Festive Chocolate Dipped Pretzel Rods Recipe
Festive Chocolate Dipped Pretzel Rods are a delightful holiday treat combining crunchy pretzels with colorful candy coatings and festive sprinkles. Perfect for gifting or serving at holiday parties, these easy-to-make snacks feature vibrant red, green, white, and brown candy coatings decorated with various holiday-themed sprinkles and crushed peppermint. The recipe requires simple dipping and decorating steps that yield beautifully festive, sweet and salty snacks.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes (melting and dipping)
- Total Time: 20 minutes plus drying time (about 1 hour to fully set)
- Yield: About 12-15 pretzel rods, depending on size and coating amount
- Category: Snack
- Method: No-Cook
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
Core Ingredients
- Pretzel rods – quantity as desired
- Brown candy coating (milk chocolate morsels or chocolate almond bark) – about 1 cup
- White candy coating (white chocolate morsels or vanilla almond bark) – about 1 cup
- Green candy coating – about 1 cup
- Red candy coating – about 1 cup
Decorations
- Confetti Holly Mix – enough to sprinkle on pretzels
- Wilton Holiday Nonpareils – enough to sprinkle
- Wilton Christmas Snowflake Sprinkles – quantity as desired
- Crushed peppermint – quantity as desired
- Vegetable shortening – optional, 2 teaspoons (for thinning candy coating if necessary)
Instructions
- Melt the Candy Coating: Follow the package instructions carefully to melt the candy coatings chosen—brown, white, green, or red—taking care not to overheat to avoid the coating thickening or seizing. If the coating becomes too thick, add up to 2 teaspoons of vegetable shortening to thin it slightly.
- Dip Pretzel Rods: Hold each pretzel rod and dip it into the melted candy coating, covering approximately two-thirds of the rod. Then gently shake off any excess coating to prevent drips and ensure an even layer.
- Apply Sprinkles: While the coating is still wet, immediately sprinkle your chosen festive sprinkles over the dipped part of the pretzel rod. Rotate the rod to evenly coat all sides. For larger sprinkles such as snowflakes, place them individually for best coverage and appearance.
- Set on Waxed Paper: Place the decorated pretzel rods onto waxed paper or a cooling rack. Using waxed paper helps with easy removal once the coating sets.
- Optional Drizzle Decoration: After the initial candy coating has fully hardened, use a spoon or a fork to drizzle a contrasting colored candy coating over the pretzels for an elegant decorative touch. Then move the rods to fresh waxed paper before the drizzle sets to avoid any sticking.
- Dry Completely: Allow the pretzel rods to dry fully at room temperature so the candy coating hardens completely and the sprinkles stay in place with no smudging.
- Storage: Store the finished pretzel rods in an airtight container at room temperature. Avoid refrigerating, which can soften the pretzels and reduce crispness.
Notes
- Be careful not to overheat candy coatings as they can thicken or seize.
- Adding vegetable shortening can help thin thickened candy coatings without adding moisture.
- For best decorative results, apply larger sprinkles one by one before coating sets.
- Waxed paper is preferable to parchment paper when setting dipped pretzels to prevent sticking.
- Do not refrigerate pretzels after coating, as humidity can make them lose their crunch.
Keywords: holiday snack, chocolate dipped pretzels, festive pretzels, Christmas treats, candy coated pretzels, holiday desserts
