How to make easy Halloween pretzel rods with candy melts and festive sprinkles.
These fun chocolate-covered Halloween pretzels are perfect for parties and kids.

As my son gets older (he’s 4 right now), making holiday treats has gotten progressively more fun. He’s now delighted not only to eat them but to help decorate them. And has plenty of input over which ones look the best! Haha.

These Halloween pretzel rods are coated in candy melts (often called chocolate-covered pretzels) and decorated with festive sprinkles. I did a TON of different decoration combinations so you could get an idea of just a few of the options. (I also have a section below with decoration ideas if you’re looking for more.)

If you’re looking for more Halloween sweet treats, check out my Halloween Mummies or the Halloween Buck”eyes” (regular buckeyes specially decorated to look creepy).

I also have quite a selection of free Halloween printables. Check out: Free Halloween Printables to see everything available.

Looking for Halloween printables? This printable Halloween binder includes everything you need in one PDF download—Halloween planners, party planning, games, coloring sheets, scavenger hunts, word searches, decor, recipes, and more. Print your favorites year after year!

If you’re getting ready for Halloween, you have to check out my printable Halloween Binder.

It has EVERYTHING you need for a fabulous holiday. It’s 200+ pages and includes:
• Organizing- calendars, costume planner, etc.
• Party planner
• Games and Activities
• Decor, including special apothecary labels for decorating and more
• Halloween & pumpkin recipes

Why You’ll Love These Halloween Pretzel Rods

• No baking. Just heat up some candy melts in the microwave.
• Ready in under an hour. (Just make sure you have all your ingredients prepared beforehand- do NOT get started and then realize you really wanted some purple candy melts too…haha).
• Easy for kids to help decorate. Especially sprinkling the sprinkles. Even little kids can help with that part.
• Make ahead. These stay good for awhile. So no worrying about making the day before a party.
• Countless decorating options.
• Great for parties. There are multiple ways to display (see section below) so they’re not only a yummy treat, but also decor for the table.

Easy Halloween pretzel rods decorated with candy melts, drizzles, and colorful Halloween sprinkles. These festive Halloween chocolate covered pretzels are perfect for parties, classroom treats, and dessert tables.

Halloween Pretzel Decorating Ideas

• First, I would focus on Halloween colors. I chose to stick with black, white, orange, and purple for this set. But another popular option is green.

• Sprinkles. There are many, many sprinkle options. Including:
-Glitter sprinkles. I used black and orange, but you can also try white, purple, and/or green if you’re staying on theme.
-Nonpareils (called little round balls for more simple folk like me). I used a variety of color combinations on these- orange and white on black candy melts; multiple colors on white candy melts, etc.
-Quins (yes, I had to look up what the round flat discs were called…haha). These aren’t my favorites so I didn’t photograph any of these that I tried. But my son actually thought they were the best!
-Jimmies. Classic sprinkles, rod shaped. Again, I used a variety of Halloween colors contrasting the base coating.

• Color coating with sprinkles on top.

• Color coating with contrasting color swirls of candy melts coating on top.

• Color coating with contrasting color swirls and then add sprinkles on top of swirls.

• Halloween characters/themes, including:
-Mummies
-Ghosts
-Frankenstein
-Monsters (such as purple coating with edible candy eye) and maybe sprinkles
-Monster fingers (green coating a black “nail” on the end is one popular option)
-Fall candy (such as candy corn or candy pumpkins) on top of candy melt coating

Ingredients and Equipment

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Equipment:
• Parchment paper
• Jars for melting candy melts- I suggest these wide mouth ones
• Ziploc bags for drizzling
• Individual plastic bags (if individually wrapping pretzel rods)

Ingredients:
• Pretzel rods
• Candy melts: white, black, orange, purple, and/or green
• Halloween sprinkles, such as 6 variety pack, Graveyard Bash sprinkles, and Sprinklefetti Monster mix.
• Paramount crystals

Candy Melts Information & Ingredient Tips

I did a bit of testing (as I’m prone to do) with this recipe.

Dyeing Candy melts

The first experiment was trying to save money. Maybe it was the time of year I was buying the candy melts (summer as I wanted this post to be out in plenty of time for you to find it for Halloween), but some of the colored candy melts were a bit expensive. So I got the bright idea of dyeing the white candy melts.

I did some research. Ran some numbers (some of the dyes were more expensive than just buying the colored candy melts! haha). And picked some oil-based dyes that weren’t too expensive and had good reviews. Best of all, the pack I chose had black, purple, orange, AND green dye. So all I had to buy was white candy melts! Yay!

