Best 7 Pretzel Shortbread Bars Recipes

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Indulge in a delightful fusion of sweet and salty flavors with our irresistible Pretzel Shortbread Bars. These delectable treats combine the classic taste of buttery shortbread with the crispy, salty crunch of pretzels, creating a symphony of textures and flavors that will tantalize your taste buds. This recipe yields 16 generous bars, perfect for sharing with friends and family, or savoring all to yourself. With just a handful of simple ingredients and a few easy steps, you can create these delightful bars in the comfort of your own kitchen. So, gather your ingredients, preheat your oven, and let's embark on a culinary journey that will leave you craving more.

Furthermore, this article offers a collection of other enticing shortbread recipes to satisfy your sweet cravings. Discover the zesty Lemon Shortbread Cookies, bursting with citrusy goodness, or the cozy Apple Cider Shortbread Bars, infused with the warm flavors of autumn. For a touch of elegance, try the sophisticated Earl Grey Shortbread Cookies, or delight in the classic simplicity of the Vanilla Bean Shortbread Cookies. Each recipe is carefully crafted to deliver a unique taste experience, ensuring that every bite is a moment of pure bliss. Whether you're a seasoned baker or a novice in the kitchen, these recipes are designed for success, guiding you through each step with clear instructions and helpful tips. So, let your culinary creativity shine as you explore the diverse world of shortbread.

Check out the recipes below so you can choose the best recipe for yourself!

PRETZEL-SHORTBREAD BARS



Pretzel-Shortbread Bars image

Broken pretzels are worked into the dough: Finely ground crumbs go into the flour mixture, and bigger pieces stud the inside and top layer of the bars.

Provided by Martha Stewart

Categories     Food & Cooking     Dessert & Treats Recipes     Cookie Recipes

Time 2h

Yield Makes about 2 dozen

Number Of Ingredients 7

Vegetable oil cooking spray
3 1/4 cups salted miniature twist pretzels
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
1 large egg yolk

Steps:

  • Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Coat a 4 1/4-by-13 1/2-inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom with cooking spray. Line bottom with parchment.
  • Pulse 1 3/4 cups pretzels in a food processor until powdery. Transfer 1/2 cup to a bowl; discard any remaining pretzel powder. Stir in flour and baking powder. Transfer remaining 1 1/2 cups pretzels to food processor, and pulse a few times until coarsely chopped.
  • Beat butter and sugar with a mixer on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Reduce speed to low, and beat in egg yolk, then pretzel-flour mixture, until combined. Mix in 1/2 cup chopped pretzels.
  • Press dough evenly into pan. Top dough with 1/4 cup chopped pretzels, pressing slightly; discard any remaining pretzels.
  • Bake shortbread until pale brown and firm in the center, 25 to 30 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack, and let shortbread cool for 1 hour. Remove shortbread from pan, and cut into 1/2-inch-wide rectangles using a serrated knife.

PRETZEL-SHORTBREAD BARS RECIPE - (4.3/5)



Pretzel-Shortbread Bars Recipe - (4.3/5) image

Provided by á-4084

Number Of Ingredients 7

Vegetable oil cooking spray
3 1/4 cups salted miniature twist pretzels
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
1 large egg yolk

Steps:

  • Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Coat a 4 1/4-by-13 1/2-inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom with cooking spray. Line bottom with parchment. Pulse 1 3/4 cups pretzels in a food processor until powdery. Transfer 1/2 cup to a bowl; discard any remaining pretzel powder. Stir in flour and baking powder. Transfer remaining 1 1/2 cups pretzels to food processor, and pulse a few times until coarsely chopped. Beat butter and sugar with a mixer on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Reduce speed to low, and beat in egg yolk, then pretzel-flour mixture, until combined. Mix in 1/2 cup chopped pretzels. Press dough evenly into pan. Top dough with 1/4 cup chopped pretzels, pressing slightly; discard any remaining pretzels. Bake shortbread until pale brown and firm in the center, 25 to 30 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack, and let shortbread cool for 1 hour. Remove shortbread from pan, and cut into 1/2-inch-wide rectangles using a serrated knife.

