Delicious sweet and salty snack. They're sticky and gooey with a caramel pull that makes these chocolate caramel pretzel bars so satisfying to pull apart. Think millionaire shortbread traybake, that consists of layers of buttery shortbread, miso caramel, chocolate and salted pretzels. Perfect for sharing, but impossible to just eat one!
Preheat your oven to 175°C (350°F). Lightly grease the base and sides of a square 8" pan with some oil or vegan butter, then line with parchment paper.
In your food processor, combine the flour, vegan butter, brown sugar, salt and water until the ingredients stick together to form a dough. Evenly press the dough into the base of the pan and smooth it out with a spatula or flat bottomed glass. With a fork, gently prick the dough several times.
Bake for 18-20 minutes until slightly browned, then allow to cool to room temperature.
Caramel
Add the vegan butter to a saucepan and melt over a medium heat. Add in the brown sugar, condensed coconut milk and coconut cream and continue to heat whilst stirring. Place your candy thermometer in the caramel and heat until it reaches 120°C (248°F). Remove from the heat and stir in the miso paste, vanilla and salt. Allow the caramel to cool slightly for 5 minutes.
Pour the caramel over the shortbread base and allow it to reach room temperature before transferring to the fridge for at least 2 hours (or overnight) until it is firm to the touch.
Coating
For the coating melt the chocolate and butter over a double boiler. Stir until melted thoroughly. Use a spatula to spread it over the caramel in an even layer. Arrange the pretzels on top and place back in the fridge for another hour.
To slice, place a sharp knife in a jug of boiling water to heat it. Wipe the knife dry and gently cut, allowing the heat from the knife to melt through the slices.
Storage
Store these slices in an airtight container at room temperature and consume within 3-5 days. Alternatively you can freeze any unused portions and defrost as needed.
Notes
To make them gluten-free: Opt for a gluten-free all purpose flour, gluten-free pretzels and miso. You can also omit the miso paste if unsure. Also go for sweetened condensed coconut milk as opposed to oat milk.
For a firm caramel instead of sticky caramel: If you would like to create a caramel layer that cuts "clean" I would recommend the caramel layer that's used in my butterscotch millionaires.