How to make chocolate covered pretzels using any kind of real chocolate, instead of candy melts. Make them with gluten-free pretzels for a great gluten-free snack! These simple, sweet and salty treats also make a perfect homemade gift.
The holidays inspire me to bake a TON. Some of my favorite sweets to make are healthier sugar cookies and candy cane cookies. And here’s why: BAKING CHIPS.
I can’t resist them. That innocent baking aisle that normally has plain Jane chocolate chips seems to EXPLODE with awesome variations during the holidays… heath bar chips, snicker bar chips, and peppermint patty chips… I’m such a sucker.
And what’s one of the best things to make with baking chips? Chocolate covered pretzels, of course.
Easy Homemade Chocolate Covered Pretzels
When I make party food for holiday gatherings they must fit these requirements:
- Frugal or inexpensive
- Healthy
- Easy to make ahead
- Super delicious
Chocolate covered pretzels fit these categories and I was able to come up with some fun varieties!
What you Need for this Chocolate Covered Pretzels Recipe
- pretzel rods
- chocolate (I used white chocolate, milk chocolate, semi-sweet chocolate, dark chocolate)
- toppings (sprinkles, sea salt, chopped nuts, flaked coconut, chopped candies, etc.)
- cookie sheets
- parchment paper
Before You Begin Your Covered Chocolate Pretzels
- Plan your chocolate/topping combo first. Line up your chips (or chopped chocolate) and toppings together. I promise that once you get going, you’ll forget what flavors you actually decided to pair up.
- You need two mugs for each combo. Mugs work better than microwave-safe bowls or a double boiler. If you’re doing 3 variations, you’ll need 6 mugs.
- Prep your toppings before you melt the chocolate. You want to dip your pretzels while the chocolate pretzel dip is still wet and hot. Once that chocolate melts, you need to move quickly because it will thicken as it cools.
- Sprinkle the toppings, don’t dip the pretzels. After you are finished dipping pretzels in chocolate, you’ll sprinkle the toppings on top. Rolling in the toppings just causes a mess.
- Prepare your baking sheet. Your dipped pretzels will be much easier to remove from your cookie sheet if it is lined with parchment or waxed paper.
How to Make Chocolate Covered Pretzels (Step by Step)
Step 1. Line each of your cookie sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
Step 2. Prepare your toppings and set aside.
Step 3. In a mug, measure chocolate and microwave on high for 30 seconds. Stir very well with a spoon until the chocolate is smooth. If the chocolate isn’t smooth, continue to microwave for 5-second intervals, stirring very well after each time. Note that sometimes small pieces of chocolate will melt as you stir it into the melted chocolate surrounding it.
Step 4. Tilt the mug to create a deeper pool of chocolate and dip one end of the pretzel rod into the mug. Turn the rod continuously as you pull the rod out of the mug. Set on the prepared cookie sheet.
Step 5. Repeat this dipping process for 5 more pretzel rods.
Step 6. Top the pretzel rods with desired toppings. (I recommend topping the pretzels after they’ve cooled just slightly, but if you want too long, the toppings won’t stick. I found that making 6 pretzels at a time and then topping was the perfect amount of cooling time.)
Step 7. Repeat this process with your remaining pretzels.
Step 8. Cool at room temperature overnight OR in the fridge. Cooling in the fridge is recommended if you need the pretzels to be ready quickly.
How to Store Chocolate Covered Pretzels
Chocolate pretzels should be stored in an airtight container. They last about 2-3 weeks.
Although I haven’t tried this, you could freeze them. I would layer them on a sheet pan to freeze and then move to a freezer-safe container.
Recipe Tips for Chocolate Dipped Pretzels
There are so many ways you can flavor your chocolate covered pretzels. Here are some of my favorites:
- Dark chocolate with sea salt. These turned out really good, and they’re so fancy looking… but they’re definitely salty.
- White chocolate covered pretzels with sprinkles. These were my favorite because any type of sprinkles look festive against the white background.
- Milk chocolate with chopped peanuts. I used an almost-empty bag of peanuts from my pantry, but any type of nut will work.
- Semi-sweet chocolate with crushed peppermint candies. You can choose to pulse the mints as fine as you’d like, or leave them a bit chunky!
A Great Snack for ANY Occasion
Chocolate dip pretzels aren’t just a treat for the holidays. You can make these for:
- Valentines Day (think heart and pink sprinkles)
- Birthdays
- Mother’s or Father’s day
- Parties
- Just for fun!
FAQs for this Chocolate Pretzels Recipe
Essentially, you are dipping pretzels into melted chocolate and then sprinkling on a fun topping. You can even use gluten-free pretzels!
After four batches, I found the best way to dip the pretzels in chocolate is to follow this method:
1. Tilt the mug so the chocolate comes as close to the edge of the mug as you can.
2. Then place one end of the pretzel into the chocolate and turn the pretzel so that it’s completely coated.
3. Lastly, keep turning the pretzel as you pull it out of the mug WHILE leaving the very tip of the pretzel touching the side of the mug.
Coating the pretzels this way gives you an even coat of chocolate from the bottom to the very tip. Plus, it prevents excess chocolate in any one spot.