White candy melts dyed with black food coloring, resulting in light gray candy coating instead of black.

This was the entire tube of black dye added to about 1 cup of white candy melts. Yes, yes, that is very light gray.

I decided not to waste further money (buying more black dye) or time (trying out the green, purple, or orange) with dyeing candy melts for Halloween.

However, the dye DID blend very well into the candy melts. I actually saved the dyes and will be using some of them to make pastel colors for Easter pretzel rods. I think it will work much better for pastels than vibrant colors.

Choosing a Candy melts Brand

I did exhaustive testing on candy melts about a decade ago when I went through a cake pop phase. (Honestly, if I never eat another cake pop, I won’t miss it). I tried multiple brands, methods, etc.

To keep it short, Merckens is a fabulous brand. Chocolate is nice and thin (doesn’t require paramount crystals) and the taste is nice. However, it is a bit expensive. If you’re doing a project with multiple colors, the price can add up fast.

I usually go with Wiltons. The price is reasonable (most of the time). The taste is good. And paramount crystals are cheap and go a long ways (see below why you need paramount crystals). And it comes in a wide, wide variety of colors. If you can’t find the color you want at Amazon, it will probably be at Wal-Mart, Target, Michaels, or somewhere else.

Why You Need Paramount Crystals

Most candy melts that you buy are a bit too thick for most projects. Especially if you’re trying to drizzle little thin lines that look nice.

That is where paramount crystals come in. While full heating instructions for candy melts are below, in short- melt the candy melts almost all of the way. Start with adding approximately 1 tsp. paramount crystals to 1.5 cups of candy melts. Stir well. Continue heating until paramount crystals and candy melts are completely melted. Test consistency. Add more paramount crystals as needed. (I would estimate I ended up adding about 1 Tbsp. paramount crystals to 2 cups of candy melts for this recipe with Wilton candy melts.)

Fun side fact: I once tested everything from 1 Tbsp. to 15 Tbsp. of paramount crystals (in a medium bowl of melts) and dipped cake pops in it to see what ratio was the best. THAT was a fun experiment. And a sign I had way too much time on my hands back then, pre-kid.

Halloween pretzel rods displayed in mason jars for a fun Halloween party centerpiece. These colorful chocolate covered pretzels make easy party treats, classroom snacks, and edible Halloween gifts.

The Easiest Way to Dip Pretzel Rods

Dipping pretzel rods in candy melts is easy. Finding a method that doesn’t waste a ton of chocolate is another matter. My first thought was quart size glass mason jars. After all, the whole pretzel rod would fit. Well, once they showed up in the mail, I realized that I would need vast amounts of candy melts for that idea. So scrap that.

I found 3 methods suggested online:

• Tall, narrow glasses. This was widely used but even the people recommending this method mentioned how hard it was to stir the candy melts in the narrow glass. And the heating was inconsistent. A variation of this method was to melt the candy melts in a medium bowl and then pour into the glasses for dipping. (I found that a waste of candy melts.)

• Drizzling method. I didn’t even try this. You’re not going to get a smooth looking coating and much of the candy melts/chocolate would end up pooled underneath the pretzel rods.

• Wide mouth jar with spoon for covering middle/top part of pretzel.

How to dip pretzel rods using spoon technique

This was the method I chose to use. (Forgive the picture quality; I had to put the DSLR camera on automatic before my husband could figure out how to use it…haha.)

Melt the candy melts and paramount crystals in a pint size wide mouth Mason jar. Dip the bottom part of the pretzel in the jar. Use a spoon to “pour” the chocolate over the middle and (some of the) upper part of pretzel.

Gently shake well to allow excess chocolate to drip off before laying on parchment paper to dry.

Ways to Use & Display

Ways to use:
• School treats
• Halloween parties
• Gift bags, goodie bags, or party favors
• Dessert table
• As decor

Display options:
• Simply stack them on a tray or wide bowl for serving. Use a Halloween themed tray/bowl if available.
• If using for school treats or for goodie bags, put each individual decorated Halloween pretzel rod in a plastic pretzel rod bag before handing out. You can also add a ribbon and/or thank you note. (I have some free printable Halloween labels in a variety of styles on the Halloween Printables page you might like.)
• Centerpiece for Halloween party. Place in a jar or candy dish as both a decoration and treat. Works well for a kids party.
• Graveyard platter- crush up chocolate cookies to make crumbles. Use as “graveyard dirt” and place pretzel rods standing up.
• Use fall/Halloween candy (such as candy corn) in a jar or dish and place pretzel rods standing up.
• Witch’s potion- use a medium black plastic cauldron and place the pretzel rods standing up inside.
• Dessert charcuterie board- lay out along with other Halloween treats, such as Halloween mummies, ghost treats, etc. Perfect for a dessert table or party.

