10/02/2026
A sweet favorite from last week’s chocolate class! These Chocolate Caramel Pretzel Bars are the perfect combination of sweet and salty, with a crunchy pretzel and nut crust, rich buttery caramel, and a decadent chocolate topping. One bite, and you’ll see why everyone loved them! 🍫🥨
Chocolate Caramel Pretzel Bars
Crust:
8 oz pretzels (225g), about 6 cups
¼ cup granulated sugar (50g)
8 TBSP unsalted butter (115g), melted
4 oz pecans or walnuts (115g), coarsely chopped
Caramel:
10 TBSP unsalted butter (140g)
⅔ cup heavy cream (160ml)
⅔ cup packed dark brown sugar (145g)
¾ tsp kosher salt
Topping:
2 (4-oz) bars semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped (need 1¼ cups, 215g)
2 cups pretzels (75g), crushed
1. For the crust: Heat oven to 350º. Line a 9-inch square baking pan with parchment paper, leaving
a 2-inch overhang on two sides.
2. In the bowl of a food processor, combine pretzels and sugar and process until you have fine
crumbs. Add melted butter and process until evenly moistened. Transfer mixture to 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 and set aside.
3. For the caramel: In a medium saucepan, combine butter, cream, brown sugar and salt. 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.
4. For the topping: While caramel cools slightly, melt chocolate 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 and let cool to room temperature. Transfer to
the refrigerator to set for 30 to 60 minutes.
5. 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.
