Making the Rolo Turtle Pretzel Bites is one of our favorite holiday traditions every year! The kids love to help, and they are the simplest yummy treat everyone loves snacking on all through the Christmas season! Salty and sweet, chocolate and caramel, they make an easy 20 minute gift too, just add a jar and a pretty ribbon!
Why You'll Make This Every Year
- Easy - Definitely the easiest holiday treat, 3 ingredients and 20 minutes, perfect for little helpers!
- Customizable - I love the Rolo, pretzel, pecan combination because you get that salty and sweet plus a little protein from the pecan. But you can customize them to your liking with Hershey's kisses of any variety, M&M's instead of the pecans, or different nuts like cashews or walnuts. We even popped some dried cranberries in alongside the pecans one year!
- Gift-able - Simple, shelf stable, and they last for at least a month, making them the perfect little gift in a jar! They're the perfect mix of crunchy, chewy, and nutty that everyone from kids to grandparents can't resist! Add them to your cookie boxes and trays too for a little variety!
- Love Gifting from the Kitchen? We also give jars of Homemade Almond Biscotti and Homemade Christmas Granola this time of year too!
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Ingredients & Substitutions
These 3 ingredients couldn't be easier to put together, and unwrapping the candies is always the fun part!
- Pretzels - I like the regular pretzel shape but the little square grid shape will also work.
- Rolo Candies - A 10 ounce bag will give you about 46 candies, you can adjust this amount up or down and make as many as you like. Extra Rolo candies do work great in Peanut Butter Blossom Cookies for a variation from the Hershey's kisses!
- Pecans - Use raw pecan halves, or try different nuts like cashews or walnuts.
See recipe card below for full quantities.
Instructions
Perfect for letting the kids help, just unwrap, assemble, melt and press with pecans!
Step 1 - Preheat the oven to 300°F.
Lay the pretzels out in an even layer on a baking sheet and top each with an unwrapped Rolo.
Step 2 - Carefully put the sheet pan in the oven so the chocolate caramel candies don't roll off!
Bake 3 to 4 minutes just to melt the chocolate slightly.
Step 3 - Remove from the oven and press a pecan into each chocolate while it's still warm.
Be careful not to burn your arm on the hot rim of the baking sheet!
Recipe Notes & Tips
- Use Regular or Square Pretzel Shapes - they hold the Rolo perfectly!
- Don't Overbake - 3 to 4 minutes is all you need for the chocolate to soften.
- Let them cool completely on the sheet pan for putting them in jars!
- Storage - Store at room temperature in airtight containers like jars. They keep for weeks, making them ideal for early holiday prep during the busy season!
Recipe FAQs
Yes, walnuts, cashews or even almonds work beautifully. Pecans are my favorite for that classic turtle taste, but swap in what you have on hand or make a mixture.
Check the candy and holiday aisle around Halloween or Christmas, they usually come in bags and are wrapped in red and green foil (or just gold) this time of year. They come in lots of different sized bags. A 10 ounce bag will give you 46 turtles.
Yes, if you use gluten-free pretzels (many brands are!). The Rolos and pecans are naturally gluten-free, so they're a great treat for mixed-diet gatherings. If you want them to be nut-free, top with another pretzel instead of the pecan.
More Favorite Holiday Treats!
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Rolo Turtle Pretzel Bites
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Print Pin RateIngredients
- 46 pretzels (about 2 cups)
- 46 Rolo candies (10 ounce package)
- 46 pecans (about ¾ cup)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 300℉.
- Spread out the pretzels in an even layer on a baking sheet. You can face them all up if you like. Top each pretzel with an unwrapped Rolo.
- Carefully transfer the baking sheet to the oven so the candies don't fall off the pretzels, and bake for 3 to 4 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and press a pecan down into each Rolo while it is still hot from the oven, sticking the pretzel-Rolo-pecan together into one delicious bite!
- Cool completely and store in airtight containers or gift them in jars!
Notes
- Don't burn your arm on the rim of the baking sheet when pressing the pecans!
- Substitutions - you can sub the Rolos with any flavored Hershey's kiss. The pecans can also be subbed with any nut like walnuts or cashews or M&M's. Regular or square pretzels work well.
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