Reindeer Pretzels: Easy Kid-Friendly Christmas Treat

Name: Reindeer Pretzels
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 3 min
Total time: 23 min
Ingredients: 40 small pretzels (divided); 20 Rolo candies (unwrapped); 40 candy eyes; 20 small round red candies (any variety)

Jump to Recipe

These reindeer pretzels with Rolos are the treat my kids ask for the second the Christmas decorations come out of the attic so I’ve learned to stock up on the 4 simple ingredients. Mini pretzels, Rolos, candy eyes, and a red candy for the nose, fifteen minutes, and the salty-sweet combination that has made every one of my kids’ teachers thank me profusely for the classroom party contribution. They’re the kind of treat that looks like you tried harder than you did, which is my favorite kind of treat.

Overhead image of white plate with Reindeer Pretzels on it

Table of Contents

These Rolo Reindeer Pretzels Are My Last-Minute Holiday Party Rescue

Full disclosure: my introduction to Rolo pretzel reindeer was less than glamorous. My youngest was in kindergarten, I had signed up to bring a treat to the class Christmas party and I remembered this signup roughly forty minutes before the classroom party started.

Thankfully, I remembered seeing a picture of little chocolate reindeer pretzels at some point, and I had a bag of pretzels, a bag of Rolos plus a bag of Christmas M&Ms in the pantry. Twenty minutes and one slightly stressful oven-timing situation later, I had thirty of the cutest little chocolate-caramel reindeer on a festive plate, ready to be delivered.

The kindergarten teacher told me they were the highlight of the party. My daughter beamed. Nobody had to know I had made them in the final hour that morning.

My family has made these salty-sweet treats every year since, and now my kids are the ones assembling them. They’ve perfected the art of placing the antlers before the chocolate hardens, they argue over who gets to put the noses on, nobody wants to do eyes because “eyes are boring” and they usually eat approximately one reindeer for every three they successfully assemble. That’s the tax. I’ve made peace with it.

I send these with the kids on cookie swaps for something a little different and add them to every treat tray I assemble for friends, neighbours, coaches and teachers.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

This is the best sweet snack to make with kids because they’re super easy. All you need are four simple ingredients to make this reindeer pretzel recipe.
The chocolate caramel candy is warmed in the oven so it’s easy to add cute faces with other candy and pretzels.
Pretzel reindeer keep well at room temperature. Package them up in cute bags for holiday gifts or serve them on a platter for a fun Christmas party treat!

Overhead image of Reindeer Pretzels Ingredients

Key Ingredients

Mini pretzels – Small pretzel twists make the best pretzel antlers. Pretzel rods are a little trickier to work with, but it’s possible!
Rolo candies – For a twist, try out different flavors of Rolo candies (I love dark chocolate and salted caramel) if they are available to you! Hershey Kisses also work well if you can’t find Rolos but keep a close watch as they melt faster than Rolos.
Candy eyes – Look for candy eyeballs in the baking aisle near the sprinkles and other decorations.
Red candies – Small, round candies like M&Ms or other chocolate candy are the favorite in my house. Red Hots, mini Sixlets, red gumdrops, or even a red icing dot all work. Of course, if the reindeer don’t have to ALL be Rudolph, swap in brown M&Ms.

Find the full ingredient list with exact measurements in the recipe card below.

Variations

Snowy reindeer. Use white chocolate Hershey’s kisses to keep these going all winter long, not just for Christmas.
Reindeer nose pretzels. Skip the antler and candy eyes steps entirely! Just add the red nose to the melted chocolate candy and you’re set. Kids love this version as it is even simpler to make.
Peanut butter – For the batch not making it’s way to a classroom, use a peanut butter chocolate candy for the nose for a change in flavor. Go one step further and swap out the Rolo for a mini peanut butter cup!

Kids Can Help!

Toddlers: Unwrap Rolos and place into a bowl, sort candy eyes and count the pretzels.
Ages 3-4: Unwrap Rolos and place candy eyes on cooled reindeer with adult supervision. Great for practicing fine motor skills!
Ages 5-7: Place Rolos on pretzels before baking, place antlers, noses and eyes on while chocolate is soft.
Ages 8-10: Most likely can do all steps independently. If they want to cut the pretzels to make the antlers, offer a butter knife instead of a sharp knife.
Ages 11+: Can work on the whole recipe on their own! This is a great way for them to start using the oven since the temperature is lower.

How to Make Reindeer Pretzels

Trim pretzels. Have an adult cut half of the pretzels in half and set aside.
Arrange reindeer. Place the rest of the pretzels on the baking sheet in an even layer. Place a Rolo on each pretzel.
Bake. Place baking sheet in oven for three minutes or until chocolate is softened.
Add faces. Remove pan from oven and add the antlers, eyeballs and red candy noses to each Rolo while still warm.
Allow pretzels to set. Let them sit at room temperature on the cookie sheet until the chocolate is cooled. You can also chill them in the refrigerator to speed up the process if necessary but keep in mind the chocolate can take on a dusty appearance.

For the complete directions and ingredient amounts, scroll down to the recipe card below.

Overhead image of baking sheet with pretzels

Overhead image of baking sheet with pretzels and a rolo on top of htem

Storage

In a relatively cool kitchen or pantry store completely cooled reindeer Rolo pretzels at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

Fridge: Candy coated chocolate can bleed when refrigerated so I don’t recommend storing reindeer pretzels in the fridge.

Freezer: I don’t recommend freezing reindeer pretzels if you can avoid it because the candy eyes and candy coated chocolate can bleed and the Rolos can bloom.

Pro Tips

This is a quick recipe, so it’s a good idea to have all of the ingredients ready. I like to separate the candies into bowls before I do the baking part so that everything is ready and within reach when it’s time to decorate making this a much more enjoyable experience for everyone since the decorations need to be placed before the chocolate cools and hardens.
Once you’ve baked the chocolate you will want to get the decorations in place before it hardens. To make this easy, I assign different “jobs” to my kiddos. They can be in charge of unwrapping Rolos, placing the antlers, noses, or eyes on the melted chocolate. I’m always in charge of cutting the pretzels and baking the chocolate.
I always cut a few extra pretzels in case any of them break (or someone has a sneaky snack!) while we’re assembling the reindeer.
Give the kids a little more responsibility by having them warm the Rolos in the microwave for 10-15 seconds or until just softened.
Before placing the antlers into the chocolate, warm them up in your fingers for about 5 seconds so the chocolate surface doesn’t crack easily.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are reindeer pretzels peanut free?

Technically these are a peanut free treat, since Rolos and pretzels are nut free but it is important to check the labels of the specific ingredients you plan to use for allergen warnings. M&Ms usually warn that they “may contain peanuts.”

How do I keep the antlers from falling out?

Be sure to press them into the Rolo firmly while the chocolate is still soft. If they keep falling out, the chocolate has already become too hard so you will have to warm the reindeer for 10 more seconds.

Can I make these ahead of time?

Prepare reindeer pretzels up to five days in advance and keep them stored in an airtight container at room temperature.

Why did my Rolos melt completely?

Either the oven was too hot or they were in the oven for too long. When I say 250 degrees Fahrenheit for 3 minutes, I mean it! If you know your oven runs a bit hot, set the timer for 2 minutes and then keep a close watch for the last minute, removing the pan from the oven early if necessary.

Why does my chocolate look dusty?

If storage temperature fluctuates, the chocolate can bloom, which makes it look cloudy or dusty. The chocolate is still safe to eat, it just doesn’t look as pretty as when it is fresh. Store at a consistent room temperature to avoid this.