Step 1

In a medium-size heavy bottomed saucepan over medium-low heat, combine the sugar, 1/2 cup of the cream, corn syrup, butter, and salt. Cook and stir until the butter has completely melted, but do not increase the heat to speed up the process.

Step 2

Once the butter has melted, stop stirring and increase the heat just to medium to bring the caramel to barely a simmer, but not a rapid boil. Attach a candy thermometer to the side of the pan and continue to cook without stirring on medium-low to medium heat until the caramel comes to 236°F.

Step 3

Pour in the remaining 1/2 cup of cream and continue to cook without stirring. The temperature will drop initially but start to come back up quickly. Let the caramel simmer until it reaches 245 to 248°F on the candy thermometer. Be careful not to rush the process by increasing the heat or the caramel may burn.

Step 4

Remove the caramel from the heat, then stir in the vanilla extract. Let the caramel rest for 10-15 minutes to cool and thicken slightly before using.

Step 5

While the caramel cools, melt the chocolate chips and coconut oil in a large microwave-safe bowl using short 20-30 second bursts of heat in the microwave. Stir well between each interval until the chocolate is completely melted.

Step 6

Evenly spread about 2/3 of the chocolate on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Top with the pretzels, sprinkling them evenly over the chocolate and pressing them in gently. It's okay for them to overlap slightly.

Step 7

Pour the caramel evenly over the pretzels. The caramel will hold the bark together, so try to make sure it's touching each of the pretzels if possible.

Step 8

Drizzle the remaining melted chocolate over the top of the bark with a spoon or by transferring it to a plastic bag and snipping off one corner and piping it on. Sprinkle with a generous amount of flaky salt (as much as you want) before the chocolate and caramel has a chance to set.

Step 9

Let the bark set until the caramel has firmed up and the chocolate is solid, about 2 hours. You can stick it in the fridge to speed up the process. Once the bark is set, cut it into pieces to serve.