This is the ultimate sweet and savory treat. Chocolate and caramel is a classic duo; but the salty pretzels and shortbread crust give the whole bar a crunchy, indulgent texture. These are great to stash in your refrigerator for up to five days or freezer for up to two months and enjoy in a moment’s notice. There are no plates or utensils required, which is my kind of treat to serve to a crowd. Give these chocolate caramel pretzel shortbread bars a try to curb your sweet tooth for days to come!
How to make homemade caramel
Homemade caramel can be intimidating; it requires a very specific cook time. I recommend you use a ceramic pot to prevent scratching the bottom of a metal pan if the caramel gets difficult to work with. As the sugar warms up in the pot, the sugar crystals will dissolve into a liquid. Be sure to whisk the sugar constantly during this time; once some of the crystals start to dissolve, they will all turn to a liquid very fast. Once you have pure liquid, whisk in the cold butter and let the entire mixture simmer for about five minutes. The mixture will slowly darken in color. Be careful not to let it get any darker than a bronze/amber color, otherwise it will burn!
When you whisk in the heavy cream, the entire mixture will start to boil and that is okay. Just keeping whisking quickly so that the heavy cream fully incorporates into the butter and sugar. Finally, you’ll add the vanilla extract and sea salt after the mixture stops boiling and you’ve removed it from heat. The caramel will start to thicken as it sets, and will thicken even more as it cools in the refrigerator.
My favorite part about these delicious bars are the salty crunch topping and buttery crust bottom that sandwich the caramel and chocolate. I use the same shortbread crust for my lemon bars; it’s such a versatile bottom for many treats! Hope you enjoy this sweet and savory bar! 🙂
