Gluten-free Chocolate Caramel Pretzel Crack

This gluten-free chocolate caramel pretzel crack is the perfect combination of sweetness and saltiness! I was amazed at how easy a holiday crack was to create and how delicious it tasted! This pretzel crack passed the taste test of all my family members, so you know this crack has to be extraordinarily good. The best part is that this crack is made almost entirely from scratch and is allergy-friendly! Don’t worry, making your own homemade chocolate and homemade caramel is pretty simple. Combine those two elements with some allergy-friendly pretzels, and you have a holiday snack that everyone will enjoy!

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Modern Pioneer Recipe

This gluten-free chocolate caramel pretzel crack is a modern pioneer recipe! It is super simple to make, includes ingredients that are made from scratch, and everything is allergy-friendly! The only thing that I couldn’t make from scratch was the crunchy pretzels, so I suppose that’s where the modern element of this recipe comes in.

Despite not making the pretzels from scratch, there are still some healthier, allergy-friendly pretzel brands that I like to use and work great in this recipe. As for the homemade chocolate and caramel, those just require a few simple ingredients that you may already have on hand in your homestead pantry.

I think the best part about this recipe (besides the taste) is that everything is allergy-friendly! You can indulge in this sweet and salty snack guilt-free! This chocolate caramel pretzel crack is…

• gluten-free
• grain-free option
• egg free
• tree nut free
• refined sugar free
• cane sugar free
• corn free

The two common allergens that this recipe is not free from are peanuts and dairy. I have not tried a dairy-free version of the homemade chocolate or homemade caramel. You could always experiment with a dairy-free butter substitute to see if it would work.

As for the peanuts, you could leave those out and just add more pretzels or substitute them with a different allergy-friendly, crunchy snack food. Maybe some toasted coconut flakes would make a good substitute!

Recommended Pretzels

Over the past few years I have really seen a surge in allergy-friendly pretzel options… thank goodness! I used to love eating pretzels. When we went on a gluten-free, grain-free, corn free, anti-inflammatory diet, the pretzels went out the window. After a few strict years of being on that diet we would be a little more lenient and have some specialty gluten-free foods on occasion.

However, I could not find a gluten-free pretzel that did not contain corn. Then I stumbled upon a few awesome pretzel brands. The first brand I discovered was Quinn.

I like Quinn pretzels because they are gluten-free and made without corn. They also come in a variety of different pretzel types including honey pretzel sticks, rye sticks, classic twists, and grain-free pretzel crackers. The classic twists are what I use in my crack, but you could also try any of the other varieties! I found that the rye sticks make great chocolate dipped pretzel sticks. The grain-free pretzel crackers is one of my favorite grain-free snacking options!

The Quinn classic twists that I preferred to use in my crack recipe were gluten-free but not grain-free. However, I have now discovered two awesome grain-free pretzel options that are made without a nut flour! Fit Joy pretzels and Aldi grain-free pretzels are two of my favorite healthier pretzel brands.

Both of these brands use cassava flour as the main flour in their pretzels. I like using either brand in this gluten-free (now grain-free!) chocolate caramel crack!

If you are looking for some more fun holiday snacks to make with allergy-friendly pretzels, make sure you check out this Allergy-Friendly Party Food Guide that includes recipes for chocolate dipped pretzels, pretzel trees, and pretzel bark!

Serving & Storing

I don’t think you should need any tips for serving this amazing pretzel crack! Whip it up, chill it, and serve. It is the perfect allergy-friendly snack food for the holiday season, or really for any occassion! The salty, sweet flavor combined with the perfect pretzel crunch makes this snack irresistible, but it’s still healthy!

This allergy-friendly pretzel crack would make a great addition to a gluten-free holiday snack board, served as a special Christmas Eve snack, or brought to various holiday gatherings for everyone to enjoy. Nobody will ever guess that it is allergy-friendly and made mostly from scratch!

