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Do you love Take 5 bars? The combination of sweet and salty is always a satisfying one—everything you could want in a candy bar! These homemade Take 5 bites combine pretzels for a salty touch, peanut butter for that nutty goodness, soft caramels and powdered sugar for sweetness, plus chocolate chips that melt and coat the whole treat perfectly. So, if you want something that tastes just like Take 5 but a mini version, these bites are for you!
You’re going to love how much like Take 5 bars these homemade Take 5 bites taste, offering a harmony of pretzels, peanuts, chocolate, and caramel in every bite.
Also treat yourself to salted caramel peanut butter cups, Snickers bites, Milky Way bites, Butterfinger bites, or these 3 Musketeers bites.
Why You’ll Love It
Easy to make: You simply need to assemble the ingredients together, melt chocolate chips and dip the treats in it. The hardest part about this recipe is having to wait until the Take 5 bites have set so you can eat them!
So delicious: If you like Take 5 candy bars it’s a no-brainer you’re going to love these too, since they taste just like the bars.
A sweet and salty combo: I love sweet and salty flavors together and the salty pretzels pair beautifully with the sweet ingredients for a snack that’s totally satisfying.
Take 5 Bites Ingredients
A complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
Pretzels: Either round or square ones will work.
Soft caramels: Werther’s Original are always good or you can use another brand.
Peanut butter: Creamy peanut butter is perfect in Take 5 bites.
Powdered sugar: To add that wonderful sweetness.
Chocolate chips: Use semisweet or any other kind of chocolate you prefer.
How to Make Homemade Take 5 Candy Bites
For more detailed instructions with weights and measurements, jump to the printable recipe card.
Make the peanut mixture: Whisk the peanut butter and powdered sugar until smooth.
Flatten the caramels: Flatten them using your hands.
Assemble the Take 5 bites: Press one caramel on to each pretzel. Add some of the peanut butter mixture on top and then arrange them on a wax paper lined baking sheet and freeze for 30 minutes.
Dip them in chocolate: Melt the chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl in the microwave. Dip each bite in there before returning it to the prepared baking sheet.
Chill them again: Chill for another half an hour in the refrigerator before serving.
Substitutions and Variations
Different chocolate: You can substitute the semisweet chocolate for dark chocolate, white chocolate or anything you like.
Add more salt: These bites are great topped with coarse sea salt. The crunch and flavor of the salt pairs perfectly with the peanut butter, pretzels and rich sweet chocolate.
Serving Suggestions
With brunch: Take 5 bites are a great topping for puff pastry waffles, especially when they’re served fresh from the pan so the chocolate melts a bit! I love them on mine along with whipped cream.
As a snack: Enjoy a couple with an iced gingerbread latte.
For dessert: Serve these mini Take 5 bites after any kind of dinner, perhaps after pasta amatriciana or one of these stew recipes.
To garnish other desserts: You can top layer cakes, cheesecakes or gingerbread trifle with these little bites, either whole or chopped and sprinkled over the top.
How to Store Take Five Bites
Store: Once the chocolate has fully set, keep the bites in an airtight container or Ziploc bag in the refrigerator and eat within 2 weeks.
Freeze: You can freeze these in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
Thaw: Thaw on the countertop (otherwise the caramel will be very hard).
Top Tips
Melting the chocolate: Make sure your chocolate is completely melted before you dip your candy bites. Since we are dipping very cold food into the chocolate, we want to make sure the chocolate is nice and warm so it doesn’t start to set in the dipping bowl.
Soft caramels: Make sure you grab the soft caramels and not the hard ones. They should be rectangular in shape.
Flatten the caramels: The caramels should be soft enough to work with straight from the package, but if it’s tricky you can heat them in the microwave briefly or in a 250°F oven. Don’t go any hotter than that though, since you don’t want the caramel to be too hot to work with.
Let excess chocolate drip off: Let the excess chocolate drip off the peanut butter pretzel bites before putting them on the sheet pan so they look neater.
Don’t let them stick: Don’t skip the wax paper. If you don’t line your baking sheet, then the homemade mini candy bars will be difficult to remove and might break apart.
Take 5 Bites FAQs
Yes, sure. This will add some texture to the Take 5 bites.
You can if you like (this “tempers” the chocolate) but it isn’t necessary.
Wax paper is the easiest to work with as far as preventing the candy bites from sticking once dipped in chocolate, but parchment paper can be used if that’s all you have. I used a parchment lined baking sheet and mine were fine.
The chocolate might begin to change color over time which is nothing to worry about. It’s just the chocolate oxidizing, a bit like how an apple goes brown when exposed to the air. You can still enjoy your Take 5 bites if this happens – they’ll taste the same.
You want to freeze your bites initially so the peanut butter layer solidifies a little bit, but after that you can move them to the fridge so the caramel is not too hard when you’re ready to serve your candy bites. They’re actually pretty good frozen but you don’t want to break a tooth!
Take 5 Candy Bar Bites Recipe
Homemade Take 5 Bites
Equipment
- Baking Sheet 9 x 13-Inch
- Parchment Paper or Wax Paper
Ingredients
- 24 square pretzels, or round
- 24 Werther's, I used Werther’s Originals
- 1 Cup peanut butter, creamy
- ¼ Cup powdered sugar
- 2½ Cups chocolate chips, semisweet
Instructions
- Line a 9 x 13-inch baking sheet with wax paper or parchment paper and set aside.
- Put the peanut butter and powdered sugar in a mixing bowl. Use an electric mixer to whisk the ingredients together on a medium speed until smooth.
- Use your hands to flatten the caramels into discs and gently press them on top of the pretzels. Spoon a little bit of the peanut butter mixture onto each pretzel bite and then arrange them on the prepared baking sheet.
- Freeze your Take 5 bites for 30 minutes.
- After 30 minutes, melt the chocolate chips in a microwave for 30 seconds at a time, stirring after each interval, until the chocolate is completely melted.
- Use a fork to dip each Take 5 bite in the chocolate and then return them to the baking sheet.
- Let them chill in the fridge for another 30 minutes, or until the chocolate is set.
Notes
Soft caramels: Make sure you grab the soft caramels and not the hard ones. They should be rectangular in shape.
Flatten the caramels: The caramels should be soft enough to work with straight from the package, but if it’s tricky you can heat them in the microwave briefly or in a 250°F oven. Don’t go any hotter than that though, since you don’t want the caramel to be too hot to work with.
Let excess chocolate drip off: Let the excess chocolate drip off the peanut butter pretzel bites before putting them on the sheet pan so they look neater.
Don’t let them stick: Don’t skip the wax paper. If you don’t line your baking sheet, then the homemade mini candy bars will be difficult to remove and might break apart.
Nutrition
If you’re a fan of the Take 5 candy bar, prepare to be wowed with these amazing homemade Take 5 bites that boast all those wonderful sweet and salty flavors in every piece. This bite-sized snack is like your favorite candy bar in a smaller size, boasting semi sweet chocolate chips, a sweet peanut butter filling, crunchy pretzels and caramel for a perfect flavor.
Other Recipes to Try
Bella Bucchiotti
Bella Bucchiotti is a Canadian-based syndicated food, travel, and lifestyle writer, photographer, and creator at xoxoBella. She founded xoxoBella in 2015, where she shares her love for food, dogs, sustainability, fitness, crafts, outdoor adventures, travel, and philanthropy to encourage others to run the extra mile, try new recipes, visit unfamiliar places, and stand for a cause. Bella creates stress-free and family-friendly recipes for weeknight dinners and festive feasts.
Made these Take 5 bites and they were a huge hit! The perfect balance of sweet and salty.