This pretzel Christmas crack is going to become your new favourite holiday treat. The combination of salty pretzels, sweet caramel, and dark chocolate blend perfectly to make this the most delicious treat. Plus this dessert is so easy to make and only requires six ingredients.
Holiday treats like gluten-free peppermint brownies, paleo hot chocolate bombs, dairy free eggnog, and dairy free peppermint bark are some of my all time favourite desserts, which is why I am so excited to share another holiday dessert recipe with you!
Table of Contents
Why you will love this recipe:
- This Christmas dessert has the most incredible flavour! The combination of salty pretzels, sweet caramel, and rich dark chocolate makes for one of the most delicious sweet treats. It's perfect for the holidays, or anytime!
- It's so quick and easy to make with only six simple ingredients that you can find in any grocery store.
- This pretzel Christmas crack recipe is refined sugar free and I've included options for making it dairy free, gluten free, vegan, and paleo.
- This chocolate bark stores really well in the fridge or freezer.
If you love Christmas crack you will also love my graham cracker Christmas crack recipe and vegan Christmas crack recipe.
Ingredients and substitutions:
For the full ingredient list and exact measurements refer to the recipe card later in this post.
Jump to the Recipe Card.
- Pretzels - these are used to form the crunchy base of this pretzel Christmas crack. If you can find square shaped pretzels those work best, but you can use any type of pretzels that you like.
- Butter - to make the most delicious rich homemade caramel. You can use a vegan butter if you are vegan or dairy-free. You can use either salted butter or unsalted butter depending on your preference.
- Coconut sugar - this is used to sweeten the caramel while keeping it refined sugar free. If you don't have coconut sugar you can use brown sugar instead.
- Dark chocolate - you can either use dark chocolate bars or dark chocolate chips for the chocolate layer of this pretzel Christmas crack. If you want to keep this dessert refined sugar free be sure to use dark chocolate sweetened with coconut sugar.
Recipe variations and add ins:
- To make it even easier you can omit the vanilla extract and salt and turn it into a 4 ingredient pretzel Christmas crack.
- To make it vegan and dairy free: use vegan butter and vegan chocolate (my favourite vegan chocolate).
- To make gluten-free: use gluten-free pretzels.
- To make it paleo: use ghee instead of butter, use grain free pretzels, and chocolate that is dairy-free and soy free.
- To add some extra crunch top the chocolate with some chopped nuts such as pecans, peanuts, walnuts, or cashews.
- Feel free to add other toppings such as crushed candy canes, M&Ms, sprinkles or toffee bits.
How to make pretzel Christmas crack:
- Step 1: Preheat your oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil and place the pretzels on it in an even, single layer.
- Step 2: Next add the caramel ingredients to a medium saucepan on the stovetop and turn the burner on to medium high heat. Allow the ingredients to come to a boil and then turn down the heat to medium. Keep the ingredients boiling, stirring the butter mixture regularly for about 5 minutes until the caramel thickens and darkens in colour.
- Step 3: Remove the pot from the heat and pour the caramel over the pretzels. Spread the mixture with a knife or spoon (it doesn’t have to be perfect because it will spread as it bakes). Then place the baking sheet in the oven and bake for 7 minutes. After it has done baking, freeze the baking sheet for 30 minutes to let the caramel harden.
- Step 4: Just before you take the pan out of the freezer melt the chocolate by placing the chocolate in a microwave safe dish and heating it on high in 30 second intervals until melted.
- Step 5: Next, take the pan out of the freezer and pour the melted chocolate over the caramel layer to form an even layer. Place the pan black in the freezer for 5 minutes.
- Step 6: Lastly, cut the dessert into pieces and then enjoy!
Top tips:
- Square shaped pretzels are the most ideal for making this recipe as they form a more stable base layer but if you can't find them any type of pretzel will do.
- Run the blade of the knife under hot water for a few seconds before cutting these bars into pieces as the heat will help cut through the frozen layers more easily (just be sure to dry the knife after running it under the hot water).
- I don't recommend trying to gift this Christmas crack as the caramel layer will melt at room temperature so the gift would get very messy.
Pretzel Christmas crack FAQs:
Can I gift this Christmas Crack?
If left out of the fridge for too long the caramel in this Christmas crack will soften and become runny so I would only gift it if you can be sure it will be kept cold.
Can I make this vegan?
Yes! To make this into a vegan Christmas crack use a vegan butter to make the caramel.
Does Christmas crack need to be refrigerated?
Most Christmas crack recipes do need to be refrigerated or else the caramel will melt.
How should I store this dessert?
Store this Christmas crack in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 7 days. You could also store it in the freezer for up to 3 months in a freezer safe bag or airtight container.
Other desserts you will love:
Recipe
Pretzel Christmas Crack
This pretzel Christmas crack is a delicious twist on a classic holiday treat that is the perfect combination of salty pretzels, rich caramel and dark chocolate.
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Servings: 30
Calories: 96kcal
Equipment
- Pot or saucepan
Ingredients
- 1 bag pretzels (enough to cover the bottom of the pan in an even layer - ~5.5 ounces)
Caramel Layer
- 2 cups butter
- 1 1/2 cups coconut sugar
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Chocolate Layer
- 12 ounces dark chocolate
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil and place the pretzels on it in an even, single layer.
- Add the caramel ingredients to a medium saucepan on the stovetop and turn the burner on to medium high heat. Allow the ingredients to come to a boil and then turn down the heat to medium and keep the ingredients boiling, stirring the mixture regularly for ~5 minutes until the caramel thickens.
- Remove the pot from the heat and pour the caramel over the pretzels. Spread the mixture with a knife or spoon. Then place the baking sheet in the oven and bake for 7 minutes. After it has done baking, freeze the baking sheet for 30 minutes to let the caramel harden.
- Just before you take the pan out of the freezer melt the chocolate by placing the chocolate in a microwave safe dish and heat on high in 30 second intervals until melted.
- Take the pan out of the freezer and pour the melted chocolate over the caramel layer. Place the pan black in the freezer for 5 minutes.
- Cut the dessert into pieces and enjoy!
Notes
- This recipe yields 30 pieces of Christmas crack.
- Nutritional values are an estimate and will vary depending on the exact ingredients used.
Nutrition
Calories: 96kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 2mg | Sodium: 49mg | Potassium: 103mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 31IU | Calcium: 27mg | Iron: 1mg
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