Chocolate Covered Pretzel Rods

ByLeigh Harris Published: Updated on

Chocolate covered pretzel rods are a super easy and fun treat to make and gift during the holidays. Beautiful, edible, salty-sweet treats everyone loves!

Chocolate covered pretzel rods on a white plate with a red placemat underneath.
Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

Why You’ll Love These

Beautiful, edible, salty-sweet treats everyone loves!

Why pay those ridiculous prices at the store when you can make them yourself?

This chocolate covered pretzel rods recipe is super easy to make and the kids can help too!

They are great to make for parties or snacks at home. Gifting for Christmas to friends and neighbors.

Some of our other favorite treat recipes to make are Peanut Butter Balls, Old Fashioned Peanut Brittle, Butter Pecan Fudge, Ultimate Turtle Brownies Recipe, Peanut Butter Pretzel Bites, and Hello Dolly Cookies.

Chocolate covered pretzel rods ingredients on a sark surface.

Key Ingredients

  • Pretzels – You want long round pretzel rods. They are now sold in 12 ounce packages instead of the usual 16 ounces. You can also find them a large 25 to 27-ounce canister. It will depend on how many you want to make. For the best pretzels choose salty pretzel rods by Snyder’s or even Clancy’s (Aldi brand) they are sturdier and don’t break as easily.
  • Chocolate – You can use any chocolate you like for these. High quality chocolate bars like Ghirardelli or Guittard work great but chocolate chips melt just as well when mixed with a little shortening or vegetable oil. We prefer semi-sweet chocolate chips or dark chocolate chips and white chocolate chips.
  • Toppings – The toppings are endless! Choose your favorite seasonal sprinkles, chopped nuts, mini marshmallows, mini M&M’s, crushed peppermint candies, colored candy melts, toffee bits, mini chocolate chips, etc.

How to Make Chocolate Covered Pretzel Rods

  • Line two large baking sheet pans with parchment paper or wax paper. Set up your workstation with all the sprinkles you are going to use, and place colored melting candy (for the drizzle) in heavy-duty zip-top bags.
  • Melt the chocolate chips. The easiest way I have found is to use a tall, somewhat narrow glass. Measure a pretzel rod in several of your glasses to make sure it’s the size you need. Place two cups (or as much as your chosen glass will hold) of semi-sweet chocolate chips and one tablespoon of vegetable shortening in the glass. Microwave for 45 seconds, remove, and stir vigorously with a rubber spatula. A rubber spatula makes it easy to scrape the sides of the glass down when stirring the chocolate. If necessary, microwave at additional 10- to 15-second intervals, stirring just until morsels are melted.
  • Dip the pretzel rods in the glass and tilt the glass as needed to cover as much of the pretzel as desired. Let excess drip back into the glass and use the rim to remove any excess chocolate. Place on the prepared pan and sprinkle your toppings.
Dark Chocolate Covered Pretzel Rods on a parchment paper baking sheet.
White Chocolate Covered Pretzel Rods on a parchment paper lined baking sheet.
  • If using sprinkles, you must sprinkle them before the chocolate starts to set or they won’t adhere to the pretzel. Pretty, right? Choose your favorite, the possibilities are endless!
White Chocolate Covered Pretzel Rods on a parchment lined baking sheet.
  • If using different colored chocolate drizzles, you can dip all the pretzels first. Then place about 1/2 cup of candy melts of each color in the heavy-duty zip-top bags. Microwave for about 20-25 seconds. Squish the candy melts around in the bag until they are melted and smooth. Snip a tiny cut in one corner of the bag and drizzle away.
Dark Chocolate Covered Pretzel Rods on a parchment paper lined baking sheet.
  • Let the chocolate set and wrap however you like for gifts or store them in an air-tight container for you and your family. Cellophane bags with a pretty ribbon is always easy.
Chocolate Covered Pretzel Rods - chocolate dipped and decorated pretzel rods standing up in a mason jar

Easy, fun treats even the kids can help make. They will go crazy with the sprinkles or even love drizzling the colored candy melts over the tops.