I do want to mention a few notes on storing this gluten-free pretzel crack though. The caramel can be a little sticky when it gets softened, so I recommend storing the crack in the freezer or the fridge. It will not freeze solid in the freezer, so that is kind of nice.

If left at room temperature, the homemade chocolate and caramel will soften slightly, but nobody seems to mind a little sticky chocolate caramel mess when it tastes so good!

The following tips for making homemade chocolate and homemade caramel should help you whip up a batch of this crack in no time and have it turn out perfect!

Tips for Making Homemade Chocolate

The homemade chocolate was easy to make but kind of tricky. I had to keep the chocolate mixture smooth and prevent it from becoming clumpy. I also didn’t want the chocolate to be too bitter.  Coconut sugar was my chosen sweetener because it has a low glycemic index number and coconut sugar also has a slight caramel flavor. Here are a few tips for making your homemade chocolate:

• Remove the chocolate from the heat as soon as you stir in all of the ingredients.
• If the chocolate becomes too clumpy, add more butter one tablespoon at a time. Sometimes if the chocolate mixture is exposed to high heat or left on the heat too long the mixture will start to clump.
• Depending on how sweet you like your chocolate, you can add more coconut sugar if you would like.
• If you like milk chocolate, add a tablespoon or two of coconut cream!

You can also use this homemade chocolate for other recipes, such as a chocolate ganache for this eclair pie or as a chocolate filling for these simple crepes!

Tips for Making Homemade Caramel

I had always wanted to try and make homemade caramel. Caramel is one of my favorite dessert ingredients and even ranks above chocolate for me! So, it was quite obvious that I had to include some homemade caramel in this crack recipe. Making my own caramel from scratch was a lot easier than I thought!

The most time consuming part was waiting for the caramel to simmer enough and thicken. I used coconut sugar to make my caramel with because coconut sugar already has a slight natural caramel flavor. Using the coconut sugar gave the caramel a very slight coconut flavor, but my dad loved the caramel and he is not a big fan of coconut.

Here are a few tips for making homemade caramel:

• You MUST use coconut cream for the 1/2 cup of coconut cream that the recipe calls for. Not coconut milk, not canned coconut milk, but coconut cream. This will ensure that the caramel sets up.
• To get coconut cream, either refrigerate full-fat coconut milk and skim off the cream at the top or buy canned coconut cream.
• Keep an eye on the caramel mixture as it starts to reach a simmer. The mixture will bubble up and may overflow if you are not careful!
• The caramel should be bubbly and creamy as it simmers.
• You can tell the caramel is done when it turns a rich, dark brown color and has been simmering for at least 20 minutes.
• The caramel will seem very runny at first but it will set up as it cools.

Aside from using caramel in this crack recipe, I also like to use my homemade caramel for a variety of other things, such as topping some homemade apple crisp with caramel or drizzling it on some grain-free cinnamon rolls!

Gluten-free chocolate caramel pretzel crack will make the perfect holiday snack item that is allergy-friendly so everyone can enjoy it! This crack is so easy to make, and you will love the combination of sticky, sweet flavor and crunchy, salty pretzels!

Where to Find the Ingredients

• Quinn gluten-free pretzels
• Fit Joy grain-free pretzels
• Nutiva coconut sugar
• Simply Organic vanilla extract
• Native Forest coconut cream
• Feridies peanuts
• Navitas organic cacao powder
• Supplies: small saucepan, 9×13″ glass baking dish

Gluten-free chocolate caramel pretzel crack is made with gluten-free (or grain-free!) pretzels, homemade chocolate, and homemade caramel. It is a simple and easy recipe to whip up quickly! You can eat it immediately (although it might be a little sticky) or you can put it in the freezer and munch on it throughout the day…. or week. My whole family loved this crack and I will definitely be making some again this holiday season! It is allergy-friendly so I could enjoy it guilt-free and it totally satisfies my sweet-tooth snack craving!

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by Alexa