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Salted Caramel Pretzel Brownies

salted caramel pretzel brownies - featured image

These salted caramel pretzel brownies feature a fudgy chocolate base topped with a crunchy pretzel layer and drizzled with gooey caramel, finished with a sprinkle of sea salt for the perfect sweet and salty treat.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 cup (226g) unsalted butter, melted
  • 2 cups (400g) granulated sugar
  • 4 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • 1 cup (125g) all-purpose flour
  • ¾ cup (75g) unsweetened cocoa powder (Dutch-processed preferred)
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ½ tsp baking powder
  • 1½ cups (about 85g) pretzels, roughly chopped
  • 2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
  • 2 tbsp light brown sugar
  • ¾ cup (200g) caramel sauce (store-bought or homemade)
  • Sea salt flakes, for sprinkling

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease your baking pan or line it with parchment paper.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk together melted butter and granulated sugar until well combined and slightly glossy, about 1-2 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in vanilla extract.
  3. In a separate bowl, sift together flour, cocoa powder, salt, and baking powder.
  4. Gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture using a rubber spatula, mixing just until combined. Do not overmix.
  5. Pour batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly.
  6. In a small bowl, toss chopped pretzels with melted butter and brown sugar until coated. Sprinkle evenly over the brownie batter.
  7. Bake for 30-35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out with moist crumbs but no wet batter and the pretzel topping is golden and crunchy.
  8. Cool brownies in the pan on a wire rack for at least 20 minutes before drizzling with caramel.
  9. Warm caramel sauce slightly if thick, then drizzle over cooled brownies. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt flakes.
  10. Slice brownies using a sharp knife wiped clean between cuts. Serve and enjoy.

Notes

[‘Do not overbake to keep brownies fudgy; start checking at 30 minutes using the toothpick test.’, ‘Chop pretzels unevenly for texture variety; avoid crushing too finely to prevent sogginess.’, ‘Warm caramel sauce slightly before drizzling for easier application.’, ‘Use room temperature eggs to avoid scrambling when mixing with warm butter.’, ‘Brownie batter can be prepared the night before and refrigerated; add pretzel topping and bake fresh the next day.’, ‘Store brownies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 2 months.’, ‘Let refrigerated brownies sit at room temperature 15-20 minutes before serving for best texture.’, ‘Substitute almond flour for gluten-free version; swap butter with coconut oil for dairy-free adaptation.’]

Nutrition

Keywords: salted caramel, pretzel brownies, crunchy topping, easy brownies, homemade caramel, sweet and salty dessert