Grinch Pretzel Bites

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If you really want to steal Christmas this year, try serving up a batch of these crunchy and chocolatey fun Grinch Pretzel Bites! They are holiday sweet treats everyone will love made of butter snap pretzels, Hershey’s hugs, Ghirardelli white chocolate chips, and red heart quins.

A red bowl filled with Grinch pretzel bites with a grinch face in the background.

Christmas Grinch Pretzel Bites are not mean or hairy or smelly; they are kinda… sweet! Indeed, they are sweet, crunchy, and salty—the perfect combination of goodness.

These adorable Christmas pretzels are so much fun to make this time of year and take to a holiday party or gathering. But you just may want to make them at home with the kiddos as you watch How the Grinch Stole Christmas or your favorite Christmas Movies for a fun addition to the holiday festivities.

They make cute party favors, too, or small gifts. Just put a handful of the Chocolate Pretzel Treats in a Ziplock bag or a mason jar and tie them up with a bow!

Why We Love This Recipe!

The Grinch- The Grinch means Christmas. Am I right? And these easy-treat crunchy pretzels are the perfect green color.
Savory & Sweet- The sweet chocolate and salty pretzels satisfy all the holiday cravings in the room.
Quick & Easy Family Treat- What could be better than a Grinch treat you make while you watch the movie?

And what’s not to love about this sweet and salty snack? Seriously, if you do not love these fun Christmas Grinch pretzels, your heart may be 2 sizes too small!

Ingredients

Butter Snap Pretzels | The Grid pattern in these yummy pretzels is the perfect platform for all the chocolatey goodness.
Hershey Hugs Candies | Hershey’s hugs are striped with chocolate (all the Grinch really needed was a big hug), and the Grinch Kisses are perfect too. It’s your choice!
White Chocolate Chips | Ghirardelli is the best! They are not only the best flavor, but they melt nicely too.
Neon Green Gel Food Coloring | Well, it is the Grinch, ya know!
Large Heart Sprinkles | You are going to need 70 red candy heart pieces, so make sure you look at the bottle of candy hearts to see how many it includes.

Labeled ingredient image for items needed for Grinch pretzel bites.

Variations and Substitutions

Feel free to change it up and use Grinch pretzel rods and hearts for another Grinchy treat. Just dip a pretzel rod in the green chocolate and add a heart.
Use Candy Melts: Use melted candy melts in place of the white chocolate to make this treat.
Also, If you cannot locate hugs or kisses or want an even simpler snack, just use a single layer of pretzels with bright green candy melts on top. Then place the baking sheet in a 250°F oven and bake for about 3-4 minutes until just shiny (keep an eye on them). Remove and then top with a heart.
Want some extra sparkle? Sprinkle the green chocolate in neon green sanding sugar before adding the heart sprinkle.
When the store is all out of hugs and not in the Christmas mood, you can use original kisses inside and white chocolate on the outside. You can change this treat and adapt it for any occasion by changing up the chocolate and sprinkles.

How To Make White Chocolate Grinch Pretzel Bites

✱ Be sure to see the recipe card below for exact ingredients and instructions!

What are you doing today? No time to wallow in self-pity… get your Grinch on and make some yummy Christmas treats!

Step 1 | Prepare the Ingredients

Preheat your oven while you get all the ingredients ready. Then line large cookie trays with a piece of parchment paper or wax paper.

Step 2 | Begin Assembling

Start by laying out all 70 of the butter snap pretzels in an even layer on the prepared baking sheet. Make sure they have room between them so they do not stick together when the chocolates melt.

Then add a Chocolatey Hershey’s hug candy to each pretzel.

3 image collage showing adding kisses to pretzels to make grinch pretzel bites.

Step 3 | Bake in the Oven

Bake in the oven for about 2 minutes, until the chocolate candies just start to look shiny and begin to melt- but not all the way, or you will have a mess!

Once they are shiny, remove the pan from the oven and top each candy with another salty good butter snap pretzel.

“What is that stench? It’s fantastic!”

Move the candies to the refrigerator to chill for about 2 hours so the chocolate hugs can harden up again.

Step 4 | Top the Pretzels

Once the candies have chilled and are all set, use a double boiler to slowly melt the white chocolate chips. Once the chips have melted and can be stirred nice and creamy, add several drops of green food coloring for that extra grumpy look. Stir well to combine until the color is throughout the creamy chocolate.

Almost done! Take each assembled pretzel candy, and dip a corner into the green melted chocolate, coating about half of the candy. Then return the pretzel bites to the baking sheet and place a red heart sprinkle right on the green chocolate before it hardens.

Collage image showing steps to melt chocolate chips and add green coloring.

Once all the candies have been topped with green goo and a tiny heart, move them back to the refrigerator to set for about another hour.

Then pull them out and serve them on a platter- as you steal Christmas and their tiny hearts!

A hand holding a dipped Grinch Pretzel Bite with a heart candy on the top.

Tips

If the chocolate is overcooked, it will get clumpy. You can add a teaspoon of canola oil, and it should come right back to the proper consistency.
Love chocolate? The typical pretzel shape will not hold as much as these butter snap square pretzels do.

Recipe FAQ’s

Where can I buy the red hearts?

Glad you asked. Most grocery stores will have them near the holiday season and into Valentine’s Day. Then again, you can try Hobby Lobby, JoAnn Fabrics, and Crafts or Michaels. They will all have them. When all else fails, head to the internet.

Can I double this recipe?

You sure can. In fact, you can make as many batches of these fun Christmas treats as you want. This recipe is simple to double or even half. The recipe card has a simple tool to help with this.

Can you melt the chocolate in the microwave?

Melt white chocolate chips in the microwave for 15 seconds at a time, stirring in between each interval until completely melted. I find adding about 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil or coconut oil can help the consistency when using the microwave. Add green food coloring to the melted chocolate and stir.

Have you ever made these themed treats with soft caramels?

I have not. But I have many friends that have. They are also delicious! Try it and let me know what you think.

An up close shot of the grinch pretzels in a bowl with sprinkles scattered on the table beside them.

What to Serve with Christmas Grinch Pretzel Bites

For more irresistible Christmas treats, don’t stop here. Try a few of these and blow them all away!

Merry Christmas to you and yours!

Storage

Storage: Cover with aluminum foil or plastic wrap or place in an airtight container and store at room temperature. No refrigeration is needed!

Freeze: I do not recommend freezing these treats. But who are we kidding; these fun Grinch treats won’t make it to the freezer!

Other Festive Treats to Try

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Overhead image of bowl of grinch pretzels.

Recipe

5 from 7 votes

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