Salted Caramel Candy Corn Bark

This recipe comes from I Heart Naptime. It could have been made for Halloween, but also during the Fall, especially with Thanksgiving coming up, it could be a nice treat to set out for gatherings. Since I always try to make recipes more affordable for the average family, I switched some ingredients out for others that were still suitable and yet cost less.

The original recipe called for a 16 oz bag of white Candiquik coating, which was $3.74, so I substituted a 12 oz bag of Wilton’s white candy melts, which was $2.47. The difference in weight didn’t matter; the price per ounce was still less for the Wilton’s and I had plenty of them left for another recipe, making it even more thrifty.

Also, the recipe called for an 11 oz bag of Kraft caramel bits, which were $2.86, so I bought an 11 oz bag of Kraft caramels for $2.00. They were individually wrapped, but get the kids cooking with you. Even a toddler can sit and unwrap them to help.

The original recipe also called for a bag of M&Ms candy corn, which are white chocolate inside. I purchased a bag of M&Ms that were all yellow, orange, and brown and used those instead. I wanted the chocolate flavor because it would go well with the caramel. Doing it my way saved $2.13, and I had plenty of the candy melts and M&Ms left for another recipe I made, plus leftover caramels and the rest of the pretzels for the kids.

So, let’s get cooking!

Put parchment paper on a sheet pan. Line up the waffle pretzels. Melt the Kraft caramels in a saucepan on low heat, stirring frequently to help melt and prevent burning.

Spread the melted caramel over the pretzels.

While the caramel is cooling on that, use a double boiler to melt the candy melts. I just rigged up two pots that could go together with enough space in between and added some water to the bottom pot.

Spread the melted white chocolate over the caramel. I did half and then my lovely daughter Megan helped me press the M&Ms into the melted chocolate. This is another fun step for the kids, a great job for little hands.

I did half at a time because I didn’t want the melted chocolate setting up too firmly for the M&Ms to press in. Let it cool completely and cut with a knife to break up into pieces.

And you’re done! Enjoy! ~TMMF

Salted Caramel Candy Corn Bark

1 bag waffle pretzels
1 11 oz bag Kraft caramels
1 12 oz bag Wilton candy melts, white
1 bag M&Ms, Fall colors