How to Melt Chocolate in a Crock Pot

Fill tall heat-safe glasses or jars with chocolate chips.  Set them into the crock pot and fill the crock pot with hot water until it’s about halfway up the sides of the jars, be careful not to allow any water to get into the glasses with the chocolate. Set the crockpot to high, once the chocolate is melted, stir with a long-handled spoon, and turn the temperature down to low.

How to Make Chocolate Covered Pretzels without a Flat Side

  • You can use a wire cooling rack and stand them up in each hole.
  • In an empty cereal box cut an X and then push a hole through with your finger and place the rods in those.
  • Turn a styrofoam egg carton upside down and poke holes in the top of the egg slots or place them standing up in a tall glass to dry.

Tips

  • Have your set-up ready to go before beginning to melt the chocolate. This will make things go much smoother and quicker.
  • So set up your workstation with all the sprinkles you are going to use, and place colored melting candy (for the drizzle) in heavy-duty zip-top bags.
  • DO NOT OVERHEAT. It’s very easy to burn the chocolate so you need to know your microwave and watch it carefully. You can also melt the chocolate in a double boiler.
  • You can use almond bark or chocolate melting wafers if desired.
  • You can use any type of chocolate such as dark chocolate, semi sweet chocolate, white chocolate, or milk chocolate chips.
  • Make them for any occasion Easter, 4th of July, or Halloween by choosing seasonal colors or sprinkles.

FAQs

Storing

Store the chocolate covered pretzel rods in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week.

Freezing

I don’t recommend freezing the chocolate covered pretzel rods. The texture of the pretzel changes and the chocolate blooms (white coating).

More Pretzel Treat Recipes

Are you on Pinterest? Click the button below to add this recipe to one of your boards!
Chocolate covered pretzel rods on a oblong platter.

Chocolate Covered Pretzel Rods Recipe

Chocolate Covered Pretzel Rods – Super easy and fun treat to make and gift during the holidays. Beautiful, edible, salty-sweet treats everyone loves!
4.41 from 22 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Candy, Dessert
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes
Servings: 35
Calories: 101kcal
Author: Leigh Harris

Ingredients
 

  • 16 oz pretzel rods
  • 12 ounces chocolate chips semisweet, dark or white chocolate or candy melts
  • 1-2 tablespoons vegetable shortening
  • Sprinkles
US Customary – Metric

Instructions

  • Line two large baking sheets with wax or parchment paper.
  • Set up your workstation with all the sprinkles you are going to use. Place about 1/2 cup of colored melting candy (for the drizzle) in heavy-duty zip-top bags.
  • Microwave 2 cups of chocolate chips and vegetable shortening in a tall glass for 45 seconds. Stir. 
    The morsels may retain some of their original shapes. If necessary, microwave for additional 10- to 15-second intervals, stirring just until morsels are melted.
    12 ounces chocolate chips, 1-2 tablespoons vegetable shortening
  • Dip the pretzel rods into melted chocolate, tilting the glass to easily cover as much of the pretzel as you want. 
    Use the side and rim of the glass to remove excess. Place on prepared baking sheet.  Sprinkle with sprinkles.
    16 oz pretzel rods, Sprinkles
  • Or microwave the candy melts in the zip-top bags for about 20-25 seconds, squish the candy around until melted and smooth. 
    Cut a tiny cut corner from each of the bags and drizzle.
  • Let set up. Store in an air-tight container.

Notes

Originally Published 12/14/2018
Storing – Place them in an air-tight container or bag and store them at room temperature for about 1 week.

Nutrition

Calories: 101kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 171mg | Potassium: 18mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 22IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 14mg | Iron: 1mg

Share With Your Friends And Family!

6 Comments

    1. You can use a wire cooling rack and stand them up in each hole. You can cut an X and then push a hole through with your finger in an empty cereal box and place the rods in those. Turn a styrofoam egg carton upside down and poke holes in the top of the egg slots. Place them standing up in a tall glass to dry. I hope these options help.

      Reply

  3. Wow, it look yummy. Thank you for guiding me about Chocolate Covered Pretzel Rods. I am chocolate lover and i want to try Chocolate Covered Pretzel Rods and i will make it and i am super crazy about the taste of it. I hope it will be one of the best experiences.5 stars

    Reply
4.41 from 22 votes (20 ratings without comment)

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *