Pretzel Christmas Trees with Candy Melts and Sprinkles
Each of these treats is a long pretzel rod wearing a zigzag of green candy coating. The coating forms a tree, and candy “ornaments” are pressed on top. They are salty, sweet and crunchy, and they are easy enough for kids to decorate. This is a good project for a cookie swap, a classroom party or a holiday dessert table.
Two decorating styles work especially well: rainbow sprinkles for a speckled, twinkly tree, and mini M&M’s for chunky, bright ornaments. You can decorate however you like.
What You Need
- Pretzel rods
- Green candy melts (half a bag decorates a batch of rods)
- Mini M&M’s
- Christmas sprinkles
- A sandwich bag
- Scissors
- Waxed paper
How to Make Them
- Spread a generous sheet of waxed paper on a counter or baking sheet. Set the pretzel rods on it about 6 inches apart so the coating has room to spread and the trees don’t stick together.
- Put half a bag of green candy melts into the sandwich bag. Melt them following the directions on the package, stopping to knead the bag gently if the melts look shiny but still hold their shape.
- Once the candy is fully smooth and liquid, snip off a very small piece of one bottom corner of the bag. Start with a tiny opening, because you can always cut more but you can’t make the hole smaller.
- Starting at the top of a rod, squeeze the candy in a back-and-forth zigzag. Make each pass a little wider than the last, so the shape widens toward the bottom like a tree.
- While the coating is still wet, add sprinkles or press on mini M&M’s as ornaments. This is the step kids love, and it needs to happen quickly before the candy sets.
- Leave the trees on the waxed paper until the coating is completely firm. Letting them rest overnight makes sure they are fully set before you move or serve them.
Tips and Variations
Work in small batches. The candy hardens as it cools. If it thickens before you finish, heat the bag again briefly in short bursts.
Mix the ornaments. Put out small bowls of M&M’s and different sprinkles and let each child design a tree. Red and yellow candies look like lights, and small round sprinkles look like beads.
Try a trunk. Leave the bottom inch of each rod uncoated. It looks like a tree trunk and gives people a spot to hold.
Switch up the colors. Candy melts come in many colors. You could make white “snowy” trees, or use a mix of colors for a festive forest on a platter.
Package them as gifts. Once the trees are fully set, slip each one into a clear cellophane treat bag and tie it with ribbon. They also stand upright in a mug or jar for a table display.
Kids can handle the sprinkling, but an adult should do the melting, since the bag of candy gets warm. Small candies can be a choking hazard for children under three.
