Description

A salty-sweet, crunchy-chewy dessert bar featuring a fudgy brownie base, salted pretzel chunks, and a drizzle of caramel and white chocolate. Perfect for feeding a crowd during game day.

Ingredients

Scale

1/2 cup (115g) unsalted butter, melted
1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 cup (170g) semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips
1 cup (125g) all-purpose flour
1/4 cup (25g) unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 cups (roughly 100g) salted pretzel twists, broken into 1-inch pieces
1 cup (240ml) caramel sauce
1/2 cup (85g) white chocolate chips
Flaky sea salt (e.g., Maldon) for sprinkling

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 9×13 inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the sides, and grease with butter or cooking spray.
In a microwave-safe bowl, melt the butter and let it cool slightly. Whisk in the granulated sugar until the mixture looks like wet sand and is glossy.
Add eggs one at a time, whisking well after each addition. Stir in vanilla extract if using.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, and salt.
Gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients using a spatula until just combined. Do not overmix.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly. Sprinkle the broken pretzel pieces over the top and press them gently halfway into the batter.
Bake for 25-30 minutes, until edges are set and a toothpick inserted comes out with moist crumbs.
While brownies bake, warm the caramel sauce until pourable. Let brownies cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then drizzle caramel over the top in a zig-zag pattern.
Melt white chocolate chips in 30-second intervals, stirring until smooth. Drizzle over the caramel in the opposite direction to create a crisscross pattern.
Immediately sprinkle flaky sea salt over the wet chocolate and caramel.
Let bars cool completely in the pan before lifting them out using the parchment sling and slicing into 24 squares.

Notes

Break pretzels by hand for irregular chunks rather than crushing them. Use flaky sea salt for the best texture and flavor contrast. Bars get fudgier after sitting for a day. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 2 months.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Category: Dessert
Cuisine: American

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 bar
Calories: 280
Sugar: 26
Sodium: 180
Fat: 14
Saturated Fat: 8
Carbohydrates: 38
Fiber: 1
Protein: 3

Keywords: brownie bars, salted caramel, pretzel dessert, game day food, football snacks, easy baking, crowd pleaser, salty sweet dessert