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Chocolate Covered Pretzel Rods – The Easiest Sweet and Salty Treat

Chocolate Covered Pretzel Rods

Chocolate Covered Pretzel Rods are quite possibly the easiest snack to make at home.  They are a fantastic salty and sweet combination when you’re looking for a sweet treat, but you don’t want it to be too sweet.  Chocolate covered pretzels are also perfect for holiday celebrations and parties because they can be customized easily to match any theme and can stored for up to one-month! 

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Ingredients for Chocolate Covered Pretzel Rods:
Equipment
Choosing Your Pretzels

For this recipe, I used pretzel rods, but you could use any pretzel shape and size you wanted.  The process is exactly the same.  The rods are great because there is a place to hold the bare pretzel while eating so the chocolate won’t melt on your fingers. 

Choosing Your Chocolate

I used compound chocolate for this recipe (at the customer’s request), but you could also use white, milk, semi-sweet, or dark chocolate to cover pretzels as well.  If you use any chocolate other than compound, you will need to temper the chocolate to get a nice shine and snap. 

If you are a beginner, I would highly suggest using compound chocolate because it’s super easy to work with. 

Use the section below to learn about the differences between the chocolate types and to help inform your decision about which chocolate to use.

Differences Between Compound Chocolate (aka Candy Coating) and Real Chocolate
  • Real chocolate is made by combining cocoa, cocoa butter, sugar, milk, and flavor ingredients.  Compound chocolate, on the other hand, contains vegetable fats in place of cocoa butter. 
  • Compound chocolate costs less to produce than real chocolate because vegetable fats cost less than cocoa butter.  This means, you will pay less for compound chocolate in the store.
  • The flavor of compound chocolate is typically not as strong as normal chocolate and tastes much sweeter.  Since this chocolate is combined with a salty treat, the sweetness is offset by the salt and is less strong.
  • Real chocolate must be tempered (i.e., the chocolate is heated and cooled to specific temperatures) to get a shiny and smooth surface that snaps when bent.  Compound chocolate does not need to be tempered to get the same effect.  You can simply melt it in the microwave and use it.  Compound chocolate is definitely easier for beginner bakers to use. 
  • Both real chocolate and compound chocolate can bloom (i.e., a whitish coating that appears on the surface of chocolate), however, the bloom occurs for different reasons.  In real chocolate, blooming occurs when chocolate is not tempered correctly.  In compound chocolate, blooming occurs if moisture is introduced to the candy melts (this can also lead to the compound chocolate seizing). 
Melting Compound Chocolate
Candy Coating - Whole Disc and Melted

In a microwave-safe container (I like to use the same container I’m going to dip into for ease of cleanup), add melting wafers until ¾ full.  Choose a container based on the shape of the pretzel.  If you are dipping pretzel rods, use a container that is narrow and deep.  This will make it easier to cover the length of the pretzel without having to angle the glass or bowl.  If you are dipping pretzel twists, use a wide and shallow bowl.  This will allow you to scoop the pretzels out more easily.

Follow the instructions on the package to melt the candy coating.  Generally, the package will specify to microwave on medium power for 15-30 seconds at a time, stirring thoroughly with a silicone spatula after each interval (even if they still look solid).  Please note, that compound chocolate can be overheated and scorched which will result in a seized mixture.  When there just a few small pieces left in the bowl, remove it from the microwave and let the residual heat melt the small pieces. 

If you find the melted compound chocolate to be too thick, add a small amount (e.g., ½ tsp) of vegetable shortening (e.g., Crisco) or solid vegetable fat (e.g., coconut oil) and stir to combine.  Continue adding vegetable shortening until the compound chocolate is thin and glossy.  Do not add other fats like butter or liquid vegetable oil because that will make the compound chocolate seize due to the presence of water.

Choosing Your Toppings

Chocolate covered pretzels are great treats because they are so customizable.  Add candy food coloring (i.e., oil-based coloring) to white compound chocolate to get any color you need.  You can also use different colored sprinkles, sanding sugars, chopped nuts, or small pieces of candy (e.g., candy bars or toffee) to decorate. 

Toppings are optional, because the Chocolate Covered Pretzel Rods taste great on their own. 

Preparation Steps
Chocolate Covered Pretzel Rod Ingredients

Get yourself organized before you start dipping.  You don’t want to get started dipping and then realize you have nowhere to put your finished pretzels. 

I like to have my melted chocolate on one side, the toppings in the middle, and then a baking sheet covered in parchment paper on the other side.  You don’t need the baking sheet, but it makes it a lot easier if you need to move the pretzels before they have finished drying.

