Warning: this stuff is addictive!

One day, Steve brought home some chocolate- and caramel- coated saltines, and I couldn’t stop eating until the the bag was gone!

When I saw recipes for caramel and chocolate pretzel bark, I knew it was going to be the perfect sweet, salty, creamy, crunchy treat. I based my recipe on the Salted Caramel Pretzel Bark from Mama Says What and I added almonds and some subtle spices to give it an extra rich taste.

ULTIMATE Almond Pretzel Bark recipe with a secret ingredient!

Ingredients:

• 8 oz mini pretzel twists
• 1 1/2 cups roasted salted almonds
• 16 oz semi-sweet dark chocolate chips or 16 oz bar baking chocolate, chopped
• 3/4 cup butter
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne (my secret ingredient for a little kick!)

Instructions

• preheat the oven to 350F
• line a baking sheet with aluminum foil
• layer pretzels and almonds on the foil (pictured below, top right)
• in a pot on the stove, melt butter and stir in brown sugar. Bring to boil and keep stirring until smooth and thick.
• Pour caramel over the pretzels and almonds (pictured below, middle left)
• bake in oven for five minutes
• sprinkle cinnamon and cayenne evenly over the mixture
• add chocolate on top and bake for another couple of minutes to melt
• use a spatula to smooth out the chocolate (pictured below, middle right)
• cool for 10 minutes at room temperature and move to the freezer for at least two hours
• break into small chunks

Easy steps for making the ULTIMATE Almond Pretzel Bark recipe with a secret ingredient for extra kick!

For maximum freshness, store the bark in a container in the freezer.  Mine is in the chest freezer in our basement, and I would like to say that I burn enough calories going up and down the stairs to justify this treat, but that’s probably wishful thinking…

“Jewels”