Salty pretzels covered in a melted butter-brown sugar mixture and topped with melted dark and semi sweet chocolates and then a light sprinkle of flaky sea salt. Christmas Crack with Pretzels is the ultimate cross between a candy and a christmas cookie that is 100 percent delicious.
You may have heard of "christmas crack" candy with saltine crackers or ritz crackers (both delicious) but I am here to share a christmas crack recipe with pretzels! The pretzels are a crunchy first layer that is then topped with a buttery brown sugar caramel sauce and lots of chocolate chips. These christmas crack pretzels are the perfect pretzel caramel chocolate combo and are an easy dessert will be the hit of any holiday party!
Ingredients
Christmas pretzel crack candy is SUPER simple-- only 5 ingredients that you probably already have in your pantry!
Pretzels: Mini pretzels are best here, they are the perfect size and not too hard when you go to take a bite.
Butter: So rich and smooth, the melted butter is a perfect base for the sweet sauce.
Brown Sugar: Use brown sugar (light works great!) instead of white sugar when making your caramel sauce for a richer molasses taste. Trust me, brown sugar is the way to go here.
Chocolate: I used semisweet and dark chocolate chips, but use whatever your favorites are!
Sea Salt: This final step of adding flaky sea salt offsets all of the sweet flavors for the perfect sweet and salty bite.
How to make christmas crack with pretzels
Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
Cover a cookie sheet with aluminum foil. Spread out mini pretzels in an even layer over the covered cookie sheet.
In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt butter and brown sugar. Stir, and allow mixture to come to a boil and then cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring so that it doesn't burn.
Pour the melted butter brown sugar mixture over top of the pretzels. Place in preheated oven and bake for 8-10 minutes until the brown sugar mixture is bubbling.
Remove from the oven and sprinkle chocolate chips evenly over the top. Let sit for ten minutes until the chips are melted. You will know it's ready when the chocolate chips become completely shiny.
Use a dull knife or a pastry spreader to carefully spread the melted chocolate in an even layer across the top of the caramel pretzel layer.
Put baking sheet in the freezer (make sure it's completely flat) and allow to cool and harden for at least 45 minutes.
Once cooled, gently peel bake the aluminum foil. Break apart the chocolate caramel pretzel bark into portions.
Top Tip
Covering your baking sheet is a really important step that makes the whole process much easier and cleaner. Once the christmas crack candy with pretzels has been chilled in the freezer, you can carefully peel back the aluminum foil and gently break apart the bark. No sticking or big mess to deal with.
What chocolate should I use?
You can use whatever your favorite chocolate is. I used a combination of dark chocolate and semi-sweet chocolate, but feel free to use your preference.
- milk chocolate
- dark chocolate
- semi sweet chocolate
- bittersweet chocolate ( I think this would be AMAZING!)
- white chocolate (This may be too sweet, consider combining with a regular chocolate as well)
How to melt chocolate for pretzel christmas crack
This chocolate toffee pretzel bark is great because it actually does not dirty many dishes or make a big mess at all. One of the ways this recipe further cuts done on mess is by melting the chocolate right on the caramel pretzel bars. You simply have to leave the chocolate chips for a few minutes to melt from the residual heat of the hot caramel sauce and spread it with a pastry blade.
Storage
Store christmas pretzel bark at room temperature for up to a week (if it lasts that long). It also freezes well and can last several months in an airtight container in the freezer.
Christmas Crack with Pretzels
Ingredients
- 3 cups mini pretzels
- 1 ½ cups chocolate chips
- 1 ½ sticks butter
- ¾ cup packed brown sugar
- 1 tsp. flaky sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Cover a cookie sheet with aluminum foil. Spread out mini pretzels in an even layer over the covered cookie sheet.
- In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt butter and brown sugar. Stir, and allow mixture to come to a boil and then cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring so that it doesn't burn.
- Pour the melted butter brown sugar mixture over top of the pretzels. Place in preheated oven and bake for 8-10 minutes until the brown sugar mixture is bubbling.
- Remove from the oven and sprinkle chocolate chips evenly over the top. Let sit for ten minutes until the chips are melted. You will know it's ready when the chocolate chips become completely shiny.
- Use a dull knife or a pastry spreader to carefully spread the melted chocolate in an even layer across the top of the caramel pretzel layer.
- Put baking sheet in the freezer (make sure it's completely flat) and allow to cool and harden for at least 45 minutes.
- Once cooled, gently peel bake the aluminum foil. Break apart the chocolate caramel pretzel bark into portions.
Rosa says
Why can’t I read reviews
Sarah says
Hi Rosa! I don't believe there are any written review comments on this recipe. But there are 17 star reviews for an average of 4.4!
-Sarah
Lauri Dunk says
Yes I am wondering the same!
Sara says
Looks good! What size baking sheet? Thanks
Sarah says
Sara,
I used a half size baking sheet here! Thats around 18x13 inches.
Sarah
Charlotte Pall says
When do you add sea salt
Sarah says
Hi Charlotte! Right after you spread the melted chocolate, but before placing it in the freezer to harden. This will allow it to stick to the melted chocolate.
-Sarah