Caramel Apple Bark

Why You’ll Love This Caramel Apple Bark Recipe!

• It’s simple! – Using only a handful of ingredients, this no-bake treat couldn’t be easier to put together. When I’m running short on time, it’s nice to have an easy dessert recipe that I can count on.
• It tastes like the classic fall treat! – This bark incorporates all of the favorite fall flavors of caramel-dipped apples. But without the mess that comes with, well, dipping apples! It’s a great way to enjoy the abundance of apple season.
• It’s a crowd-pleaser! – Do you need a dessert to bring to fall festivities or a Thanksgiving gathering? The sweetness of the chocolate, the crunchy pretzels, the tart apples, and the salty peanuts all come together to make the perfect snack.

Ingredients Needed For Easy Caramel Apple Bark

A few simple ingredients are all you need to make this salty snack! 

• Pretzel Snaps – Is there anything better than salty pretzels!? Pretzel Snaps are the perfect base for this bark, because they layer easily and there aren’t any large gaps in them. It saves you from needing to make crushed pretzels in order to make a cohesive pretzel layer. If you can’t find Pretzel Snaps, mini pretzels work pretty well.
• 2 Cups of Chocolate Chips – Use semi-sweet chocolate chips, and melt them. Make sure you stir frequently, so the chocolate doesn’t burn!
• 1 Tablespoon of Coconut Oil – You’ll stir this into the melted chocolate. It thins out the chocolate so that it’s easier to spread across the pretzels.
• 1 Cup of Caramels – This works out to about 16 individual caramels. These need to be melted as well, and you can use the same method that you chose to melt the semi-sweet chocolate chips. You can use caramel dip or caramel sauce instead, but I find that melted caramel candies gives the best consistency.
• 2 Medium Apples – Granny Smith apples are a great choice for this recipe, because it has a nice tartness that balances with all of the sweet ingredients. But any tart red or green apple will work! Dice the apple into small bite-sized pieces. No need to peel, unless that’s your preference. 
• 1 Cup of Peanuts – If you need to keep a peanut allergy in mind, them absolutely skip this topping. But I like to sprinkle salted peanuts on top of the chocolate and apples.
• 1/2 Cup of Mini Chocolate Chips – This optional topping finishes the caramel apple bark off perfectly.

How to Make this Fun Caramel Apple Bark

Once the apples are diced and the chocolate is melted, this recipe comes together incredibly fast.

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Here’s how to do it!

1. Be sure not to skip this first step! Apples tend to go brown when the flesh of the fruit is exposed to oxygen. To prevent that, soak the diced apples in either 2 cups of Sprite or 2 tablespoons of lemon juice mixed with 1 cup of water. You won’t notice even a little bit of difference in flavor, but it really keeps the apple pieces firm and white!
2. While your apples are soaking, melt your chocolate chips and caramels. Using either a double boiler, two pots of slightly differing sizes, or a microwave in 30-second intervals, melt the semi-sweet chocolate chips. Stir the coconut oil into the melted chocolate. Using the same method, melt the caramels.
3. Prep your sheet pan with parchment paper. Cover the prepared baking sheet with an even layer of pretzels
4. Spread the melted chocolate (with the coconut oil mixed in, don’t forget!) over the pretzel layer. A rubber spatula helps with this!
5. Top the chocolate layer with the apple chunks and peanuts.
6. Drizzle your melted caramels over the top of the apples and peanuts. Those loose topping pieces are now firmly glued in place between the melted chocolate and the melted caramel.
7. For a finishing touch, sprinkle a handful of mini chocolate chips over the top of the bark. 
8. After adding the various toppings, allow the bark to harden for 15 to 20 minutes. It will harden just fine at room temperature, but you can place the baking sheet in the fridge to speed up the process.
9. Use your hands to break your slab of caramel apple bark into irregular pieces, or use a knife to help you cut it into more evenly-sized squares.

Storing Leftover Caramel Apple Bark

Your new favorite fall treat stores easily in an airtight container for up to a week.

I don’t recommend storing it in the fridge, as the caramel then becomes too hard to enjoy easily later.

If you need to store the pieces in layers, place paper towels between each of the layers.

This helps to prevent moisture from the apples from softening the pretzel base of the bark pieces on top.

Other Ways To Top This Chocolate Bark

Just as there’s more than one way to enjoy a good caramel apple, there’s also more than one way to top this caramel apple bark!

Here are some ideas to try.

The hardest part of this recipe is deciding which toppings to try!

• Different Types of Chocolate – Make your chocolate base for this caramel bark using either milk chocolate, white chocolate, or dark chocolate chips.
• Different Types of Caramel – Melted caramel best mimics the homemade caramel sauce found on traditional caramel apples, but you can use ice cream caramel sauce for a thinner consistency.
• Different Types of Drizzle – Instead of either chocolate or caramel, try melting peanut butter or butterscotch chips for a completely different flavor profile.
• Different Types of Pretzels – Pretzel Snaps are the perfect size and shape for the base layer, but you can try other options. Fill your prepared cookie sheet with tight rows of pretzel sticks. Stir crushed pretzels in with melted butter and press into the pan. You can even use saltines.
• Dried Apples – Try using dehydrated or dried apple pieces instead of fresh. Without the excess moisture, you’ll enjoy extra crunch.
• Trail Mix – Use this instead of the peanuts and mini chocolate chips.
• Cinnamon Sugar
• Sea Salt Flakes
• Shredded Coconut
• Mini M&M Candies