Little sweet treats that are perfectly festive for the holidays! Crushed pretzels create a salty and crunchy crust for the gooey caramel layer, later topped with rich chocolate.
Line mini cupcake pan with liners. Parchment paper liners work best, but if you are using pretty paper liners you may need to spray them very lightly with cooking spray (like coconut oil spray). This will prevent the caramel layer from sticking to them.
Crush pretzels stick in a ziploc bag by rolling the rolling pin over them or place in a small food processor and pulse a few times. You do not want them to turn into dust, as that will not stick to the caramel layer. Place 1 teaspoon of crushed pretzel in each liner.
Prepare the caramel layer: place butter in heat-proof bowl and microwave for 30 seconds. It will not be fully melted. Add white and brown sugar, corn syrup and sweetened condensed milk. Stir well. Cook for 3 minutes total but stop every 45 seconds to stir the mixture. Pour 2 to 3 teaspoons of caramel over the pretzel layer.
In another heat-proof bowl, place chocolate chips with vegetable oil and microwave for 20 seconds. Stir and cook for 15 seconds. Stir again and if needed, cook for 10 more seconds. Stir until smooth. Divide evenly among all cups. Top with festive sprinkles, chopped nuts or shredded coconut.
Let the cups sit for at least 1 hour to set.
Notes
You can place them in a fridge to speed up the setting process, but the chocolate will gather moisture on top, so I recommend keeping them in room temperature.