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Do you love a sweet and salty treat? These Rolo pretzel turkeys are easy to make and so cute for your Thanksgiving festivities! If you’re looking for an adorable Thanksgiving treat, you might like to make a batch. You only need a handful of ingredients and there’s no baking involved, you just need to melt the chocolate a little. You can whip up these turkey pretzel treats in under half an hour – they’re the perfect edible Thanksgiving craft!
Cute and tasty, combining sweet and salty flavors, these Rolo pretzel turkeys are well worth making this Thanksgiving.
You might also like cheesy pumpkin-shaped bites, turkey macaron cookies, or salted caramel snickerdoodles.
Why You’ll Love It
Quick and easy: With just 6 ingredients and a few spare minutes, you can make a batch of these Rolo turkey pretzels.
Incredibly cute: Just look at these turkey pretzel treats – you can’t deny they’re utterly adorable!
Salty and sweet combo: The salty pretzels contrast with the candies to offer a well-balanced flavor.
Turkey Pretzels Ingredients
A complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
Rolo candy: Any variety will work or you can use Reese’s cups as a Reese’s cup is similar in shape and size.
Mini M&Ms: Yellow and orange ones are a great idea for the turkey beaks.
Mini pretzel twists: Any size will work but bear in mind you might have to trim down the candy corn pieces if using the smallest ones.
Candy eyes: I used these.
Candy corn: To be the turkey’s feathers.
Red decorative icing: For the wattle/snood.
How to Make Pretzel Thanksgiving Treats
For more detailed instructions with weights and measurements, jump to the printable recipe card.
Melt the Rolos a little: Top each pretzel twist with a Rolo and place pretzels on a wax paper or parchment paper lined baking pan or baking sheet. Bake for a minute, just to melt the chocolate a little.
Decorate them: Press candy corns into the melted chocolate and top each Rolo with a pair of candy eyes. Add the M&Ms and pipe on some red icing.
Let them set: Leave them on the counter or in the refrigerator to let the chocolate set completely.
Substitutions and Variations
Gluten-free option: If you need a gluten-free version, use Snyder’s pretzels and check your other ingredients are free from gluten. Rolo candies are gluten-free.
Rolo alternatives: Any small chocolate candy will work for turkey pretzel recipes. You could try soft caramels or Reese’s pieces peanut butter cups.
Chocolate chips: Melted chocolate chips can be used to help stick the candy eyes and beaks on to the turkey pretzels but if the Rolo is melted enough you shouldn’t need them.
Red decorative icing: Use melted red candy wafers or red cookie icing or regular red frosting in a piping bag. If you’re using candy melts, let them cool a little before frosting so they aren’t too runny.
Serving Suggestions
Appetizers: Serve up this garlic herb bread wreath to start.
Main course: Holiday beef Wellington or smoked turkey breast makes a satisfying Thanksgiving meal.
On the side: Consider sweet potatoes with candied maple pecans and maybe some of this gouda cream cheese corn.
Dessert: These pretzel turkey treats make a cute dessert.
How to Store Pretzel Turkey Treats
Store: Keep your Rolo turkey pretzels in an airtight container on the counter for up to 2 weeks. They’ll also stay good for up to 3 weeks in the refrigerator.
Freeze: Don’t freeze them unless you don’t mind soggy pretzels and rock-hard candy corns!
Top Tips
Work in small batches: You need to finish assembling your turkey pretzels before the chocolate sets, so it’s easier to do a few at a time.
A minute in the oven is enough: You only need to melt the chocolate a little. If they melt too much, it’s hard to attach the candy corn and they can get messy and distorted.
Adding the Rolos: Add the Rolo near the bottom so there’s space at the back to hold the candy corn in place.
Adding the candy corn: Add the candy corn carefully so you don’t move the chocolate off the pretzel.
Make extra: You can double or triple the recipe if you’re feeding a crowd.
Using small pretzels: You might need to remove the white candy corn tips before sticking them to the Rolo, holding each one in place for 10 seconds to help them stick properly.
Turkey Pretzels with Rolos FAQs
Rolos are creamy caramels that are covered in chocolate. They come in different varieties such as rich chocolate, milk chocolate and salted caramel dark chocolate. You can use any variety in this recipe. The Hershey Company has been making these sweet treats since 1969.
No but I typically do because they’ll set in just 10 minutes or so in there, but take double that time if you have them setting at room temperature.
Yes, kids can press on the M&Ms and candy eyes to help make this fun treat. They’re a real family favorite, both to make and to gobble up!
Turkey Pretzel Thanksgiving Treat Recipe
Rolo Pretzel Turkeys
Equipment
Ingredients
- 24 pretzel twists, mini
- 48 candy eyes
- 24 Rolos, unwrapped
- 72 Pieces candy corn
- 24 M&Ms, mini, yellow and orange
- red decorative icing, as needed
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 275°F and line a couple of baking trays with parchment paper
- Arrange 12 pretzel twists upside down on the parchment paper.
- Add a Rolo candy to each pretzel.
- Bake for about 1 minute to soften the outer chocolate.
- Take them out of the oven and immediately press 3 candy corn pieces into the top of each Rolo to be the turkey’s feathers.
- Next, top each Rolo with 2 candy eyeballs in the top half.
- Add an M&M under the eyes for the beak, pressing it in gently so it stays standing up.
- Pipe the red decorative icing on one side of the beaks to be the snood or wattle.
- Let them set fully before serving, about 20 minutes at room temperature or 5 to 10 minutes in the fridge.
- Repeat with the rest of the pretzels and Rolos. Keep the turkeys refrigerated until ready to serve.
Notes
A minute in the oven is enough: You only need to melt the chocolate a little. If they melt too much, it’s hard to attach the candy corn and they can get messy and distorted.
Adding the Rolos: Add the Rolo near the bottom so there’s space at the back to hold the candy corn in place.
Adding the candy corn: Add the candy corn carefully so you don’t move the chocolate off the pretzel.
Make extra: You can double or triple the recipe if you’re feeding a crowd.
Using small pretzels: You might need to remove the white candy corn tips before sticking them to the Rolo, holding each one in place for 10 seconds to help them stick properly.
Nutrition
These super-cute chocolate-covered pretzels are topped with candy eyeballs, candy corn and frosting. They look just like little turkeys. When planning your Thanksgiving treats and Thanksgiving dessert recipes, don’t forget to get the ingredients for these. They’re so simple and cute you won’t want to miss out on them.
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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.
So dang cute! I will be making these for sure.