Description

Caramel Pretzel Crack Bars combine the perfect balance of sweet and salty with a crunchy pretzel base, gooey homemade caramel, and a rich chocolate topping. These bars are easy to make with simple ingredients and are ideal for holidays, snacks, or gifting. The caramel layer is cooked on the stovetop and baked briefly to set, then topped with melted chocolate and optional sea salt for a gourmet finish.

Ingredients

Scale

Base

2 cups pretzels, crushed (use salted mini twists or sticks)

Caramel Layer

1 cup unsalted butter
1 cup brown sugar, packed
½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Topping

1 ½ cups semisweet chocolate chips
Sea salt, for sprinkling (optional)

Instructions

Preheat and Prepare Pan: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a 9×13-inch baking pan with parchment paper for easy removal and cleanup.
Add Pretzels: Spread the crushed pretzels evenly across the bottom of the pan. Uneven pieces add delicious texture, so no need to worry about uniformity.
Make Caramel: Melt the unsalted butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the brown sugar and bring the mixture to a gentle boil. Let it boil, without stirring, for 3 to 4 minutes until it thickens slightly.
Flavor Caramel: Remove the saucepan from heat and stir in the vanilla extract carefully, as the mixture will bubble up.
Pour Caramel: Pour the hot caramel evenly over the pretzels, spreading gently with a spatula to coat all pieces and reach the edges of the pan.
Bake: Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes until the caramel is bubbly and just starting to darken. This sets the caramel base.
Add Chocolate: Remove from oven and immediately sprinkle the semisweet chocolate chips evenly over the hot caramel. Let stand for 5 minutes so the chocolate chips soften.
Spread Chocolate: Use an offset spatula or butter knife to spread the melted chocolate into an even layer over the caramel.
Optional Sea Salt: Sprinkle sea salt over the still-soft chocolate to enhance the sweet-salty flavor contrast.
Cool and Chill: Allow the bars to cool completely at room temperature, then refrigerate for at least 1 hour to fully set.
Cut and Serve: Once chilled, break or slice into bars. Use a warm, sharp knife for clean cuts.

Notes

You can substitute pretzel styles (mini twists, sticks, snaps) or use gluten-free pretzels to suit dietary preferences.
Add mini marshmallows, chopped nuts, or crushed toffee on the caramel before adding chocolate for extra texture and flavor.
Try different chocolate types such as dark chocolate, milk chocolate, or peanut butter chips for variation.
For a no-bake option, use store-bought caramel candies melted and skip the oven step.
Make the bars festive by adding holiday sprinkles, peppermint pieces, or crushed candy canes on top.
Salted butter can be used, but omit additional sea salt on top to avoid oversalting.
No candy thermometer needed—just boil the caramel mixture for 3–4 minutes as directed.
To crush pretzels, place them in a zip-top bag and gently crush with a rolling pin for uneven, textured pieces.
Store bars in an airtight container in the fridge for up to one week or freeze for up to 3 months.

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Category: Dessert
Method: Baking
Cuisine: American

Keywords: Caramel Pretzel Bars, Sweet and Salty Dessert, Easy Caramel Bars, Homemade Treats, Chocolate Pretzel Bars