Salted Chocolate Pretzel Toffee Bark
Sweet and salty with a satisfying snap, this Toffee Chocolate Pretzel Bark is an easy recipe that’s perfect for snacking or gifting. If you’re looking for DIY gifts for neighbors, teachers, or friends, this chocolate pretzel bark is a definite win!
Homemade pretzel bark is the kind of recipe we love around the holidays. When our dreams of an overflowing box of cookies for all our friends dies in the hustle of the season, pretzel bark swoops in to save the day.
This recipe doesn’t ask for much. Just four ingredients, 10 minutes of prep, 5 minutes to bake, and a few hours to chill out on the counter while you wrap presents (or nap!).
Why You’ll Love this Chocolate Pretzel Bark
- Easy to make– This pretzel bark recipe can be made in 15 minutes with just 5 simple ingredients, doesn’t require a candy thermometer or the double boiler method, and it can be enjoyed in under an hour. What else could you want?
- Perfect for gifting– A batch of these pretzel toffee bark pieces can be split many times for serving at multiple parties, tossed into a bowl for movie night, or wrapped up in decorative tins or paper gift bags for gifting.
- Perfect flavor combo– If you’ve seen our recipe for chocolate covered pretzels, then you know that we love the combo of crunchy salty pretzels and melted chocolate.
But this pretzel bark recipe does one better by adding the flavors of deliciously salted caramel to the mix. That toffee layer has a rich maple-buttery flavor and the nicest SNAP!
Key Ingredients for Salted Chocolate Pretzel Bark
- Pretzels– this salty treat serves as the foundation for this toffee bark, so we recommend mini pretzel twists rather than pretzel sticks or rods. The curves and intersections give the toffee and chocolate more to grab onto. You could also use salted square waffle snaps pretzels.
- Chocolate chips– We love a good rich dark chocolate bark, so we use semi-sweet chocolate chips, but if you prefer milk chocolate (or white chocolate even), feel free to use those. (We find that Costco has good quality chocolate chips that are fair trade.)
- Butter & brown sugar– Adds that signature homemade caramel flavor. Nothing is better this time of year than buttery caramel. Mmm!
- Sea salt– Just a sprinkle of flaky sea salt adds and ideal hint of salty sharpness that compliments the caramel, and contrasts with the sweetness of the melted chocolate. If you’ve seen our Buckeye Brownies or our Giant Bakery Chocolate Chip Cookies, you know that we can’t resist a dusting of salt flakes on our sweet treats.
How to Make Chocolate Pretzel Bark
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Prepare a rimmed baking sheet with foil (or parchment paper) and neutral oil cooking spray (we use coconut oil).
- Break the pretzels up into large pieces and spread them out on the baking sheet.
- Melt butter and brown sugar over medium heat, stirring together in a sauce pan. Once bubbling, lower to medium-low heat and simmer for 3 minutes.
- Pour the melted sugar over the pretzels on the baking sheet, and bake in the oven for 5 minutes.
- Remove baking sheet to a cooling rack and pour chocolate chips evenly over the top. Wait 5 minutes for chocolate to melt, then use a rubber spatula to spread it evenly over pretzels. Sprinkle with sea salt.
- Let toffee cool to room temperature, then break into small pieces and enjoy.
Pretzel Toffee Bark Tips for Success
This recipe isn’t difficult, but it is precise. We really do need to let the brown sugar mixture simmer for 3 minutes WITHOUT stirring it.
I tested this six different times, because I noticed the toffee mixture has a tendency to be finicky, either by turning out grainy or too soft. Here are my tips for getting this recipe just right every time.
- Stir constantly in the beginning and make sure the sugar is fully dissolved before starting the timer. Pay special attention to the edges of the pan, where you should be able to feel the sugar crystals go from grainy to smooth.
- Keep the mixture at a full bubbling simmer for the three minutes. If you turn the heat too low, the mixture might not reach a high enough temperature to get to the hard crack stage.
