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This easy Christmas pretzels recipe only needs 4 ingredients! These festive holiday treats are perfect for Christmas gifts or last-minute party desserts.
Make this Christmas pretzels recipe for:
✔️something sweet and poppable
✔️something fun for your holiday goodie bag
✔️something you can make at the last minute for the Christmas dessert table
You’ll only need 4 ingredients and a few minutes to make these festive and addictive Christmas pretzel treats.
They come together so quickly and easily that you probably won’t need to reread the recipe!
I’ve also included bonus ideas for holiday chocolate pretzel treats, including peanut butter cup Christmas pretzel bites, chocolate caramel pretzel reindeer, and white chocolate pretzel snowmen, so let’s get going! ❄️
What Are Christmas Pretzels?
Christmas pretzels are pretzel twists topped with melty chocolate and colorful candies to match the festive theme of the holiday season. So, if you have a bunch of red and green M&M’s lying around, put them to good use and make these fun treats!
Unlike chocolate-covered Christmas pretzel rods, these Christmas pretzel treats are easier to make.
You only need to assemble them and soften the chocolate in the oven. The process actually reminds me of this 3-ingredient caramel apple bite recipe.
After they set, pack them up as edible gifts or arrange them in a platter for your Christmas dessert table.
If you’re not in the mood to bake Christmas cookies but are craving a mini sweet treat, these Christmas chocolate pretzels are perfect!
Why You’ll Love This Christmas Pretzels Recipe
- So Easy, They’re Kid-Friendly: This Christmas pretzel recipe is so easy and fun that you can have kids help you make them! They’re also ready in a few minutes with 4 ingredients, perfect as last-minute holiday sweets.
- Salty and Sweet Treats: These Christmas pretzel treats are highly shareable, though to be honest, they are hard to share, haha! They’re sweet, salty, crunchy, and chocolatey in the perfect poppable size.
- Festive For All Seasons: Make holiday pretzels throughout the year by switching up the colors of the candies and chocolate. Valentine’s Day pretzel treats can have white chocolate plus pink and red M&M’s, or decorate the pretzels with spookily cute candies like we did in our monster pretzels for Halloween.
What Do Christmas Pretzel Treats Taste Like?
I’m a sucker for sweet and salty desserts (one of my favorites are these chocolate sea salt cookie and salted caramel ice cream sandwiches! 🤤)
And these holiday pretzel treats?
They will cover your cravings for something sweet and salty, one crunchy bite at a time!
We’ve also went for melty dark chocolate for the perfect balance of flavor, but you can always satisfy your sweet tooth with milk chocolate. I’m actually planning to make these Christmas chocolate pretzels with white chocolate next time.
Classic M&M’s put the festive flair on these Christmas pretzels, but I think their caramel variant is another delicious option for luscious pretzel treats.
You can also serve a variety of holiday pretzels at your Christmas party!
Continue reading below and learn how to make peanut butter cup Christmas pretzel bites, chocolate caramel pretzel reindeer, and white chocolate pretzel snowmen.
What Is in a Pretzel Treat For Christmas?
- Pretzel twists – You can also use square pretzels, but pretzel twists just look adorable for the festive holiday treats.
- Dark chocolate – Dark chocolate, milk chocolate, or even white chocolate works for this Christmas pretzels recipe! Just keep in mind that we’re not melting them in the oven. They should just be soft and not super drippy.
- Red and green M&M candies – To match the Christmas theme.
- Christmas candy sprinkles – To add more color and holiday flair to our Christmas pretzel treats!
Tools Needed To Prepare Holiday Pretzels
- Parchment paper to keep our holiday pretzels from sticking to the baking sheet/pan
- Baking pan for when we soften the chocolates in the oven
More Christmas Pretzel Treats To Try
As promised, here are more holiday pretzel ideas made with simple ingredients: chocolate, candies, and crunchy pretzels! 😋
Square pretzels and peanut butter bells
Love peanut butter cups? Use them on top of square pretzels for your holiday treats!
Just make a few adjustments to this Christmas pretzels recipe. Swap the dark chocolate with peanut butter cups and use square pretzels instead of pretzel twists.
Then, pop the chocolate pretzel squares in the oven preheated to 325ºF for 4 minutes.
