Crunchy Salty Pretzel Clusters (Printable Version)

Salty pretzels enveloped in caramel and chocolate for irresistible sweet and salty bites.

# What You Need:

→ Pretzels

01 - 3 cups mini pretzels or pretzel twists, broken into bite-sized pieces

→ Caramel

02 - 1 cup soft caramel candies, unwrapped
03 - 2 tablespoons heavy cream

→ Chocolate

04 - 9 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips or chopped chocolate
05 - 1 tablespoon coconut oil or unsalted butter

→ Topping (optional)

06 - Flaky sea salt, for sprinkling

# Directions:

01 - Line a large baking sheet with parchment or wax paper.
02 - Place the caramel candies and heavy cream in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat in 30-second intervals, stirring after each, until smooth and fully melted, approximately 1 to 2 minutes.
03 - Gently fold the pretzel pieces into the melted caramel until each piece is evenly coated.
04 - Drop heaping tablespoons of the caramel-coated pretzels onto the prepared baking sheet, forming clusters. Allow to cool for 10 minutes or until just set.
05 - In a separate microwave-safe bowl, combine chocolate and coconut oil or butter. Microwave in 30-second bursts, stirring until smooth and thoroughly melted.
06 - Dip each cluster halfway into the melted chocolate or spoon chocolate over each cluster to achieve coverage. Return clusters to the baking sheet.
07 - Immediately sprinkle flaky sea salt over the clusters, if desired.
08 - Refrigerate the clusters for 20 minutes, or until the chocolate is firm. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • They taste like you spent hours in the kitchen, but honestly take less time than a coffee break.
  • That sweet-salty contrast is genuinely addictive, and people always ask for the recipe.
  • You can make a batch with whatever chocolate you have on hand and still nail it.
02 -
  • If your caramel seizes or gets grainy when you microwave it, add a tiny splash more cream and stir gently—it usually recovers, but patience is key.
  • Don't refrigerate the caramel-pretzel clusters longer than 15 minutes before dipping them in chocolate, or the caramel can get too hard and crack when you handle them.
  • The chocolate will set faster and smoother if you let it cool slightly on the baking sheet before moving it to the fridge, preventing condensation from making them sticky.
03 -
  • Use a fork to dip each cluster instead of your fingers—it keeps your hands clean and lets you control the chocolate coverage without dropped pieces.
  • If you're making these ahead, keep them in the fridge until just before serving, then leave them out for 5 minutes so the chocolate softens enough to feel less brittle and the caramel regains some chew.
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