These Christmas Pretzel Hugs are honestly the easiest holiday treat you'll ever make! Last December, Emily came home from a holiday party absolutely raving about these little chocolate-covered pretzels. She was SO excited (literally bouncing around the kitchen) that I knew we had to make them together that weekend. When I looked up the recipe and saw it only needed three ingredients, I thought "This is almost too easy to be good!" Boy, was I wrong!
This simple recipe has become our go-to holiday treat every single year since then. The combination of salty pretzels, smooth Hershey Hugs chocolate, and festive M&Ms creates the perfect sweet and salty bite that everyone at Christmas parties goes crazy for. Plus, they're ready in just over an hour with only 3 minutes of actual baking time!
Want another super simple holiday treat? Check out my 4th of July Sugar Cookies - the same easy method works for Christmas cookies too!
Jump to:
- Why You'll Love This Christmas Pretzel Hugs Recipe
- Ingredients For Christmas Pretzels With Hershey Hugs
- How To Make Easy Christmas Pretzel Hugs
- Storage Tips For Christmas Pretzel Treats
- Creative Variations To Try With Your Pretzel Hugs Recipe
- Tips For Making The Best Christmas Pretzel Hugs
- Frequently Asked Questions About Christmas Pretzel Hugs
- Recipes You May Like
- Wrapping Up These Festive Pretzel Treats
- Christmas Pretzels Hugs
Why You'll Love This Christmas Pretzel Hugs Recipe
- Super quick prep - Only 10 minutes of hands-on work before they go in the oven
- Just 3 simple ingredients - Pretzels, Hershey Hugs, and M&Ms (that's it!)
- Perfect sweet and salty combo - The pretzel base gives that satisfying crunch against the creamy chocolate
- Kid-friendly recipe - Emily has been helping me make these since she was 8 years old
- Make-ahead friendly - These store perfectly for up to 2 weeks, so you can prep early for parties
- Festive and fun - The red and green M&Ms make them instantly Christmas-ready
- No baking skills needed - If you can arrange pretzels on a pan, you can make these!
Ingredients For Christmas Pretzels With Hershey Hugs
Here's everything you need to make these adorable pretzel hugs:
- 30 Snap Pretzels - The square-shaped pretzels work best (not the traditional twisted ones)
- 30 Hershey's Hugs candies, unwrapped - This is the most time-consuming part, honestly! I usually unwrap these while watching TV
- 30 Christmas M&Ms candies - Use red and green for Christmas, or whatever colors match your holiday theme
That's literally all you need! I love recipes like this that don't require a shopping trip to find weird ingredients.
How To Make Easy Christmas Pretzel Hugs
Let me walk you through this super simple process. Seriously, if you've ever used an oven, you can make these!
Preparing Your Workspace
- Preheat your oven to 250 degrees F - This low temperature is key! We're just softening the chocolate, not melting it completely.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper - Don't skip this step or you'll have a sticky mess to clean up (learned that one the hard way during my first attempt).
- Arrange the pretzels onto the baking sheet - Space them about an inch apart so they don't touch when the chocolate softens.
Adding The Chocolate
- Top each pretzel with a Hershey's Hug - Place them pointy-side up in the center of each pretzel. The flat bottom should sit right on the pretzel.
- Transfer the baking sheet to the oven and bake for 3 minutes - Set a timer! At 250°F, 3 minutes is the sweet spot where the chocolate softens but doesn't completely melt.
Finishing Touches
- Remove from the oven and immediately top each Hershey's Hug with an M&M - Work quickly here because the chocolate starts to firm up fast! Gently press the M&M into the top of each Hug so it sticks.
- Allow to set for about an hour - This is the hardest part because they smell amazing! But patience pays off - you want that chocolate to fully set before you move them.
The total hands-on time? Maybe 15 minutes tops. The rest is just waiting for them to cool and set.
Storage Tips For Christmas Pretzel Treats
One of the best things about these Christmas pretzels is how well they keep! Here's what works for me:
Room Temperature Storage: Place them in an airtight container with parchment paper between layers. They'll stay fresh for 10-14 days at room temperature. I usually keep them on the counter during the holidays when we're eating them regularly.
Refrigerator Storage: If you want them to last even longer, pop them in the fridge! They'll keep for up to 21 days when refrigerated. The chocolate gets extra firm and honestly tastes even more delicious cold (just my opinion though!).
Freezing: While I haven't personally tried freezing these, a friend told me they freeze well for up to 2 months. Just thaw at room temperature before serving.
