Chocolate Caramel Pretzel Rods

These easy and fun Chocolate Caramel Dipped Pretzels are the perfect sweet and salty snack. This recipe contains an easy, step-by-step guide to making sweet, silky smooth, and delicious caramel, as well as plenty of ideas for yummy toppings. 

Looking for more chocolate-dipped treats? You can also try these Chocolate Dipped Wafer Cookies, Chocolate Dipped Rolo Pretzels, or these Mint Chocolate Dipped Oreos.

Chocolate Caramel Dipped Pretzels

These pretzels have it all.  They’re crunchy, sweet, salty, pretty to look at and super simple to make at home. Whether you need an easy holiday gift or a simple snack, this recipe is a keeper.  

We’ve given you step-by-step instructions to make a delicious homemade caramel that can also be used for dipping caramel apples or even just as homemade caramel candy.  But, if you are short on time you can also use melted Kraft caramels—we won’t tell anyone!

Decorating dipped pretzel rods is also a great activity to get little ones involved with.  It can make a fun gift for grandparents, teachers or anyone else.

Ingredients You Will Need

• Pretzels – pretzel rods are great because they have a natural handle to hold onto when you are dipping them. They also have plenty of surface area to decorate!
• Butter – we suggest using unsalted butter.  If you use salted, you can reduce or eliminate the additional salt.
• Sugar – use regular white granulated sugar.
• Light Brown Sugar – this adds a deep caramel flavor.
• Karo Syrup – you can also substitute corn syrup.
• Sweetened Condensed Milk – be sure not to accidentally use evaporated milk!  It’s an easy mistake to make.
• Salt – sea salt works great.
• Vanilla Extract – pure vanilla extract tastes best.
• Chocolate – I recommend using one kind of chocolate for dipping and other for using as a drizzle.
• Toppings – choose your favorite sprinkles and tiny candies to use for decorating.

How to Make Chocolate Caramel Pretzel Rods

1. Cook the caramel.  In a deep saucepan over medium heat, add the butter, sugar, brown sugar, Karo syrup, sweetened condensed milk and salt.  Stir constantly until it reaches 240 degrees F on a candy thermometer.
2. Remove from heat.  Once it reaches 240 degrees F, remove from the heat immediately and let cool off of the heat for until it is cool enough to safely dip.
3. Dip the pretzels.  Dip pretzel rods about 2/3 of the way into the hot caramel and let the excess caramel drip off back into the pot.  Lay the dipped pretzels onto a parchment paper lined sheet tray.
4. Decorate as desired.  Once the caramel has set, you can decorate however you would like!  You may want to dip pretzels into melted chocolate, or just add a drizzle and then roll in your favorite sprinkles, small candies or other toppings.  If you want to nix the chocolate and just go with caramel pretzel rods, make sure to roll them in the ingredients before they have set up completely so they will stick well.
5. Package or store.  If you want to give as gifts, you can package them individually in cellophane bags wrapped with ribbon or a sticker.  Otherwise, they can be stored at room temp, in the fridge or even in the freezer.

Topping Ideas

Here are a few of our favorite toppings.  If you are making these for a specific holiday, you can stick to a theme or else add whatever you like best.  It’s hard to go wrong!

• Chocolate: you can use white, milk, dark or semi sweet chocolate candy melts or even melt flavored chocolate chips if you’d like!  You can either transfer to a microwave-safe bowl and melt for about 30 seconds at a time, or melt slowly over a double boiler.  (Note: be sure to stir the chocolate with a spoon or rubber spatula as you melt so that it doesn’t burn)
• Sprinkles: use single color, rainbow or holiday themed sprinkles.  You can also find sprinkles in a variety of fun shapes!
• Candy: try mini chocolate chips and different crushed candies such as peppermints.
• Nuts: any type of crushed nuts will work! 

Frequently Asked Questions

More Chocolate Covered Dessert Recipes

• Unicorn Hot Chocolate Bombs
• White Chocolate Covered Candy Cane Pretzels
• Homemade Peppermint Bark
• Chocolate Covered Strawberries
• White Chocolate Dipped Oreos
• Dipped Chocolate Peppermint Cookies
• Chocolate Fondue
• More Dessert Recipes
• More Homemade Candy Recipes

These Chocolate Caramel Pretzel Rods are crunchy, sweet, salty, pretty to look at and super simple to make at home.  Whether you need an easy holiday gift or a simple snack, this recipe is a keeper.