PEANUT BUTTER PRETZEL BARS



Peanut Butter Pretzel Bars image

My secret to these rich no-bake bites? Pretzels in the crust. They add a salty crunch to the classic peanut butter and chocolate pairing. -Jennifer Beckman, Falls Church, Virginia

Provided by Taste of Home

Categories     Desserts

Time 15m

Yield 4 dozen.

Number Of Ingredients 6

1 package (16 ounces) miniature pretzels
1-1/2 cups butter, melted
1-1/2 cups peanut butter
3 cups confectioners' sugar
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1 tablespoon shortening

Steps:

  • Line a 13x9-in. baking pan with foil, letting ends extend up sides. Set aside 1-1/2 cups pretzels for topping. Pulse remaining pretzels in a food processor until fine crumbs form. In a large bowl, mix butter, peanut butter, confectioners' sugar and pretzel crumbs., Press into prepared pan. In a microwave, melt chocolate chips and shortening; stir until smooth. Spread over peanut butter layer. Break reserved pretzels and sprinkle over top; press down gently. Refrigerate, covered, until set, about 1 hour. Lifting with foil, remove from pan. Cut into 48 bars.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 201 calories, Fat 13g fat (6g saturated fat), Cholesterol 15mg cholesterol, Sodium 233mg sodium, Carbohydrate 22g carbohydrate (12g sugars, Fiber 1g fiber), Protein 3g protein.

CHOCOLATE CARAMEL PRETZEL BARS



Chocolate Caramel Pretzel Bars image

Like turtle bars with a twist, these squares are gooey, crunchy and salty in all the right places. If you can, use chopped bar chocolate as called for in the recipe. If you use chocolate chips, they will seize, and the chocolate layer will look uneven and a little chalky. That said, beauty is only skin deep, and these bars taste great either way, so if chips are all you can find, bake away.

Provided by Samantha Seneviratne

Categories     cookies and bars, dessert

Time 50m

Yield 16 to 20 servings

Number Of Ingredients 10

8 ounces/225 grams pretzels (about 6 cups)
1/4 cup/50 grams granulated sugar
8 tablespoons/115 grams unsalted butter (1 stick), melted
4 ounces/115 grams pecans or walnuts, coarsely chopped
10 tablespoons/140 grams unsalted butter (1 1/4 stick)
2/3 cup/160 milliliters heavy cream
2/3 cup/145 grams packed dark brown sugar
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/4 cups/215 grams semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped
About 2 cups/75 grams pretzels, crushed

Steps:

  • Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9-inch square baking pan with parchment paper leaving a 2-inch overhang on two sides. In the bowl of a food processor, combine pretzels and sugar and process until you have fine crumbs. Add melted butter and process until evenly moistened. Transfer mixture into prepared pan and press down into a compact, even layer. Bake until crust is fragrant and edges are browned, about 17 minutes. Sprinkle with pecans and set aside.
  • Prepare the caramel: In a medium saucepan, combine butter, cream, brown sugar and salt. Heat mixture over medium heat, stirring, until butter melts and everything is well combined. Turn heat to medium-high, and bring to a simmer. Cook for 2 minutes. Pour over pecans and prepared crust. Bake until caramel is bubbling and has darkened slightly, 13 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a rack.
  • While caramel cools slightly, melt chocolate in short bursts in a heatproof bowl in a microwave or over a pot of simmering water. Let chocolate cool for a few minutes, then spread evenly over caramel. Sprinkle with crushed pretzels and let cool to room temperature. Transfer to the refrigerator to set for 30 to 60 minutes.
  • To serve, lift the bars out using the parchment overhang and transfer to a cutting board. Cut into 16 or 20 squares. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 577, UnsaturatedFat 11 grams, Carbohydrate 83 grams, Fat 25 grams, Fiber 4 grams, Protein 9 grams, SaturatedFat 12 grams, Sodium 986 milligrams, Sugar 19 grams, TransFat 0 grams

PRETZEL-SHORTBREAD BARS



Pretzel-Shortbread Bars image

Bring on pretzel power by making this variation from Martha Stewart Oct. 2011. "Half cookie, half pretzel hybrid. Broken pretzels are worked into the dough. Finely ground crumbs go into the flour mixture, and bigger pieces stud the inside and top layer of the bars." Posting for safe keeping. Think it would be nice on appetizer assortment. Reviewers say dough is bit crumbly, so added vanilla and more butter. Easy to bake too long so need to be careful and if you use a 9 X 9 inch pan the reviews there say the bars are too THIN. They specify twisted salted miniature pretzels, but aren't all pretzels salted? And think the shape would not matter except for appearances. This shortbread can be stored at room temperature for up to 1 week. Time includes 1 hour cooling time. Another use for leftover pretzels.

