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This sweet, salty and crunchy caramel apple bark is everything you love about a caramel apple, reimagined into a shareable, no-fuss treat. With a base of rich melted chocolate layered with salty pretzels, a caramel-apple topping, and a final drizzle of chocolate, every bite delivers a perfect balance of flavor and texture. It’s a fun dessert to make for fall gatherings, Halloween parties or just because. Best of all, it requires no baking and comes together quickly in the fridge.
Caramel apple bark is layered with melted chocolate, pretzels, gooey caramel and diced apples, then chilled and sliced into a sweet, crunchy treat.
Also try chocolate chip bread, pistachio coffee cake and perhaps treat yourself to a gingerbread latte rum cocktail.
Why You’ll Love It
No baking needed: This dessert sets in the fridge, so the oven stays off.
Sweet and salty combo: Pretzels, chocolate and caramel satisfy every craving.
Great for gifting: Break it into pieces and wrap for an easy homemade gift.
Perfect for fall: Apples and caramel are a seasonal favorite.
Caramel Pretzel Apple Bark Ingredients
A complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
Granny Smith apples: Tart and crisp, they balance the sweetness perfectly.
Semi-sweet chocolate: Melts smoothly and adds rich chocolate flavor.
Pretzels: Salty and crunchy, they form the middle layer of texture.
Caramels: Melted into a gooey base that coats the diced apples and holds everything together.
How to Make Caramel Bark with Apples and Pretzels
For more detailed instructions with weights and measurements, jump to the printable recipe card.
Prepare the base: Melt chocolate and spread it onto a lined baking sheet.
Add the crunch: Layer pretzels over the chocolate base.
Make the caramel topping: Melt caramels, stir in diced apples and spread over the pretzels.
Drizzle and chill: Add melted chocolate over the top and chill until set.
Cut and serve: Once firm, cut the bark into pieces.
Substitutions and Variations
Use white chocolate: Swap semi-sweet for white chocolate for a different twist.
Add nuts: Sprinkle chopped pecans or walnuts over the top.
Try different apples: Pink Lady or Honeycrisp also work well.
Serving Suggestions
For dessert: Enjoy this bark as dessert, perhaps after a meal of stuffed rigatoni pasta pie or beef short rib ragu.
As a sweet treat: A great midmorning or midafternoon pick-me-up would be an iced lavender matcha latte or cinnamon dolce latte with some of this tasty caramel and apple bark.
How to Store Caramel Apple Bark
Store: Keep the bark in an airtight container in the refrigerator and eat within 5 days.
Freeze: I don’t recommend freezing this. The apples can leak moisture which would affect the texture.
Top Tips
Pat the apples dry: This prevents the caramel from separating or becoming too wet.
Work quickly with caramel: It sets fast, so spread it while warm.
Line your pan well: Parchment paper makes it easy to lift and slice the bark.
Caramel Apple Bark FAQs
This recipe is French in origin. Disks or bars of chocolate studded with dried fruits and nuts have been called bark for many years. Originally created as Christmas candy, bark differs from chocolate bars as the additions to the chocolate are visible. The colors of the candy used would represent the colors of the monks’ robes. It’s believed the name ‘bark’ came about because this dessert resembles the bark of a tree once the melted chocolate is poured over the additions. The green and brown of the green apples, caramels, chocolate and pretzels gives it a bark-like appearance.
You can serve easy caramel pretzel apple bark in individual cupcake liners if you like, perhaps themed ones for the season. Any leftovers can be served as a topping for ice cream, an addition to sundaes or simply a sweet snack when your sweet tooth reminds you this is sitting in the refrigerator!
Caramel Apple Bark with Pretzels Recipe
Caramel Apple Bark
Equipment
- Cookie Sheet 13 x 18-Inch
Ingredients
Instructions
- Prepare a large cookie sheet (13 x 18 inches) by lining it with parchment paper.
- Melt 2 cups of chocolate chips in the microwave. (Set the remaining ½ cup aside for drizzling later). Start with 30 seconds on high power. Stir well. Then cook for 15 seconds at a time on high power. Only cook until you can stir the chocolate chips smooth.
- Spread this onto the prepared cookie sheet.
- Place the pretzels in one even layer all over the top of the chocolate.
- Unwrap and melt the caramels in the microwave. Again, start with 30 seconds on high power then stir well. Continue cooking for 15 second intervals stirring well in between. Cook this until it gets bubbly.
- Dice the apples. Pat them with paper towels to remove excess moisture.
- Mix the diced apples into the melted caramel. Pour this mixture evenly over the base, then carefully spread.
- Place the pan into the fridge and allow it to cool for half an hour.
- Melt the remaining ½ cup of chocolate chips and drizzle it over the bark.
- Return the bark to the fridge until completely set. This may take a few hours.
- Cut the bar into pieces and serve.
Notes
Work quickly with caramel: It sets fast, so spread it while warm.
Line your pan well: Parchment paper makes it easy to lift and slice the bark.
Nutrition
Caramel apple bark takes everything you love about classic caramel apples and transforms it into an easy, no-bake treat you can break apart and share. The crisp apples, melty caramel and chocolate pair perfectly with the salty crunch of pretzels, creating a balanced dessert that feels both nostalgic and new. Whether you serve it at a party or enjoy it with coffee, this bark is simple to make and irresistibly good. Keep a batch in the fridge for a sweet snack anytime.
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Bella Bucchiotti
Bella Bucchiotti is a Canadian-based syndicated food, travel, and lifestyle writer, photographer, and creator at xoxoBella. She founded xoxoBella in 2015, where she shares her love for food, dogs, sustainability, fitness, crafts, outdoor adventures, travel, and philanthropy to encourage others to run the extra mile, try new recipes, visit unfamiliar places, and stand for a cause. Bella creates stress-free and family-friendly recipes for weeknight dinners and festive feasts.
Hi, this looks amazing, and I plan on making it, but I’d also like to give it away -any suggestions on how to wrap them up?
I’d use wax paper around each piece (or some kind of candy wrappers depending on portion size) and then package them up in cellophane or in a small gift box and add a gift bow.
This was a total hit with our guests! Excited to make this again. 🙂
This looks so good! Love the apples in it.