Homemade chocolate-covered pretzels are a quick, easy no-bake dessert with only two ingredients! Customize them for any occasion and enjoy this chocolate snack year-round. Chocolate-dipped pretzels take minutes to make, and they’re a delicious sweet-and-salty party dessert, holiday treat, or edible gift.
I once worked in a bakery with a candy shop, and the chocolate-covered pretzels were always a favorite chocolatey snack. Crunchy and salty on the inside, covered in rich chocolate… does a more perfect sweet-salty dessert exist? Luckily, I picked up a few tricks for the best chocolate-dipped pretzels during my time there, including how to dip twists or rods, and plenty of ways to decorate them. This easy homemade candy is worth the two ingredients and 10 minutes it takes to put together. Use good-quality melting chocolate, and your homemade chocolate-covered pretzels will turn out just as good, if not better, than any store-bought version!
Like chocolate fudge, peanut clusters, and chocolate-covered Oreos, I think you’re going to love these fun and delicious pretzels dipped in chocolate. It’s such a simple no-bake dessert with endless ways to decorate.
Why You’ll Love Making Chocolate-Covered Pretzels
- Sweet meets salty. I love the salty crunch of pretzels, and when combined with sweet chocolate? I can’t think of a more addictive snack. You can cover your pretzels with any type of chocolate, too, including dark, white, or milk chocolate.
- Great for gifting. I love packaging my chocolate-covered pretzels into jars or cellophane baggies as sweet homemade gifts for teachers, bus drivers, or anytime I want to say a little “thank you”. They’re also great to add to cookie trays for Christmas, Easter, or Valentine’s Day. Especially since it’s so easy to customize these pretzels for different holidays!
- Easy to make your own. Chocolate-dipped pretzels need only two ingredients and from there, you can decorate them in loads of different ways, and for any occasion. Add colorful sprinkles (i.e., pink for Valentine’s Day, or red, white, and blue for the 4th of July), roll them in cookie crumbs, or add chopped nuts or a chocolate drizzle.
Ingredient Notes
You only need two ingredients for this chocolate-covered pretzels recipe, plus any chosen garnishes. See the recipe card below for the exact measurements.
- Chocolate Wafers – Be sure to use chocolate melting wafers and not candy melts. I like to use a mix of dark and white chocolate. You could also use chopped chocolate bars from brands like Lindt, Ghirardelli, or Baker’s.
- Pretzels – You can dip pretzel rods or mini pretzel twists. One bag of chocolate wafers easily covers a 12-ounce bag of pretzel rods. If you’re using a full bag of mini twists, you’ll need 3 bags of chocolate wafers.
- Garnishes – Any extras you’d like to use to decorate your chocolate-covered pretzels. Sprinkles, crushed nuts, and cookie crumbs are my favorites.
The Best Chocolate for Melting
The best chocolate for dipping pretzels is chocolate melting wafers or high-quality chocolate bars. I like the ones from Ghirardelli and Guittard, which are very good quality and made specifically for melting. You can also melt their wafers in small quantities, which is perfect if I’m adding a drizzle or an otherwise small amount of chocolate to my covered pretzels.
Note that candy melts are NOT the same thing as chocolate wafers. While candy can be great for melting, the consistency is thicker, and I find it’s harder to get a smooth finish when dipping the pretzels. The flavor also isn’t as rich as chocolate. You could still use candy melts for decorating, though, if you wanted more colors.
How to Make Chocolate-Covered Pretzels
Homemade chocolate pretzels are not only easy to make but fun, too! This no-bake dessert is a great holiday activity for kids, since everyone can get creative with toppings. Here’s how to make them, step by step.
- Melt the chocolate. First, melt half of the chocolate wafers at 50% power in 30-second intervals, stirring each time until the chocolate is melted. Don’t overheat the chocolate, or it may seize.
- Dip the pretzels. Place your pretzels in a bowl of chocolate. Flip them over with a fork to coat completely. Afterward, place the chocolate-covered pretzels on parchment paper or a silicone baking mat to dry.
Pretzel Rods
If you’re working with pretzel rods, the technique is a little different, but the results are just as tasty. This is my go-to method for dipping pretzel rods in chocolate:
- Fill a glass. Fill a glass 1/3 full with melted chocolate.
- Tilt and dip. Tilt the glass sideways and dip the pretzel into the chocolate, swirling to coat each side. Place the dipped pretzels on parchment paper or a baking mat to set.
Decorating Tip
If you’re adding sprinkles or other toppings to your chocolate-covered pretzels, do so quickly after dipping, before the chocolate sets. If you’re adding a chocolate drizzle, wait until the chocolate has set and then drizzle the additional chocolate on top.
Expert Tips
- Remove excess chocolate. Once placed on the parchment paper (or silicone mat), the chocolate around the pretzel will also harden, so try to remove any excess chocolate from the bottom of the pretzel prior to placing on the mat. To do this, scrape one side of the pretzel on the edge of the glass (for pretzel rods) or scrape the bottom of the fork on the edge of the bowl if dipping pretzel twists.
