Thin crispy pretzels are dipped in creamy almond bark then sprinkled with crushed candy canes to make this yule time treat.  Peppermint bark pretzels are amazingly delicious are certain to make any gathering festive.  These little pretzel candies are also the perfect addition to your holiday cookie platters and gift baskets.  Great gift idea for neighbors and teachers, and don’t forget to leave a few out for Santa.

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Peppermint Bark Pretzels

An easy to make holiday classic treat, thin crisp pretzels are dipped in creamy almond bark and topped with bits of candy cane. Three favorite flavors in one festive bite. Perfect gift idea for those holiday gift baskets too.

Course Candy

Cuisine American

Keyword Holiday Candy, Peppermint Bark Pretzels

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 36

Author Christoph

Ingredients

• 12 ounces almond bark rough chopped and melted
• 1 bag pretzel crisps original flavor
• 4 peppermint candy canes crushed

Instructions

• Heat almond bark in a double boiler until smooth
• Dip pretzels one at a time in the melted almond bark turning to coat. Remove with a fork and tap off extra melted candy. Place on a baking sheet lined with wax paper and immediately sprinkle with crushed candy canes.
• Allow to set up before removing from wax paper.
• Place in a sealed storage container in a cool location.

Notes

If almond bark becomes too thick, place back over the double boiler to warm.

Depending on the number of pretzels you dip you may need more or less almond bark.

And don’t forget about our Classic Almond Bark Pretzels, they are just as delicious and easy-to-make!

This year I find myself looking at the calendar in amazement wondering where all the time I thought I had before the holidays went. Actually the whole summer and fall have pretty much zip-pity do da-ed right out of my arse. Spring storms this year brought hail and water damage to our home. So in addition to playing general contractor for the already scheduled brick work, I found my self managing a new roof and gutters (thank-you State Farm), as well as the painting of all the exterior trim. The unplanned remodeling of the lower level of our house did offer us new options for finally completing the “man cave” of our dreams (with a giant HD television, amazing sound system, and sexy lighting) however I guess between doing much of the work myself and organizing the rest, I somehow lost a month or two.

Suddenly it was Thanksgiving (didn’t even see that one coming) and now it was time to decorate the house and make holiday treats for family and friends, neighbors, and the caregivers at the home where my mother resides. So I got busy and busted out a dozen of my trusted holiday family favorites and got to work. As I completed the last treat, I felt that I had sifted, creamed, chopped, dusted, and rolled about as much butter, flour, and sugar as I could possible tolerate. Seems to come a point each year where I am just over it, and with company arriving this coming Wednesday (hopefully a bit later in the day than the new furniture and bed are to be delivered, nothing like running a tight schedule) I felt like I had everything taken care of.  Then came the question. “You are going to make Peanut butter balls aren’t you? I don’t see any peanut butter balls. They are my favorite and you always make them. It just wouldn’t be Christmas without them”.

So overnight as I lay awake dreading the idea of rolling and dipping yet another item, the thought came to me to simply make them as a bar. The recipe itself is quite simple, so why not just let simple be and make my life the same. Well the experiment worked quite well I must say. I prepared the filling as I normally would for the balls, but instead pressed it into an 8″ x 8″ pan that I had lined with foil and buttered. Then I tempered some chocolate and flooded it over the top of the filling. I allowed the pan to set up overnight, cut the bar into pieces and….. ta da! I did go the extra and melt some peanut butter chips to decorate the tops but that certainly would have not been necessary. I must say they turned out really quite good. I still think I might prefer the rolled ones, but for this holiday, simple is certainly……. simply delicious.

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Peanut Butter Ball Bars

Everyone's favorite chocolate and peanut butter balls made in an easy bar form.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 25 minutes minutes

Servings 48 Candies

Ingredients

• 1   cup butter softened
• 1   cup peanut butter smooth or crunchy
• 2   cups graham cracker crumbs
• 3   cups powdered sugar
• 1  12 oz. bag semi-sweet baking chips

Instructions

• Line an 8" x 8" baking pan with aluminum foil and lightly grease with butter
• Mix together butter and peanut butter until smooth. Add graham crackers and mix well. Add powdered sugar and mix until a soft dough forms.
• Press evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan.
• Melt chocolate by tempering either in a double boiler or in the microwave. Pour melted chocolate over the top of the peanut butter mixture and spread evenly.
• Allow for chocolate to set up before cutting. You can speed up this process by placing pan in the fridge.
• Using the foil lift the bars out of the pan and place on a cutting board. Cut into 1" - 1 1/2" squares. Store in an airtight container.

Notes

You can use any recipe for Peanut Butter Balls with this method.

More recipes you might enjoy:

Better Homes and Gardens

Joy of Baking

Sweet Anna’s

Taste of Home

The Girl Who Ate Everything

I think that sometimes we all under-estimate the power of simple. We like to dazzle our families and friends with amazing and elaborate dishes and treats, showcasing our culinary abilities, especially this time of year. Our holiday baking lists sometimes overlook many of our favorite things for being too plain and boring, or get crossed off as something that everyone sees in the store. There is a reason that certain items appear on every shelf around Christmas. People love them and they sell. But things from the store are never as good as the ones made with the love that caring hands can deliver, and almond bark pretzels are one of these items. You have enough things on your plate that will require a lot of attention, so don’t eliminate some of everyone’s favorite treats because it seems as though they don’t require enough effort. Many times less is more, and simple is quite often pure delightful. Remember the brown paper packages tied up with strings………………I hear you singing!

Tip: Set up a “sprinkle station”. Place your sprinkles in a small bowl and then position a larger bowl next to it. Hold the dipped pretzel over the larger bowl and add sprinkles. The bowl will catch the ones that do not stick, and you can pour them back and use them again. 

These pretzels are always a hit at a cocktail party, and they also make a great gift that pretty much everyone loves. Dipped pretzels also make a great “filler” for holiday trays of goodies for those of you that have teachers or co-workers to think about.

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Almond Bark Pretzels

A combination of salty and sweet, this holiday classic is so simple to make, and always a hit.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 20 minutes minutes

Servings 72 Pretzels

Ingredients

• almond bark
• pretzels
• sprinkles

Instructions

• Melt the almond bark in the top of a double boiler. You can also melt the almond bark in the microwave the same way you would temper chocolate if you prefer. If you do not have a double boiler, you can make your own by placing a stainless steel bowl on top of a sauce pan of water.
• Pour your pretzels into a bowl to make them easy to grab. Holding the ear of a pretzel dip it into the almond bark, shake off the extra, and add sprinkles. Place pretzel on a sheet of wax paper to set up.

Notes

You can make as many or as few as you like.  

Almond bark is not white chocolate. It is a vanilla flavored candy coating made from vegetable fats and contains no cocoa butter (fewer calories too). It is also extremely easy to work with compared to chocolate. Set up a "sprinkle station".

Place your sprinkles in a small bowl and then position a larger bowl next to it. Hold the dipped pretzel over the larger bowl and add sprinkles. The bowl will catch the ones that do not stick, and you can pour them back and use them again.