Provided by WiGal

Categories     For Large Groups

Time 1h44m

Yield 24 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 7

3 1/4 cups miniature pretzels, DIVIDED
1/2 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
9 tablespoons butter, room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg yolk, large

Steps:

  • Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
  • Line an 8 X 8 inch pan with parchment paper and spray with cooking spray.
  • Pulse 1 3/4 cups pretzels in a food processor until POWDERY, transfer 1/2 cup to a bowl, DISCARD any remaining pretzel powder.
  • Stir in flour and baking powder, set aside for Step 7.
  • Transfer REMAINING 1 1/2 cups of pretzels to food processor and pulse a few times until coarsely CHOPPED.
  • Beat butter, sugar, and vanilla with a mixer on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
  • Reduce speed to low, and beat in egg yolk, then pretzel-flour mixture, until combined.
  • Using spoon mix in 1/2 cup of the coarsely chopped pretzels.
  • Press dough evenly into pan.
  • Top dough with 1/4 cup of the coarsely chopped pretzels, pressing slightly; discard any remaining pretzels.
  • Bake shortbread until pale brown and firm in the center -about 25 minutes, maybe 30.
  • Transfer pan to a wire rack, and let shortbread cool for 1 hour.
  • Remove shortbread from pan, and cut into 1/2 inch rectangles using a serrated knife.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 66.4, Fat 4.5, SaturatedFat 2.8, Cholesterol 18.4, Sodium 46, Carbohydrate 6.2, Fiber 0.1, Sugar 4.2, Protein 0.4

PRETZEL SHORTBREAD



Pretzel Shortbread image

Pretzel shortbread was created by Lost Bread Co. in Philadelphia as a way to use up stale pretzels and has since gained a cult following. To create our own version, we started with a classic shortbread base and tested it with a variety of pretzel styles to find our favorite. Butter pretzels were the winners--though regular pretzel thins and old-fashioned pretzels also work. A baking soda and egg wash gives these cookies a deep brown color and shine--like a pretzel rod--and pretzel salt really drives home this cookie's origins (although coarse salt or even demerara sugar will work too). The resulting cookie is salty, sweet, buttery and crunchy.

Provided by Food Network Kitchen

Categories     dessert

Time 2h15m

Yield 40 cookies

Number Of Ingredients 12

1 heaping cup butter-style pretzels, such as Snyder's Butter Snaps (about 46 pretzels; about 2 ounces)
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (see Cook's Note)
3 tablespoons cornstarch
3 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
1/4 teaspoon fine salt
3 sticks (1 1/2 cups) unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon baking soda
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon pretzel salt or coarse salt
1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1 tablespoon coconut oil

Steps:

  • Process the pretzels in a food processor until finely ground and the consistency of flour. Measure 1/2 cup of the ground pretzels into a bowl (discard any remaining ground pretzels). Whisk in the flour, cornstarch, confectioner' sugar and fine salt.
  • Add the butter and brown sugar to a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat on medium speed, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary, until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add half of the flour mixture and mix on low just to combine, about 20 seconds. Add the remaining flour mixture and mix on low until it comes together to form a dough.
  • Turn the dough out onto a 14-inch piece of parchment and form into a ball. Place the parchment in a 9-by-13-inch jelly roll pan or baking sheet and press the dough into an even rectangle the size of the pan using the bottom of a measuring cup. Cut the dough in half horizontally, then cut in half vertically to make 4 quarters. Cut each quarter into 10 slices to make 40 narrow rectangles (the ends might be less than perfect, but that's ok). Freeze for 20 minutes.
  • Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F.
  • Add the baking soda to 1/2 cup warm water and mix well.
  • Brush the dough evenly with the baking soda mixture and then with the beaten egg. Sprinkle with the pretzel salt.
  • Bake, rotating the pan halfway through, until the shortbread is deep brown and cooked through, 45 to 55 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes in the pan, then carefully lift the shortbread onto a cutting board. Using the previous cuts as a guide, carefully cut into bars. Let cool completely, about 25 minutes.
  • Melt the chocolate chips and coconut oil in a double boiler over low heat. Transfer to a small bowl. Dip the lower third of each cookie in the chocolate and place on a clean piece of parchment. Refrigerate for 10 minutes to allow the chocolate to harden. Store the cookies in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

