Description
This Caramel Apple Bark combines the tartness of Granny Smith apples with rich dark chocolate, crunchy pretzels, and luscious caramel sauce for a delightful sweet and salty treat. Perfectly balanced with a sprinkle of flaky sea salt, this no-bake bark is easy to make and ideal for dessert or snacking.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Fruit and Salt Treatment
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored, finely chopped
Crunchy Base
- 1 1/2 cups mini pretzels, divided
Chocolate and Toppings
- 2 cups (340 g) dark chocolate chips
- 1/4 cup store-bought or homemade caramel sauce
- Flaky sea salt (optional)
Instructions
- Salt soak the apples: In a medium bowl, mix the kosher salt with 1 cup of water. Add the finely chopped Granny Smith apple pieces and let them soak for 5 to 10 minutes. This helps to reduce excess moisture and bitterness. After soaking, strain the apples through a fine-mesh sieve and rinse thoroughly under cold water. Set aside to drain.
- Prepare pretzel base: Place 1 cup of the mini pretzels in a resealable plastic bag. Using a rolling pin or heavy skillet, crush the pretzels until fine crumbs form. Spread these crushed pretzels evenly on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper to create the base layer of the bark.
- Melt the chocolate: Place the dark chocolate chips in a medium heatproof bowl. Microwave in 30-second increments, stirring well between each interval, until the chocolate is completely melted and smooth. This should take about 1 minute total.
- Assemble bark base: Spread the melted dark chocolate evenly over the crushed pretzels on the baking sheet using an offset spatula or a butter knife. Then sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup whole mini pretzels on top, followed by the drained finely chopped apples.
- Drizzle caramel and salt: In a small heatproof bowl, microwave the caramel sauce for about 30 seconds until it reaches a drizzling consistency. Drizzle the warm caramel evenly over the bark, then sprinkle with flaky sea salt if desired to enhance the flavor contrast.
- Set the bark: Refrigerate the bark for at least 20 minutes or up to 1 day until it is fully set and firm enough to break into pieces for serving.
Notes
- Soaking the apples in salted water helps to prevent browning and mellow the tartness.
- You can use homemade caramel sauce or store-bought for convenience.
- Keep the bark refrigerated until serving to maintain firmness.
- Feel free to substitute dark chocolate chips with milk or white chocolate if preferred.
- Adjust the amount of flaky sea salt to taste for a more or less salty contrast.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 piece (approx. 1/10th of total bark)
- Calories: 210
- Sugar: 18g
- Sodium: 180mg
- Fat: 12g
- Saturated Fat: 7g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 25g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 3g
- Cholesterol: 5mg
