Calling all sweet & salty fans - this is the holiday treat for you! Savory pretzels topped with Hershey's hugs, & a colorful M&M candy coated chocolate on top makes the ultimate 3-ingredient recipe - Christmas Pretzel Bites!
Why this Pretzel Christmas Treat Recipe is Amazing: The crunchy, creamy, & colorful combination just screams - MERRY CHRISTMAS!
I love a good quick & simple holiday treat to add to my cookie boxes every year. For years I have been making my Rolo Stuffed Ritz Crackers, but this year I was in a rush & needed a second fast yet fabulous munchie.
Voila - time to make some pretzel treats. It us less than 15 minutes to make these & the only hard part was waiting for them to cool before we could eat them. Ok, now we cook!
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Ingredients
All you need is 3 store-bought ingredients that are easy to find at any grocery store. The square shaped hard pretzels, known often as Snaps, are what is used here. They work best so less of the melty Hugs seeps through & stay on top better.
This recipe is egg-free, nut-free, & can easily be made gluten-free too. Perfect for gift giving to just about everyone.
Here are important notes for some ingredients:
- Pretzel Snaps - Snyder's of Hanover square shaped pretzels works best for this recipe.
- Hershey's Hugs - the milk chocolate & white creme stripped candy "kisses" are festive & yummy.
- Holiday M&Ms - the green & red candy-coated chocolates are the perfect size & color.
See the recipe card for full list, quantities, & any substitutions/variations.
How to Make Christmas Pretzel Treats
There are as easy as 1 - 2 - 3! Though simple to make I recommend gathering friends, family, and especially kids to help out. The extra hands help make unwrapping the candies & adding the M&Ms at the end go fast.
Here are the easy steps for making pretzels treats with Hugs & M&Ms.
- Line Baking Sheet & Preheat Oven
- Line up Pretzel Snap & Top with Hugs
- Warm in the Oven & Top with M&Ms
See the step-by-step instructions with photos below plus the recipe card at the end of the post.
Christmas Pretzel Treats Step-by-Step
Begin by lining a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper. This is so they do not stick in case some of the Hugs melts through the openings in the pretzel squares.
Preheat the oven to 300°F. It should be ready as soon as you have these prepped and ready for a quick bake in the oven.
Line up the pretzel snaps to cover the baking sheet as seen here. This is roughly about 100 but you can make as many as you want.
Top each pretzel with an unwrapped Hershey's Hug candy. Place it in the center best you can like this.
Place them in the preheated oven for 3 minutes.
Carefully remove the warm hugs on pretzels from the oven. Immediately place a red or green M&M on top of each melty Hug. DO NOT press it down, just let it naturally fall into place in the middle of each treat and spread. Repeat until all are done
Place the tray of treats into the refrigerator for an hour or in the freeze for 30 minutes.
Once they are set and firm, they are ready to enjoy!
Storing, Freezing, & Gift Giving
These are a great make ahead dessert since they store well for weeks. So if you are making cookie platter or tins for gifts, this can be one of the first things you make & it will be fresh weeks later.
Place them in an air-tight container or Ziploc bag and place in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. Or keep them in the freezer for up a month.
HOW TO SERVE: These are great to add to cookie plates, trays, or treat boxes. Scatter them in to fill between gaps.
Place them in a bowl or on a plate to serve at the holidays. They make a great centerpiece to a dessert buffet. I served these at the bar along with nuts and cocktails for our Christmas eve party - cheers!
Recipe Tips & Behind the Scenes
Here's my recipe for success - including what I learned when testing, fun stories, recipe history, and more.
- #1 Tip - work fast when gently adding the M&M on top so the Hugs don't cool & set.
- #2 Tip - If you cannot find Snyder's Snaps, regular small pretzel twist can be substituted but the creme kisses will be a bit more melty and seep through the twists so DO NOT skip the foil or parchment step.
- Replace the Hugs with regular kisses or any nut-free Hershey's fun flavor favorites: the seasonal flavors sound yummy like snickerdoodle or hazelnut.
- Instead of M&Ms you can use Reese's pieces.
- Substitute the M&Ms candies with a pecan, cashew, or almond if nut allergies are not an issue.
- If making these as gifts, do NOT make them too far in advance or you may eat them all and need to make more - I speak from experience!
FAQ
I made them with regular pretzel snap which have wheat. You can substitute with Snyder's brand gluten-free small twists.
I did a small test batch in my air fryer/toaster oven combo and it worked. I set it to 300°F and only let them warm for 2 minutes. If you have no convection or the extra hot circulating heat then 3 minutes (the same as the oven recipe) would be ok too.
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Christmas Pretzel Bites
Equipment
- baking sheet
Ingredients
- 100 Snap Pretzels 1 bag Snyder's is a popular brand (use gluten free or whole wheat also)
- 100 Hershey's Hugs 2 bags (each bag has approx 70)
- 100 M&M Candies 1 bag of red & green classic variety (no nuts etc)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 300°F
- On a foil or parchment paper lined baking sheet line up the pretzels to cover.100 Snap Pretzels
- Unwrap and top each pretzel with a Hershey's hug in the center100 Hershey's Hugs
- Place the baking sheet in the oven for 3 minutes.
- Immediately after taking the baking sheet out of the oven, top each chocolate kiss with a red or green M&M candy as follows:Gently place an M&M in the center - do not press or push it down - let is naturally settle down into the melty chocolate creme Hugs. Work quickly so each one gets an M&M before the Hug cools and hardens.100 M&M Candies
- Place the baking sheet in the fridge for an hour or freezer for 30 minutes.
- Once set and firm, enjoy!
Notes
- Store pretzel candies in an air-tight container or large Ziploc bag placed in a cool dry place like a pantry if you keep your house cold or store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
- These can be frozen for up to 30 days.
- Use gluten-free or whole-wheat pretzels.
- For low-sodium, replace regular pretzels with unsalted.
- Substitute Hugs ( vanilla creme flavor) for classic Hershey's Kisses (milk chocolate) or try Rolos for a caramel addition.
Nutrition
More Christmas Sweet & Salty Recipes
Here are some similar recipes that are easy to make for any holiday:
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