No-Bake Salted Caramel Pretzel Bars
Prep time: 15 minutes
Chill time: 1–2 hours
Servings: 12–16 bars
🧾 Ingredients
Pretzel Crust
- 2 cups pretzel sticks, crushed
- 1 cup graham cracker crumbs
- 1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks), melted
- ¼ cup brown sugar
Caramel Layer
- 1 cup caramel sauce (thick store-bought or homemade)
- ½ tsp sea salt
Chocolate Layer
- 1½ cups chocolate chips (milk or semi-sweet)
- 1 tbsp coconut oil or butter (optional, for smooth melt)
Topping
- Mini chocolate chips
- Flaky sea salt
🥣 Instructions
1. Make the Crust
- Line an 8×8 or 9×9 inch pan with parchment paper.
- Mix crushed pretzels, graham crumbs, brown sugar, and melted butter.
- Press firmly into the bottom of the pan.
- Chill in the fridge 15 minutes to set.
2. Add the Caramel Layer
- Warm caramel sauce slightly so it spreads easily.
- Stir in ½ tsp sea salt.
- Pour and spread evenly over the crust.
- Chill 20–30 minutes until firm.
3. Add the Chocolate Layer
- Melt chocolate chips (and coconut oil) in the microwave in 20-second intervals.
- Pour melted chocolate over the caramel layer and spread evenly.
- Sprinkle mini chocolate chips and flaky sea salt on top.
4. Chill & Slice
- Refrigerate 1–2 hours until fully set.
- Lift out using parchment and slice into bars with a sharp knife.
⭐ Tips for Perfect Bars
- Use thick caramel so layers don’t slide
- Chill between layers for clean separation
- For extra crunch, don’t over-crush the pretzels
- Sprinkle salt while chocolate is still soft
🔥 Optional Variations
- Add peanut butter to the caramel layer
- Use dark chocolate for deeper flavor
- Add toffee bits on top
- Make it gluten-free with GF pretzels & crackers