Description
Pretzel bottom caramel brownies deliver the perfect blend of salty and sweet that’ll make your taste buds dance with pure delight. Crispy pretzel base topped with rich chocolate and gooey caramel creates a crowd-pleasing dessert your friends won’t be able to resist.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 4 oz dark chocolate (60–75% cocoa), melted
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup cocoa powder
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
Supporting Ingredients:
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup light brown sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp salt
Pretzel Crust:
- 1½ cups crushed pretzels
- ½ cup unsalted butter, melted
- 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
Caramel:
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- Pinch of salt
Optional:
- ½ cup dark or milk chocolate chunks
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F and line an 8×8-inch baking pan with parchment paper for easy removal.
- Crush 1½ cups of pretzels into fine crumbs using a food processor or rolling pin.
- Mix the pretzel crumbs with ½ cup melted butter and 2 tablespoons brown sugar until well combined.
- Press the pretzel mixture firmly into the bottom of the prepared pan, creating an even layer.
- Bake the pretzel crust for 8 minutes at 350°F until lightly golden and set.
- Melt 4 ounces of dark chocolate using a double boiler or microwave in 30-second intervals.
- Whisk ½ cup butter with ½ cup granulated sugar and ½ cup brown sugar until smooth.
- Add 2 large eggs and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract to the butter-sugar mixture, stirring thoroughly.
- Incorporate the melted chocolate into the wet ingredients, mixing until completely blended.
- Sift ½ cup flour, ½ cup cocoa powder, and ¼ teaspoon salt into the chocolate mixture.
- Gently fold in ½ cup chocolate chunks if using, creating a rich batter.
- Spread the brownie batter evenly over the pretzel crust, ensuring complete coverage.
- Bake at 350°F for 25-30 minutes, checking that the center is just set but not completely firm.
- For caramel, heat ½ cup granulated sugar in a clean pan over medium heat until golden and melted.
- Carefully add 2 tablespoons butter to the melted sugar, stirring constantly.
- Slowly pour ¼ cup heavy cream into the caramel, watching for potential splattering.
- Stir the caramel until smooth and add a pinch of salt for depth of flavor.
- Drizzle the warm caramel generously over the freshly baked brownies.
- Allow the brownies to cool completely at room temperature before cutting into squares.
Notes
- Always crush pretzels finely to create a solid, even crust that will hold together when baking.
- Melt chocolate carefully using a double boiler or microwave in short bursts to prevent burning.
- Let caramel cool slightly before drizzling to prevent burning and achieve a smooth, controlled pour.
- For gluten-free adaptation, swap pretzels with crushed gluten-free pretzels or graham crackers and use gluten-free flour blend.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 33-38 minutes
- Category: Brownies
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 9
- Calories: 258 kcal
- Sugar: 21 g
- Sodium: 110 mg
- Fat: 14 g
- Saturated Fat: 8 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5 g
- Trans Fat: 0.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 29 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 42 mg