- Prepare toppings in advance. If you want to add a topping to the pretzels, prepare them in advance and have them ready to garnish while the chocolate is still wet. If you want to add a chocolate drizzle, make sure to let the chocolate harden prior to adding the drizzle.
- Melt chocolate in increments. The chocolate can set or harden quickly, so I recommend melting no more than half a bag at a time unless you are using a melting pot.
- Melting Pot Directions: I love using my melting pot whenever I’m working with chocolate. It keeps the chocolate at the perfect temperature without burning it! They are perfect for chocolate covered pretzels because you can do them in larger batches.
Decorating Chocolate-Covered Pretzels
One thing I love about chocolate-covered pretzels is how easy they are to customize. You can make these a festive dessert just by changing the color of the sprinkles or other toppings. I’ve done crushed Reese’s pieces for Halloween, red and green M&Ms for Christmas, chopped pistachios, Oreo crumbs… No matter the occasion, I can seamlessly whip up some pretzels to match it.
These are a few more of my favorite toppings and decorating ideas. You can also check out my Christmas Oreos and Valentine’s Day Oreos posts for inspiration.
- Crushed cookies: Oreos and graham crackers are two of my favorites. Just press the freshly dipped pretzels into the crumbs, or sprinkle them on to coat.
- Chopped nuts: Try walnuts, pecans, peanuts, or almonds.
- Sprinkles: Perfect for making these into a holiday dessert, whether it’s Valentine’s Day, 4th of July, Christmas, Halloween, etc.
- Chocolate drizzle: I like to use different-colored chocolate for the drizzle, like white chocolate on milk chocolate or vice versa.
- Crushed candy: Add chopped M&Ms, Reese’s pieces, or crushed candy canes.
Ways to Use Chocolate Pretzels
In addition to snacking, these are some other ways to enjoy your chocolate-dipped pretzels:
- Party dessert. Combine these pretzels with reindeer chow, monster munch, or customize them to add to party favors.
- Cupcake toppers. Use chocolate-covered pretzels to decorate your favorite cupcakes and cakes.
- Gifting. Wrap them up as a thoughtful edible gift to give to friends, family, teachers, etc.
Proper Storage
- Store airtight. Store these chocolate-covered pretzels in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks. If you’re making these in the summertime, or notice the chocolate starting to melt, I would recommend keeping them in the fridge instead. Just note that condensation will form on the chocolate if you keep them in the fridge. Eat them as soon as you pull them out, before the condensation makes the pretzel soggy. I don’t recommend freezing chocolate-covered pretzels, as it makes them stale.
More Easy Homemade Candy
Chocolate Covered Pretzels
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 2 minutes
- Total Time: 12 minutes
- Yield: 12-24 servings
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Microwave
- Cuisine: American
Description
Homemade chocolate-covered pretzels are a quick, easy, no-bake dessert with only two ingredients. Customize them for any holiday and enjoy this chocolate snack year-round. Great for gift-giving, too!
Ingredients
- 10 ounces (283g) chocolate wafers
- 10 ounces(283g) white chocolate wafers (optional)
- 1 bag (12oz) Pretzel rods or 1 (16oz) bag mini pretzel twists
- Garnishes (sprinkles, nuts crushed cookies etc)
Instructions
- Melt the chocolate: In a microwave-safe bowl, melt half the chocolate wafers at 50% power in 30-second intervals; stir after each interval and continue until the chocolate is melted. Reduce microwave time as needed so the chocolate does not burn. Melt additional chocolate as needed.
- For pretzel twists: Place a handful of pretzels in the bowl of chocolate and use a fork to flip them around until completely coated. Use the fork to lift the pretzels out of the chocolate, tap the fork on the side of the bowl to remove excess chocolate, and scrape the bottom of the fork on the edge of the bowl to remove additional chocolate. Place on a piece of parchment paper or a silicone baking mat and repeat with remaining pretzels.
- For pretzel rods: Fill a tall glass about 1/3 full of melted chocolate. Tilt the glass sideways and dip the pretzel in the chocolate, swirling to cover each side. Tap off excess chocolate and scrape one side of the pretzel on the edge of the glass. Place on a piece of parchment paper or a silicone baking mat and repeat with remaining pretzels.
- Decorate: The chocolate tends to set quickly, so if you’d like to add sprinkles or other toppings, then it’s best to do so right away.
- Chocolate drizzle: To add a chocolate drizzle, wait until the chocolate has set and then apply the drizzle. Fill a small piping bag with 2-3 tablespoons of melted chocolate and cut off the tip of the piping bag. Drizzle and allow to set.
Notes
- The chocolate can set or harden quickly, so I recommend using no more than half a bag at a time unless you are using a melting pot.
- One 10-ounce bag is enough to cover a bag of pretzel rods. For a full bag of mini pretzels, you may want three 10oz bags of chocolate.
- Ghirardelli chocolate wafers are my go-to. They come in milk, dark and white chocolate.
