Description
Delicious homemade caramel pretzels coated in rich butter toffee, providing a perfect sweet and salty snack that combines crunchy pretzels with a smooth caramel coating. These buttery toffee pretzels are baked in the oven to achieve a non-sticky, crispy finish and make a great treat for any occasion.
Ingredients
Scale
Ingredients
- 4 cups miniature pretzels
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons water
- ½ teaspoon coarse salt
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Prepare Oven and Cooling Rack: Preheat your oven to 200°F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and place a cooling rack on top. Lightly spray the rack with nonstick cooking spray to prevent sticking, then set it aside.
- Melt Ingredients for Toffee: In a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine the unsalted butter, granulated sugar, water, and coarse salt. Heat the mixture over medium-low heat, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon to melt and blend the ingredients uniformly.
- Boil to Hard Crack Stage: Bring the mixture to a gentle boil while maintaining medium-low heat. Use a candy thermometer to monitor the temperature. When the mixture reaches 305°F (hard crack stage), remove the pan from the heat. Stir in the vanilla extract quickly and thoroughly.
- Coat Pretzels with Toffee: Pour the miniature pretzels into the hot toffee mixture and stir quickly to coat all pretzels evenly. Using a toothpick or fork, transfer coated pretzels in small batches onto the prepared cooling rack placed over the baking sheet. Arrange pretzels side-by-side but avoid touching to prevent clumping.
- Bake to Set Coating: Place the baking sheet with the coated pretzels in the preheated oven. Bake for 20-30 minutes to dry out the toffee coating, ensuring the pretzels are no longer sticky and will have a crispy finish.
- Cool Completely: Remove the pretzels from the oven and allow them to cool completely on the cooling rack at room temperature. Once cooled, leave them uncovered overnight on the counter to further harden and dry out.
- Store Properly: Store the caramel pretzels in an airtight container or jar to maintain freshness. They will keep well for up to 3 weeks.
Notes
- Use a candy thermometer to ensure you reach the correct temperature for proper toffee hardness.
- Spraying the cooling rack helps prevent the pretzels from sticking once coated.
- The overnight drying time is important for achieving the ideal crunchy, non-sticky texture.
- Store pretzels in an airtight container to keep them fresh and crunchy for up to 3 weeks.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Snack
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: caramel pretzels, butter toffee pretzels, homemade snack, sweet and salty snack, buttery toffee, crunchy pretzels
