The sweet and salty layers in these Caramel Pretzel Cheesecake Brownies will have you reaching for another one brownie in a hurry!
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The summer Olympics are just around the corner...there is something so fun about waiting every four years for the summer Olympics to come back around.
My favorite sport to watch has always been the gymnastics. It amazes me how flexible and agile those athletes are!!!
When I was younger, I always dreamed of being a world famous gymnast traveling the world. I think watching the movie Nadia over and over and over had something to do with that. Has anyone seen that movie recently?
I would love to watch it with my daughter after the Olympics are over, but I can't seem to locate it anywhere. Even our local library doesn't have a copy!
It's a good thing I decided to pursue my baking dream instead. That one has worked out much better for me...especially since I never even took gymnastics classes.
So, since I need to get prepared for hours and hours of Olympic watching, I made some brownies. Oh, but not just any brownies. These treats got a little bit more fun added to them.
Fun...like being sandwiched between a salty pretzel crust and a caramel cheesecake, and then chocolate covered pretzel rings on top.
That's the kind of fun baking stuff that happens in my kitchen. (If you are looking for an easier treat, you might like these caramel pretzel cookie dough bites instead.)
But after one bite of these caramel pretzel cheesecake brownies, and you might be doing flips down the hall...even if you have never done them before in your life.
Want to know my favorite part of this recipe? The salty pretzel bottom!! And the best part is that it stayed crunchy and salty even after a few days in the fridge.
Gotta love it when that happens.
Caramel Pretzel Cheesecake Brownies recipe:
Caramel Pretzel Cheesecake Brownies
Caramel cheesecake with a pretzel and brownie crust is one dessert you will not forget.
Ingredients
For the Crust
- 2 cups coarsely crushed pretzels
- ½ cup unsalted butter, melted
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
For the Cheesecake Brownies
- 1 box brownie mix (9x13 size)
- 2 packages cream cheese, softened
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons sour cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ cup caramel ice cream topping
For the Topping
- ½ cup caramel candies (about 12 squares)
- 2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
- ¼ cup chocolate chips
- 1 teaspoon vegetable shortening
For the Pretzel rings
- 2 cups pretzel rings
- 10 ounces white melting wafters
- blue, black, red, yellow, and green gel food coloring
- 5 teaspoons vegetable shortening
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°.
- For the Crust: Stir together the crushed pretzels, sugar, and melted butter. Press into the bottom of a 9×13 pan that has been sprayed with non stick spray. Bake for 8 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool.
- For the Brownie: Prepare the brownie mix according to the directions on the back of the box. Spoon ⅔ of the brownie batter on top of the cooled pretzel crust. Set aside.
- For the Cheesecake: In a mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese and sugar until creamy. Add the eggs, sour cream, vanilla, and caramel ice cream topping and beat again. Gently spoon the cheesecake on to the brownie batter in the pan. Drop the rest of the brownie batter by spoonfuls onto the cheesecake. Swirl very carefully with a knife. Bake for 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool completely. Refrigerate until firm. Cut into squares or circles.
- For the Topping: In a saucepan over medium heat, stir together the caramel squares and the heavy whipping cream until melted. Drizzle over the cheesecake bars and let set.
- For the Pretzel Rings: In a microwave safe bowl, heat the chocolate chips and shortening for 30 seconds. Stir and continue to heat 20 seconds at a time, stirring in between each time. Drizzle over the caramel. Let set. Store in the refrigerator in a sealed container.
- Melt the white chocolate according to the package directions. Divide it into 5 bowls and stir a little bit of gel color into each bowl until you reach your desired color. Stir in 1 teaspoon shortening per bowl and heat in the microwave for about 15-20 seconds. Stir. With a fork dip the pretzel rings in the colored coating. Let set on wax paper.
- Serve the cheesecake squares with Cool Whip and a pretzel ring if desired.
Notes
Top with Cool Whip and candy coated pretzel rings right before serving. The color from the rings will off on the Cool Whip when they are refrigerated.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 24 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 174Total Fat: 9gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 35mgSodium: 171mgCarbohydrates: 22gFiber: 0gSugar: 14gProtein: 2g
Nutrition facts are an estimate and are not guaranteed to be accurate. If you need special diet advice, please see a registered dietician.
Jacque
Made these!! Amazing!! Thanks for the recipe!! My new favorite dessert for sure!
Jocelyn Brubaker
I am so glad to hear that you liked the recipe. Thank you for sharing with me!
Kamila Gornia
Such an awesome idea, these look amazing! Perfect for Olympics 😉
keri @ shaken together
Featuring these ridiculously yummy looking treats this week - gold medal, girl!! 🙂
MissCandiquik
These little cheesecakes have been featured on so many different sites along with a couple of the other Olympic treats! Yay 🙂
Addicted to Recipes
Once again, another FABULOUS treat! I'm featuring your recipe this week over at Addicted to Recipes! Thanks for sharing at Scrumptious Sunday!
http://iamaddictedtorecipes.blogspot.ca/2012/07/scrumtious-sunday-21-features.html
The Mandatory Mooch
These sound great!! What a great Olympic idea!! I'd love to have you link this up to Tasty Thursdays on The Mandatory Mooch. It's a new linky party...still has 4 days left. Hope to see you there. Thanks, Nichi
http://mandatorymooch.blogspot.com/2012/07/tasty-thursdays-1.html
Kelley @ Miss Information
I love this and I featured you in an Olympic round up, feel free to grab a featured button if you would like. http://www.missinformationblog.com/2012/07/an-olympic-party-roundup.html#
Allison @ Alli 'n Son
I love watching the marathon runners, I'm just so amazed by how far and how fast they can run. How do they do it?
