Equipment Needed
- A large rimmed baking sheet (half-sheet pan)
- Parchment paper or a silicone baking mat
- A medium saucepan
- A wooden spoon or heatproof spatula
- A heatproof bowl for melting chocolate (optional)
Step-by-Step Instructions
First, prep your workspace. Line your large baking sheet with parchment paper and spread all 8 cups of mini pretzels evenly across it in a single layer. It’s okay if they overlap a little, but you want them mostly flat. This is your canvas. Now, in your medium saucepan, combine the butter and dark brown sugar. Cook this over medium heat, stirring constantly with your wooden spoon. You’ll watch the butter melt and the sugar dissolve into a gritty, bubbling slurry. Keep stirring! This is not the time to walk away.
Continue cooking and stirring for a full 3 minutes once the mixture comes to a gentle boil. You’ll see it transform from separated and bubbly into a smooth, thick, cohesive syrup. It should coat the back of your spoon. This is your toffee. Remove the pan from the heat and immediately stir in the vanilla extract—it will sizzle and perfume the air beautifully. Now, working quickly but carefully, drizzle the hot toffee mixture as evenly as possible over the entire pan of pretzels. Use your spoon to help spread it into any bare spots. The pretzels will shift a little, and that’s fine.
Immediately sprinkle the entire bag of chocolate chips evenly over the hot toffee-covered pretzels. The residual heat will begin to melt them. Let the pan sit for 2-3 minutes to allow the chocolate to soften completely. Then, take an offset spatula or the back of a spoon and gently spread the melted chocolate into an even layer over everything. This is when it starts looking truly incredible. While the chocolate is still wet, shower the entire pan with the Heath toffee bits, pressing them down gently so they adhere. Finish with a generous pinch of flaky sea salt over the top.(See the next page below to continue…)