Description
These Christmas Caramel Pretzel Bites are a festive and delicious holiday treat featuring soft caramel sandwiched between crunchy mini pretzels and drizzled with colorful red, green, and white candy melts. Topped with holiday sprinkles, they’re perfect for sharing or gifting during the holiday season.
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 (190°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper to prepare for baking the pretzel and caramel bites.
- Arrange Pretzels and Add Caramel: Place half of the mini pretzel twists in a single layer on the baking sheet. Place a halved soft caramel in the center of each pretzel.
- Bake Caramel and Pretzels: Bake in the preheated oven for 5 minutes or until the caramels have softened, becoming gooey and slightly melted.
- Top with Remaining Pretzels: Remove from the oven and immediately press another pretzel twist on top of each caramel, sandwiching the caramel between two pretzels. Leave the assembled pretzels on the baking sheet to cool completely.
- Melt Red Candy Melts: Place the red Candy Melts along with one teaspoon of vegetable shortening into a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave in 30-second increments, stirring in between, until melted smooth. Add more shortening, a teaspoon at a time, if needed to achieve a smooth, drizzle-friendly consistency.
- Drizzle Red Candy: Transfer the melted red candy melts to a piping bag or plastic baggie with a small corner cut off, then drizzle over each pretzel bite completely.
- Repeat with Green Candy Melts: Repeat the melting and drizzling process as described for the red candy melts using the green candy melts.
- Repeat with White Candy Melts: Similarly, melt and drizzle the white candy melts over the pretzel bites for a festive layered look.
- Add Sprinkles: Immediately after drizzling the white candy melts, sprinkle holiday-themed sprinkles on top to decorate while the candy is still wet.
- Set and Store: Allow all the candy melts to fully set and harden before storing or serving your festive caramel pretzel bites.
Notes
- Store the caramel pretzel bites in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week.
- For longer shelf life, keep them refrigerated, but note this may slightly change the candy texture.
- Use vegetable shortening to thin melting candy for smoother drizzling and to prevent seizing.
- Customize the sprinkles or candy colors to match different holiday themes or occasions.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 pretzel bites
- Calories: 150
- Sugar: 12g
- Sodium: 200mg
- Fat: 7g
- Saturated Fat: 4g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 22g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 1g
- Cholesterol: 5mg