Feel free to make chocolate covered pretzel rods up to 2 weeks in advance. Be sure to store them in an airtight container at room temperature.
More Favorite Chocolate Recipes
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Chocolate Covered Pretzels
How to make chocolate covered pretzels using any kind of real chocolate, instead of candy melts. The white chocolate with sprinkles is a hit! These simple treats make a perfect, sweet and salty gift.
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Cook Time: 5 mins
- Total Time: 10 mins
- Yield: 48 rods 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: dip
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
- 48 pretzel rods (about 2–16 ounce packages)
- 2 cups (12 oz) chocolate (I used 1/2 cup each: white chocolate, milk chocolate, semi-sweet chocolate, dark chocolate)
- Toppings: sprinkles, sea salt, chopped nuts, flaked coconut, chopped candies, etc.
- 4 cookie sheets
- parchment paper
Instructions
- Line each of your cookie sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
- Prepare your toppings and set aside.
- In a mug, measure chocolate and microwave on high for 30 seconds. Stir very well with a spoon until the chocolate is smooth. If the chocolate isn’t smooth, continue to microwave for 5-second intervals, stirring very well after each time. Note that sometimes small pieces of chocolate will melt as you stir it into the melted chocolate surrounding it.
- Tilt the mug to create a deeper pool of chocolate and dip one end of the pretzel rod into the mug. Turn the rod continuously as you pull the rod out of the mug. Set on the prepared cookie sheet.
- Repeat this dipping process for 5 more pretzel rods.
- Top the pretzel rods with desired toppings. (I recommend topping the pretzels after they’ve cooled just slightly, but if you want too long, the toppings won’t stick. I found that making 6 pretzels at a time and then topping was the perfect amount of cooling time.)
- Repeat this process with your remaining pretzels.
- Cool at room temperature overnight OR in the fridge. Cooling in the fridge is recommended if you need the pretzels to be ready quickly.
Notes
- Plan your chocolate/topping combo first. Line up your chips (or chopped chocolate) and toppings together. I promise that once you get going, you’ll forget what flavors you actually decided to pair up.
- You need two mugs for each combo. Mugs work better than microwave-safe bowls or a double boiler. If you’re doing 3 variations, you’ll need 6 mugs.
- Prep your toppings before you melt the chocolate. You want to dip your pretzels while the chocolate pretzel dip is still wet and hot. Once that chocolate melts, you need to move quickly because it will thicken as it cools.
- Sprinkle the toppings, don’t dip the pretzels. After you are finished dipping pretzels in chocolate, you’ll sprinkle the toppings on top. Rolling in the toppings just causes a mess.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 5 Pretzels
- Calories: 150
Keywords: Chocolate Covered Pretzels
Delicious and easy to make! Yum!
★★★★★
So good and easy!
★★★★★
Can I use candy bars and why won’t my candy prices stick
Do not store in the freezer or the chocolate will crack.
Thanks for the tip Jeanne! Even if they don’t look pretty anymore they’ll still taste delicious. 🙂
Hey Tiffany!
I’m one of those girlies who absolutely loooooooooooooves pretzels! Especially chocolate covered pretzels! I’ve even tried yogurt-covered pretzels, which I’m sure aren’t the same, but they still taste amazing! I made a recipe for soft pretzels back in 1996, when I was in 6th grade, and I’m wondering what that would be like for chocolate covered pretzels. Unfortunately I can’t remember the recipe, as I’m not sure where my recipe book, which I made in Braille all by myself, went. I lived in Baltimore for 5 years, and I hope it didn’t get left there when I moved back to Eugene. Speaking of chocolate treats, one that I love is chocolate-covered popcorn. Last time I had some of that was a couple years ago, which I bought from the Boy Scouts for $10.00! $10.00 is spendy for popcorn! however it didn’t taste the same as before, as the chocolate was only lightly drizzled onto the popcorn kernels, which I believe were like Kettle Corn. The first time ever I had chocolate-covered popcorn was back in 1993 when I lived on Sunview Avenue. Mom and I had an across-the-street neighbor who was a Boy Scout, and we bought some chocolate-covered popcorn from him. It came in a big tin, and man it tasted like paradise! Each piece was entirely coated in chocolate, sort of like popcorn balls. I believe it may have been hand-dipped, the best way to have chocolate anything! I wonder where I could find that hand-dipped chocolate-covered popcorn.
I think I’m going all milk chocolate because it’s what I have and since it’s my first go, I want to make it simple. I’ll probably do some sprinkles and crushed candies.
Thanks for posting! I like easy things like this to do!
You’re very welcome Donna – enjoy!
These remind me of Pocky (http://www.pocky.com/). My sister gets a box of chocolate and one of strawberry and always eats one of each together to blend the flavors. I never thought of how simple it could be to make your own!
Good idea about twirling the pretzel on the edge of the mug. I always end up with a blob of chocolate underneath my creations.
Yes! My first few had that blob, and I thought “What a waste!” and it wasn’t very pretty, lol. The twirling takes care of that!
My daughter has been requesting this recipe for her birthday for years. It’s still our favorite snack!!
★★★★★