They’re ready once the peanut butter cups/bells are shiny. To finish, place an M&M on top of each piece and chill them in the fridge for at least 15 minutes before packing or serving.
Rolo reindeer
Get creative with your Christmas chocolate pretzels and make Christmas characters!
For example, caramel lovers can use Rolo candies and follow this Christmas pretzels recipe to transform the chocolates and pretzel twists into cute reindeer pretzels.
Put the Rolo candies on top of each pretzel and cut some mini pretzel twists in half for the reindeer antlers.
Just keep in mind that Rolo candies can melt fairly quickly, so soften them in the preheated oven (350ºF) for 2 to 3 minutes only.
Then, use red M&M’s noses and candy eyes to finish the adorable caramel pretzel chocolate reindeer.
Pretzel ring snowmen
Turn pretzel rings into white chocolate snowmen!
Fill each pretzel ring with melted white chocolate, then decorate with orange chocolate-covered sunflower seeds for the snowman’s carrot nose, and black sugar pearls for his coal eyes. ☃️
You can even give your snowmen scarves with fruit strips!
How to Make Christmas Pretzels
Ingredients:
- 12 pcs pretzel twists
- 12 pcs milk or dark chocolate
- 12 red and green M&M candies
- Christmas candy sprinkles
Tools you need:
Instructions:
STEP 1:Gather the ingredients for our Christmas pretzels recipe. Line the baking pan with parchment paper and preheat the oven to 200°F.
STEP 2: Arrange the pretzels on the lined baking pan and place a piece of dark chocolate over each one.
STEP 3: Bake for 4 minutes to soften the chocolate.
STEP 4: Remove the chocolate-topped pretzels from the oven and press an M&M in the center of each chocolate. Add the sprinkles.
STEP 5: Allow the Christmas pretzels to cool for about 3 minutes, then chill in the freezer to set. Enjoy!
What To Serve With Christmas Pretzel Chocolates
Upgrade the sweet and salty holiday treats and serve these Christmas pretzels with a drizzle of salted caramel sauce (here’s an easy recipe that you can also use as a dip for apples), melted white chocolate, or chopped pecans for texture!
You can also add complexity to the bite-sized desserts and sprinkle them with ground cinnamon or sea salt flakes before serving. 😋
These Christmas pretzel treats will pair well with cozy drinks for the cold weather. Try them alongside our blue matcha latte or old-fashioned hot toddy if you want something boozy.
Because of how ridiculously easy they are to make, these holiday pretzel treats will make awesome sweets to serve at your Christmas party.
And to make your table as festive as the holiday season itself, why not prepare themed snack boards?
Check out our Santa charcuterie board and Christmas tree charcuterie board!
Tips About Making Holiday Pretzel Treats
- Remember that we’re not melting the chocolate for these Christmas pretzel treats. The chocolate should only spread a bit when you squish an M&M on it. With Hershey’s Kisses or Hugs, take them out of the oven once the tips of the chocolate are slightly drooping.
- Allow the pretzel M&M Christmas pretzel treats to set in the freezer for about 20 minutes before storage or packing (if giving the Christmas pretzels as gifts). Otherwise, they can get pretty messy in the containers.
- You can also let the holiday pretzels set at room temperature! This can take about an hour.
How To Store Christmas Pretzel Treats
- Fridge:After they set, store the Christmas pretzels in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
- Freezer:For longer storage, keep the Christmas pretzel treats in a freezer-safe container and freeze them for up to 3 months. You can enjoy them frozen!
Are Pretzels Fried?
Pretzels are baked, not fried. But have you ever wondered how they get that mouthwatering brown and shiny exterior?
Typically, pretzels are dipped in lye before they’re baked.
The resulting chemical reaction on the dough’s surface gives the pretzels their shiny brown crust.
So, if you skip this step before baking, the pretzels will come out white!
Why Does My Chocolate Turn White?
Chocolate turning white, also known as “blooming,” is one of the things we can expect in chocolate desserts like this Christmas pretzel recipe.
This is why you want to store your chocolates at room temperature and not in an overly humid place. You shouldn’t also transfer cold chocolate to somewhere warm too quickly.
Without getting too scientific, these temperature fluctuations can cause the fats from the cocoa butter to migrate and crystallize on the chocolate’s surface. Those crystallized fats are the white coating we see on the bloomed chocolate.
