Chocolate Caramel Pretzel Bars
I'm a baker, cookbook author, and culinary host with a passion for making baking approachable for everyone. I've written multiple cookbooks, including The New York Times-acclaimed "Bake Smart." You can catch me Hulu's new show "Cookie Cupcake Cake", but my favorite time in the kitchen is still baking with my son Artie in Brooklyn.
Santa Anna
•
December 5, 2024
Like turtle bars with a twist, these squares are gooey, crunchy and salty in all the right places. If you can, use chopped bar chocolate as called for in the recipe. If you use chocolate chips, they will seize, and the chocolate layer will look uneven and a little chalky. That said, beauty is only skin deep, and these bars taste great either way, so if chips are all you can find, bake away.
Items and equipment
Ingredients (10)
Ingredients (10)
For the crust
For the caramel
For the Topping
Instructions
Crust
Heat oven to 350 °F. Line a 9 in square baking pan with parchment paper leaving a 2 in overhang on two sides.
In the bowl of a food processor, combine pretzels (6 cups) and sugar (¼ cup) and process until you have fine crumbs.
Add melted butter (1 stick) and process until evenly moistened.
Transfer mixture into prepared pan and press down into a compact, even layer. Bake until crust is fragrant and edges are browned, about 17 minutes.
Sprinkle with pecans (4 oz) and set aside.
Caramel
In a medium saucepan, combine butter (1 ¼ sticks), cream (⅔ cup), brown sugar (⅔ packed cup) and salt (¾ tsp). Heat mixture over medium heat, stirring, until butter melts and everything is well combined.
Turn heat to medium-high, and bring to a simmer. Cook for 2 minutes.
Pour over pecans and prepared crust. Bake until caramel is bubbling and has darkened slightly, 13 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a rack.
Assembly
While caramel cools slightly, melt chocolate (1 ¼ cups) in short bursts in a heatproof bowl in a microwave or over a pot of simmering water.
Let chocolate cool for a few minutes, then spread evenly over caramel.
Sprinkle with crushed pretzels (2 cups) and let cool to room temperature. Transfer to the refrigerator to set for 30 to 60 minutes.
To serve, lift the bars out using the parchment overhang and transfer to a cutting board. Cut into 16 or 20 squares. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
