk if needed to get the chocolate to a smooth drizzling consistency. Drizzle the chocolate over the caramel as desired, then sprinkle sea salt over top (optional). Allow to chill for several hours or freeze for 30-40 minutes before cutting. Serve and enjoy! Store the pretzel bark at room temperature or in the refrigerator with a paper towel to soak up excess moisture. This pretzel bark is best when fresh, I recommend serving it within 24 hours.
Notes
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Ingredients needed for this Chocolate Salted Caramel Pretzel Bark: Butter, Crisco (not shown) sea salt (optional), heavy cream or milk, chocolate chips, pretzels, salt and brown sugar.
What is the best chocolate to use for melting?
When I am able, I like to use chocolate melting wafers from a local bulk food store. I find they are superior to chocolate chips in their melting capabilities. I do have Tollhouse chocolate chips from Sam’s club that I used in this recipe, but found they didn’t melt the best. A lot of people recommend using Ghirardelli chocolate chips for melting.
Step 1-2: In the microwave or on a double broiler, melt 1 cup chocolate chips with 1 tablespoon Crisco, reserving the remaining 1/4 cup of chocolate chips for later. Stir chocolate occasionally while melting and do not overheat. Pour the chocolate onto a parchment paper lined cookie sheet (I used a 13 by 18-inch). Spread the chocolate with a spatula until it is evenly covering the cookie sheet. Arrange pretzels on top as tightly as possible. I used nearly 1/2 pound of pretzels, but this may vary depending on the size of your baking sheet.
Can wax paper be used to line the baking sheet?
As you can see in the photo, I did use wax paper to line the baking sheet. Unfortunately, when removing the pretzel bark the wax paper tore and stuck to chocolate which I found rather unhandy. Parchment paper is the better option, but in a pinch wax paper can be used.
Step 3: Chill the chocolate and pretzels in the refrigerator for 15-20 minutes to allow the chocolate to harden. In the meantime, melt butter in a medium sized saucepan. Add brown sugar and bring to a slow boil. Reduce the heat to med-low and stir constantly for 3-5 minutes to dissolve the brown sugar. Add cream and salt while stirring rapidly, then remove from heat as soon as the mixture reaches a heavy boil. Allow to cool at room temperature for 10-15 minutes.
Notes on cooking the homemade caramel:
Homemade caramel can scorch easily, so it is best to stir the caramel constantly while heating and to use low temperatures, just enough to get the mixture to a low boil. The butter and brown sugar will have a pale color and thick texture when it is done, it may even have specs of brown sugar left, but it is fine to add the milk after 3-5 minutes of cooking and stirring. The milk may bubble up rapidly when poured into the hot mixture, so do be careful. Give it a good stir and allow it to heat to a full rolling boil to ensure the mixture will be smooth and creamy. Remove immediately after the milk reaches a full boil because you do not want the caramel to scorch.
Step 4: Allow to caramel to cool for around 15 minutes until it is no longer hot to touch, has thickened some and is still pourable. Pour the caramel sauce over the pretzels, then spread it carefully to evenly coat all of the pretzels. The amount of caramel may seem thin, but it should cover enough pretzels for a half sheet baking sheet as shown.
Step 4 continued: Return the caramel coated pretzels into the refrigerator to chill for another 10-15 minutes or until the caramel is solid. Melt the remaining chocolate chips and then drizzle it over the pretzel bark. Top with sea salt if desired. Allow the pretzel bark to chill for 1-2 hours for the easiest removal and cleanest cut. Enjoy!
Note on melting chocolate:
To get my chocolate chips smooth enough to drizzle I added a splash of milk (1-2 tablespoons). You may need to do this if you notice the chocolate chips do not melt very well or if the melted chocolate is too thick to drizzle nicely.
Storage notes:
Due to the caramel being soft set, I recommend keeping the pretzel bark refrigerated in an airtight container with a paper towel to soak up excess moistre until ready to serve. This pretzel bark is best within the first 24 hours as the pretzels can become soft if stored too long. You can also freeze it in airtight containers or zip-lock bags as soon as the chocolate and caramel has set.
Thank you for stopping by and have an excellent day! -Marilyn Stoltzfus Peight.
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