PRETZEL SHORTBREAD



Pretzel Shortbread image

Flecked with sea salt on the outside, buttery and supremely crunchy within, this pretzel shortbread leans to the savory side, both salty and sweet. This version, created by Lost Bread Company in Philadelphia, mixes crumbs from the bakery's own sourdough pretzels into the dough. But any pretzels will give the shortbread the necessary tang. The bakery also dips the shortbread into a lye solution before baking to give them that characteristic glossy surface. This simplified version calls for either using baking soda or an egg white. The slightly bitter baking soda mixture adds some of the complex flavor of the lye, but using an egg white is simpler, and the cookies are nearly as delicious.

Provided by Melissa Clark

Categories     cookies and bars, dessert

Time 2h30m

Yield About 15 cookies

Number Of Ingredients 7

1/2 cup/65 grams pretzel crumbs (see Note)
3 1/4 cups/415 grams all-purpose flour
1 cup/210 grams Demerara sugar
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons/310 grams unsalted cold butter (2 3/4 sticks), cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/4 cup baking soda, or 1 large egg white
Pretzel salt or flaky sea salt

Steps:

  • Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spread pretzel crumbs on a rimmed baking sheet and bake them, stirring once, until they smell toasty (they may not darken, and that's OK), about 5 to 10 minutes.
  • Pour crumbs into the bowl of an electric stand mixer to cool. Whisk in flour, sugar and salt. Place the butter cubes on top of the flour mixture and chill until everything is very cold, at least 30 minutes.
  • Using the paddle attachment, beat flour and butter mixture on low speed until it comes together into a dry, crumbly dough that just holds together when you squeeze it, 10 to 15 minutes. If the dough isn't coming together in the mixer, use your hands to knead it. It will be difficult to work with.
  • Line a rimmed baking sheet with a silicone baking mat. On a floured surface, use a rolling pin to roll out and press dough into an 8-by-10-inch rectangle about 3/8-inch thick. (Alternatively, you can press the dough into a quarter sheet pan with your fingers instead of rolling). Cut into rectangles approximately 3 inches by 2 inches. Transfer rectangles to the lined baking sheet. Using the tip of a slim chopstick or a fork, poke holes all over the dough, going halfway but not all the way through. Place baking sheet in freezer until dough is frozen, at least 1 hour.
  • Heat oven to 500 degrees. If using baking soda for the coating, combine it in a small pot with 2 cups water and bring to a boil over high heat, stirring to dissolve. Let cool completely. Dip each cookie into the solution, letting the excess drip off, then place it back on the baking sheet. If using an egg white, whisk it with 1 tablespoon water until frothy, then brush it on top of cookies. Sprinkle the coated cookies evenly with flaky sea salt.
  • Transfer baking pan to oven and immediately lower the temperature to 350 degrees. Bake until deep golden brown, 18 to 23 minutes. Transfer baking sheet to a wire rack to cool completely before removing cookies, then store them in an airtight container.

Tips:

  • Make sure the butter is cold before you start. This will help the dough stay flaky.
  • If you don't have a food processor, you can use a pastry blender to cut the butter into the flour.
  • Use parchment paper to line the baking pan. This will make it easy to remove the bars when they are done baking.
  • Bake the bars until the edges are golden brown and the center is set. This will take about 25-30 minutes.
  • Allow the bars to cool completely before cutting them. This will help them hold their shape.
  • Store the bars in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Conclusion:

Pretzel shortbread bars are a delicious and easy-to-make treat that is perfect for any occasion.

They are made with a simple shortbread dough that is topped with a sweet and salty pretzel mixture.

The bars are then baked until they are golden brown and the center is set.

Pretzel shortbread bars are a great way to use up leftover pretzels and they are also a fun and festive treat to share with friends and family.

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