Today I’m sharing my easy technique for making gorgeous, professional-looking chocolate covered pretzels. Add your favorite toppings like sprinkles, crushed candies, or nuts!
Pretty much anything can be improved with a chocolate coating, pretzels being no exception. A salty-sweet classic, chocolate covered pretzels pop up most often during the holidays, but these are great and easy to make year-round.
Do chocolate covered pretzels need to be refrigerated? No, in fact, chocolate covered pretzels are best stored at room temperature. Dipped pretzel rods can be placed in the fridge for 10 minutes to help them set up, but otherwise they should be stored at room temperature to avoid condensation.
What we love about this recipe:
- Simple technique: Other existing chocolate pretzel recipes use techniques that are either too simple and leave you with streaky, chalky chocolate coating, or others are overly complex and require candy thermometers and more patience than most of us have for this simple treat. Mine strikes a careful balance; we melt the chocolate carefully and “faux” temper it, giving us shiny glossy results without too much fuss.
- Versatile. Can be used for mini pretzels or pretzel rods. Customizable with different colored sprinkles, crushed candies, or toffee bits (or really nearly anything you’d like!).
- Perfect for the holidays! Great for gracing your Christmas dessert table or packing into tins for easy homemade gifts.
- Long shelf life: they’ll keep for a few months in the fridge or freezer!
These are not a particularly complicated treat to make; melting the chocolate is the most complicated part!
I use a chocolate-melting method similar to the one I use for my chocolate covered strawberries. If you’re looking to truly temper your chocolate (more on this below) follow the steps in my hot chocolate bomb recipe for melting the chocolate. Today I’m skipping the candy thermometer, so we’re not actually tempering the chocolate. Regardless, you’re still less likely to end up with a streaky coating with this method (and even if you do, it’ll still taste good!!).
Chocolate dipped pretzels couldn’t be more simple–all you really need is chocolate and pretzels!
- Chocolate. Stick with high quality milk, dark, or semisweet chocolate bars or couverture chocolate (pictured above). I don’t prefer to use chocolate chips–I talk more about this in the FAQ section below.
- Pretzels. I use mini pretzels here, but you could use regular-sized pretzels or pretzel rods, if you like!
- Toppings. Sprinkles, crushed nuts, crushed candies, or a drizzle of white chocolate/colorful candy melts are all great options here! You can also skip the toppings and leave your pretzels plain.
SAM’S TIP: Make your pretzels festive by sprinkling crushed candy cane pieces over the tops while the chocolate is still warm. This’ll give you a bit of a peppermint bark vibe.
Remember, this is just an overview of the ingredients I used and why. For the full recipe please scroll down to the bottom of the post!
How to Make Chocolate Covered Pretzels
- Add all but 2 tablespoons of your chocolate to a medium-sized heatproof bowl, then set this aside.
- Bring a small saucepan filled with 1-2 inches of water to a simmer over medium heat, then place your bowl overtop (the bottom of the bowl should hover above the water).
- Stir constantly as the chocolate melts, and once fully melted, remove the bowl from the heat.
- Stir in your reserved chocolate until it is completely melted and smooth.
- Dip your pretzels in the melted chocolate, then place on a cooling rack or wax paper lined baking sheet, adding any decorations while the chocolate is still wet.
- Let the chocolate harden before enjoying.
SAM’S TIP: If you lack patience (I’m with you!), you can place your pretzels in the fridge to speed up the cooling process.
How To Refrigerate Chocolate Covered Strawberries Overnight! #youtube #tutorial #how #howto #viral
FAQ
How should I store chocolate covered pretzels?
Can chocolate covered pretzels go bad?
How do you keep chocolate covered pretzels from turning white?
How do you store chocolate covered pretzels?
Transfer the chocolate covered pretzels to an airtight container or storage bag. Ensure the container is large enough to accommodate the pretzels without causing them to break. Store the pretzels in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight and strong odors. A pantry or cupboard works well for this.
Do chocolate covered pretzels need to be refrigerated?
The pretzel should be placed in the fridge for more than fifteen minutes to harden the chocolate. But the chocolate-covered pretzels will last longest at room temperature. Hence refrigeration should not be done if not an absolute necessity to avoid condensation. Can You Freeze Chocolate-Covered Pretzels? Yes, you can freeze them.
Can you freeze chocolate pretzels?
You can also freeze the pretzels in an airtight freezer-safe container so that they remain dry since any moisture will cause freezer burn. Chocolate-covered pretzels last in the freezer for u p to 6 months! Hence, putting them in the freezer extends their overall shelf life. You don’t even have to thaw your chocolate pretzels to enjoy them.
Do pretzels need to be refrigerated?
So if you do place them in your fridge, I would suggest that you leave them there for an extended amount of time to ensure the hardening of the chocolate. The pretzel should be placed in the fridge for more than fifteen minutes to harden the chocolate. But the chocolate-covered pretzels will last longest at room temperature.