Name: Festive Dipped Pretzel Rods with Caramel Twist
Prep time: 20 min
Total time: 20 min
Yield: 20
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 20 chewy caramel candies; 20 pretzel rods; 1 1/2 cup almond bark; 1 tablespoon sprinkles; 1 tablespoon colored sugar; 1 tablespoon mini chocolate chips

Jump to Recipe

One of my favorite holiday treats has to be the chocolate dipped pretzel rods. They are so easy to make and the perfect combination of salty and sweet in every bite. This recipe has a fun little caramel twist that just ups the flavor and makes it a perfect choice for making to share with others. I know you'll love these as much as we do!

Dipped Pretzel Rods

As a child, one of my favorite things to do around the holidays made sweet treats. One of those was the chocolate dipped pretzels that were a huge mess to make but so good! This year, however, I am changing things up a bit by adding pretzel rods to the mix. With less mess to manage, these are a perfect choice for making with the kids, and ideal for sharing with friends and family.

Pretzels are one of my favorite snacks in general, so it makes sense that they would be part of my treats. If you want more variety, you might like these chocolate caramel pretzel rods and the hot chocolate pretzel rods. Both are super easy to make and just as tasty!

How Long do Dipped Pretzel Rods Last?

As long as you keep these in an airtight container, the dipped pretzels can easily last up to three weeks. The greats concern when making these is that they will get stale. So, storing in a container is a must if making ahead of time. Of course, when serving them, you can display them on a platter, but definitely put leftovers away for future snacks.

How do You Thin Chocolate for Dipping?

If you find the chocolate or candy coating too thick when you being to dip your pretzels, the easiest fix is to add a teaspoon of coconut oil into the mixture to thin. You may need to reheat the chocolate for 15-30 seconds to ensure it blends well. This easy trick does the job every time.

Tips for Chocolate Covered Pretzel Rods

One of my top reasons for dipping rods over traditional pretzels is that it eliminates a lot of the fuss and mess. Since you don't need any other tool to hold the pretzel, it's super easy to do this, even with kids. Below are a few tips though to make this easier to manage.

Heat the chocolate or candy coating in small batches so you don't have to continue reheating to keep melted.
Prepare your work station with parchment paper ahead of melting the chocolate.
Put parchment paper underneath your bowl of chocolate to catch any spills.
Keep any sprinkles or toppings in bowls by the paper so you can decorate as soon as you dip the pretzels.

More Toppings You'll Love

If you aren't sure what to cover your pretzels with, there are tons of fun ideas that add to the look of this snack and treat. Below are some of my favorites and some unique ideas you can add to your supplies.

Christmas ornament sprinkles, melted snowman sprinkles, Christmas tree shaped confetti sprinkles,or Frozen winter sprinkles
Colored sugar
Mini marshmallows
Chocolate sprinkles
Miniature chocolate chips
Crushed candy pieces
Cookie crumbs
Edible gold leaf
Christmas nonpareils

How do You Package Dipped Pretzel Rods?

When gifting these pretzels, I prefer to do so on a platter with other treats. Some of my favorites include these peppermint truffles, rich milk chocolate hot cocoa bombs, chocolate truffles, or even these adorable Rudolph reindeer truffles can all be great to go with these on a treat tray. Once you arrange a treat tray, you can slip it into a large Ziploc bag, use plastic wrap over the top, or even put inside a cellophane bag.

If gifting individual pretzel rods, cellophane bags are the easiest method. Cover the dipped portion and tie in place with a holiday ribbon. Of course, if gifting to others, you may want to let them know to keep them in a container if not planning to eat soon.

How to Display Dipped Pretzel Rods

When you make these, you may also be wanting to serve them up to friends or guests at a holiday event. They look great on a platter with other treats, but I love tucking these into a pretty mason jar or glass to hold them upright. It just makes them look so pretty!

The only concern when displaying these standing upright is that it may not be so easy to pull them out of the jar without getting chocolate or sugar on your hands. I always add a few tongs around my buffet to make this easier to manage. They just look beautiful standing up above the top of a small glass in colorful holiday colors!

Ingredients

Caramel candies
Pretzel rods
Candy coating or almond bark
Sprinkles
Coconut oil

How to Make Chocolate Covered Pretzel Rods with Candy Melts

Prepare your work station with parchment paper and all toppings ready to use.

Unwrap the caramel candies.

Using clean hands, roll the caramel candies into a rope shape, one for each pretzel.

Wrap the caramels around one half of the pretzel at a spiral.

In a microwave-safe bowl or glass, heat the candy coating in 30-second increments until just melted.

If the chocolate is too thick for dipping, add in a teaspoon of coconut oil and heat again for 15-seconds to melt and stir well.

Dip the pretzel into the melted chocolate until the caramel is coated completely then allow any excess to drip off the end of the pretzel if desired.

Place the pretzels onto the parchment paper.

Then sprinkle the tops with colored sugar, candy, sprinkles, or other options.

When all pretzels are dipped, you can put any remaining chocolate into a piping bag and drizzle over the tops of the pretzels for an added look if desired.

Allow hardening then enjoy or store in an airtight container until ready to share.

Chef's Tip

Check out your local dollar store or online shops for cute Christmas cellophane bags to place your pretzels inside for sharing and gifting.

📖 Recipe

Yield: 20