Decadent Salted Pretzel Brownies Recipe
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These Salted Pretzel Brownies are the perfect combination of sweet and salty, crunchy and fudgy—they will be your new favorite indulgence!
Whether you’re a chocoholic or just someone who loves the irresistible crunch of pretzels, these brownies hit the spot.
With layers of rich, dark chocolate brownie batter, crunchy pretzels, and a gooey center, these brownies are a dream come true!
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What Are Salted Pretzel Brownies?
These brownies take your average chocolate brownie recipe to a whole new level!
Instead of sticking with the usual ingredients, we add salty pretzels, which beautifully balance the sweetness. The result is a fudgy brownie with a crunchy, salted pretzel topping that adds fantastic texture.
Salted pretzel brownies are great for casual get-togethers, birthday parties, or a cozy night in.
Why not serve them warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a spoonful of caramel sauce? You’ll be in salty-sweet dessert heaven!
More Brownie Recipes
If you love brownies as much as we do, check out our recipes for Chocolate Peanut Butter Brownies, Triple Layer Pumpkin Brownies, Peanut Butter Pumpkin Brownies, and our Decadent Chocolate Walnut Brownies with Chocolate Frosting.
We also have a delicious Cinnamon Apple Blondies Recipe and a range of festive Brownie Recipes for Halloween, Valentine’s Day, and Easter.
Where is the Recipe Card?
To print the recipe card, scroll to the bottom of this post. For all the tips, keep reading!
Salted Pretzel Brownies Recipe:
Number of Servings: 15
Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
While you may prefer to skip to the recipe card, we recommend reading through the blog post to avoid missing valuable tips and substitution suggestions and to ensure you have the necessary ingredients, equipment, and understanding of the steps and timings.
Ingredients for Salted Pretzel Brownies
This recipe’s ingredients and tools are conveniently linked to online retailers like Amazon, Amazon Fresh, Instacart, and Walmart.
- Butter—Unsalted to control the saltiness in the brownies.
- Dark Chocolate—For a rich and intense chocolate flavor.
- Unsweetened Cocoa Powder—Adds depth and a bold chocolate taste.
- Sugar—Sweetens and balances the bitter chocolate.
- Vanilla Extract—Always buy good vanilla; it makes a flavor difference.
- Eggs—Binds the brownie batter and gives structure.
- All-Purpose Flour—Also known as plain flour.
- Instant Espresso Powder—Enhances the chocolate flavor without adding a coffee taste.
- Dark Chocolate Chips—Extra bits of chocolate for added texture and more chocolatey goodness!
- Mini Pretzels—For that perfect salty crunch inside and on top.
The complete list of ingredients with measurements is on the recipe card at the end of this post. The Purple Pumpkin Blog uses both cups and weighted measurements in its recipes, making American cups and kitchen food scales valuable tools for trying all the recipes. We provide US customary, imperial, and metric measurements. Still, it’s important to note that while you can combine cup measurements with weighted measures, never mix US customary/imperial (pounds, ounces, pints, etc.) with metric (kilograms, grams, liters, etc.).
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Recipe Tips
- When lining your baking dish with parchment paper (also known as baking paper or greaseproof paper), leave some overhang to easily lift the cooked and cooled brownies out of the pan.
- To keep your brownies fudgy, do not over-mix the batter. Over-mixing will make them cake-like.
- Place the pretzels in a plastic food bag and crush them with a rolling pin.
- Crush the pretzels just enough to create various small pieces to add texture to the brownies. You don’t want to turn them all to dust!
- Reserve some whole pretzels to add as a topping—you can use them to create the portion sizes.
- For a gooey center, check the brownies at the 35-minute mark using a wooden toothpick to see if it comes out with moist crumbs. You want them slightly underbaked for extra fudgy goodness.
- Because brownies are slightly underbaked, you need to cool them completely in the pan before slicing.
- Brownies taste better the next day, so making them the day before serving will be worth it!
Storing Leftovers & Freezing
- Storing Leftovers:
- Cool, transfer to an airtight container, and store in the fridge for 4-5 days. They can also be stored at room temperature for 2-3 days.
- Freezing Instructions:
- Freezing brownies can alter their texture.
- You can freeze the whole pan of brownies uncut. Or cut into portions if you prefer.
- Cool completely and wrap in a double layer of plastic wrap and a layer of aluminum foil to help prevent freezer burn and eliminate unwanted freezer smells.
- To keep track of your food storage, label each dish with its name, date, thawing instructions, and reheating instructions.
- Store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- To defrost the brownies, unwrap them entirely and leave them to thaw at room temperature for 2-4 hours.
- Reheat brownies in the microwave for 20 seconds to get that fresh-from-the-oven warmth.
- With all leftovers, ensure the food looks and smells okay before consuming.
- Safe Minimum Internal Temperature Chart for Cooking
- You can always consult the Food Standards Agency in your country for the most up-to-date advice on storing and freezing foods: Food Standards Agency (UK) | Food Safety (USA).
Dinner Party Menu Suggestions
You’ve made the dessert, but what about the rest of the courses?
Here are additional recipes to create a menu for a dinner party or special meal:
- Appetizer: Air Fryer Buffalo Cauliflower Bites with Homemade Ranch Dip
- Soup: Baked Potato Soup
- Salad: Crunchy Apple Celery Salad with Maple-Dijon Vinaigrette
- Main Dish: Slow Cooker Pork Chops with Creamy Mushroom Sauce
- Side Dish: Garlic and Chive Cauliflower Mash
- Beverage: Blackberry Iced Tea
Printable Salted Pretzel Brownies Recipe Card
The printable recipe card is below—please leave a star rating and quick review to share your experience with others!
Salted Pretzel Brownies
Ingredients
- 8 oz unsalted butter (2 sticks) diced
- 6 oz dark chocolate roughly chopped
- ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1½ cup sugar
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 3 large eggs
- 1¼ cup all-purpose flour (plain flour)
- ½ tsp instant espresso powder
- ½ cup dark chocolate chips
- 1 cup mini salted pretzels divided
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C/Gas 4. Line a 9×13-inch baking pan with parchment paper and set it aside.
- Add butter and chocolate to a medium saucepan and melt over low heat.
- Stir in the cocoa powder and whisk to dissolve the cocoa in the warm mixture.
- Remove from heat and stir in the sugar and vanilla.
- Add the eggs, one at a time, whisking constantly between each addition.
- Fold in the flour, instant espresso powder, and dark chocolate chips.
- Lightly crush half of the pretzels and fold those into the brownie batter.
- Pour the brownie batter into the prepared baking pan.
- Arrange the remaining pretzels on top of the brownie batter.
- Bake for 40-45 minutes until brownies are mostly set yet slightly gooey in the middle. Start checking doneness at 35 minutes with a toothpick – it should come out clean with moist crumbs and not completely dry.
- Allow the brownies to cool completely before slicing and serving. Enjoy!
Nutrition
Nutritional information is always approximate and will depend on the quality of ingredients used and serving sizes. If you need exact calories and macros, please do your own calculations.