Disneyland made me a pretzel snob.
As you walk off the Winnie the Pooh ride, you walk into an adorable sweet shop where the Disney experts dip the cutest caramel apples and other sorts of treats. I was happy with my caramel apple and would have never chosen a chocolate pretzel as my treat, but Kathryn offered me a bite of hers… and the rest is history.
I can no longer appreciate a simple chocolate dipped pretzel…they MUST have caramel!
Yes, they look the same as a regular old chocolate dipped pretzel, but when you bite into them, you have a salted caramel surprise that makes you feel like you just won the lottery or something.
Okay, maybe not that. But really, we’re talking about a whole new level of pretzel.
Now I start dreaming of these things as soon as we plan a Disneyland trip. They are almost $4.00 a pop but I just plan on wasting a cool 20 on those things for my family. It’s worth it.
I have, however figured out a way to make them. The only bad news for these is that there are dishes waiting for me afterwards, instead of Winnie the Pooh characters, like after I leave the sweet shop.
You win some you lose some.
To get started you need caramel. I used regular old caramel squares. The Kraft caramel bits that come in little tiny balls of caramel are so much better because you don’t have to unwrap them. But sometimes they are hard to find.
I used approximately 2 cups of these and threw in 2 tsp. of water. I microwaved it for 1 minute, then stirred, then microwaved it for 30 seconds more. Your times may vary a little but this worked for me.
A 2 cup pyrex measuring cup is perfect to use. It doesn’t even have to be totally full. If you tip it on it’s side and roll the pretzel, you can get about 30ish pretzel rods out of it. I bought plenty of extra pretzel rods because about 1/4 of the bag was always broken.
After I dip, I actually scrape a lot of it off on the edge. You don’t want it too thick.
Or maybe you do. Who am I to say?
The more you have, the more pooling you will have after you set it down. But no matter how little you have on there, there will be a little pooling and a flat side to your pretzel. This is easily solved by a little trick I know. You can see the ones I worked my magic on.
Before you dip it in chocolate, you roll the pretzel back and forth between your hands. It’s like rolling a cake pop, kind of.
Now that your flat side is gone, your can dip it in your chocolate or candy melts. I add about 2 tsp of paramount crystals to my candy melts to make it a little thinner. Again, you just need to tip with one hand, and roll the pretzel till it’s covered in chocolate. You can leave a little caramel showing, but I like to surprise people, so I keep it a secret.
You can, at this point, set your pretzel down on parchment paper. But that leaves a flat side to your treat. This is fine if you’re setting them on a platter.
But sometimes I want them to come out round on all sides and I lie awake at night worrying about my pretzel flatness. In my sleeplessness, I came up with a lame, but workable solution. Don’t laugh.
I created a way for them to dry upright, by punching holes in some flower foam and lining that hole with tin foil (to protect the food from the green stuff). I’m sure there’s a better and smarter way. But that’s what I came up with when I was tired.
Who needs Disneyland anyway. (I do) They turned out fab. I could even put candy on the outside or make them look like tigger tails if I really want to be like the Winnie the Pooh shop.
These were for the 4th though, so I used some festive sprinkles.
A cylinder vase was a great way to display 9 or so of these.
This treat is perfect for any holiday. Just match your chocolate colors and sprinkles to the closest holiday. And when you make them yourself, you don’t have to handover a 20 to get what you need!
Just one bite and you might become a pretzel snob too.
(Consider yourself warned).
I haven't had caramel and chocolate pretzels. I will have to try soon. I love how pretty they are. Your blog has the best ideas.
Thanks Christine!
How long do you let the caramel cool before dipping in chocolate?
We had really good pretzels once that had been dipped in caramel, rolled in Rice Krispies cereal, then dipped in chocolate – truly decadent! Yum!
I MUST try that. Sounds delish!
These look fabulous. I make thousands at holiday time but never seem to have luck with caramel. Will try your recipe and dring technique. Thank you!
Christine, Thank you for your tips. Figuring things out for oneself is tricky and sometimes wasteful.
Your tips have given me the courage to try them in the morning.
Chocolate Caramel pretzels are the best! I found a recipe forever ago on Pinterest where the person used those caramel sheets you find in the fruit section (the kind that you drape over apples- they're like a giant circle) and just wrapped those around before the chocolate- but as expected, it was expensive and not even. This way is messier but in the end would be a lot better!
I LOVE the idea for keeping the pretzels upright. One of my biggest pet peeves with pretzels is the chocolate pooling… this would remedy that!
I'm am literally drooling on my keyboard and remember all too well those pretzels sticks last year when I took my grandson to DisneyWorld! I have to laugh, though, because I use oasis too for my cake pops, so now, I'll go buy some more to make bigger holes in for pretzel sticks! Such a great idea for a special snack–and yes, I'm a pretzel snob already! XOXO
Yes! You already know there's no comparison! Awesome!
that is so great, I love the rolling trick, must try them
oh yummm
I made dipped pretzels for the 4th, never thought about caramel. Can I ask where you found the bags you wrapped them in? Darned if the ones I bought were too skinny!
I found the bags at JoAnn's. They were wilton brand "pretzel bags." They worked great. I don't make the caramel layer or chocolate layer too thick though. I hope you find those!
I have been making chocolates and caramel pretzels for years. I found an online site for supplies, and you can find all size bags there. They are a small family owned business, and extremely helpful to the home candy and cake makers. They do have a brick and mortar store as well. http://www.candylandcrafts.com
Yes, please share where you got the bags from. I would love to make some also!
JoAnn's! They are wilton brand.
Yes, please share where you got the bags from. I would love to make some also!
What?! No custom painted, wooden pretzel rod stand?! 😀
I know. I'm slacking! haha
They sound fabulous and look great! Thanks for sharing your tricks with keeping them rounded:)
those pretzels are the bomb! I always get them too, or the marshmallows. YUM I'm getting hungry. can't wait for our trip in September now! lol!
You might consider using a water bottle ice tube tray (there is a white one that looks kind of like a bunch of test tubes stuck together if you google it!) instead of the green foam… just a thought!
Awesome blog!
I saw a pin where they put holes in the bottom of egg carton sections. It worked great!
Marissa, that’s a great idea! I couldn’t find a vertical water bottle ice tube tray (only flat ones) but I looked on Amazon for a test tube holder and found a bunch that would work for pretty cheap. Thanks for the idea! I’m excited to make these pretzels.
What an awesome idea… Thank you so much I’m excited to try it
Instead of foil in the foam, try plastic wrap. Less likely to tear.
I use an egg carton to stand them up when I don’t want a flat side. I flip the carton so that the side where the eggs are held I put holes in them and then what is usually the top becomes my bottom.
I am drooling over my phone rt now!!!! And super hungry too! Thank you so much for such a wonderful and very informative recipe!!! It’s honestly the little tips and tricks that really make the difference and I certainly appreciate all your thoughtful suggestions! I can’t wait to try them…asap lol!
What a great tip for rolling to the caramel, and I love the pretzel holder to keep them round! They look amazing ! Will have to try all your great hacks and tips!
I know u said dt laugh but when I saw your blocks I LOL U are a genius
I make these but after dipping in chocolate I roll it in chopped pecans! Boom! Turtle pretzel rod! So crazy lip smackin!
i had my husband drill holes in a two by four. If some candy got on the board I simply washed it off in hot water.