Introduction: Pumpkin Pretzels

It's Fall, y'all! Fall also equates to pumpkins in my book, so I thought I'd post these cute little pretzel pumpkins today.

Aren't they cute?! Couldn't be easier either- melt chocolate, color orange, dunk pretzel. OK, there are a few more steps, but really, it's easy! I love pretzels and chocolate together too- sweet and salty is a great combination.

See more recipes like this on my blog- www.ButterwithaSideofBread.com

Step 1: Ingredients

You'll need:

1 bag mini pretzels {you won't use the whole bag, only about 1/4}
1 bag M&M's candy, needing only the green ones {fun separating activity for kids!}
orange food coloring, I used about 1/8th tsp of Wilton's gel colors
1 bag White Chocolate chips, melted slowly {directions below}
1 TBSP shortening, to thin out chocolate

Step 2: Melt the Chocolate- Go Slowly!

First step is to melt the chocolate. I used 10 oz of baking chocolate squares, but you can use a bag of white chocolate chips- the process is still the same. Before you even put it in the microwave, add about 1 TBSP shortening. You need to thin out the chocolate prior to dunking the pretzels or else the chocolate will be so thick you won't even be able to tell it's a pretzel under there! Shortening is the ONLY thing that will do this- don't add water, butter, etc. Shortening!


Go slowly! White chocolate seizes easily, and you don't want to coat your pretzels with grainy chocolate, right? Go slowly and stir minimally. I put mine on for 1 minute, stirred gently, then put it in for an additional minute. When I took it out, the chocolate still looked solid. It wasn't! Add your orange coloring and stir gently, until it's nice and smooth.

Step 3: Dunk Pretzel & Add the "Stem" M&M

I've tested out a few ways to coat pretzels in chocolate and none of them really work as well as simply using your fingers. So I took a picture above of my elaborate technique.


Once you've dunked your pretzel, adding a nice coating, lay it out on a piece of wax paper. While it's still wet, take a green M&M and set it in the crook of the pretzel, on it's side. See? Now it's a cute little green stem.

Step 4: Voila! Pumpkin Pretzels!

If you see a few bare spots on your pretzels, while they're still wet, dab some more chocolate on them using your finger. Now just let them dry and cool for an hour or so. Or if you're impatient like me, stick the tray in the freezer for 5-10 minutes. Done!

I love how these end up looking like Jack-O-Lanterns! See the little face? Eyes? Mouth? Am I just dreaming this up?

Feel free to color another 2 oz of white chocolate green and melt in a plastic baggie. Squish it around to spread the green, then add some curly stem pieces. I did a few then deemed it too much work...

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