Christmas Pretzels

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Christmas Pretzels are the easiest holiday treat around! They use just 3 ingredients - pretzels, Hershey hugs, and M&Ms. They are super easy to make and they last for weeks so are the perfect make ahead holiday treat. Make a big bowl of Pretzel M&M Hugs for your next holiday party!

christmas pretzels with red and green m&ms

Why I love them

3 Ingredients - Just pretzels, Hershey's Hugs, and M&Ms!
Kid-Friendly - Not only do kids love to eat these, but they are great for them to help out making as well.
Make Ahead Friendly - You can make a big batch and keep them for a couple of weeks to munch on all holiday season.

What You'll Need:

Bag of Pretzels - Either circles, squares, or holiday shapes. Just be sure to use regular pretzels and not the butter flavor.
Hershey's Hugs - They're like regular chocolate Hershey's Kisses but swirled with white chocolate
M&M's - I like to use the holiday colored ones

How many bags of each ingredient is needed?

It depends how many you want to make! There are about 70 Hugs or Kisses in a standard 12 oz bag. But there are about 320 M&M's in a standard 10oz bag. If you want to use one full bag of M&M's, you'll need 4-5 bags of Hugs.

How to Make Christmas Pretzels

Prep - Start by unwrapping the Hershey's Hugs and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat for make easier removal.
Layer the Treats. Create an even layer of pretzels on the baking sheet and top each pretzel with a Hug.
Bake. Bake in preheated oven for about 3-5 minutes until the Hug is starting to soften. You can use a spoon to gently press into the Hug to test them. Don't let them cook to the point where the chocolate is totally melted.
Top with M&M's. Remove from oven and press an M&M into each softened Hug.
Allow to Chill and Set. Place baking sheet in refrigerator to allow Hugs to harden again.

Frequently Asked Questions

What kind of pretzels should I use?

I love to use the holiday shaped pretzels to make the treats extra festive. But you can also use the small pretzel squares, circles, or even mini twists. The pretzels need to be small enough so the Hug is just smaller than the pretzel. Even though they are square, do not use butter snaps.

Do I have to use Hershey's Hugs?

I love the Hug and Pretzel combo but you could use a regular Hershey's Kiss with the pretzel instead. The recipe will not change.

Storage

Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container for 1-2 weeks at room temperature or in the fridge. They can even be stored in the fridge for up to 3 months.

Christmas Pretzel Variations

Other Holidays - Try using different colored M&M's to adapt them for different holidays.

Other Types of Hershey Kisses - Instead of Hugs, you can also use regular Hershey's Kisses or any other flavor of Hershey's Kisses.

Sprinkles - If you want to make them extra festive, you can sprinkle on holiday sprinkles after you press in the M&Ms while the chocolate is still melty so they stick.

Recipe Tips

Parchment Paper or Silicone Liner - Make sure to use one to line your baking sheet. If you just make the pretzels directly on the baking sheet, the chocolate will stick to the sheet and they will be hard to remove without breaking the pretzel.
Don't melt the chocolates fully - You want the Kiss or Hug to still have some shape. I recommend removing from the oven, testing one with an M&M or the back of a spoon. If you can't smoosh the chocolate down enough, you can put the sheet back in the oven for a minute or two. If you bake too long the chocolate will fully melt into a puddle.

Christmas pretzels topped with melted chocolate and red and green m&ms

Give them as gifts!

Because these treats last so long, they are great as gifts. You can wrap some in a cellophane bag with a holiday ribbon, fill a small mason jar or holiday tin. Perfect DIY holiday gift or hostess gift.

Other Holiday Treats

Rolo Pretzel Turtles - A fun variation on these Christmas pretzels using Rolos and pecans.
Easy Christmas Sugar Cookies - I love that there is no rolling or cutting involved in this sugar cookie recipe. Just roll the cookie dough into balls and bake. The extra Christmas sprinkles makes these cookies super fun and festive.
Brown Butter Sugar Cookies - Soft, chewy, and a major upgrade from regular sugar cookies. Browned butter adds a rich, slightly nutty, and warm flavor.

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Holiday Pretzel Hugs

Author: Kathleen
Total Time: 50 minutes
Yield: 70 treats 1x

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Description

Ingredients

Scale

1 bag Hershey's Hugs
1 bag Pretzels, Holiday shapes, rings, square snaps, or tiny twists
1 bag M&M's

Instructions

Preheat oven to 225° F. Line 2 baking sheets with silicone mats or parchment paper.
Layer Pretzels. Place pretzels on the prepared sheets in an even layer. Unwrap Hugs and place in the middle of each pretzel.
Bake. Bake in preheated oven until the Hug starts to melt down - about 3-5 minutes. Remove sheet from oven and try to press on M&M into a Hug. If the Hug flattens easily, continue with all the pretzels. If there is resistance, put back into the oven for 30 seconds - 1 minute.
Cool and Chill. Allow the baking sheets to cool and then place in the refrigerator so the chocolate can fully set up - about 10-20 minutes.
Store and Enjoy. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. They keep well for up to 2 weeks.

Notes

How Many Bags? There are more pretzels and M&M's in a bag than there are in one bag of Hugs. If you want to make more than 70, you can use a second bag of Hugs. If I'm making a big batch to last me all season I'll use 4 bags of Hugs, 1 bag of M&M's, and a little less than 2 bags of pretzels.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Category: Dessert
Method: Oven
Cuisine: American