No Bake Christmas Tree Pretzels
For an easy Christmas treat the kids can help with make these No Bake Christmas Tree Pretzels. They are perfect for making at home, at Christmas parties and more. With only 4 ingredients it doesn’t get easier than this.
No bake treats are a life-saver around the holidays. I feel like the oven is constantly on! Not that I mind, I love making amazing treats like grinch cookies and brownie mix reindeer cookies. But sometimes it’s fun to keep the oven and make treats like chocolate Christmas tree pretzels where the kids can help at every single step! They can even make these all on their own and I don’t have to worry about a hot oven or stove top being on.
These are the perfect sweet treat for an afternoon snack on a chilly day, a simple gift for friends and family, and the best addition to a dessert table for holiday parties. This simple recipe only requires five ingredients, and they’re all shelf stable things!
So you can grab the ingredients to make no bake Christmas treats and then hang onto them until needed. A great activity and snack all-in-one to pull out on those days that are too cold to play outside!
Why You’ll Love Christmas Tree Pretzels
- It only takes about 10 minutes to prep and decorate these pretzels. Then let them set while watching a Christmas movie and before you know it, you’ll have the cutest treat!
- This easy recipe is kid-friendly and family friendly. If you have kids that love to help in the kitchen, this is the perfect Christmas treat for them to help make.
- These no bake Christmas treats will keep your oven space open when you need to bake other holiday treats!
Ingredients for No Bake Christmas Tree Pretzels
- Pretzel rods – I like to get multiple bags of pretzels rods so that I can pick out the ones that are not broken. There’s so many recipes you can use them in, so thise extra bags will get used!
- Dark green candy melts – If you can’t find dark green candy melts, get white melting chocolate instead and use some green food coloring.
- Candy stars – You may not be able to find these at your local grocery store, so check your local hobby store instead! Order candy stars online if you’re not having any luck finding them in person.
- Christmas sprinkles – Red, green and white Christmas sprinkles can be found on the baking aisle of pretty much any grocery store during the holidays.
- Rainbow sprinkles – Use both rainbow sprinkles and Christmas colored sprinkles to make the perfect variety of color on each of your no bake Christmas trees.
Helpful Tools
- Parchment paper
- Piping bag or plastic ziploc bag
- Baking sheet
- Microwave safe bowl
How to Make No Bake Christmas Tree Pretzels
- Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set it onto a clean work surface.
- Place full pretzel rods onto the baking sheet, about 3 inches apart. Line them up in multiple rows with plenty of distance between each pretzel sticks.
- Put the green candy melts into a microwave-safe bowl and melt at 50% power for one minutes. Remove and stir well. Then melt again at 100% power for 30 seconds, or until melted.
- Once the candy is melted and smooth, scoop it into a piping bag. Then cut a small hole at the end of the bag and pipe it in a zigzag pattern over each pretzel rod.
- Start at the top of the pretzel with a small zigzag and then continue on down to the bottom getting a larger zig zag each time. You’re creating a triangle Christmas tree shape!
- Make sure to leave ¼ of the pretzel uncovered to mimic a tree trunk.
- Decorate the wet chocolate with sprinkles and place a candy star at the top of each tree. Allow the chocolate to set fro 60 minutes.
- Then carefully remove each Christmas tree pretzel from the parchment paper and place onto a serving tray.
- Serve or store for later and enjoy!
How to Store Christmas Tree Pretzels
Store these Christmas tree shaped pretzels at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 5 days. You can also store them in a plastic bag, but they are more at risk to break if not kept in a sturdy container.
I do not recommend refrigerating because the change in temperature could cause the chocolate to sweat and make the pretzels stale.
What substitutions can I make?
You can swap out the dark green candy with another shade of green! Feel free to add extra “decorations” onto your tree too. Mini M&Ms would be super fun and would like large ornaments on the tree.
Use all white sprinkles to make a snowy looking tree. If you can’t find candy stars, use a yellow M&M as the “star” instead!
Pro Tips!
- Make sure the parchment paper lined baking sheet is on an even surface. If it is leaning one way or the other, the melted chocolate will run when you pipe it onto the pretzels.
- Every time you microwave the candy melts, stir between the intervals. Don’t overheat the chocolate or it could scald.
- Only use the full pretzel sticks that are not broken! That is why I recommend to buy a few bags of pretzel rods to ensure you have plenty of unbroken pretzels to pull from.
Christmas tree shaped pretzels are just the cutest little holiday creation. They’re so simple and no one will ever turn down a chocolate covered pretzel! Always a crowd pleaser!
More Christmas Recipes You’ll Love
- Christmas Brownie Pops are wildly easy and so cute. Turn a simple brownie into an adorable holiday themed treat.
- Candy, candy canes, candy corn, and syrup…and Buddy the Elf Snack mix! Change the elves four main food groups to five with this fun recipe.
- Everyone loves an M&M cookie, so make Chocolate Mint M&M Cookies for Christmas time!
- Skip the coal in the stocking and make Lump of Coal Cookies instead!
Christmas Tree Pretzels
Equipment
Ingredients
- 12- ounce bag dark green candy melts
- 30 Dipping pretzel sticks
- Rainbow and Christmas sprinkles
- Candy stars
Instructions
- Prepare a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Place the pretzels about 3 inches apart on the baking sheet. Line them up in rows, leaving equal distance in between.
- Place candy melts in a microwave-safe bowl and melt at 50% powder for 1 minute. Stir and melt at 100% powder for an additional 30 seconds until melted.
- Place the melted candy into a piping bag. Cut a small hole in the end. Pipe a zigzag pattern across each pretzel stick. Start with a small zigzag at the top and continue to graduate until you reach the bottom to make the effect of a pine tree. Be sure to leave about ¼ of the pretzel uncovered for the tree trunk.
- Decorate with sprinkles and place a star at the top of each tree. Allow to harden for at least 60 minutes. Carefully remove from parchment and place on your favorite serving tray.
- Serve and ENJOY!
Notes
- To shorten the hardening process, place the sheet of trees in the fridge to speed up the hardening process.
- Store these Christmas tree shaped pretzels at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 5 days. You can also store them in a plastic bag, but they are more at risk to break if not kept in a sturdy container.
- I do not recommend refrigerating because the change in temperature could cause the chocolate to sweat and make the pretzels stale.
These look sooooo good! I’m a big snack eater, so if you get some pretzels in front of me, I won’t stop until they’re all gone 🙊 and the fact that within a few minutes you can transform these into a Christmas tree makes them even better! There’s nothing better than a delicious treat that you can make super easily! You don’t always have to work harder to create something awesome ☺️
Thank you! Glad you like this recipe!