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You only need four ingredients to make these super-cute reindeer Rolo pretzels—mini pretzels, candy eyes, Rolo candies (with a tasty caramel center), and M&Ms. These Rudolph Christmas reindeer snacks are perfect holiday treats for holiday parties or gift-giving. They’re a mouthwatering blend of sweet and salty, soft and crunchy, that is so addicting—they’re sure to disappear fast! You will love how simple these reindeer pretzels are to make. In fact, you can have them done in just half an hour.
Salty pretzels pair with creamy Rolo chocolate caramel candy and a couple of other ingredients to make these adorably festive little sweet treats.
You might also like this delicious Christmas reindeer cheese ball, these cute reindeer donuts, reindeer cupcakes, or these tasty Linzer reindeer cookies.
Why You’ll Love It
A quick and easy treat: This reindeer pretzels recipe is speedy and simple to prepare.
They taste so good: The sweet and salty combination is really satisfying. You won’t be able to stop at eating just one of these little treats.
Fun and festive: There’s no denying these cute little reindeer pretzels are fun and festive – they’re ideal as a Christmas snack!
Reindeer Pretzels Ingredients
A complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
Mini pretzel twists: You need tiny twists or mini twists to make reindeer pretzels.
Candy eyes: You might have some left over from other sweet treats! If not, you can buy these on Amazon (I used these!)
Salted caramel Rolos: These little chocolate candies are perfect for making adorable reindeer pretzels.
M&Ms: Red and brown ones are best for making the reindeer noses.
How to Make Rolo Pretzel Reindeer
For more detailed instructions with weights and measurements, jump to the printable recipe card.
Line a baking sheet and preheat the oven: Line a baking sheet or baking pan with parchment paper and preheat the oven.
Prepare the pretzels: Cut half of the pretzels in half down the middle for the antlers. Put the remaining whole pretzels on the baking sheet.
Add the Rolos: Place an unwrapped Rolo candy on top of each whole pretzel and bake for a couple of minutes or until softened.
Add pretzel antlers: Press the pretzel twist halves into the top of the melted chocolate Rolos.
Add the eyes and noses: Add the candy eyes and M&Ms.
Let them set: Leave these reindeer pretzel treats to set before serving this cute holiday treat.
Substitutions and Variations
Mini pretzel twists: If you can’t find these you can use pretzel waffles, also called pretzel rounds. Don’t use regular size pretzels – you don’t want the Rolo falling through the holes.
Rolo candies: Use the regular milk chocolate kind or even substitute mini peanut butter cups if preferred.
M&Ms: Instead of using M&Ms for the reindeer’s nose, you can use Skittles Cinnamon Imperials, Sixlets or Red Hots. In fact, any round red candy will work here, so long as it is similar in size.
Serving Suggestions
As a sweet treat: Enjoy these reindeer Rolo treats with an Irish cream coffee or your favorite Christmas cocktail.
For dessert: They’re perfect for garnishing a scoop of homemade ice cream or egg custard pie.
As a gift: Wrap some up in cellophane and tie with a Christmas themed ribbon to make a cute gift. You could make something like boozy hot chocolate gift sets and add a few of these in there too.
How to Store Reindeer Pretzels
Store: Store reindeer Rolo pretzels in an airtight container on the counter for up to 2 weeks. You can also refrigerate them in an airtight container for up to 3 weeks.
Freeze: Don’t freeze these, because the pretzels will thaw out soft and soggy and the chocolate might discolor or “sweat” upon thawing.
Top Tips
Melting the Rolos: They will take about 2 minutes to soften in the oven if they’re at room temperature or closer to 3 minutes if they’ve been refrigerated.
Make a batch: Halve, double or triple this recipe depending how many of these Rolo pretzel reindeer you want to make. It’s easier to work on each batch separately, otherwise your Rolos will have set before you’ve had time to add the antlers, eyes and noses.
Letting them set: The reindeer pretzels will take about 20 minutes to set at room temperature or 10 minutes to set in the refrigerator.
Christmas Reindeer Pretzels FAQs
Yes, they’re really simple and you’ll find the kids love pressing in the reindeer antlers, noses and eyes. Oh, and of course taste-testing the results!
It depends on the pretzels. Use good quality pretzels and a very sharp knife and cut them in one swift sawing motion.
Absolutely, yes! Or even try peanut butter cups.
Easy Rolo Reindeer Pretzel Treats Recipe
Reindeer Rolo Pretzels
Ingredients
- 48 mini pretzel twists
- 48 candy eyes
- 24 dark chocolate salted caramel Rolos,
- 24 M&M's, red and brown
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 250°F and use parchment paper to line a baking sheet.
- Cut half of the pretzel twists down the middle with a sharp knife and one swift movement, to make the antlers. Some may break unevenly and that’s ok. You can match them up with ones similar in size or cut some extra ones.
- Now put the whole pretzels on the prepared baking tray and add an unwrapped Rolo candy on top, towards the bottom half. It’s best to leave some room at the top to help hold the antlers up while the chocolate is setting.
- Put the tray in the oven and bake for 2 or 3 minutes, until the outer chocolate softens a bit but doesn’t melt completely and flatten out. The Rolo should still hold its shape. If it does get too melty, the nose and eyeballs might droop.
- Take them out of the oven and begin to add the antlers onto each one. Put 2 antlers on the top side of the Rolos by gently pressing into the chocolate, letting the antlers rest it on the bottom pretzel.
- Once you’ve added the antlers you can add the facial features. Carefully add 2 eyeballs to the top half of the Rolo and add an M&M candy on the bottom half to be the nose, pressing down a little so it sticks into the chocolate.
- Let the chocolates harden back up before serving these treats.
Notes
Make a batch: Halve, double or triple this recipe depending how many of these Rolo pretzel reindeer you want to make. It’s easier to work on each batch separately, otherwise your Rolos will have set before you’ve had time to add the antlers, eyes and noses.
Letting them set: The reindeer pretzels will take about 20 minutes to set at room temperature or 10 minutes to set in the refrigerator.
Nutrition
Cute reindeer Rolo pretzels are perfect for sharing with family and friends this holiday season! You’re going to love that every bite is a tasty combination of crunchy pretzel, sweet chocolate and melty caramel. These Rolo pretzel reindeer are every bit as tasty as they are adorable and they make easy Christmas treats for the whole family. You can also use them to garnish delicious desserts.
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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.
Adorable and delicious! These were a hit at our holiday party—so easy to make too.