How to Make Chocolate-Covered Pretzels

Chocolate-covered pretzels are one of life's all-time great treats, and are even better made from scratch. This chocolate-covered pretzel recipe teaches you two ways: 1) with tempered chocolate if you're feeling a little fancy, or 2) with chocolate chips for ease. Plus: pro tips for tempering chocolate, dipping the pretzels, decorating them with sprinkles, storage, and more.

Prep Time20

Cook Time5

Servings: 14 pretzels or so

Calories: 119kcal

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Ingredients

▢ 9 ounces dark, milk or white baking chocolate, or chocolate chips. (see notes, below)
▢ 12 to 14 medium hard pretzels, such as Utz Special
▢ 2 ounces different type of chocolate than the one you chose above, optional, if you'd like to decorate with complementary chocolate streaks
▢ 1 tablespoons nonpareils or rainbow sprinkles to decorate

Instructions

Getting Started

Gather your ingredients and tools, including a heat- or microwave-safe mixing bowl, spatula, digital kitchen thermometer. Set a wire cooling rack over a rimmed sheet pan to catch the chocolate drips and set aside.

For the Tempered Chocolate Method

Chop the 9 ounces of baking chocolate into small pieces, roughly the size of chocolate chips. Divide chopped chocolate into two piles using a 2:3 ratio -- 6 ounces and 3 ounces -- ideally using a baking scale. If you don't have a scale, just eyeball it very closely. Place the 6-ounce portion of chocolate in a medium-sized mixing bowl.
Melt the larger (6-ounce) proportion to 116° to 120° F. Do this either over a double boiler or in the microwave in 20-second time increments. Stir often. Toward the end, you should reduce the microwave time increments significantly so the chocolate does not overheat. I recommend using a digital thermometer, such as this kitchen probe thermometer.
A note on a double boiler method: If you are using a double boiler, place a mixing bowl snugly over a pot filled with about an inch of water that's been heated to a low simmer. Keep the water at a low simmer, and make sure the bottom of the bowl is not touching the water. You want the steam to heat the chocolate, not the hot water. Make sure that no steam or water gets into the chocolate or it will seize.
Remove the melted chocolate from the heat and begin seeding it with the reserved (3 ounces) chocolate in two additions, stirring frequently and letting one addition almost fully melt before adding the next.
Stir frequently and seed until the temperature of the chocolate is 87 to 89° F, and all the chocolate is fully melted. This is your working temperature range. Your chocolate is now in temper. It takes a while. Keep it in this range while you work with it.
Note: Milk and white chocolate use different temperatures than dark for tempering. Milk chocolate should be melted to between 108° and 113° F before seeding. White chocolate’s melting range is 105° to 110° F. The final working temperature after seeding should be between 84° and 86° F for both milk and white chocolate.
Pro tip: Work quickly so the chocolate does not fall out of temperature range. Keep your chocolate in its temperature range by wrapping the bowl with a gently warmed kitchen towel or tea cozy. You can also place it back on top of the double boiler, stirring, for a few seconds to maintain its final temperature range.

For the Melted Chocolate Chip (Easy) Method

Melt the entire 9 ounces of chocolate slowly in a mixing bowl set over a double boiler or in the microwave in 20- to 30-second increments, stirring frequently.
Proceed below.

To Dip and Decorate the Hard Pretzels

Dip one or two pretzels at a time in the bowl of melted chocolate, coating fully. Use a fork to lift each pretzel from the chocolate. Let the excess chocolate drain for a couple seconds, then place on the wire cooling rack. Repeat with the remaining pretzels.
If decorating with sprinkles: Before the chocolate hardens, sprinkle the pretzels with nonpareils or sprinkles of choice. Let fully harden.
If decorating with an alternate type of melted chocolate: Let the chocolate-dipped pretzels fully harden. Dip a fork in the other melted chocolate, and drizzle in a streaking pattern over the pretzels. Let dry.
PRO TIP: If using chocolate chips, you can speed the hardening process by placing the pretzels in the refrigerator. If you've tempered the chocolate, let them harden at room temperature and do not refrigerate.

Notes

Choosing the melted tempered chocolate or melted chocolate chip method:

Tempered chocolate results in smooth, glossy chocolate with a crisp snap. Tempering chocolate is not complicated, but it is precise. You'll need an accurate kitchen probe thermometer, as well as a bowl to melt the chocolate, plus a double boiler or microwave for melting the chocolate -- which you'll also need for the easy, quicker method of melting chocolate chips.

Melted, hardened chocolate chips contain emulsifiers and added ingredients, so the result will not be as glossy or as crisp. The chocolate may also be a little thicker on the pretzels. They'll still taste great, though, and are a lot less fuss.

Chocolate-covered pretzels are relatively straightforward to make: 1) select your pretzels; 2) select your chocolate (dark, milk, or white) and melt it; and 3) dip, decorate and let the chocolate-dipped pretzels dry. The main difference in the method lies in whether or not you want to temper the chocolate.

For the tempered chocolate method: Use pure baking chocolate
For chocolate chip method: I prefer Valrhona, Guittard, or Ghirardelli brands

How far in advance can I make chocolate-covered pretzels in advance?

Chocolate-covered pretzels will keep for at least two weeks.

How to I store chocolate-covered pretzels?

Store your homemade chocolate-covered pretzels in an airtight container at cool room temperature. Do no refrigerate or freeze, as it will affect the chocolate.

Nutrition

Disclaimer: Nutrition information is provided for courtesy purposes only, and is an estimate not verified by medical or nutrition experts. Read the full nutrition disclaimer.