Salted Pretzel Brownies

By Melissa Clark

Published Feb. 17, 2021

Salted Pretzel Brownies
Yossy Arefi for The New York Times (Photography and Styling)
Total Time
1 hour
Rating
4(600)
Comments
Read comments

Sprinkling flaky sea salt on brownies makes their bittersweet nature pop; it’s the kind of flavor contrast that keeps you coming back for more (as if the brownies themselves weren’t enough). Here, pretzels work in the same way, adding crunch and a toasty character as well. Hiding beneath the brownie batter, a graham cracker and crushed pretzel crust gives the bars a cookielike appeal run through with salted caramel notes. Go ahead and try to eat just one.

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Ingredients

Yield:16 brownies

    For the Crust

    • ½cup/115 grams unsalted butter (1 stick), melted, plus more for greasing the pan
    • 1cup/120 grams graham cracker crumbs (from about 7 graham cracker sheets)
    • ½cup/30 grams finely crushed pretzels
    • 1egg white

    For the Brownies

    • ½cup/115 grams unsalted butter (1 stick)
    • 4ounces/115 grams unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped or broken up
    • 1¼cups/250 grams granulated sugar
    • 2large eggs, at room temperature
    • ½cup/65 grams all-purpose flour
    • 2tablespoons Dutch-processed cocoa powder
    • 2teaspoons vanilla extract
    • ¾teaspoon fine sea salt
    • ⅓cup/60 grams mini or regular chocolate chips (optional)
    • Small whole pretzels, for topping the brownies
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (16 servings)

299 calories; 19 grams fat; 11 grams saturated fat; 1 gram trans fat; 5 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 30 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams dietary fiber; 19 grams sugars; 4 grams protein; 147 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly butter an 8-inch square metal baking pan and line it with parchment paper, leaving about 2 inches of excess on each side to help you lift the cooked brownies out of the pan.

  2. Step 2

    Make the crust: In a food processor, combine butter, graham cracker crumbs, crushed pretzels and egg white. Process until mixture is well blended. Transfer to prepared pan and press crumb mixture into an even layer on the bottom. Bake until deeply browned at the edges, about 14 to 17 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack to cool.

  3. Step 3

    Make the brownies: Raise oven temperature to 400 degrees. Put butter and chocolate into a medium pot and place it over low heat. Melt the mixture, taking care not to let the chocolate burn and stirring constantly with a rubber spatula until smooth. Scrape chocolate mixture into a large bowl and mix in the sugar. Let mixture cool until it’s just warm to the touch, about 5 minutes.

  4. Step 4

    Whisk eggs into cooled chocolate mixture. Whisk in flour, cocoa powder, vanilla and salt. Mix in chocolate chips, if using.

  5. Step 5

    Scrape batter into an even layer on top of the crust. Top with pretzels and bake until the top is set and firm to touch, especially in the center, 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack to cool completely before cutting into 16 squares.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
600 user ratings
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Comments

John F

I am eager to try these, but I wonder . . . why is the oven temperature is so high? 350 is usual for brownies (& is the oven temperature Melissa C uses in the pecan pie-topped & coconut-topped variations--those toppings would burn at a higher temp--but not the pretzels?)

maisie d

Made these brownies last night. I agree with others about the crust having too much butter. For those wondering about oven temp, I think I’d suggest keeping it lower. My brownies got a bit burnt on the edges and were VERY gooey in the middle. Pretty much turned into one molten chocolate lava cake. Trying to cut them was a bit of a nightmare, but tasted good nonetheless.

nikki m

I was so excited to try this recipe but there is WAY too much butter in the crust. I mixed the crust mixture by hand but that shouldn’t have made a difference- the butter was oozing out of the crust as it Cooked and ruined the entire dish. Would recommend using half the recommended amount

Gina McNeal

I made exactly as written. Baked 25 minutes. Edges were definitely done, middle was firm to the touch, but the brownies are very gooey. I used those windowpane pretzels, which look adorable, but when you bite down on the pretzel, the brownie beneath it squeezes out sideways. Delicious but messy to eat.

em

Wish I had read the reviews first. I followed the directions but the crust fell apart and the brownie is too mushy (although felt firm on the top). Definitely would never make this again

Julie

I had a similar experience to others: the crust was too hard, sides somewhat overcooked, and the middle too gooey. Although I followed the recipe, I was disappointed w the result. I would recommend trying a different brownie recipe.

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