This easy Pretzel Bark recipe takes less than 10 minutes to make and is the perfect sweet and salty treat, made with layers of melted chocolate, caramel and crunchy pretzels.
Pretzel Bark is the #1 Easiest Sweet and Salty Treat
Pretzel Bark is the #1 Easiest Sweet and Salty TreatIt hits all the right notes of sweet, salty, crunchy, and chocolatey, without any complicated steps (and they're easy enough for my little kids to make!). All you need is a sheet pan (here's my favorite one), chocolate chips, caramel, and sea salt.
Pretzel Bark tastes like a homemade candy bar but only uses four ingredients, and you don’t need a candy thermometer or any special tools. It's one of our favorites for the holidays or when we want a sweet and salty snack. I like to gift pretzel toffee in these cute holiday cookie boxes or plain white boxes for any time of year.
Try my other candy recipes, like Rocky Road, Graham Cracker Toffee, Chocolate Fudge, or Chocolate Covered Marshmallows!
How to make Pretzel Bark:
Melt and Spread Chocolate: Grab some high-quality chocolate chips (Ghirardelli and Guittard are my favorite brands for smooth melting. Other chocolate chips wont melt properly.) and microwave in 30 second intervals until completely smooth. Spread melted chocolate on a lined baking sheet. It doesn’t have to be perfect.
Add Pretzels: Gently press mini pretzels into the melted chocolate. Don’t worry about making them even, just scatter them on for a fun, rustic look.
Melt and Drizzle Caramel: I use Kraft Caramel Bits but you could also use my homemade caramel recipe if you prefer from-scratch. Drizzle the warm caramel generously over the pretzels. It acts like glue to hold everything together!
Add More Chocolate and Sea Salt: Drizzle a little more melted chocolate over the top, then finish with a light sprinkle of flaky sea salt. YUM! Let the bark set in the fridge until firm (about 30 minutes). Break or cut into pieces and start snacking!
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Recipe
Pretzel Bark Recipe
Ingredients
- 12 ounce package semi-sweet chocolate chips , good quality chocolate divided into pieces (I like ghiardelli or baker's chocolate bar best for melting)
- 8 ounces mini pretzel twists , half of a regular 16-ounce bag
- 11 ounce bags Kraft Caramel Bits , or homemade caramel
- flake finishing salt for sprinkling
Instructions
- Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Melt Chocolate: Melt 8 ounces of the chocolate chips gently in the microwave (on low heat, stirring every 15 seconds) until smooth.12 ounce package semi-sweet chocolate chips
- Spread chocolate evenly over the parchment. Immediately add pretzel twists over the top (it's ok if they overlap!) and gently press them into the chocolate.8 ounces mini pretzel twists
- Melt caramel: Add caramel bits to a microwave safe bowl with 2 tablespoons water and melt according to package instructions (on high for 2 minutes). Stir well and drizzle melted caramel over pretzels.11 ounce bags Kraft Caramel Bits
- Top with remaining chocolate. Melt remaining 4 ounces of chocolate and drizzle over the caramel. Sprinkle with flake salt.flake finishing salt for sprinkling
- Refrigerate until set. Cut or tear into pieces, Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
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I originally shared this recipe February 2017. Updated August 2019 and November 2025.
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Wow these are fantastic! Since I am gluten free, I modified this just a touch, using Glutino pretzel twists. I also used Hickory smoked sea salt which added a slight smokey flavor. Thank you for sharing this recipe!
Thanks for sharing! Love that you were able to easily make them gluten free!
Thank you for trying with Gluten free pretzels!! My husband has Celiac disease- and finding some Christmas treats for him can be somewhat challenging… def giving this a shot!
How long do these keep, specially if kept in the fridge? I would like to makes these tomorrow for a friend’s birthday on Wednesday (so 4 days), do you think this will work?
Hi Katie, yes, I’d say they keep really well for at least a week.
I was thinking to make this, can the caramel be caramel sauce instead of caramel bits?
Hi Pam, caramel sauce wont work because it’s too soft/runny. It wont set up. It needs to be melted caramel candies, or the caramels bits 🙂
hi I have made these with homemade caramel which was a lot runnier than the candy ones, but they did set really well, and had a nice crunch to them.
Have you ever made this and froze it??
I haven’t tried freezing these. I’m not sure how the pretzel would hold up… but let me know if you try it 🙂
Do thes need to be kept refrigerat d to keep chocolate from melting?
I do store mine in the fridge–but I’m also in a very warm and humid climate…It keeps really well in the fridge!
Trying this recipe tonight. Having trouble getting the caramel on. Melted in a measuring cup and drizzle/pouring on the pretzels. Mine looks like a hot mess too, but I’m sure it will still taste yummy! Thanks for sharing!
Trying this recipe tonight. Having trouble getting the caramel on. Melted in a measuring cup and drizzle/pouring on the pretzels. Mine looks like a hot mess too, but I’m sure it will still taste yummy! Thanks for sharing!
Kudos on how awesome yours looks! Mine looks like a hot mess, but I know it’s going to taste delicious! Thanks for an easy recipe.
Usually it’s the “Hot Mess” that tastes the best! That’s usually the first thing that I grab at a party or gathering is the mess because when it’s prim and proper most people forget something important and it’s usually the the thing that makes it taste good. LOL!
There’s just little ole me and a little leftover is okay but some things are just better the first time. So, do you have any recipes for 1 or 2 persons?
Hi Sandy, I would just cut this recipe in half! Most of my recipes serve 4 people and can easily be cut in half to make just 2 servings.
I LOVED this! This recipe is simple and quick to put together. I love the combination of chocolate, caramel, and pretzels. I actually didn’t use a full 8 ounces of pretzels. I felt my chocolate was sufficiently covered with pretzels. I don’t like melting chocolate without a little shortening or peanut butter in it, so I DID end up adding 2 Tbsp creamy peanut butter to the 8 ounces of chocolate, and then 1 Tbsp for the chocolate drizzle on top. This is a keeper! My family loved this. Thanks for sharing the recipe!
One more thing… I poured the caramel sauce into a Ziploc baggie, and cut off the corner of the bag to drizzle it over the pretzels. I felt doing it in this way helped spread the caramel over the bark more evenly.
Good idea, thanks for the hint.
Thanks Kristin! And I love the addition of peanut butter to the topping–YUM! Happy you liked it!