This Chocolate Pretzel Bark is fun Christmas treat that has the perfect balance of salty and sweet. It is so easy to make that it is fool proof and even the youngest in the family can help with it. The best part is that it can be ready to eat in just about 30 minutes!
Who doesn’t love an easy no bake treat? I know they are always some of my favorites to make and share. Some of my favorites to make around the holidays are Microwave Peanut Brittle, Chocolates Peanut Butter Haystacks, and Salted Peanut Roll Bars. I also love making Slow Cooker Hot Chocolate to enjoy while watching my favorite Christmas movie ever, It’s a Wonderful Life. There’s just something about how the whole town comes to help the Bailey family that makes me cry and smile at the same time.
How to make Christmas Chocolate Bark:
Ingredients:
- dark chocolate or milk chocolate chips
- mini pretzels
- Christmas M&M’s
- sprinkles
Special Equipment:
- parchment paper
- baking sheet
- rubber spatula
Instructions:
- Line baking sheet with parchment paper then set it aside while you melt the chocolate.
- Melt chocolate in microwave safe bowl for 30 seconds. Stir, continue heating in 15 second intervals, stirring in between until chocolate is just melted. Be careful to not over heat the chocolate.
- Pour melted dark chocolate onto parchment paper and spread evenly with a rubber spatula to about 1/4 inch thickness. The chocolate will not cover the whole baking sheet.
- Top with pretzels, then M&M’s, and sprinkles. Allow to harden on the countertop for 2 hours or refrigerate for 15 minutes or until hard. Cut into pieces with sharp knife.
- Substitutions and Variations:
Melted Chocolate: I really like using a good quality chocolate chip for making this recipe. Another option is chocolate melting wafers. Melting wafers are found in the baking aisle at most grocery stores.
Make it more festive: Fun Christmas shaped pretzels would be a great addition to this candy. I wasn’t able to find them in my local store but I think they would be so much fun to add.
Sugar, sugar, sugar: If you’d like you can swap the sprinkles for decorative sugar crystals. You can also go all out and use both!
Mmmmm….M&M’s: You can use any flavor or color of M&M’s you’d like. You could even use Reece’s Pieces I you wanted. I used red and green because I was making this at Christmas time.
Get a little salty! Add just a sprinkle of flaky sea salt over the melted chocolate for even more s a salty sweet combination.
Mix it up! Add chopped almonds, pecans or walnuts. Other options include:
- crushed candy canes
- chopped peanuts
- mini marshmallows
- crushed Oreos or chocolate chip cookies
- more pretezels
Notes & Tips:
Notes & Tips:I recommend using high quality chocolate chips such as Ghirardelli brand. Better quality chocolate chips will give you more flavor and will melt to a smoother texture. When shopping for chocolate chips look for a bag of chips that has 60% cacao for the best results.
Letting the chocolate harden on the countertop is best. Putting the chocolate in the fridge to harden will work but you will get some moisture on the top. When the water evaporates over time you get small streaks of dissolved sugar on the chocolate. This can affect the flavor as well as the texture. If you are rushed or you have little ones who really just want to eat the candy they made. Then the fridge is the way to go.
Storage:
Once the chocolate is hardened you can store in an airtight container on the countertop or the fridge for up to three weeks.
Happy Cooking Y’all!
Susanne
Still hungry? Follow New South Charm on Pinterest! for more recipe ideas!
Christmas Chocolate Bark
Ingredients
- 18 ounces dark chocolate or milk chocolate chips about 1 ½ packages chocolate chips
- 1 cup mini pretzels
- ½ cup M&M’s red and green or colors of your choice
- 1 ½ tablespoons holiday sprinkles and/or red and green decorative sugar
Instructions
-
Line baking sheet with parchment paper then set it aside while you melt the chocolate.
-
Melt chocolate in microwave safe bowl for 30 seconds. Stir, continue heating in 15 second intervals, stirring in between until chocolate is just melted. Be careful to not over heat the chocolate.
-
Pour melted dark chocolate onto parchment paper and spread evenly with a rubber spatula to about 1/4 inch thickness. The chocolate will not cover the whole baking sheet.
-
Top with pretzels, then M&M’s, and sprinkles. Allow to harden on the countertop for 2 hours or refrigerate for 15 minutes or until hard. Cut into pieces with sharp knife.
Recipe Notes
- Using high quality chocolate chips such as Ghirardelli brand. Better quality chocolate chips will give you more flavor and will melt to a smoother texture. When shopping for chocolate chips look for a bag of chips that has 60% cacao for the best results.
- Nutritional information is estimated. Amounts will vary based on ingredient choices and serving sizes.
Leave a Reply