A timeless favorite, homemade chocolate-covered pretzels are always a crowd pleaser. Enjoy the crispy, crunchy texture inside a soft chocolate coating, with that salty-sweet flavor combo no one can resist.
I originally published this recipe in 2012 and have since added new photos and additional success tips.
This is my go-to recipe for chocolate-covered pretzels. This may seem like an overly simple recipe, considering you really only need 3 ingredients, but trust me when I say these are always a smash hit with anyone and everyone!
You can make them as simple or as fancy as you want. Dip various sizes and shapes of pretzels; use white, milk, or dark chocolate (or all three!); add colored sprinkles for holidays or to match a party theme… And you don’t have to limit yourself to sprinkles! Chopped nuts, crushed candy canes, toffee bits, crushed Oreo crumbs… have fun with it.
It’s always nice to have a no-bake treat to accompany your other Christmas cookies. It’s what I love about caramel corn, peanut butter balls, and rum balls, too.
And if using pretzels that are labeled gluten free, this makes a great gluten-free dessert, as well.
Why You’ll Love Them:
- Easy no-bake recipe
- Keep them simple, or dress them up with colorful sprinkles and chocolate drizzles
- A tin of these makes a wonderful gift
- Long shelf life
- If using pretzels labeled gluten free, makes a great gluten-free dessert
The Best Pretzels to Use
Most shapes and sizes of pretzels work for dipping in chocolate, whether that’s large or small pretzel twists, thick pretzel rods, honey wheat braided twists, or even holiday shapes. My favorite is the mini twists, which I think provide the perfect ratio of sweet, soft chocolate to salty, crunchy pretzel!
Obviously you’ll want to avoid flavored pretzels, like the honey mustard variety!
Best Chocolate to Use for Dipping Pretzels
When it comes to melting chocolate for coating pretzels—or peanut butter balls, Oreo balls, peppermint bark, you get the idea!—I always recommend chopping up real, quality chocolate.
For the best-looking and best-tasting chocolate-covered pretzels, start with real chocolate. Use the 4-ounce “baking chocolate” bars you can find in the baking aisle of the grocery store. I prefer Baker’s or Ghirardelli brands. Melting wafers also work, and for those, I recommend Ghirardelli brand. You can use milk, semi-sweet, dark, or white chocolate to coat your pretzels.
Do not use chocolate chips, which contain stabilizers to prevent them from melting smoothly. Save them for your chocolate chip cookies.
A splash of vegetable oil thins out the chocolate so it’s the best consistency for dipping. If you find your chocolate is still too thick, add a little more vegetable oil. Coconut oil works too, but I recommend vegetable oil for best results. (And if using melting wafers, no need to add oil.)
How to Make Chocolate-Covered Pretzels
Melt the chocolate: You can use a double boiler, but I usually just use the microwave. Place the chopped chocolate, along with the oil, in a microwave-safe bowl or glass liquid measuring cup. Microwave in 20-second increments, stirring after each increment, until completely melted and smooth.
Dip: Drop a pretzel twist in the melted chocolate, and lift it back out again with a fork. Tap the fork gently on the side of the bowl/measuring cup to allow excess chocolate to drip off. Use a toothpick (or another fork) to slide the dipped pretzel onto a lined baking sheet. (If using pretzel rods, simply hold one end and dip the other end in the chocolate.)
You certainly can. I have a How to Temper Chocolate tutorial in my cookbook, Sally’s Candy Addiction, and there are many available online. Tempering chocolate is a method of carefully and slowly heating and cooling chocolate. The benefit of tempering is that it maintains that delicious “snap” when biting into the chocolate. Also, when simply melting chocolate (without tempering), you may notice a dull appearance and streaks in the chocolate as it sets. When tempering, chocolate remains a bit shiny, and the streaks do not form. Tempered chocolate should not be refrigerated, so if you decide to temper the chocolate for these pretzels, keep them at room temperature.
Allow the chocolate to set. If desired, lightly sprinkle each with sprinkles while chocolate is still wet. I like using nonpareils here, which are the teeny-tiny colored balls. But any sprinkles work!
And if you have leftover chocolate, feel free to drizzle it on top—you can use a spoon or squeeze bottle for that. Place the baking sheet with the chocolate-covered pretzels in the refrigerator to set the chocolate. It should set in about 30 minutes, and then you can transfer the pretzels to a container, tin, bag… or your mouth.
Classic Chocolate Covered Pretzels
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 0 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Yield: 4 cups pretzels
Category: Dessert
Method: Coating
Cuisine: American
Description
Chocolate-covered pretzels are so simple to make, yet always a crowd-pleaser. Have fun with all the variations including different shaped pretzels, white chocolate and semi-sweet chocolate, and various toppings like sprinkles, crushed candy canes, Oreo cookie crumbs, and more. See recipe Notes for more ideas.
Instructions
- Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Melt the chocolate with the oil: You can melt it in a double boiler or use the microwave. If using the microwave: place the chocolate and oil in a medium heat-proof bowl. I recommend using a glass 2-cup liquid measuring cup because its depth makes dipping really easy. Microwave for 20-second increments, stirring after each, until chocolate is completely melted and smooth.
- Dip a pretzel in the melted chocolate. Use a fork to lift it out, and tap the fork on the side of the bowl to allow excess chocolate to drip off. Use a toothpick to help slide the pretzel off the fork and onto the lined baking sheet. Top with sprinkles (if using) while the chocolate is still wet. If you have leftover melted chocolate, you can reheat it (if needed to keep it fluid) and drizzle it on top of the coated pretzels. I usually use a squeeze bottle for drizzling.
- Refrigerate to set the chocolate, about 20–30 minutes. Once chocolate is set, store the chocolate-covered pretzels in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week, or in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
Notes
- Freezing Instructions: Once the chocolate sets, you can layer the coated pretzels between sheets of parchment paper in a freezer-friendly container. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator or at room temperature. After thawing, the chocolate may appear dull and streaky, but it is fine to consume.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Baking Sheet | Parchment Paper | Double Boiler or Liquid Measuring Cup | Squeeze Bottle
- Chocolate: For the best-looking and -tasting pretzels, use 4-ounce “baking chocolate” bars found in the baking aisle. I prefer Baker’s or Ghirardelli brands. You need two 4-ounce bars for this recipe, 8 ounces (226g) total. You can use milk, semi-sweet, bittersweet, or white chocolate. You could also use chocolate melting wafers, such as Ghirardelli brand. Candy melts or almond bark work too, but they don’t taste like real chocolate. Do not use chocolate chips because they contain stabilizers preventing them from melting into the correct consistency for coating.
- Oil: Vegetable oil helps thin out the chocolate so it easily coats the candies. If you’re using chocolate melting wafers, you do not need to add oil. Coconut oil works, but the chocolate isn’t quite as thin. I’ve found vegetable oil is the best choice. Do not use butter.
- Fun Variations: Dip various sizes and shapes of pretzels; use white, milk, or dark chocolate (or all three!); add colored sprinkles for holidays or to match a party theme; or top with chopped nuts, crushed candy canes, toffee bits, crushed Oreo crumbs… have fun with it!
