Description
A delightful and easy-to-make Caramel Apple Bark combining the tartness of Granny Smith apples with crunchy pretzels, rich dark chocolate, and luscious caramel sauce, finished with a sprinkle of flaky sea salt for a perfect sweet-salty treat.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Apple Preparation
- 1 tsp. kosher salt
- 1 Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored, finely chopped
For the Bark
- 1 1/2 cups mini pretzels, divided
- 2 cups (340 g) dark chocolate chips
- 1/4 cup store-bought or homemade caramel sauce
- Flaky sea salt (optional)
Instructions
- Prepare the Apples: In a medium bowl, mix kosher salt with 1 cup of water. Add the finely chopped Granny Smith apple and let it soak for 5 to 10 minutes. This step helps remove excess bitterness and softens the apples. After soaking, strain the apples through a fine-mesh sieve and rinse them thoroughly under cold water. Set aside.
- Crush Pretzels: Place 1 cup of the mini pretzels in a resealable plastic bag. Using a rolling pin or a heavy skillet, crush the pretzels until fine crumbs form. Spread these crushed pretzels evenly on a parchment-lined baking sheet to form the base for your bark.
- Melt Chocolate: Place the dark chocolate chips in a medium heatproof bowl. Microwave in 30-second increments, stirring well between each increment, until the chocolate is fully melted and smooth, which typically takes about 1 minute total.
- Assemble the Bark: Using an offset spatula or butter knife, spread the melted chocolate evenly over the crushed pretzels on the baking sheet. Sprinkle the remaining whole pretzels evenly over the melted chocolate, followed by the rinsed and drained chopped apples.
- Add Caramel and Finish: In a small heatproof bowl, microwave the caramel sauce for roughly 30 seconds until it reaches a drizzling consistency. Drizzle the caramel sauce over the assembled bark. If desired, sprinkle flaky sea salt on top to add a touch of savory contrast.
- Set the Bark: Refrigerate the bark until fully set, which will take at least 20 minutes but can be up to 1 day. Once set, break into serving pieces.
Notes
- For the best texture, make sure to remove excess water from the apples after soaking to avoid soggy bark.
- You can substitute dark chocolate chips with milk or white chocolate if preferred.
- Homemade caramel sauce provides a richer flavor, but store-bought works well for convenience.
- Store the bark in an airtight container in the refrigerator to maintain freshness.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 piece (approx. 1/10 of recipe)
- Calories: 220
- Sugar: 15g
- Sodium: 250mg
- Fat: 12g
- Saturated Fat: 7g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 26g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 2g
- Cholesterol: 5mg