I prefer storing these Christmas chocolate pretzel treats at room temperature, but to enjoy them longer, don’t be afraid to keep them in the fridge or freezer.
I’m more than willing to sacrifice their looks if that means I have something to munch on throughout the holidays. 😅
And in case you’re wondering, it’s perfectly safe to eat it even if the chocolate has bloomed.
Why Is My Chocolate Not Melting?
Experiment with the temperature and duration when softening your chocolate for these Christmas pretzel treats!
You also want to avoid chocolate made with vegetable oil.
The reason? It may not soften, but instead, sweat and brown in the oven.
FAQ About Christmas Pretzels
Can you make this Christmas pretzels recipe in the microwave?
These holiday pretzel bites are best made in the oven for easier temperature control. However, you can also try microwaving the treats for 30 seconds at 50% power. Then, continue for 10 seconds more or until the chocolate softens.
Where to buy christmas shaped pretzels?
You can buy Christmas-shaped pretzels on Amazon! Holiday-themed pretzels are also available at Target and Walmart.
Are pretzels a Christmas food?
We can consider pretzels a Christmas food because of their popularity during the holiday season. This is especially true with chocolate-covered pretzels. There was also a tradition in 16th-century Austria where pretzels were hung on Christmas trees!
How do I package Christmas pretzels for gifting?
These Christmas pretzel treats are perfect for gifting! Just allow them to set completely so they won’t smudge and get messy inside your holiday gift bags and boxes.
Can you make this Christmas pretzels recipe in advance?
You can make this Christmas pretzels recipe ahead of time or as early as a week! They have an impressive shelf life, even at room temperature.
How long can Christmas pretzels stay outside of the fridge?
These Christmas pretzel treats will keep well outside of the fridge for up to 7 days. Just allow them to set and transfer the treats to an airtight container to keep the pretzels from getting stale.
Christmas Pretzels Recipe
Yield: 12
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 4 minutes
Total Time: 14 minutes
This easy Christmas pretzels recipe only needs 4 ingredients! These festive holiday treats are perfect for Christmas gifts or last-minute party desserts.
Ingredients
Instructions
- Gather the ingredients for our Christmas pretzels recipe. Line the baking pan with parchment paper and preheat the oven to 200°F.
- Arrange the pretzels on the lined baking pan and place a piece of dark chocolate over each one.
- Bake for 4 minutes to soften the chocolate.
- Remove the chocolate-topped pretzels from the oven and press an M&M in the center of each chocolate. Add the sprinkles.
- Allow the Christmas pretzels to cool for about 3 minutes, then chill in the freezer to set. Enjoy!
Notes
- The chocolate should be soft and ready if it spreads a bit when you squish an M&M on it. If you use Hershey's Kisses or Hugs, you can take them out of the oven once the tips of the chocolate are slightly drooping.
- Allow the Christmas pretzel treats to set in the freezer for about 20 minutes before storage or packing (if giving the Christmas pretzels as gifts) to keep them from smudging and getting messy.
- You can also just leave the holiday pretzels to set at room temperature. This can take about an hour.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 12Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 41Total Fat: 1gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 2mgSodium: 41mgCarbohydrates: 6gFiber: 0gSugar: 4gProtein: 1g
* Please note that all nutrition information are just estimates. Values will vary among brands, so we encourage you to calculate these on your own for the most accurate results.
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Conclusion
Make this Christmas pretzels recipe and satisfy your holiday cravings for a sweet and salty treat.
The assembly process is super easy: soften chocolate on top of pretzel twists, top with green and red M&M’s and holiday sprinkles to match the festive theme, and chill the pretzel treats to set. That’s it!
You’ll get delicious desserts worthy of being included in your Christmas goodie bags and dessert table.
These Christmas chocolate pretzels are also not just for the most wonderful time of the year. Serve them on holiday celebrations throughout the year by using creative colors for the candies and chocolate.
I think we can even have them for the 4th of July using white chocolate and red and blue candies!
Looking for more Christmas dessert ideas? Have an extra sweet holiday and make these easy but delicious treats:
- Gingerbread Cookies
- Christmas Muffins
- Christmas Reindeer Cookies
- Strawberry-Filled Cupcakes
- Strawberry Cinnamon Rolls
