Easy Reindeer Pretzels

Made with just five ingredients, these Easy Reindeer Pretzels are a festive spin on sweet and salty chocolate-covered pretzels.

When it comes to the holidays, simple recipes like Candy Cane Cookies, Santa Pancakes, or these adorable Reindeer Pretzels prove you don't need a lot of time, ingredients, or skills to make something festive to bring a little cheer to the holidays!

This simple recipe is made by dipping pretzel rods into chocolate and decorating them to resemble a reindeer, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer to be exact.

These Reindeer Pretzels are the perfect quick, no-bake holiday treat that is a great option for kids to make themselves or as a simple neighbor gift. Not to mention, the combination of salty pretzels with sweet chocolate is an irresistible favorite.

Notes on Ingredients

• Pretzel Rods: Use standard pretzel rods for the reindeer's body.
• Pretzel Twists: Half a pretzel twist replicates the look of a reindeer's antlers pretty perfectly.
• Candy Eyes: If you don't have or can't find candy eyes, you can use mini white chocolate chips and add a bit of the melted chocolate to give the eyes their pupils.
• Cinnamon Imperials: The red candy is the perfect pop of color and transforms the reindeer into Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer.
• Chocolate: Use any type of semi-sweet, milk, or dark chocolate you like for dipping the pretzel rods into. I prefer using chocolate chips as they melt evenly and quickly, but you can also opt to chop up chocolate bars into small morsels or use almond bark for the reindeer body.

How To Make Reindeer Pretzels

The following tips are provided to help you achieve perfect results. You will find the detailed instructions in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Step One: Prepare. Whenever you work with melted chocolate, it is best to work rather quickly, so it is best to have your ingredients and pan prepared before beginning to make these Chocolate reindeer. I recommend lining a baking pan with parchment paper or a silicone liner, which will help the chocolate not stick to the pan. You also want to break the pretzel twists in half to resemble reindeer antlers. Word of caution--use a gentle touch to keep the pretzels intact.

Step Two: Melt the Chocolate. To melt the chocolate, I find it is best to melt it in a heat-safe pint or quart-sized glass jar in the microwave. By doing so, you can dip the pretzels right into the melted chocolate as opposed to having to spoon the chocolate over the pretzels. It makes the process much easier.

Step Three: Assemble Reindeer Pretzels. Once the chocolate has been melted, work relatively quickly to dip the pretzel rod into the melted chocolate, then add two candy eyes and a cinnamon imperial as the nose. Finally, add 2 pretzel halves as antlers to the pretzel rod, dipping the part of the pretzel twist that will adhere to the pretzel rod into additional melted chocolate to help adhere.

Step Four: Let Harden. If you have the time, allow the chocolate to harden at room temperature for 2 hours or so. To speed up the process, pop the baking tray into the refrigerator for 20 minutes to harden.

Recipe Notes

• No microwave? Use a double boiler. To do so, place a heat-safe bowl over a small saucepan, filled halfway with simmering water. Add the chocolate chips and stir until fully melted. Remove the bowl from the stove, dry off the water from the bowl, and then if desired pour the chocolate into a pint-sized jar for dipping.
• Leftover Chocolate? If you have leftover melted chocolate after dipping your pretzel rods, add raisins, nuts, or mini pretzels to the remaining melted chocolate. Mix and then drop mounds onto parchment paper to harden for additional treats.
• Storage: It is best to store these Reindeer Pretzels in an airtight container in a cool, dark place. If your house is on the warmer side, it is best to store them in the refrigerator.

More Christmas Recipes

• Candy Cane Pizza
• Homemade Peppermint Bark
• Santa Pancakes
• Christmas Deviled Eggs
• Christmas Fruit Salad
• Reindeer Cookies
• Cut-Out Sugar Cookies
• Crockpot Candy

If you enjoyed making these simple chocolate-covered reindeer pretzels, I would love for you to leave a comment and review below.