Pro tip: Don't stack them directly on top of each other without parchment paper in between, or they might stick together. I learned this after making a batch for Emily's school party last year!
Creative Variations To Try With Your Pretzel Hugs Recipe
Once you master the basic recipe, here are some fun twists I've tried:
Different Chocolate Options:
- Use regular Hershey's Kisses instead of Hugs for plain milk chocolate
- Try dark chocolate Kisses if you want less sweetness
- Peppermint Kisses make these extra festive!
Candy Topping Variations:
- Reese's Pieces for a peanut butter twist
- Mini chocolate chips for extra chocolate lovers
- Crushed candy canes for a minty crunch (Emily's favorite!)
- Regular M&Ms in any color for year-round treats
Pretzel Options:
- Mini pretzels work great for bite-sized versions (though you'll need more of them!)
- Pretzel rods can be dipped in melted chocolate instead
- Gluten-free pretzels work perfectly for anyone with dietary restrictions
Holiday Themes:
- Red, white, and blue M&Ms for 4th of July
- Pastel M&Ms for Easter
- Orange and black M&Ms for Halloween
- Pink and red M&Ms for Valentine's Day
The basic method stays the same - you're just swapping out colors and flavors!
Tips For Making The Best Christmas Pretzel Hugs
After making these dozens of times over the years, here are my tried-and-true tips:
Temperature Matters: Don't crank up your oven thinking it'll go faster. At higher temps, the chocolate melts too much and slides right off the pretzel. Trust me on the 250°F!
Unwrap Ahead: I always unwrap all my Hershey Hugs before I start. There's nothing worse than racing to unwrap chocolates while your pretzels are already in the oven.
Work Quickly: Once those pretzels come out of the oven, you've got maybe 30-60 seconds before the chocolate starts setting up. Have your M&Ms ready to go!
Even Pressure: When pressing the M&M on top, use gentle but firm pressure. Too light and it'll fall off, too hard and you'll crack the pretzel underneath.
Quality Ingredients: Since there are only three ingredients, quality matters! Fresh pretzels that aren't stale make a huge difference in the final product.
Want to know something funny? The first time I made these, I tried to "improve" the recipe by adding caramel. What a mess! Sometimes simple really is better.
Frequently Asked Questions About Christmas Pretzel Hugs
Yes! Hershey's Kisses work perfectly as a substitute, though you'll get milk chocolate instead of the striped chocolate and white chocolate swirl of Hugs.
Keep the oven at exactly 250°F and bake for only 3 minutes - you just want to soften the chocolate slightly, not melt it completely or bake the pretzels.
Absolutely! These store well in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks, making them perfect for advance holiday prep.
No, any M&M color works great! Use red and green for Christmas, pastels for Easter, or regular colors for year-round treats.
Recipes You May Like
If you enjoyed this simple Christmas pretzel hugs recipe, you'll definitely want to try these other festive treats:
- 4th of July Oreo Balls - Another no-bake sweet treat that's perfect for holidays
- Chocolate Dipped Pretzel Rods - If you love the pretzel-chocolate combo as much as I do
- Small Batch Chocolate Chip Cookies - For when you want something homemade but quick
Wrapping Up These Festive Pretzel Treats
These easy Christmas pretzels have honestly become one of my most-requested holiday recipes. They're simple enough that Emily can help make them, fancy enough to bring to parties, and delicious enough that they disappear within minutes every single time!
The sweet and salty combination just works so perfectly. Plus, there's something really satisfying about how the chocolate gets all soft and melty when you bite through the crunchy pretzel. It's one of those recipes that looks impressive but takes almost no effort.
Give these a try this holiday season! They're perfect for cookie exchanges, neighbor gifts, classroom parties, or just keeping around your house for when that chocolate craving hits (which happens to me approximately daily during December).
Don't forget to save this recipe to Pinterest so you can find it again next year!
Christmas Pretzels Hugs
Equipment
Ingredients
- 30 Snaps Pretzels
- 30 Hershey's Hugs candies unwrapped
- 30 Christmas (red and green) M&Ms candies
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Arrange the pretzels onto the baking sheet.
- Top each pretzel with a Hershey's Hug.
- Carefully transfer the baking sheet to the oven, and bake for 3 minutes.
- Carefully remove from the oven, then top each Hershey's Hug with a red or green M&M, gently pressing the M&M into the Hershey's Hug.
- Allow to set for about an hour, then enjoy!
