Description
Delicious Christmas Caramel Pretzel Bites feature mini pretzel twists topped with soft caramel candies and coated in festive red, green, and white candy melts, finished with holiday sprinkles for a perfect sweet and salty holiday treat.
Ingredients
Scale
Base
- 48 mini pretzel twists
- 12 soft caramels, unwrapped and cut in half
Candy Coating
- 1 cup red Candy Melts
- 1 cup green Candy Melts
- 1 cup white Candy Melts
- 1-2 tablespoons vegetable shortening
Toppings
- holiday sprinkles
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 375°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper to prevent sticking.
- Arrange Pretzels and Caramels: Place half of the mini pretzel twists evenly on the prepared baking sheet. Top each pretzel with a half caramel, placing it in the center.
- Bake Caramel Topped Pretzels: Bake for 5 minutes or until the caramels soften but do not fully melt.
- Press Top Pretzels: Remove the baking sheet from the oven and quickly press one pretzel twist on top of each warm caramel to sandwich it. Leave them on the sheet to cool completely.
- Melt Red Candy Melts: In a microwave-safe bowl, combine red candy melts with 1 teaspoon vegetable shortening. Microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring between each, until smooth. Add more shortening if needed to achieve a smooth, drizzle-able consistency.
- Drizzle Red Candy: Transfer melted red candy to a piping bag or plastic baggie and snip a small corner. Drizzle over the pretzel bites to coat them with red chocolate.
- Melt and Drizzle Green Candy: Repeat the melting process with green candy melts and shortening. Drizzle the green candy melts over the pretzels similarly.
- Melt and Drizzle White Candy: Again, melt the white candy melts with shortening and drizzle over pretzels to finish the coating.
- Add Sprinkles: Immediately top the pretzels with holiday sprinkles before the candy melts set to ensure they stick.
- Set and Store: Allow the candy melts to fully set at room temperature before serving or storing in an airtight container.
Notes
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week.
- For longer freshness, refrigerate the pretzel bites.
- If candy melts thicken too much during melting, add a small amount of vegetable shortening to smooth the texture.
- Use parchment paper to prevent sticking and make cleanup easier.
- Press pretzels onto caramels immediately after baking for best adhesion before the caramel hardens.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 150 kcal
- Sugar: 12 g
- Sodium: 180 mg
- Fat: 6 g
- Saturated Fat: 3 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 22 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
