Christmas Pretzels are a deliciously simple answer to holiday snacking and gifting. No baking and no special tools are required to create these adorable chocolate treats. Pretzel rings, melting chocolate, and sprinkles are the only ingredients. This is an easy, fast and fun activity for the whole family.
Why you'll love this recipe
Need a last minute gift or just one more treat to add to your holiday cheer? Sprinkles to the rescue.
These cute, little, chocolate pretzel bites would be unremarkable if it wasn’t for the magic of sprinkles. Adding a few sprinkle shapes or a dusting of nonpareils transforms plain chocolate pretzels into adorable Christmas Pretzels.
Admittedly, I have a large sprinkle collection, but every sprinkle I tried created a smile inducing design. My multi colored Christmas trees don’t even use Christmas sprinkles. You can literally use any sprinkles you have to create your own eye catching design.
With minutes to spare you can easily make these colorful Christmas candies. Place a handful in foil cupcake liners on dessert buffets or at holiday table settings.
Package them in decorative tins for teachers, neighbors, and coworkers. Send some sweet holiday cheer in a care package. Snacking as you create is encouraged.
Recipe ingredients
To create Christmas Pretzels, you will need a bag of pretzel rings (I bought mine at Aldi’s) and melting chocolate.
You will also need some sprinkles. I made a variety of designs.
- nonpareils in Christmas colors
- gingerbread people with hearts
- snowmen with white nonpareil “snow”
- pine trees with a gold star and white nonpareil “snow
- snowflakes with white nonpareil “snow”
- holly leaves with red berries
- Christmas trees made of multicolored nonpareils and a gold star
Instructions
This is an overview of the instructions. The full instructions are in the recipe card below.
Most of the Christmas Pretzels are made in the same 5 steps.
- Place the pretzels on a wax paper lined pan.
- Melt the chocolate and transfer it to a zip lock bag.
- Cut a corner off the bag and pipe the chocolate into the center of the pretzels. (Gently tap the pan on the counter to flatten the chocolate surface.)
- Add sprinkles.
- Place in the refrigerator until firm.
To make the multi colored Christmas trees on a green background:
- Place the pretzels on a wax paper lined pan.
- Melt white chocolate, then mix in a few drops of green candy coloring.
- Transfer the green chocolate to a ziplock bag.
- Cut a corner off the bag and pipe the chocolate into the center of the pretzels. (1.)
- Refrigerate to until firm. Bring the pretzels back to room temperature (5 minutes).
- Using the remaining green chocolate, pipe a triangle onto one pretzel and place a gold star at the top (2.)
- Cover the triangle with multicolored nonpareils. (3.) Tip off excess nonpareils and reuse. (4.)
- Repeat with the remaining pretzels.
Tips
- Use good quality melting chocolate, both for flavor and to avoid chocolate bloom (white coating that forms on untempered chocolate).
- Work in small batches so that chocolate doesn’t begin to set while you are decorating.
- Set chocolate in fridge for a shiny finish. Don't chill beyond firming.
- Never use regular food coloring with chocolate. Regular food coloring is water based and can cause the chocolate to seize, turning it cement-like. Only use candy coloring, which is oil based.
- Tweezers are helpful for placing sprinkle shapes onto the melted chocolate.
- The pretzels with multicolored nonpareil Christmas trees can also be made with uncolored white or dark chocolate instead of the green.
More easy Christmas treats
Orange Sugar Cookies dipped in chocolate are a beautiful and tasty addition to cookie platters! This shortcut recipe starts with a tube of refrigerated cookie dough to save time.
Chocolate Nonpareils are easy to make buttons of chocolate sprinkle candy. Serve them to guests and give them as gifts.
Secret Kiss Cookies are soft, round, chocolate cookies that are coated in chocolate and sprinkled for the holidays. One bite reveals the candy kiss hidden inside!
Peppermint Fudge is a quick and easy gift idea that everyone will love. The soft, minty candy is made right inside a gift tin. No additional packaging needed!
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Christmas Pretzels
Ingredients
- 20 pretzel rings
- 1 cup melting chocolate
- Sprinkles
Instructions
- Line two small baking sheets with wax paper or parchment paper.
- Arrange 5 round pretzels on each lined cookie sheet.
- In a small microwave-safe bowl, melt the chocolate in the microwave at 50% power for 1-2 minutes until smooth.
- Transfer the melted chocolate into a small ziplock sandwich bag.
- Cut a small piece off one corner of the plastic bag.
- Pipe chocolate to fill the centers of 5 pretzel rings in one pan.
- Gently tap the pan on the counter to flatten the chocolate surface and eliminate bubbles.
- Immediately add sprinkles.
- Place the pan in the refrigerator to firm for about 3 minutes.
- Pipe chocolate into the pretzels in the 2nd pan, tap the pan, and add sprinkles.
- Place the 2nd pan in the refrigerator to firm for about 3 minutes.
- When the chocolate is firm, remove the pretzels from the pans.
- Arrange the remaining pretzels in the pans.
- If the melted chocolate in the piping bag begins to firm, reheat in the microwave.
- Repeat to use up the pretzels and the chocolate.
- Store Christmas Pretzels in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.
Notes
- Use good quality melting chocolate, both for flavor and to avoid chocolate bloom (white coating that forms on untempered chocolate).
- Work in small batches so that chocolate doesn’t begin to set while you are decorating.
- Set chocolate in fridge for a shiny finish. Don’t chill beyond firming.
- Never use regular food coloring with chocolate. Regular food coloring is water based and can cause the chocolate to seize, turning it cement-like. Only use candy coloring, which is oil based.
- Tweezers are helpful for placing sprinkle shapes onto the melted chocolate.
- The pretzels with multicolored nonpareil Christmas trees can also be made on uncolored white chocolate Christmas pretzels or on dark chocolate or red candy melts instead of the green.
- Other possible decorations include crushed candy canes, red m&m, green m&m, mini white chocolate chips, candy eyes, and holiday sprinkles.
- Homemade candy is always a huge hit for holiday gifts and as a fun treat on cookie trays.
Nutrition
First Published: September 22, 2019. Last Updated: August 14, 2021. Updated for better reader experience.
TxRN
Absolutely precious and so easy & CUUUTE! Very creative and fun.
CJ Franklin
These look fabulous! They are absolutely delicious and the children are crazy about them, The Chocoley chocolate is so special. Thanks, Wendy, for this SO EASY treat. Happy new year!
Wendy Sondov
Thanks, CJ! I am so glad the children enjoyed the pretzels. I am sure your whole party was a huge success. Wishing you a healthy, joyous, and peace filled New Year!