Caramel Apple Bark made with milk chocolate, pretzels, caramel and apples. Only four ingredients to make this simple dessert!
Fall is my absolute favorite season and part of the reason I love it so much is because of the food. I love soups and stews and apples and pumpkin and all of those delicious fall flavors.
Caramel apples have always been a favorite of mine, but they are a little bit tricky to eat and sometimes you just want a little taste, not necessarily an entire apple. This caramel apple bark is so simple to make and I love the addition of chocolate and pretzels – adds a little bit of saltiness, crunch and you can’t ever go wrong by adding chocolate!
Ingredients in Caramel Apple Bark
Milk Chocolate – One 12 ounce bag of milk chocolate chips works perfectly, but any type of chocolate will work.
Green apple – You can use your favorite variety of apple, but there is something about green apples that just pairs so well with caramel!
Caramels – One bag of individually wrapped caramels works the best, but you can use caramel bits also. I find that the caramel bits save you a bit of time because you don’t have to unwrap all of the little wrappers, but they don’t seem to melt quite as smoothly.
Pretzels – Any shape of pretzels will work – you will be crushing them into pieces anyway. I just break them up individually by hand to avoid having really tiny crumbs – larger pieces are better!
How to make Caramel Apple Bark
Pour the chocolate chips into a glass bowl. Microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring in between each interval until the chocolate is completely melted and smooth.
Line a cookie sheet or jelly roll pan with wax paper and use a spatula to spread the melted chocolate into the shape of a rectangle on top of the wax paper. The dimensions of the rectangle will end up being about 8″X12″ – you don’t want to spread the chocolate too thin, but if it’s too thick, it won’t harden as well either.
Sprinkle the crushed pretzels evenly on top of the chocolate.
Dice the green apple and use a paper towel to dab the apple pieces to absorb any extra moisture.
Unwrap the caramels and place in a microwave-safe bowl. I like to add 2 tablespoons of water to help thin out the caramel just a little bit. Microwave the caramels for one minute and then stir the mixture. Continue to microwave the caramels in 30 second intervals, stirring in between each interval until completely melted and smooth.
Add the diced apples to the caramel and mix until well combined. Spread the caramel/apple mixture on top of the pretzel layer. This layer is a little bit tricky to spread because it is so thick. This process is much easier if you spoon the mixture all over the pretzel layer so that each spoonful doesn’t have to be spread very far.
Refrigerate for at least an hour before cutting into pieces. Refrigerate until ready to serve. You will want to serve and eat the bark within about 24 hours or the pretzels start to get soggy.
Ingredients
- 12 oz milk chocolate chips
- 1 green apple diced
- 35 caramels unwrapped
- 2 cups pretzels
Instructions
- Pour the chocolate chips into a glass bowl. Microwave them in 30 second intervals, stirring in between each interval until the chocolate is completely melted and smooth.
- Line a cookie sheet or jelly roll pan with wax paper and use a spatula to spread the melted chocolate into the shape of a rectangle on top of the wax paper. The dimensions of the rectangle will end up being about 8"X12" - you don't want to spread the chocolate too thin, but if it's too thick, it won't harden as well either.
- Sprinkle the crushed pretzels evenly on top of the chocolate.
- Dice the green apple and use a paper towel to dab the apple pieces to absorb any extra moisture.
- Unwrap the caramels and place in a microwave-safe bowl. I like to add 2 tablespoons of water to help thin out the caramel just a little bit. Microwave the caramels for one minute and then stir the mixture. Continue to microwave the caramels in 30 second intervals, stirring in between each interval until completely melted and smooth.
- Add the diced apples to the caramel and mix until well combined. Spread the caramel/apple mixture on top of the pretzel layer. This layer is a little bit tricky to spread because it is so thick. This process is much easier if you spoon the mixture all over the pretzel layer so that each spoonful doesn't have to be spread very far.
- Refrigerate for at least an hour before cutting into pieces. Refrigerate until ready to serve. You will want to serve and eat the bark within about 24 hours or the pretzels start to get soggy.
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Caramel Apple Bark made with milk chocolate, pretzels, caramel and apples. Only four ingredients to make this simple dessert!
jellie @ real ordinary food says
Found you from Katherine’s Corner link party. This looks so good, I’m adding it to my recipe box!
Kaylie says
Thank you, Jellie! Enjoy!
Mary says
Does coating the apples with caramel keep them from turning brown?
Nellie says
Yep, it does a pretty good job of it!
Ashley says
This is so good! Love the caramel and apple flavors together!
Alison says
That’s one of my favorite combos too Ashley!
Linda says
This bark was totally addictive! I thought the salty sweet combo would taste great but I never expected to want to eat the entire dish! This is one I am going to make again for the grandkids who just adore green apples and chocolate.
Pam says
Oh, this looks absolutely amazing. This is a very new recipe for me, and I’m excited to try it. Perfect for fall! I’m featuring it tomorrow at the TFT link party. 🙂
Kaylie says
Thank you, Pam! Please let us know what you think!
Joanne says
That sounds like a delicious dessert! Pinned.
Melissa says
Do the apples start turning? This sounds delicious!
Nellie says
The caramel coats the apples enough so that they don’t turn brown. The bark does start to get a little bit soggy though after about 24 hours though, so it doesn’t keep very long.
Liz Estrada says
How do you keep the apples from turning brown?
Nellie says
They get pretty well coated in the caramel, which prevents them from browning. The bark does get soggy after about 24 hours though, so you need to plan to eat within a day of making it.
Stephanie says
Can you use the Carmel dip in the bowl from the grocery store or do i need to go buy camels and melt them?
Nellie says
The caramel dip in the bowl is a lot softer and a completely different consistency than melted caramels. I haven’t tried it specifically in this recipe, but I know in many other recipes the two are not swappable because the consistency is so different.
Nancy says
This sounds so good! I don’t think caramels are available where I am, but how about a jar of caramel sauce? How much do you think it would need?
Nellie says
Caramel sauce will have the same taste, but the consistency will be a little bit different because it is quite a bit runnier than melted caramels and won’t set up at all, so you might find the bark needs to be eaten with a spoon! But it’ll still be delicious!
Jessica says
These bars were a complete disaster. I have never made something that was inedible and had to throw out…. until this Caramel Apple Bark. Perhaps it was adding the extra water to the caramel that did it, because the caramel all ran off the bars, made the pretzels instantly soggy and the apples rubbery. You may want to try without the water, but I wouldn’t risk it.
Nellie says
So sorry it didn’t work out for you…I’ve never had that happen before! Maybe try leaving out the water next time?
Verla Bell says
Looks delicious! Could you use peanut pieces instead of pretzels?
Jessica says
I think that sounds amazing!
Elisa Judson says
Everyone loved it but it was wet. I don’t know why it was so wet.
Nicole says
That’s weird, I’m not sure.. Perhaps the juicy apples had something to do with it?