Pretzel Nutella Bars

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Christmas, North American

Prep Time: 10

Chill Time: 2

Total Time: 2 10

Servings: bars

Calories: 283kcal

Author: Lord Byron's Kitchen

Nutella is very popular in most families, especially families with kids. Pretzel Nutella Bars combines the nutty and creamy chocolatey-ness that is Nutella with the crunchiness and saltiness of pretzels. And, if that wasn't enough, the bars are topped with melted Mirage Candy Bars!

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Ingredients

2 cups Nutella, room temperature
3/4 cup butter, softened
1 1/4 cups confectioner's sugar
2 tablespoons water
2 cups crushed pretzels

Topping Ingredients:

4 Mirage Chocolate Bars
1 teaspoon butter

Instructions

Prepare a 9 x 13-inch baking pan by lining it well with parchment paper. Fold the parchment paper so that it fits snugly in the pan. I use two sheets – one folded to fit the length of the pan and another folded to fit across the pan. Allow the excess parchment paper to hang out over the side of the pan. Once the confection is firm, use the excess parchment to lift the whole block out of the pan to make it easy to cut into bars.
Next, add the butter, Nutella, and two tablespoons of water to a microwave-safe mixing bowl. You might not need to microwave anything at all, but it’s best to start in a microwave-safe bowl just in case. Use a sturdy spatula to mix the softened butter and Nutella until well combined.
Next, add the confectioner’s sugar and stir to combine. No white residue from the confectioner’s sugar should be visible!
This is where the microwave-safe bowl comes in – if you find that it’s hard to stir the sugar into the Nutella and butter mixture, you can microwave it just a bit to soften it slightly. You don’t want a runny Nutella mess, but a quick 10 or 15-second zap in the microwave will make stirring much easier. If you feel that you can stir it well without using the microwave, please do so! Continue to stir until the mixture is completely smooth.
Now, add in the crushed pretzels, reserving two tablespoons for sprinkling on top later. Once again, use a sturdy spatula to stir all of the pretzels into the chocolate mixture. Make sure that everything is well combined!
Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish. Press down with the spatula to flatten slightly. Set aside while you melt the chocolate for the topping.
Remove the Mirage Chocolate Bars, or any alternative that you might be using, from the packaging. Break them up into smaller pieces. Place the pieces into a microwave-safe bowl with one teaspoon of butter. Microwave on high for 30 seconds. Remove and stir. If the chocolate is not silky smooth, reheat in increments of 5 or 10 seconds, depending on your microwave, stirring with a rubber spatula after each increment.
Once the chocolate is smooth, pour it over the layer of Nutella and pretzels. Use an offset spatula to smooth the chocolate. Top with the remaining two tablespoons of crushed pretzels and set the pan aside.
It’s best to let it sit at room temperature for at least one hour to help temper the chocolate. Slowly cooling will prevent the milk solids from separating. After the hour has passed, transfer it to the fridge for another 60 minutes to chill. Before attempting to cut into bars, remove from the fridge and let set at room temperature for 15-20 minutes.
To cut, use the overhanging parchment paper to lift the entire pan of squares out of the baking dish. Remove and discard the parchment paper. Set the large square onto a cutting board and use a sharp knife to cut into your desired size. Once cut, store the bars in an airtight, food-safe container and keep them refrigerated. Squares will last 7-10 days in the fridge. Squares can be frozen for 2-3 months.

Nutrition