Description
These Christmas Caramel Pretzel Bites are a delightful holiday treat combining salty pretzels, gooey caramel, and colorful candy melts drizzled on top. Perfect for festive parties or gift-giving, they are easy to make with minimal ingredients and ready in just over half an hour.
Ingredients
Scale
Pretzel Bites
- 48 mini pretzel twists
- 12 soft caramels, unwrapped and cut in half
Candy Melts Drizzle
- 1 cup red Candy Melts
- 1-2 tablespoons vegetable shortening
- 1 cup green Candy Melts
- 1 cup white Candy Melts
- Holiday sprinkles
Instructions
- Preheat and prepare: Preheat your oven to 375°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper to prevent sticking.
- Arrange pretzels and caramel: Place half of the mini pretzels on the baking sheet in a single layer. Top each pretzel with one caramel half centered on it.
- Bake the caramel: Bake in the preheated oven for 5 minutes until the caramels are softened but not melted completely.
- Press pretzels on caramel: Remove the baking sheet from the oven and quickly press one pretzel on top of each softened caramel, creating bite-sized stacks. Let them cool completely on the baking sheet.
- Melt red candy melts: In a microwave-safe bowl, combine red Candy Melts and 1 teaspoon of vegetable shortening. Microwave in 30-second increments, stirring between each, until fully melted and smooth. Add more shortening 1 teaspoon at a time if needed for smooth consistency.
- Drizzle red candy melts: Transfer the melted red candy to a piping bag or plastic bag with a small cut at the corner. Drizzle this over each pretzel bite evenly.
- Melt and drizzle green candy melts: Repeat the melting process with green Candy Melts and vegetable shortening. Drizzle the green candy melts on top of the pretzel bites after the red drizzle sets slightly.
- Melt and drizzle white candy melts with sprinkles: Melt the white Candy Melts similarly and drizzle over the bites. Immediately sprinkle holiday sprinkles on top before the white candy sets.
- Set and store: Allow the candy melts to harden completely at room temperature before storing the bites in an airtight container.
Notes
- Store the pretzel bites in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week.
- For longer storage, keep the bites refrigerated to maintain freshness.
- Vegetable shortening helps thin the candy melts for easier drizzling and smoother finishes.
- If you don’t have a piping bag, use a small plastic zip-top bag with a tiny corner cut off for drizzling.
- Feel free to customize with different colored candy melts or festive sprinkles to match your holiday theme.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 150 kcal
- Sugar: 12 g
- Sodium: 200 mg
- Fat: 7 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 20 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 1 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
