Pretzel Chocolate Peppermint Bars
Celebrate the flavors of the holidays with these festive bars! A soft chocolate cookie topped with chocolate peppermint bark sitting on top of a crunchy pretzel bottom!
Pretzel Chocolate Peppermint Bars
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups mini pretzel twists
- 1/2 cup flour
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1/2 cup butter, melted and cooled
- 1/2 cup butter, diced
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1 3/4 cups flour
- 1/4 cup cocoa
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 teaspoon peppermint extract
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1 teaspoon canola oil
- 1/4 cup crushed peppermint candies
- Pretzel pieces
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line an 8”x 8” baking dish with parchment paper. Spray with baking spray and set aside.
- In a food processor, pulse the pretzels, flour and powdered sugar until pretzels are crushed.
- Add the melted butter and mix until combined. Mixture should resemble wet sand.
- Add the mixture in the prepared baking dish.
- With an extra piece of parchment paper, press down hard with fingertips until it is one solid even layer. You can also use a small flat dish to press.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Cool completely before adding cookie layer.
- Heat chocolate and butter in the microwave on half power. Start with 1 minute and stir. Then cook in 15 second intervals stirring, in between, until chocolate is melted and smooth.
- Set chocolate mixture aside to cool.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder and cocoa. Set aside.
- In a large bowl or in the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together the eggs, brown sugar, sugar, peppermint extract and milk.
- Add the chocolate mixture to the egg mixture. Mix until combined.
- Slowly add the flour mixture to the wet mixture. Beat until just combined scraping down the sides when necessary.
- Spoon cookie dough on top of the pretzel in an even layer.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes. Be careful not to overbake.
- Remove from oven and let cool completely on a wire rack.
- In a medium microwave safe bowl heat chocolate and canola oil in the microwave on half-power. Start with 1 minute and stir then 15 second intervals stirring in between until chocolate is smooth.
- Pour the chocolate mixture over the cookie/pretzel layers. Take a spatula and smooth the top evenly.
- Sprinkle crushed peppermint candies and pretzel pieces on top.
- Place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to allow chocolate to harden before cutting into bars.
Notes:
Store in refrigerator until ready to serve.
Calories
493.02Fat (grams)
34.27Sat. Fat (grams)
20.91Carbs (grams)
45.10Fiber (grams)
1.83Net carbs
43.27Sugar (grams)
23.12Protein (grams)
4.53Sodium (milligrams)
449.51Cholesterol (grams)
99.51Directions
Pretzel Layer
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line an 8”x 8” baking dish with parchment paper. Spray with baking spray and set aside.
2. In a food processor, pulse the pretzels, flour and powdered sugar until pretzels are crushed.
3. Add the melted butter and mix until combined. Mixture should resemble wet sand.
4. Add the mixture in the prepared baking dish.
5. With an extra piece of parchment paper, press down hard with fingertips until it is one solid even layer. You can also use a small flat dish to press.
6. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Cool completely before adding cookie layer.
Chocolate Cookie Layer
1. Heat chocolate and butter in the microwave on half power. Start with 1 minute and stir. Then cook in 15 second intervals stirring, in between, until chocolate is melted and smooth.
2. Set chocolate mixture aside to cool.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder and cocoa. Set aside.
4. In a large bowl or in the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together the eggs, brown sugar, sugar, peppermint extract and milk.
5. Add the chocolate mixture to the egg mixture. Mix until combined.
6. Slowly add the flour mixture to the wet mixture. Beat until just combined scraping down the sides when necessary.
7. Spoon cookie dough on top of the pretzel in an even layer.
8. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Be careful not to overbake.
9. Remove from oven and let cool completely on a wire rack.
Chocolate Peppermint Topping
1. In a medium microwave safe bowl heat chocolate and canola oil in the microwave on half-power. Start with 1 minute and stir then 15 second intervals stirring in between until chocolate is smooth.
2. Pour the chocolate mixture over the cookie/pretzel layers. Take a spatula and smooth the top evenly.
3. Sprinkle crushed peppermint candies and pretzel pieces on top.
4. Place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to allow chocolate to harden before cutting into bars.