Salted Caramel Pretzel Crunch Bars

Think of these salted caramel pretzel crunch bars as a homemade twix bar but with crunchy pretzels stuffed inside. And the caramel is salted. And the chocolate is semi-sweet. And there’s sea salt on top. So really this is a homemade candy bar skyrocketing into the same top-notch delicious land that only apple pie and carrot cake reside in.

Here are the layers we’re working with:

Homemade shortbread-like crust

Pretzels

4 ingredient salted caramel, homemade of course

Melted chocolate + sea salt

Salted Caramel Pretzel Crunch Bars

Yield: 16 large or 20-24 smaller bite-size bars

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 4 hours, includes cooling times

Ingredients:

10 Tablespoons (1 stick plus 2 Tbsp or 145g) unsalted butter, slightly soft (see important note!)1
1 cup + 2 Tablespoons (141g) all-purpose flour
1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 large egg yolk, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup (240ml) salted caramel sauce (the full recipe)
1 cup (50-60g) chopped pretzels
6 ounces chopped semi-sweet chocolate (or 1 cup (180g) semi-sweet chocolate chips)2
2 teaspoons coconut oil
optional: sea salt

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Line an 8 or 9-inch square baking pan with parchment paper with enough overhang on the sides to easily remove the bars from the pan. Set aside.
Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on high speed until smooth and creamy - about 1 minute. Add the flour, sugar, salt, egg yolk, and vanilla extract and beat on high speed for 2 minutes until crumbly. Get your hands in there to make the dough come together. Press tightly into prepared pan. Press pretzel pieces evenly on top. Bake for 20 minutes. Allow to cool completely before adding the caramel (I stick it in the refrigerator to speed this up).

Prepare caramel and wait for it to cool until it slightly thickens. Pour/spoon over crust. Allow to cool and set completely before topping with chocolate. Again, I stick it in the refrigerator to speed it up.
Melt the chocolate and coconut oil in the microwave in 15 second increments, stopping and stirring until completely melted. Pour over cooled caramel. Top with sea salt. Stick in the refrigerator to cool completely.
Lift the parchment paper out of the pan using the overhang on the sides and cut into squares. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week.

Make ahead tip: There are many ways to start ahead on this recipe. You can prepare and bake the crust through step 2 a day or 2 ahead of time. Store in the refrigerator until ready for the caramel. You can also prepare the caramel a day or 2 ahead of time. Warm it just until it is spreadable (but not totally liquid), then pour over crust and allow to set. Continue with step 4. Prepared bars can be frozen up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator then bring to room temperature before enjoying.

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