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Why You’ll Love My Recipe

Pretzels make a great snack no matter the occasion, but there’s nothing stopping you from making them a little extra special by dipping them in chocolate!

If you are a lover of sweet and salty together in a snack then chocolate covered pretzels are the perfect treat for you! Covered in crushed candy canes (or sprinkles) these are one of my favorite sweet and salty combo snacks!

For other great pretzel recipes, why not try these Pretzel & Marshmallow Bones? Or try making these Rolo Pretzel Bites instead?

chocolate covered pretzels on a white plate

Karlynn’s Recipe Notes

Skill Level: These treats are easy to make and perfect to involve kids in the kitchen!
Total Time: You can have these sweet and salty treats ready in just 40 minutes! Make sure to set aside plenty of time to let them cool and harden!
Variations: This recipe makes pretzels enrobed in a thick layer of chocolate and crushed candy cane, but you can also dip half of the pretzels to create a textural contrast! For even more variety, try melting some white chocolate separate from the regular chocolate and drizzle it over the cooling pretzel pieces for a gorgeous striped effect! You can also use chopped nuts or colorful sprinkles instead of candy canes!
Tools For This Recipe: You will need a double boiler for melting your chocolate and large baking trays and parchment paper to make cooling and setting your chocolate-dipped treats easy!

ingredients needed for chocolate covered pretzels

What You’ll Need for Ingredients

Chocolate Chips: I suggest using dark or milk chocolate chips, but feel free to use white chocolate for a milder, creamier taste! For a shinier, snappier chocolate coating, look for candy melts, which are usually made with hydrogenated oils and as a result can create a smoother, glossier coating than your everyday chocolate chips, with no need to worry about tempering!

Pretzels: Go with your favorite brand of hard pretzels for this recipe, just make sure that they’re salted for that perfect sweet and savory contrast! Pretzel twists (like the ones pictured here) make for the most visually interesting treat in my opinion, but you could also use pretzel rods!

Flavor Extracts: For an extra punch of peppermint flavor, consider adding a touch of peppermint extract to the chocolate as it’s melting! Or you could add your own spin to this treat by using almond extract or orange extract instead based on your preference!

Toppings: I suggest using crushed up candy canes because they add a cute color contrast as well as a deliciously sweet and minty crunch. They could easily be substituted for sprinkles, chopped nuts, or colorful sugar depending on your preference!

How To Make Chocolate Covered Pretzels

This is a quick overview of the recipe. The full list of ingredients & complete step-by-step instructions are in the recipe card below.

Melt the chocolate over medium heat in a double boiler on the stove and line baking sheets with parchment paper. Once the chocolate is melted, you can stir in any flavorings as desired.
Remove the chocolate from the heat and dip your pretzels into it one by one using a fork. Allow the excess chocolate to drip off.
Place each pretzel on the parchment paper to cool. Before they set, sprinkle on any toppings you want.
Once set, the chocolate covered pretzels can be stored in an airtight container between layers of waxed paper.

dipping a pretzel into a bowl of melted chocolate

Karlynn’s Tips and Tricks for the Perfect Chocolate Covered Pretzels

Melt Magic: Melting chocolate at home can be intimidating because it has a tendency to burn easily or separate into a grainy slurry if you aren’t being careful. The easiest way to avoid burning your chocolate is to use a double boiler to melt it. If you don’t have a fancy double boiler, you can improvise one by putting your chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan filled with a small amount of water. With the heat on super low, the hot water will simmer and start to steam, and the steam will gently heat the bowl, melting everything slowly and keeping the risk of burning low.
Extra Ease: If using (or improvising) a double boiler sounds too fiddly, you can melt your chocolate by microwaving it in a microwave-safe container for 5 seconds at a time on low power and stir between each microwave burst to minimize the risk of your chocolate burning. If you find that it’s too thick, you can add a little vegetable oil to thin it out. You’ll have to work quicker to coat your pretzels, though, since you won’t have the residual heat of a pan of hot water to keep your chocolate liquid!

chocolate covered pretzels on a parchment lined baking sheet

Storage Instructions

After your chocolate covered pretzels have set, they can be stored in an airtight container between layers of waxed or parchment paper for up to 7 days at room temperature.

Refrigerator: Once cooled and set, place your chocolate covered pretzels in an airtight container between layers of waxed or parchment paper. If kept in a dry part of the fridge (usually on the higher shelves) they can stay good for up to 2 weeks. Just remember, pretzels are naturally dry and absorb moisture easily, so leaving them in the fridge too long or storing them improperly will quickly lead to them becoming soggy.

Freezer: Let the chocolate set completely and freeze in a single layer on your baking sheet for about an hour, until the pretzels have frozen solid. From there, you can transfer them to a freezer-safe airtight container or freezer safe zip-top bags for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to serve, let them sit at room temperature for 10-15 minutes before eating to avoid cracking the chocolate coating or softening the pretzels too quickly.

More Delicious Confections & Snacks

Looking for another easy sweet and salty chocolate treat? Give my Turtle Chocolate Bark a try!
For a retro classic that’s never gone out of style, why not try making my Old Fashioned Candied Pecans?
Give my Buckeye Recipe (Peanut Butter Balls) a try for an easy-to-make chocolate and peanut butter delight!

These snacks are the perfect treat that I can eat by the handful, and the fact that they store so well in the freezer means I can have some on hand at the drop of a hat!

Give this easy recipe a try and let me know what your favorite combination of toppings is in the comments below!

Happy Baking!

Karlynn