Description
Salted caramel pretzel brownies combine salty, sweet crunchy goodness that makes your taste buds dance with pure chocolate happiness. Crumbled pretzels and caramel swirls elevate classic brownies into a seriously delicious treat that everyone will absolutely adore.
Ingredients
Scale
Pretzels and Chocolate:
- 2 cups mini pretzel twists
- ½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- ½ cup pretzels, roughly chopped
Base Ingredients:
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted, then cooled slightly
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Supporting Ingredients:
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ⅓ cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup caramel bits
- 1 tablespoon heavy whipping cream
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- kosher salt, for garnish
Instructions
- Crush 2 cups of mini pretzel twists in a food processor until they become fine crumbs. Mix the crumbs with 4 tablespoons melted butter and ¼ cup sugar until well combined.
- Press the pretzel mixture firmly into an 8×8-inch parchment-lined pan. Bake at 350°F for 10 minutes. Allow the crust to cool completely.
- Whisk 2 large eggs with 1 teaspoon vanilla in a small bowl. Set aside.
- Combine ½ cup flour, ⅓ cup cocoa powder, ¼ teaspoon baking powder, and ¼ cup sugar in a separate medium bowl.
- Add the egg mixture and ½ cup melted butter to the dry ingredients. Mix until the batter is fully incorporated.
- Spread the brownie batter evenly over the cooled pretzel crust.
- Melt 1 cup caramel bits with 1 tablespoon heavy cream in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat in 30-second intervals, stirring between each, until smooth.
- Reserve 2 tablespoons of caramel. Pour the remaining caramel over the brownie batter.
- Use a knife to gently swirl the caramel into the batter, avoiding contact with the pretzel crust.
- Bake at 350°F for 30-35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out with a few moist crumbs.
- Immediately sprinkle ½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips over the hot brownies. Let them sit for 2 minutes to melt.
- Spread the melted chocolate evenly across the surface using a knife or offset spatula.
- Drizzle the reserved caramel over the chocolate. Scatter ½ cup chopped pretzels on top.
- Finish with a light sprinkle of kosher salt. Cool for 30 minutes before cutting and serving.
Notes
- Use a food processor to crush pretzels into fine, even crumbs for the perfect crust texture.
- Press the pretzel crust firmly and evenly into the pan to create a solid base for the brownies.
- Swirl caramel gently into the brownie batter, avoiding contact with the pretzel crust to maintain its crispness.
- Allow brownies to cool completely before cutting to ensure clean, neat slices that showcase the beautiful layers.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 40-45 minutes
- Category: Brownies
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 8
- Calories: 256 kcal
- Sugar: 22 g
- Sodium: 190 mg
- Fat: 13 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5 g
- Trans Fat: 0.1 g
- Carbohydrates: 33 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 43 mg