Salted Caramel Pretzel Blondies
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!
Servings 16 blondies
Calories 407kcal
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 8x8 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.
Nutrition
Calories: 407kcal | Carbohydrates: 50g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 64mg | Sodium: 376mg | Potassium: 45mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 30g | Vitamin A: 637IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 37mg | Iron: 1mg
