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Rolo pretzels are a bite-size treat that requires only 3 ingredients and no baking! Depending on whether you top them with another pretzel, a pecan, or a holiday M&M, you have the choice between 3 different versions. I, for one, think you should make all 3. I can never decide on my favorite variation, so I make them all!
Pecan Rolo Pretzels
The pretzel and rolo are a combination of melty chocolate, gooey caramel, and crunchy salty pretzel. The red or green M&Ms and pecans are perfect for serving around the holidays.
They make great little bite-sized snacks to nibble on while opening presents, mingling at a holiday party, or sipping on hot cocoa on movie night. If you love peanut butter pretzel bites, you’ll find these rolo pretzels just as addicting.
Rolo pretzels come together in minutes, which may or may not be a problem, because what that means is, you can have them whenever you want.
And I promise, it’ll be all the time!
Why you’ll love Rolo Pretzels
They’re irresistible – Crunchy, gooey, chocolaty, nutty, and salty. I don’t think there’s a better flavor and texture combination to satisfy all your cravings at once!
Simple to make – The base is only 2 ingredient. Pretzels and Rolo. Then, you either add 1 pecan or 1 M&M on top. That’s it! Something so simple is ridiculously good.
Great for hosting – It’s always nice to have something easy to fall back on. Especially during the holiday season! Everyone loves them, they disappear quickly, and you can make as many as you want at once.
Equipment you’ll need
Ingredients
Below is a list of the ingredients you’ll need to gather to make this recipe, why you need them, and possible substitutions. Scroll all the way down for the full recipe card with measurements.
- Pretzel Snaps – These are the square pretzels that look like little waffles. They make a great vessel for holding the rolos. You can also use mini pretzel twists if you’d prefer.
- Rolos – The hardest part of this whole process is unwrapping all the Rolos! I use dark salted caramel, but regular rolo candies would be great too.
- Pecan Halves – You’ll need as many as the number of Rolo pretzels you’re making with crunchy pecans.
- M&Ms – Same with the M&Ms. For Christmas I use red and green, but you can make them as colorful as you’d like using your favorite color M&M.
How to make Rolo Pretzels
This section shows you how to make this recipe, with process photos showing the steps to help you visualize it. For full instructions, including amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card below.
The Oven Method
- Step 1: Arrange pretzels in a single layer on a parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet. Make sure it’s got a lip so that the pretzels don’t fall off if they slide around.
- Step 2: Top each pretzel with an unwrapped Rolo and bake in a preheated 250°F for 3-5 minutes until the chocolate is soft, but not melted.
- Step 3: Remove the cookie sheet from the oven and carefully top each chocolate-covered caramel with either another pretzel, an M&M, or a pecan half.
- Step 4: Allow the pretzels and their softened Rolo to cool completely and enjoy!
The Microwave Method
- Step 1: Grab a microwave-safe plate and line it with parchment paper or wax paper.
- Step 2: Lay the crunchy pretzels out in a single layer and top with a Rolo candy.
- Step 3: Heat for 30 seconds or until the chocolate is soft.
- Step 4: Remove and immediately add your choice of any or all of the 3 options on top of each rolo.
What to serve with Rolo Pretzels
These rolo pretzels would make a great addition to any dessert table!
Serve your sweet and salty treat along with Rolo pretzel turtles, Christmas cookies like chocolate chip Christmas cookies and no-bake Ritz Cracker Cookies, caramel candies like pieces of crockpot salted caramel fudge, and whatever other sweet and salty holiday treat you can think of!
Tips & Suggestions
Even the easiest holiday treat has some tips and tricks to making this Rolo pretzel recipe a success.
- Use a fresh bag of unopened pretzels. The last thing you want is to find out these tasty treats are stale!
- The best part of these easy treats is that they stay fresh for days. This means you can package them up and give them away as a holiday gift to friends, families, and teachers.
- Jazz up the presentation with colorful M&M candies or a drizzle of white chocolate.
- Swap the M&M colors. Green m&ms could also be used for St Patrick’s Day, red and pink for Valentine’s Day, and Easter m&ms for…well, you get the idea.
- If you’re making a large batch, I recommend using the oven. If making a smaller batch, the microwave will work just fine.
How to reheat and store Rolo Pretzels
How to store leftovers
Keep leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week. They’re the perfect snack for after school, lunch boxes, and little treats for after dinner.
Can I freeze them?
Yes, you can! Freeze them for months, but before you serve them again, allow them to thaw in the fridge. The center of the rolo can get quite hard and would be hard to bite into when frozen.
FAQs
Swap the Rolo with a Hershey’s Kiss. Place it in the center of each pretzel and soften it the same way. Use any kiss candies you have left to make a batch of peanut butter blossoms.
Not long! I’d say no more than 3 minutes. They’ll start to get a bit shiny. Just don’t let them melt too much or they’ll lose shape.
It can be if you substitute regular pretzels for gluten-free pretzels. Rolos are gluten-free, however without the certification. If you have a gluten-free treat you want to add on top, feel free!
Need more easy no bake treat recipes? Try these:
Soft and Chewy Chocolate Espresso Caramels
White Chocolate Crockpot Candy
Click here for my entire collection of dessert recipes.
Rolo Pretzels
Ingredients
- 25-50 pretzel snaps
- 25 Rolos unwrapped, I use dark salted caramel
- 25 pecan halves
- 25 M&Ms red & green
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 250°F.
- Line a lipped baking sheet with parchment paper and lay out the pretzels in a single layer.
- Top each pretzel with an unwrapped Rolo.
- Bake 3-5 minutes or until the chocolate is soft, but not melted.
- Remove from the oven and carefully top each caramel with either an additional pretzel, an M&M, or a pecan piece.
- Let cool completely and then enjoy!
Notes
- Use your favorite pretzel shape – I use snaps (waffle shaped rectangles) but regular twists will work.
- Any flavor of Rolo will work. I use dark chocolate salted caramel.
- I use red & green M&Ms for Christmas. Match the colors to your event.
- If you’re making a large batch, I recommend using the oven. If making a smaller batch, the microwave will work just fine.
- Store leftovers covered at room temperature for up to a week.
- Line a microwave safe plate with parchment paper or wax paper.
- Lay out the pretzels, top with an unwrapped Rolo and heat for 30 seconds or until the chocolate is softened.
- Remove from microwave and immediately press in a pecan or M&M to each.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimate and provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Looks good. What is a Rolo?
I really want to make these for Christmas..
Thank You,
Lolly
A rolo is a chocolate covered caramel. I use dark chocolate salted, but they come in “regular” milk chocolate too. Here they are on Amazon.