Salted Caramel Pretzel Brownies

These salted caramel pretzel brownies lean into the sweet-salty craze that turned snack-aisle mashups into bakery favorites. Fudgy cocoa squares meet crunchy mini pretzels and thick caramel, finished with a scatter of flaky sea salt.

Serves 6 · 15 min prep · 28 min cook

Estimate for one serving

• 410 cal
• 5g protein
• 52g carbs
• 22g fat
• 3g fiber

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Ingredients

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 1 cup, divided semisweet chocolate chips
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/4 tsp fine sea salt
• 1 1/2 cups, roughly crushed mini pretzel twists
• 1/3 cup thick caramel sauce
• 1/2 tsp flaky sea salt

Instructions

1. 1Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper, leaving overhang on two sides for easy lifting.
2. 2In a medium saucepan melt the butter and chocolate chips over low heat, stirring constantly until smooth and glossy; remove from heat and let cool 3 minutes.
3. 3Whisk the granulated sugar into the chocolate mixture until combined, then whisk in the eggs one at a time followed by the vanilla until the batter looks shiny.
4. 4Sift in the flour, cocoa powder, and fine sea salt; fold with a spatula just until no dry streaks remain. Fold in the remaining chocolate chips.
5. 5Spread half of the brownie batter evenly into the prepared pan. Sprinkle half of the crushed pretzels over the batter in an even layer.
6. 6Drizzle the caramel sauce in thin ribbons over the pretzels, then scatter the remaining pretzels on top.
7. 7Dollop the remaining brownie batter over the caramel-pretzel layer and gently spread to cover as much as possible; some pretzels may peek through.
8. 8Bake for 25–28 minutes, until the edges are set and a toothpick inserted 1 inch from the edge comes out with moist crumbs (center will still look slightly underdone).
9. 9Remove from the oven and immediately sprinkle the flaky sea salt over the hot surface. Cool completely in the pan on a wire rack for at least 1 hour.
10. 10Use the parchment to lift the brownies out, cut into large squares with a sharp knife, wiping the blade between cuts for clean edges. Serve at room temperature.