These bars, oh man, seriously? All of my favorite ingredients. I love them so much that they will be featured on this week's Sweet Tooth Friday link up. 🙂
Christie
So cute! Great idea for Olympic fun!
I LOVED Nadia. I made my dad rent it over and over and over again. I found it recently on Amazon, I think, on DVD. Watching it with my daughter now.
Jocelyn
You know what? I never checked Amazon...thank you so much!! I will have to look for it there!!!
Sarah
Ah, I'm drooling here at work while I read about this recipe. I'm not a huge fan of pretzels by themselves but pair them with something sweet and you have a heavenly treat. I really want to try these.
If you get a chance I would love if you would link up this scrumptious recipe at my Pin Party. http://www.sarahdawndesigns.blogspot.com/2012/07/pintastic-monday-link-party-1.html
Jocelyn
Sorry for the drool:-) The saltiness of the pretzels was just perfect with all the other sweetness going on!!! I hope you try them!!!
Marlys Folly
YUM! thanks for sharing on Foodie Friends Friday
marlys-thisandthat.blogspot.com
Michelle
Very cool! I'm so looking forward to the Olympics. I'm hosting a party at home for the opening ceremony 🙂
Would love to invite you over to my link party The Purple Pumpkin Blog
bevkimmel
Very cute. You just solved my dilemma for dessert for a party next weekend!
Jocelyn
Yay!!! I hope you love them!!!
Aimee
can I just say these were amazing. I got to try them, and yes, they are as good as they look!!! And totally adorable. YUM.
MissCandiquik
totally jealous...
Good Hair
Would these work by baking them in a cupcake pan to keep the layers together and then you wouldn't have to cut them afterwards?
Walking on Sunshine...
These are beautiful!!! Thanks for sharing at Foodie Friends Friday! Don't forget to come back tomorrow and VOTE!
Julie
I am inviting you to come and share this in my Show Your Stuff blog hop:
http://juliejewels1.blogspot.com/2012/07/show-your-stuff-33-upsidedown-brownies.html
Winnie
These are GORGEOUS !!
Love your idea and would looooooooooove to eat one of two 🙂
Something Swanky
Yum! My mom would die over these!! or..... "flip!"
LOL... couldn't resist.
Cute setup with the Olympic rings! I like 🙂
Lisa
Wow these would qualify for a gold medal!
Ashley @ Kitchen Meets Girl
Okay, Jocelyn, these are AMAZING! Seriously, you are so creative!
Liz
Great idea!
Kara @ Mine for the Making
These are SO cute!! I LOVE cheesecake...mixed with brownie and a chocolate covered pretzel...holy YUM!!!
Heather Kinnaird
LOVE this idea! We cannot wait for the Olympics to begin:)
KCoake
Love the Olympics! These looks so fun and yummy!
Mrs. L
These are awesome! I wish I had time to make them for the Opening Ceremonies.
Erin
These are so stinkin' cute! Great job! I had all these grand ideas to do great things too. Huh. Go figure.
Hayley
These look super yummy! Those cheesecakes are incredible. So gooey and chocolatey! And the brownies in the middle? How do you even come up with this stuff? Oh wait, you're a baking olympian! 🙂
Jocelyn
Haha! My brain seems to go a mile a minute when thinking about dessert creations!!! If you could only see the list of things I want to make so far:-)
Dorothy @ Crazy for Crust
Oh Jocelyn, these have my name all over them. Pretzel crust? Brownie? AND cheesecake? Wow. Love the rings too! I think my mom has my old VHS tape of Nadia...someday we'll have to get together and watch it with our girls. 🙂
MissCandiquik
You're not supposed to show-up the host with the cutest treat...lol ;).Jk. Love them!
amy (fearless homemaker)
these are adorable - way to go, jocelyn!
Jocelyn
Thank you so much Amy:-)
Maria
What a fantastic idea, I absolutely love it!!!!! So fun!
Holly
You are AMAZING Joce! These are so cute. What a great idea! 🙂
Jocelyn
Thanks girl. They were really fun to make...and to eat:-)
4Sisters
LOVE! I think the salty layer would be my favorite too 🙂
Becca @ Crumbs and Chaos
mary_smith
YUM! And just in time for the Olympics! Would you share these at Sweet Saturday? They are too cute.
http://maryshealthymeals.blogspot.com/2012/07/no-bake-6-and-party.html
Ellen B Cookery
I always knew there was a reason why you are my favourite bakers and this just proves why! Incredible!
Jocelyn
Girl you are making me blush:-) Thank you so much for the sweet comment!!!
sugarswings
oh man decadent! love the ring toppers!!!
Rebekah
Awesome! Caramel and brownies and cheesecake were meant to be together. But where do you buy pretzel rings? I've never seen them!
Jocelyn
I found them in our Kroger grocery store. I think I have seen them in walmart before too!!!
Karyn - Pint Sized Baker
those look so good! Love them!
Averie (Love Veggies and Yoga)
The layers! I LOVE IT! I know these are a P.I.T.A. to make..things with this many layers, and you kept them so perfect and even...awesome job!