These decadent pretzel brownies will remind you of a certain candy from Reese’s. These brownies with caramel and pretzels also have a layer of peanut butter mousse and extra chocolate for good measure.Â
We love making this easy brownie recipe because you can get help from a few ready-made ingredients to create a treat that looks complicated and tastes divine!
Ingredients
These layered caramel pretzel brownies have a few key ingredients.
The Brownie: This is the base for the dessert. Fudgy brownies are always the best, so be sure not to overbake them. Using a quality brownie mix, such as Ghirardelli, does make a difference to your end result.Â
The Peanut Butter Mousse: Brownies with pretzels and peanut butter have a satisfying salty component. This smooth and airy mixture doesn’t weigh down the dessert while adding a lot of flavor.Â
The Caramel: There are so many good dulce de leche options on store shelves, there’s no reason to stress over making your own caramel sauce that can easily burn.Â
The Chocolate Ganache: Just like with your brownie, use a high quality chocolate chip for the ganache. Even though it will be melted, you can taste the difference between cheap chocolate and great chocolate.Â
The Pretzels: Obviously, we think OMG! Pretzels make the best crunchy topping brownies around. We opted for Sweet & Salty when developing this recipe because it’s such a classic taste.
How to Make 5-Layer Sweet & Salty Pretzel Brownies
The key to mastering these pretzel brownies is patience. It’s important to let each layer cool and set before moving on to the next so that when you cut them, you can see each decadent ingredient.
First, you make the brownies and let them cool completely in the pan.
While the brownies are cooling, make the peanut butter mousse. Spread the layer evenly with an offset spatula.Â
Next comes the caramel. You may have to warm the dulce de leche so it will easily spread. You can either place the closed jar or can in warm water or put the sauce in a microwave-safe bowl and heat in 20-second increments until it’s loose enough spread.Â
The chocolate ganache layer is the only one that shouldn’t cool completely before adding the next layer. You need the chocolate to still be melted when you add the pretzel pieces so that they will stick into the chocolate.Â
Now, the hardest part is waiting for the chocolate to harden before you cut these pretzel brownies into bite size pieces.
Pretzel Brownie Variations
The best thing about baking with OMG! Pretzels is that there are four insanely indulgent sweet varieties to choose from to suit your taste. For these peanut butter and caramel brownies, you can change up the pretzel nugget flavor for a little fun. And, whichever variety you choose, a delicious sweet and salty dessert is in your future!Â
- The combination of salty and sweet are perfectly balanced and highlighted by the hint of spice our Sweet & Spicy Pretzels add to the mix. This recipe change might be best suited if you are making the pretzel brownies for adults or kids with more sophisticated palates.Â
- If you want intensely flavored salted caramel pretzel brownies, use our Salty Butterscotch Pretzels for the top layer. You can also sprinkle on some butterscotch chips while the chocolate is still warm.
- For brownie pretzel bites with a kick, opt for our Sweet Chili Pretzels. If you choose this sweet variety of seasoned sourdough pretzel nuggets, we recommend using dark chocolate instead of milk chocolate for the ganache layer. Â
Other Pretzel Desserts We Love
Pretzel Chocolate Chip Cookies
Pretzel Surprise Peanut Butter Cups
Pretzel Brownies FAQs
5-Layer Sweet & Salty Pretzel Brownies
Ingredients
Brownie Layer
- Your favorite boxed mix (or homemade recipe)
- 2 eggs
- â…” cup vegetable oil
- 3 tbsp water
Peanut Butter Layer
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- Splash of vanilla
Caramel Layer
- 1 can (approximately 13 oz.) dulce de leche
Chocolate Ganache Layer
- 1½ cups milk chocolate chips
- 1 tbsp coconut oil
Pretzel Layer
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Prepare brownies in a 13x9x2 pan and bake for 24 minutes. Let them cool completely.
- Meanwhile, prepare the other layers.
- For the peanut butter layer, mix together peanut butter, powdered sugar and vanilla with an electric mixer until smooth.
- To layer the brownies, spread an even layer of the peanut butter mixture over the brownies. Chill in the fridge for about 10 minutes.
- Next, warm the dulce de leche for 45 seconds in the microwave. Then add the dulce de leche to the top of the peanut butter layer and smooth it out. Chill for another 10 minutes.
- While this layer is chilling, make the chocolate ganache layer. Melt the chocolate chips in the microwave (be sure to use a microwave safe bowl) at 30 seconds intervals, stirring in between, until smooth.
