Whether it's a last-minute holiday dessert or something to satisfy your own craving for sweet and salty, my easy potato chip pretzel chocolate bark will be your new go-to!
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We've all experienced that "Ahhh, what am I going to make/bring?" when we're going to a holiday party or even just visiting someone around that time of year. You don't want to show up empty handed but you don't have time for something intricate. BEEN THERE.
Holiday parties might not be in full swing this year, so you might not be wracking your brain for fancy Christmas dessert ideas. But wrapping some pieces of this salty chocolate bark up in plastic wrap and tying it with a bow and dropping it off on someone's doorstep is a gift we can all appreciate!
The good news is, it's incredibly easy to make and you only need a few ingredients to create it.
Salty Potato Chip Pretzel Chocolate Bark Ingredients
If you don't count the optional sea salt you can sprinkle on top, my chocolate bark recipe only has five ingredients:
- Plain Ruffles potato chips: these are the best kind for chocolate bark because they're thick and the ridges hold extra chocolate!
- Semi-sweet chocolate chips: Milk chocolate won't harden quite as well. You can also use dark chocolate, I just happen to prefer semi-sweet!
- Caramel bits
- Salted pretzels: Sticks or loops or whatever you prefer!
- Cream or milk: Just a touch to add to the caramel while you melt it.
Quick Tips for Making Chocolate Bark
Melting the chocolate: You can either use the microwave or a double boiler to melt the chocolate). Either way, do it slowly! Microwave in 30 second intervals and stir between each time. You also don't want to over-do it. Once the chocolate is almosttttt entirely melted, take it out and stir it well to let the remaining heat melt all of the chocolate.
Adding the toppings: You'll want to gently push the chips and pretzels into the chocolate to make sure they're blended a bit. Otherwise, the toppings will fall off when you break your chocolate bark!
Letting it cool: In a perfect world, your bark can harden at room temperature over about 2-4 hours. If you're in a hurry, an hour or so in the fridge will do. The only thing to keep in mind is some condensation can form on the bark if you chill it in the fridge.
Other easy holiday recipes
I've got you covered for a quick Christmas dessert, but I've also got you covered for other Christmas meals!
Here are a few ideas:
ULTRA RICH & CREAMY MASHED POTATOES
VEGETARIAN WIFE SAVER BREAKFAST CASSEROLE
ULTRA CREAMY & CHEESY POTATO GRATIN
📖 Recipe
Salty Potato Chip Pretzel Chocolate Bark
Ingredients
- 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips melted
- 1 cup Plain Ruffles potato chips crushed
- 1 cup Pretzels crushed
- ½ cup caramels unwrapped, melted
- 1 tablespoon milk or cream to add to the caramel
- flaky sea salt optional
Instructions
- Prepare a baking sheet with wax paper or parchment paper. Set aside.
- Place the pretzels and potato chips in a large bowl. Crush them with your hands until they're in small pieces, but not crumbs.
- Melt the chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl in 30-second increments, stirring between each one. When it’s about 90% melted, stop microwaving and stir the chocolate to let the residual heat melt the rest of it. (Alternatively, you can melt the chocolate in a double boiler or a heat-proof bowl set over a pot of simmering water, which is what I usually do)
- Use a silicone or rubber spoon/spatula to pour and spread the chocolate onto the baking sheet until it's about ¼″ thick. (Do not spread it all the way to the edges of the pan).
- Sprinkle the potato chip/pretzel mixture onto the melted chocolate. Gently push the pieces into the chocolate.Set aside.
- Add the unwrapped caramel pieces and a tablespoon of milk to a microwave safe bowl. Melt on high in 30 second intervals until mixture is hot and about 50% melted. Remove from microwave and stir with a rubber spoon or spatula until caramels are fully melted and smooth–up to a minute of stirring. Drizzle caramel over the chocolate, potato chips, and pretzels. For extra salty chocolate bark, sprinkle flaky sea salt all over before letting it set.
- If you're in a hurry, chill the bark in the fridge for at least an hour and a half. Once it's set, break the bark into pieces. Even better, let the bark harden at room temperature for about 3 to 4 hours, or until set. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week.
Nutrition
Hope you enjoy these salty sweet treats!
OH, I also have a video showing this potato chip chocolate bark in action on my TikTok if you want to check it out.
XO,
C
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