Description
Delightfully crunchy and sweet, these Caramel Pretzels, also known as Butter Toffee Pretzels, combine the salty crunch of miniature pretzels with a rich, buttery toffee coating. Perfect as a snack or party treat, they’re easy to make with simple ingredients and finished in the oven to achieve a non-sticky, crisp texture.
Ingredients
Scale
Main 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 Rack: Heat the oven to 200°F. Cover a baking sheet with foil and place a cooling rack on top. Spray the rack with nonstick cooking spray and set it aside to prepare for the toffee-coated pretzels.
- Melt Ingredients: In a medium heavy saucepan over medium-low heat, melt the unsalted butter, granulated sugar, water, and coarse salt together. Stir frequently with a wooden spoon to blend the ingredients evenly and ensure nothing sticks or burns.
- Boil toffee mixture: Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to maintain a medium-low boil until the temperature reaches 305°F on a candy thermometer. Remove the pan from heat immediately to prevent scorching, then stir in the vanilla extract to add flavor.
- Coat Pretzels: Quickly add the miniature pretzels to the hot toffee mixture and stir thoroughly to coat each pretzel completely. Using a toothpick or fork, transfer the coated pretzels a few at a time to the prepared cooling rack and baking sheet, arranging them side-by-side without touching to prevent sticking.
- Dry in Oven: Bake the coated pretzels at 200°F for 20 to 30 minutes to dry out the toffee coating. This step ensures the pretzels won’t be sticky once cooled and sets the toffee perfectly.
- Cool and Store: Remove the pretzels from the oven and transfer them to a cooling rack to cool completely. After cooling, allow the pretzels to sit uncovered overnight on the counter to reach perfect crispness.
- Keep Fresh: Store the pretzels in an airtight jar or bowl. They will stay fresh and crunchy for up to 3 weeks, making them an ideal make-ahead snack.
Notes
- Use a candy thermometer to achieve the correct toffee temperature for perfect hard crack stage.
- Make sure to work quickly when coating the pretzels to prevent the toffee from setting too soon.
- Allowing the coated pretzels to dry slowly in the oven prevents stickiness and enhances crunchiness.
- If you don’t have coarse salt, kosher salt works as a good substitute.
- Store in an airtight container to maintain freshness and crisp texture.
- Spraying the cooling rack with nonstick spray prevents pretzels from sticking while drying.