Dipping the Chocolate Covered Pretzel Rods
Making Chocolate Covered Pretzel Rods

Hold a pretzel rod at one end and dip the pretzel into the chocolate.  Cover 90% of the pretzel in chocolate and then pull it straight out of the chocolate and hover over the container to allow the excess to drip off.  Gently shake the pretzel to help the compound chocolate drip off faster. 

Then, while the chocolate is still wet, sprinkle whatever toppings you want on the chocolate.  If you wait until the chocolate has dried completely, the toppings won’t stick. 

If you want to pipe additional chocolate over the top (e.g., chocolate squiggles), wait until the compound chocolate has dried first.

Chocolate Covered Pretzel Rods

Place the finished Chocolate Covered Pretzel Rod onto the parchment paper to dry.  It should only take a couple minutes for the chocolate to dry completely and be ready to eat. 

Storing Chocolate Covered Pretzels
Chocolate Covered Pretzel Rods

For this order, I packaged them individually in bags, but you can store them in zip top bags or lay them in large airtight containers.  Separate layers with parchment paper to ensure the chocolate doesn’t rub up against other pretzels, which can sometimes ruin the appearance.  Store the Chocolate Covered Pretzels in an airtight container up to one month.  These are great treats to make ahead of time since they store so well. 

Chocolate Covered Pretzel Rods

Total Time30 minutes
Servings: 30 Pretzel Rods

Equipment

  • Deep and narrow microwave-safe cup
  • Silicone spatula
  • Parchment paper
  • Baking sheet (optional)

Ingredients

  • 1 package (10oz or 283.8g) white compound chocolate like Ghirardelli Melting Wafers, Candy Melts, or Almond Bark
  • 1 package (12oz or 340g) pretzel rods – should be approximately 30 pretzel rods
  • Gold sanding sugar (optional)

Instructions

Melting Compound Chocolate

  • In a microwave-safe container (I like to use the same container I’m going to dip into for ease of cleanup), add melting wafers until ¾ full. Choose a container based on the shape of the pretzel. If you are dipping pretzel rods, use a container that is narrow and deep. This will make it easier to cover the length of the pretzel without having to angle the glass or bowl. If you are dipping pretzel twists, use a wide and shallow bowl. This will allow you to scoop the pretzels out more easily.
  • Follow the instructions on the package to melt the candy coating. Generally, the package will specify to microwave on medium power for 15-30 seconds at a time, stirring thoroughly with a silicone spatula after each interval (even if they still look solid). Please note, that compound chocolate can be overheated and scorched which will result in a seized mixture. When there just a few small pieces left in the bowl, remove it from the microwave and let the residual heat melt the small pieces.
  • If you find the melted compound chocolate to be too thick, add a small amount (e.g., ½ tsp) of vegetable shortening (e.g., Crisco) or solid vegetable fat (e.g., coconut oil) and stir to combine. Continue adding vegetable shortening until the compound chocolate is thin and glossy. Do not add other fats like butter or liquid vegetable oil because that will make the compound chocolate seize due to the presence of water.

Choosing Your Toppings

  • Chocolate covered pretzels are great treats because they are so customizable. Add candy food coloring (i.e., oil-based coloring) to white compound chocolate to get any color you need. You can also use different colored sprinkles, sanding sugars, chopped nuts, or small pieces of candy (e.g., candy bars or toffee) to decorate.
  • Toppings are optional, because the Chocolate Covered Pretzel Rods taste great on their own.

Preparation Steps

  • Get yourself organized before you start dipping. You don’t want to get started dipping and then realize you have nowhere to put your finished pretzels.
  • I like to have my melted chocolate on one side, the toppings in the middle, and then a baking sheet covered in parchment paper on the other side. You don’t need the baking sheet, but it makes it a lot easier if you need to move the pretzels before they have finished drying.

Dipping the Pretzels

  • Hold a pretzel rod at one end and dip the pretzel into the chocolate. Cover 90% of the pretzel in chocolate and then pull it straight out of the chocolate and hover over the container to allow the excess to drip off. Gently shake the pretzel to help the compound chocolate drip off faster.
  • Then, while the chocolate is still wet, sprinkle whatever toppings you want on the chocolate. If you wait until the chocolate has dried completely, the toppings won’t stick.
  • If you want to pipe additional chocolate over the top (e.g., chocolate squiggles), wait until the compound chocolate has dried first.
  • Place the finished Chocolate Covered Pretzel Rod onto the parchment paper to dry. It should only take a couple minutes for the chocolate to dry completely and be ready to eat.

Storing Chocolate Covered Pretzels

  • For this order, I packaged them individually in bags, but you can store them in zip top bags or lay them in large airtight containers. Separate layers with parchment paper to ensure the chocolate doesn’t rub up against other pretzels, which can sometimes ruin the appearance. Store the Chocolate Covered Pretzels in an airtight container up to one month. These are great treats to make ahead of time since they store so well.
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