These Salted Caramel Pretzel Blondies are chewy, buttery and packed with crunchy pretzels and sweet chocolate chips. A drizzle of rich, homemade salted caramel sauce truly takes them over the top! These blondies strike the perfect balance of sweet and salty, with a soft, chewy center and just the right amount of crunch. No matter the occasion, this recipe is sure to become a favorite!
If you love salted caramel, you’ll also love my Salted Caramel Popcorn and Chocolate Bread Pudding with Salted Caramel Sauce.
Salted Caramel Pretzel Blondies Recipe
These blondies topped with a salted caramel sauce are the ultimate sweet and salty treat! The chewy, buttery blondies are packed with crunchy pretzels and melty chocolate chips, giving them the perfect balance of texture and flavor.
And just when you think they couldn’t get any better, a drizzle of rich, homemade salted caramel sauce takes them to a whole new gooey level. The deep caramel flavor with a touch of sea salt makes every bite completely irresistible.
I also love how easy these blondies are to whip up. No need for a mixer with just a few simple ingredients, a bowl, and you’re on your way to dessert heaven. The pretzels add just the right amount of crunch, while the chocolate chips give a little extra sweetness.
A sprinkle of sea salt on top brings out all the flavors beautifully. Whether you’re making these for a party, a bake sale, or just because you need a little something sweet, they’re sure to be a hit!
Make sure you make the caramel sauce first before making the blondies. This gives the sauce time to cool and thicken, while the blondies are baking, and then you can drizzle it on top instead of it soaking into the blondies.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
If you love a dessert that checks off all of the boxes – sweet, salty, chewy, and crunchy – these blondies with salted caramel sauce were made for you! They’re packed with rich brown sugar flavor, loaded with chocolate chips and pretzels, and finished off with a smooth, buttery caramel drizzle. Here’s what makes them so good:
- Incredible Texture: Texture lovers will love these blondies! The soft, chewy blondie base has gooey chocolate chips and crisp pretzels in every bite.
- Next-Level Caramel: The homemade salted caramel sauce adds a deep, buttery richness that makes these blondies hard to resist.
- Easy to Make: No fancy equipment needed, and they come together quickly which makes them perfect for an easy weekend treat or a last-minute dessert!
I love blondies! They are like the vanilla cousin of brownies – rich, chewy, and sweet, but with a buttery caramel flavor instead of chocolate. Here is my classic blondie recipe – it’s sooo good!
What You’ll Need
How to Make Salted Caramel Pretzel Blondies
Rich, chewy, and packed with sweet and salty goodness, these blondies are one of my favorite treats! The buttery blondie base is studded with melty chocolate chips and crunchy pretzels, creating the perfect balance of textures. Topped with a luscious homemade caramel drizzle and a sprinkle of sea salt, every bite has the perfect mix of flavors.
As always, you can find the full printable recipe card at the end of this post.
Salted Caramel Sauce
- Heat the granulated sugar over medium heat, stirring continuously until it begins to melt.
- Sugar will start turning a light golden color.
- Add the butter while whisking quickly.
- Slowly stream in the heavy cream and whisk in the sea salt. Remove and allow it to cool.
Blondies
- Whisk together flour, baking powder and salt.
- Whisk together melted butter, brown sugar, egg and vanilla bean paste.
- Add in your wet ingredients into your dry ingredients.
- Stir until combined.
- Fold in roughly chopped mini pretzels and chocolate chips.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread it evenly. Bake for approximately 35 to 45 minutes.
- Drizzle the caramel sauce over your cooled blondies.
- Top the blondies with whole mini pretzel twists and additional chocolate chips and sea salt. Serve and enjoy!
While it is optional, I recommend not skipping the sprinkle of sea salt at the end! It really does make such a big difference! The sea salt helps to enhance all of the flavors and it makes the blondies even more delicious.
Storage Information
- Room Temperature: If you plan to enjoy the blondies within a couple of days, store them in an airtight container at room temperature. They’ll stay fresh for about 2–3 days.
- Refrigerator: For longer storage, store the blondies in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. The caramel will firm up when chilled, so let them sit at room temperature for a few minutes before serving to soften up.
- Freezer: These blondies freeze beautifully! Wrap individual squares tightly in plastic wrap, then place them in a freezer-safe bag or container. They’ll keep up to 3 months. To thaw, leave them at room temperature for about 30 minutes or warm them in the microwave for 10–15 seconds for a fresh-from-the-oven taste.
- If you’re storing them with caramel already drizzled on top, layer them with parchment paper to prevent sticking. You can also store the caramel separately and drizzle it on just before serving for the best texture!
Variations to Try
- Add toasted pecans or walnuts to the batter for extra crunch and nutty flavor.
- Swap half the chocolate chips for chopped dark chocolate or white chocolate to mix up the flavor.
- Drizzle warm peanut butter over the blondies before adding the caramel for a salty-sweet peanut butter caramel combo.
- Add espresso powder into the blondie batter to enhance the caramel notes and give the blondies a subtle coffee flavor.
- Instead of drizzling the caramel on top, swirl half of the caramel sauce into the batter before baking for gooey pockets of caramel in every bite.
- Brown the butter before mixing it into the batter for a deeper, nutty flavor that complements the caramel!
Can I use store-bought caramel instead of making my own?
Yes! While homemade caramel sauce has a richer, fresher flavor, store-bought caramel also works great in a pinch. Just make sure to choose a thicker caramel sauce rather than a thin syrup.
How do I get clean slices when cutting the blondies?
Let the blondies cool completely before slicing. Use a sharp knife and wipe it clean between cuts for the best results. Chilling them for 20–30 minutes in the fridge before cutting can also help.
