Even if you abstain from snacks most of the time, chocolate-dipped pretzels can be a better choice than chips. They have fewer calories and dark chocolate contributes antioxidants to this treat. If you make them yourself, choose your favorite chocolate and decorate them as you like. Chocolate-dipped pretzels also make a good homemade gift, but remember to let them dry thoroughly before packaging them.
Pretzel Sticks
Step 1
Dip one end of a large pretzel stick in a bowl of melted chocolate. Spoon the chocolate about halfway up the length of the pretzel.
Step 2
Hold the pretzel over parchment paper and sprinkle the chocolate-dipped end with a pinch of colorful sugar, crushed nuts or candy sprinkles. Keep the amount of toppings light so the decorative pieces remain embedded in the chocolate as it cools and hardens.
Step 3
Turn the pretzel stick chocolate-side up and place the uncoated end in a juice glass. Juice glasses are narrow enough to hold pretzel sticks upright as the chocolate cools, yet short enough to keep the chocolate on the pretzel and not on the glass.
Step 4
Repeat the process with the additional pretzel sticks. Place each pretzel stick in a new juice glass and allow the chocolate to cool and harden.
Step 5
Transfer the hardened chocolate-dipped pretzels to a fresh sheet of parchment paper. Continue dipping, decorating, drying and moving pretzels to the parchment paper until finished.
Step 6
Put the half-dipped pretzels in the refrigerator for an hour to set firmly.
Step 7
Dip the uncoated ends of the chilled pretzels in melted chocolate and sprinkle on the toppings as you did with the first half of the pretzel. Put the chilled end of the pretzels in the juice glasses and let the melted chocolate end air dry. Skip this step if you prefer single-dipped pretzels.
Pretzel Twists and Squares
Step 1
Drop a small pretzel twist or square in melted chocolate.
Step 2
Poke the pretzel into the chocolate with the tip of a chopstick. Coat the pretzel thoroughly with chocolate.
Step 3
Fish the pretzel out of the liquid chocolate with the chopstick and transfer it to parchment paper. A chopstick makes this process easier than using a fork because a fork's tines don't fit into the pretzel's openings as easily.
Step 4
Sprinkle the coated pretzel with decorative toppings.
Step 5
Repeat the dipping and cooling process you used for the dipped pretzel sticks.
Step 6
Transfer the dipped pretzels to the refrigerator and let the chocolate set firmly.
Tips and Warnings
- Leave the completed chocolate-dipped pretzels in the refrigerator overnight or longer before packaging them in gift boxes. Use two or more types of chocolate, if you like, drizzling one variety over the other in a zig-zag or cross pattern.
- Avoid working with melted chocolate when the humidity is above 50 percent; humidity can prevent chocolate from setting quickly. Chocolate-covered pretzels are high in sodium and fat.
Things You'll Need
- Dark or milk chocolate
- Pretzel sticks
- Spoon
- Juice glasses
- Parchment paper
- Colored sugar
- Sprinkles
- Crushed nuts
- Chopsticks
Member Comments