- Use a thermometer. This isn’t 100% necessary, but it does ensure that your caramel gets hot enough without burning. You’ll want to take the caramel off heat and pour it over the pretzels when it is between 280 and 290 degrees.
Timing is critical here! So, prep your ingredients, and be ready to hang out by the oven for the 5-10 minutes it takes to get this in to bake.
Make Ahead and Storage Instructions
This pretzel bark keeps well for 2-3 weeks stored in an airtight container and makes a great gift! You can store it at room temperature or in the fridge.
If your house runs warm (over 70 degrees), I recommend keeping it in the fridge so the chocolate doesn’t melt.
FAQS
Why is my chocolate pretzel bark grainy?
If the bark is grainy, it means the sugar did not get completely dissolved. Make sure you stir continuously, especially around the bottom edges of the pan, until you feel the grains of sugar have dissolved.
Why is my Christmas bark chewy?
If the bark turns out chewy instead of having that snappy crunch, it’s because the toffee didn’t get hard enough to reach the hard crack stage.
The “hard crack” stage for toffee is 300 degrees. This is the stage most often use for brittles, which produces a snappy, hard crunch. Usually, boiling the toffee mixture for 3 minutes gets you into the 280-290 degree range, then it finishes baking in the oven.
However, everyone’s stove tops are different, which is why the best way to ensure you get crackly pretzel bark is to use a thermometer.
Armed with this great recipe (and with minimal effort), you’ll be enjoying this tasty treat (and picking toffee bits out of your teeth) in no time.
This holiday season, put this sweet and salty snack on your list of favorite things!
Can’t get enough sweet and salty treats?
Don’t miss our post on how to make Homemade Popcorn Seasonings, this Healthy Trail Mix or this recipe for Savory Ranch Chex Party Mix.
Salted Chocolate Pretzel Bark
Sweet, salty, and snapped into shareable pieces; this chocolate pretzel toffee bark makes for a perfect snack that's right at home for movie nights or holiday gifting.
Ingredients
- 8-10 oz. (about 6 cups) salted pretzels, broken into pieces
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
- Sea salt, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line a 11 x 17 inch rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with a neutral cooking spray, like coconut oil.
- Spread the broken pretzels evenly over the prepared baking sheet.
- In a small saucepan, melt butter and brown sugar together over medium heat, stirring constantly. Pay special attention to the outside bottom edges of the pan. Continue to stir and combine until you no longer feel any grainy sugar along the bottom of the pan. This will take about 4 minutes.
- At this point, the mixture is likely already bubbling. If it's not, bring it to a gentle boil. Set a timer for 3 minutes and continue to simmer without stirring for 3 minutes. *Note: I highly recommend using a thermometer at this stage. You want the brown sugar mixture to reach a temperature between 280 and 290 degrees before pouring in on the pretzels. This can take slightly more or slightly less time than 3 minutes).
- Pour the butter and sugar mixture over the pretzels. Place in the oven and bake for 5 minutes.
- Place the pan on a cooling rack and immediately pour chocolate chips evenly over the top. Wait about 5 minutes then use a spatula or knife to spread chocolate evenly over the pretzel mixture. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt, if desired.
- Let the toffee cool completely (this takes a few hours), then break into pieces and eat! (You can speed up the process by placing pan in the fridge or freezer.)
Notes
Store pretzel bark in plastic bags or airtight containers. It will last 2-3 weeks! You can keep it at room temperature or in the fridge. If your house runs warm, you might want to keep it in the fridge so the chocolate doesn't melt.
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More Ideas for Holiday Gifting
Tie a ribbon around a bottle of our Homemade Vanilla Simple Syrup or Lavender Simple Syrup for a gift that’s perfect for the coffee/tea lover in your life, or mix them up a jar of Chai Tea Concentrate.
These Double Chocolate Sea Salt Truffles make for a treat that’s fit to share, or if chocolate is not your thing, these holiday Canestrelli cookies stack nicely and can even be made into snowflake ornaments.