Salted Caramel Pretzel Sundae Recipe
Ice Cream | Caramel | Pretzels | Candied Pecans | Whipped Cream
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Ingredients
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Sundae Base
Salted Caramel Sauce (if making homemade)
Pretzel Crunch
Candied Pecans
Whipped Topping & Finishes
Method
Salted Caramel Sauce (if making homemade)
- 1
Make caramel
Place 0.75 cups granulated sugar in a medium, heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Gently swirl the pan (do not stir with a spoon initially) until the sugar melts and turns an amber color, about 6–8 minutes. Once fully melted, add 4 tbs unsalted butter (cut into pieces) and whisk until combined and bubbling, about 1 minute. Slowly pour in 0.25 cups heavy cream while whisking; the mixture will bubble vigorously. Remove from heat, stir in 0.5 tsp sea salt, and let cool slightly before using. If using store-bought sauce, skip this step.
Pretzel Crunch
- 2
Prepare pretzel crunch
Coarsely crush 0.75 cups mini pretzels in a zip-top bag with a rolling pin (leave some larger pieces for texture). In a small bowl combine crushed pretzels, 1 tbs melted butter and 1 tbs light brown sugar; toss to coat. Spread on a small baking sheet and toast in a 350°F (175°C) oven for 6–8 minutes until fragrant and slightly caramelized. Cool completely.
Candied Pecans
- 3
Candy the pecans
In a small nonstick skillet over medium heat, combine 0.5 cups pecan halves, 2 tbs granulated sugar and 1 tsp unsalted butter. Cook, stirring frequently, until the sugar melts and coats the pecans and the nuts appear glossy, about 3–4 minutes. Sprinkle 0.125 tsp sea salt, toss, then transfer to parchment to cool and separate.
Whipped Topping & Assembly
- 4
- 5
Assemble sundae
Scoop 1.5 cups vanilla ice cream into a large sundae bowl or divide between two small bowls (~3 scoops total). Warm 0.5 cups salted caramel sauce (homemade or store-bought) briefly in the microwave or on the stove until pourable (15–20 seconds in microwave), then drizzle about half of it over the ice cream. Sprinkle the toasted pretzel crunch evenly over the caramel. Scatter the candied pecans over the top. Add a generous dollop of the freshly whipped cream. Drizzle the remaining 2 tbs extra caramel sauce over the whipped cream and ice cream. Finish with a light pinch (0.125 tsp) of flaky sea salt to amplify the salty-sweet contrast.
- 6
Serve
Serve immediately so the pretzel crunch remains crisp. Leftover caramel can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks; warm before using.