1. Preheat Oven:
– Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 9×13-inch baking dish with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the sides for easy removal.

2. Prepare Pretzels:
– Spread the crushed pretzels evenly over the bottom of the prepared baking dish.

3. Make Caramel:
– In a medium saucepan, melt the unsalted butter over medium heat.
– Stir in the brown sugar and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture is smooth and starts to bubble, about 2-3 minutes.
– Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract.

4. Combine Layers:
– Pour the caramel mixture over the pretzels in the baking dish, spreading it out evenly.
– Bake in the preheated oven for 10-12 minutes, or until the caramel is bubbly and golden brown.

5. Add Chocolate:
– Remove from the oven and immediately sprinkle the chocolate chips over the hot caramel layer.
– Let the chocolate chips sit for a few minutes to soften, then use a spatula to spread them evenly over the caramel.
– If desired, sprinkle sea salt over the melted chocolate layer for a sweet and salty contrast.

6. Cool and Set:
– Allow the bars to cool completely in the baking dish at room temperature or in the refrigerator until the chocolate is set.
– Once cooled and set, use the parchment paper overhang to lift the bars out of the baking dish and transfer them to a cutting board.
– Cut into bars of your desired size and enjoy!