Trish’s Tips
- If you don’t want to use vanilla bean paste, feel free to use equal parts of vanilla extract.
- Since butter is a key ingredient, opt for a good-quality brand for the best flavor. If you want a richer, nuttier taste, try browning the butter before mixing it into the batter.
- Stir the batter until it is just combined – overmixing can lead to dense, tough blondies instead of soft and chewy ones.
- Oven temperatures vary, so start checking on the blondies at 25 minutes. The edges should be golden, and the center should still look slightly soft. They’ll firm up as they cool.
- Line the pan with parchment paper. This makes it much easier to lift out the blondies for slicing without them sticking to the pan.
- Let the caramel cool slightly before drizzling it on top of the blondes. If it’s too hot, it will be too thin and runny. Let it cool for a few minutes to thicken just a bit while still being pourable.
- Sprinkle the sea salt on top while the caramel is still slightly warm. This helps it stick better.
- When cutting the blondies, be sure to use a super sharp knife for clean cuts to cut through the pretzel pieces. You will also want to allow the caramel sauce to rest on the blondies for at least a couple of hours or overnight before cutting them if you want the caramel to firm up on top.
More Dessert Bars To Try
- Chocolate Raspberry Crumb Bars
- Lemon Bars
- Chocolate Chip Cookie Cheesecake Bars
- Cheesecake Brownies
- The BEST Blondie Recipe
Salted Caramel Pretzel Blondies
Ingredients
Salted Caramel Sauce
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter room temperature or slightly softer
- ½ cup heavy whipping cream slightly warmed up
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
Blondies
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ¾ cup light brown sugar
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
- 1 cup mini pretzel twists roughly chopped (optional)
- 1 cup chocolate chips plus more for garnish
Garnish
- 16 mini pretzel twists for topping
- chocolate chips optional
- sea salt for garnish (optional)
- salted caramel sauce recipe below or store bought
Instructions
Salted Caramel Sauce
- In a medium sauce pan, preferably not non-stick, heat the granulated sugar over medium heat. While the sugar is heating, make sure you are continuously stirring with a rubber spatula so that the sugar is moving and not sticking to the pan.1 cup granulated sugar
- The sugar will begin to clump up after a bit, continue stirring and it will begin to melt. The sugar should slowly start to turn to a light golden color.
- Grab your whisk and once all of the sugar has melted and turned a golden amber color, turn the heat to low and add the butter while whisking quickly. Whisking quickly will help to calm the bubbles and achieve a smooth consistency.6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- After the butter is whisked in, slowly stream in the slightly warm heavy whipping cream while continuing to whisk.½ cup heavy whipping cream
- Whisk in the sea salt and turn the heat up to medium once more while whisking to smooth out the sauce until it starts to bubble.½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- Once the sauce begins to bubble remove the pan from the heat and let it cool for about 1 minute. You can then pour the sauce into a heat proof container and allow it to cool.
Blondies
- Preheat your oven to 350°F.
- Spray an 8×8 baking pan with nonstick cooking spray and then line the pan with parchment paper. This will allow you to easily remove the blondies from the pan.
- In a small sauce pan, melt your butter over medium heat. Once the butter has melted, set the pan aside and allow the butter to cool slightly.1 cup unsalted butter
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together your dry ingredients of flour, baking powder and salt and set the bowl aside.1 cup all purpose flour, ¼ teaspoon baking powder, ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- In a large sized mixing bowl, whisk together your melted butter, brown sugar, egg, and vanilla bean paste until well combined.¾ cup light brown sugar, 1 large egg, 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste
- Add in your dry ingredients into your wet ingredients and stir until combined.
- Using a rubber spatula, fold in your roughly chopped mini pretzels and chocolate chips.1 cup mini pretzel twists, 1 cup chocolate chips
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread it out evenly with your spatula.
- Bake for approximately 35 to 45 minutes. Oven times do vary so check the blondies at 25 minutes to make sure they aren’t browning too fast on top. If they are, cover loosely with a foil tent and continue baking. You should be able to insert a toothpick or knife in the center and it should come out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
To Serve
- Drizzle the caramel sauce over your cooled blondies.salted caramel sauce
- Top the blondies with 16 whole mini pretzel twists and sprinkle with additional chocolate chips and sea salt.16 mini pretzel twists, sea salt, chocolate chips
- Using the parchment paper, lift the blondies from the pan and cut evenly into 16 pieces.
Notes
- Be sure that you make the caramel sauce first when making this recipe.
- If you don’t want to use vanilla bean paste, feel free to use equal parts of vanilla extract.
- When cutting the blondies, be sure to use a super sharp knife for clean cuts to cut through the pretzel pieces. Allow the caramel sauce to rest on the blondies for at least a couple of hours or overnight before cutting them if you want the caramel to firm up on top.
Storage Information
- Room Temperature: If you plan to enjoy the blondies within a couple of days, store them in an airtight container at room temperature. They’ll stay fresh for about 2–3 days.
- Refrigerator: For longer storage, store the blondies in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. The caramel will firm up when chilled, so let them sit at room temperature for a few minutes before serving to soften up.
- Freezer: These blondies freeze beautifully! Wrap individual squares tightly in plastic wrap, then place them in a freezer-safe bag or container. They’ll keep up to 3 months. To thaw, leave them at room temperature for about 30 minutes or warm them in the microwave for 10–15 seconds for a fresh-from-the-oven taste.
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- If you’re storing them with caramel already drizzled on top, layer them with parchment paper to prevent sticking. You can also store the caramel separately and drizzle it on just before serving for the best texture!
Tools and Equipment (affiliate links): 8 Inch Square Baking Pan | Glass Mixing Bowls | Whisk
Please see post above for more information, recipe tips and frequently asked questions.
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