Christmas Pretzel Hugs are the EASIEST candy you could make – promise! Seriously addictive and so simple, you can even enlist the kiddos to help!
I struggle to call this a recipe because these Christmas Pretzel Hugs are SO easy – like it barely constitutes as one but I am posting them anyway on the off chance someone has never heard of these before!
Whenever I make my annual cookie trays for neighbors and close friends, I always include these pretzel hugs. Not only are they super simple to make, but it makes a big batch – close to 70 or 80, depending on how many Hershey’s Hugs you use. I usually grab a bag or two of the Hershey’s Hugs and make two batches since one standard bag of pretzels should make enough!
That’s the beauty of this recipe – you can make as many or as little as you want! Like I said, I always make a batch or two and scatter a handful of them in my cookie trays. In fact, they are one of my neighbor’s favorites!
This recipe is delicious because it has that perfectly balanced sweet and salty element to them – between the crunchy, salted pretzel and the creamy, sweet white chocolate kiss. The crowning jewel is a pretty red or green M&M for a little extra chocolate and crunchy action.
One of the best parts is this recipe can be customized for other holidays as well – use pastel Easter M&M’s for spring/Easter, or orange and brown M&M’s for Halloween! You could also use a different Hershey’s Kiss – they always have a bunch of seasonal, limited edition flavors (I’ve heard the sugar cookie one is amazing!) and they would be delicious! I particularly think the cookies & cream Hershey’s Kisses or even the caramel-filled ones would be fantastic for more of a turtle effect.
To make them, you’ll simply line a rimmed baking sheet with foil or parchment – this helps make cleanup a breeze, but also keeps these pretzel hugs from sticking to the pan. Then, spread your pretzels in an even, single layer, taking care to remove any broken or chipped pieces. After that, you’ll unwrap all your hugs candies – honestly the “hardest” part – and place a Hug candy on each pretzel piece.
Bake very, very briefly in a 200 degrees F oven just to barely soften the Hugs. It should not melt them, but they will look shiny and soft. Remove from the oven and immediately press an M&M candy on top to flatten the Hug.
Let them cool, and voila! Easy peasy and SO yummy! The sweet and salty action cannot be beat!
Christmas Pretzel Hugs – the easy hero of your holiday cookie tray!
Christmas Pretzel Hugs
These Christmas Pretzel Hugs are to die for! Super simple to make, can be made with kiddos and SO tasty with a delightful sweet and salty flavor.
Ingredients
- 50-70 snap pretzel grids (the square pretzels)
- 50-70 Hershey’s Hugs candies, unwrapped
- 50-70 Christmas M&M’s
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 200° degrees F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or foil to make cleanup a breeze. Arrange 50-70 pretzels (depending on how many you want – could be less than this if desired) in a single, even layer, removing any chipped or broken pretzels.
Place a Hershey’s Hug candy in the center of each pretzel. Bake for 3-4 minutes or until the Hugs candies look shiny and soft but have not melted.
Remove from the oven and immediately press a holiday M&M candy on top of the Hug to slightly spread out the Hug onto the pretzel. Allow the pretzels to cool and the chocolate to reharden, about 30 minutes, before packaging or storing.
Notes
Can’t find Hugs? Feel free to use the seasonal or different Hershey’s Kisses flavors, such as cookies & cream, sugar cookie, or caramel filled.
Addictively sweet and salty, crunchy and creamy perfection! These Pretzel Hugs will soon become a fave!
Have a super sweet day!
xo, Hayley
