Caramel Apple Bark

This quick and easy Caramel Apple Bark recipe is the perfect sweet treat for the fall and combines the nostalgic flavors of a caramel apple with classic chocolate bark.

If you’re looking for a nostalgic sweet treat for the autumn season, this Caramel Apple Bark is the perfect recipe to add to your collection. 

Fall flavors are uniquely sharp yet comforting. Cinnamon, pumpkin, caramel – they all feel like a hug and a memorable experience at once. 

I especially love recipes that are easy to make and eat throughout the day. That’s why this snack recipe is one of my favorites. In fact, it rarely lasts very long at our house…

Bark is a form of sheet candy, similar to brittle, that is made by pouring chocolate over nuts, fruits, seeds, or other toppings. Once the chocolate has cooled, it gets broken into smaller pieces that resemble the jagged lines of tree bark. 

The most popular form of chocolate bark is probably peppermint bark, but today a wider palette of toppings is used. 

Recipes that are simple with basic ingredients and easy processes (like bark!) make cooking so much more fun. It leaves room for you to try new things, which is why I wanted to create a quick fall-time snack to incorporate fall flavors into a chocolate bark recipe.

Caramel Apple Bark has easily become one of my new favorites because you can take it on the go and it combines the flavors of salted caramel and caramel apples together in a unique sweet snack recipe. 

How to Make the Best Caramel Apple Bark

There are so many classic flavors in this sweet treat and you can get creative with all of them! Between the chocolate, caramel, apple, and pretzels, you can find ways to swap out ingredients with your preferred flavors.

Here’s how you can get the best caramel apple bark:

Caramel Apple Bark

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• Author: Garianne Gagliardi

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Ingredients

Scale

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1 to 2 Granny Smith or other apples

Juice of ½ medium lemon

(1 tablespoon)

6 cunces milk chocolate chips (dark and white chocolate also work)

2 cups small-size salted pretzels, or enough to cover the chocolate surface

1 cup caramel sauce

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Instructions

1.   Core and chop the apples (but leave the peel on). Place the pieces in a large bowl and sprinkle with lemon juice to prevent browning,
2.   Line a rimmed baking sheet at least 10 by 12 inches with parchment paper. Melt the chocolate chips in a small saucepan over low heat on the stovetop, or in a microwave-safe bowl at 30-second intervals in the microwave. Spread all but about 1 tablespoon of the melted chocolate over the parchment into a 10 by 12-inch rectangle.
3.   Scatter pretzels in an even layer on the surface of the chocolate.

4. Place the caramel sauce in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave for about 20 seconds, then spread all but about 1 tablespoon over the pretzels.

5. Top with the apple pieces. Drizzle the reserved chocolate and caramel over the bark. Freeze until hardened, at least 2 hours. To serve, break with a clean hammer (fun way) or chef’s knife (more normal way. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the freezer.

Chocolate

The base of any bark is chocolate! You can use any bag of chocolate chips and melt them down to create the foundation of your bark recipe. I usually use milk chocolate chips, but you could find dark chocolate, white chocolate, semi-sweet chocolate, and so on to fit your taste.

If you’re like me, and you enjoy brands with simple, good-for-you ingredients, I recommend looking into Hu’s Chocolate Gems.

These vegan chocolate chips are perfect for melting down and they are made with just a few ingredients: organic fair-trade cacao, unrefined organic coconut sugar, and organic fair-trade cocoa butter.

They are Certified Paleo and organic and the brand overall understands the importance of fresh, simple ingredients. Not to mention, I love a good sweet treat and you can snack on these chocolate gems in between making your bark. I call that a win-win.

The Hu’s variety comes in three flavors: simple (classic), salty, and mint. You can use whichever one your heart desires for this recipe!

Pretzels & Apples

As much as I love a sweet treat, I didn’t want to overload on the sweetness for this snack recipe. Balancing out all the sweetness with some freshness and saltiness is the perfect way to make this bark more interesting.

I went with a classic salted caramel direction by using chopped Granny Smith apples and pretzels in my bark. However, you could substitute your pretzels for salted nuts or your Granny Smiths for any apple of your choice.

I recommend using lemon juice on the apples to prevent them from browning! 

The one downside of this recipe is that you can only store it in the freezer for about 3 days before the apple starts to get overly dried out. (Granted, you may be eating this all in one sitting so you may not have to worry about it!)

If you’d like to be able to store and snack on your Caramel Apple Bark for longer than three days, try swapping out the apples for some dried fruit. Dried mangoes or apricots could work really well in a recipe like this.

Caramel

Of course, for a Caramel Apple Bark, you need some good quality caramel! You could always melt down caramel candies (fun fact: the original caramel apple was made by melting down excess Halloween caramel candies!).

However, to make your life easier, I recommend store-bought caramel sauce. I used a local brand in this recipe and melted it in the microwave for about 20 seconds to get an easier drizzle. A standard Ghiradelli or Torani caramel sauce should work too!

Reel: https://www.instagram.com/reel/CiKusBAg7k7/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

Assembling your Caramel Apple Bark is so simple it hurts. First, spread your melted chocolate on parchment paper on one, even-layered sheet. Cover your chocolate surface with pretzels and add a layer of caramel sauce. Top off with chopped apples and drizzle more caramel and chocolate for a finish before popping it into the freezer.

Once your bark has frozen for at least 2 hours, you can break it up into actual bark pieces and enjoy!