FAQ About Halloween Pretzel Rods

I’ve had plenty of experience with melting candy melts and chocolate. And messing it up (don’t even ask about the time I didn’t 100% dry a bowl before trying to melt chocolate…hint: water and chocolate do NOT mix). Below are some of the questions that might come up.

How far in advance can you make chocolate covered pretzels?

One of the benefits of this treat is that you can make it in advance. Halloween pretzel rods will last 2-3 weeks if stored in an air-tight container. But they are best within 1 week, especially if you’ve added sprinkles or other candy decorations.

How should I store Halloween pretzel rods?

In an airtight container. Do NOT refrigerate. This will trap moisture and cause the pretzels to go soft.

What chocolate is best for chocolate covered pretzels?

I suggest using candy melts. They come in a variety of colors and easily be thinned by using paramount crystals. I use Wilton brand normally.

But baking bars and almond bark are also options.

Can I freeze chocolate covered pretzel rods?

Yes, up to 3 months. To do this, lay them flat on a baking sheet. Freeze. Then store together in an air-tight container and place in freezer. Use parchment paper between layers if stacking in container for storing.

Please note there is going to be some small deterioration in quality after freezing.

My candy melts aren’t thinning? (Or not melting correctly?)

This could be a variety of issues.
If it’s actually started to melt and is now thickening:
-There might be moisture.
-Or it was over-heated.
-Or you used a food coloring that wasn’t oil-based. Water-based food colors in chocolate or candy melts won’t work.
Sadly, you’ll need to discard and start with new candy melts.

If the candy melts are melting but just a little too thick, add paramount crystals to thin them. (See “Why you need paramount crystals” above). You can also try a bit of shortening, but I never really liked that method when I tested it.

Do candy melts need to be refrigerated?

NO! Absolutely not. In fact, that can increase moisture. And cause them to seize next time to try to melt them. If you have leftovers that haven’t been melted, store in bag.

If you have leftover chocolate that HAS been melted, pour out onto a sheet of parchment paper. Spread thin. Allow to harden. Break into small pieces and store in airtight Ziploc bag. Then melt when needed (and within original expiration date).

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Halloween Pretzel Rods

Equipment

Parchment paper
Pint jars for melting candy melts
Ziploc bags small, only needed if drizzling for decorations

Ingredients

30 pretzel rods
2 C. candy melts in color of choice for dipping
1 C. candy melts in color of choice for drizzling
Paramount crystals
Halloween sprinkles

Instructions

Preparation

Lay out parchment paper on counter.
Make sure you have all the candy melt colors you need, paramount crystals (if using), and sprinkles/decorations.

Melting candy melts

Pour 1 to 1.5 cups of candy melts in a wide mouth pint glass jar.
Heat in microwave for 45 seconds at 50% power.
Stir, even if nothing looks melted.
Heat for 15-30 seconds at 50% power, stirring after each heating cycle.
As candy melts soften and melt, add any additional candy melts.
When candy melts are almost completely melted, add approximately 1 tsp. of paramount crystals. Stir well.
Heat another cycle (15-30 seconds at 50% power). Stir. Check consistency. Add more paramount crystals if needed. Heat until crystals and candy melts completely melted and well mixed.

Dipping pretzel rods

Dip the bottom part of the pretzel in candy melt jar. Use a spoon to "pour" more melted chocolate over middle of pretzel rod (and a bit of the upper part, if you want).
Shake gently and hold over chocolate for 15-30 seconds until excess chocolate has dripped off.
Lay on parchment paper.
*If decorating with sprinkles, sprinkle immediately while candy melts are still wet.
*If adding drizzles, allow this base coat to dry before adding drizzles.

Drizzling candy melts

Melt 1 cup of candy melts according to directions above. Add paramount crystals as instructed above.
Once candy melts are completely melted, carefully pour into a small Ziploc bag. Squeeze all the chocolate into the corner. Cut off a very small bit of corner. Drizzle candy melts over prepared pretzel rods.
If adding sprinkles on top of drizzle, sprinkle immediately while candy melt drizzle is still wet.

Notes

*You’re going to need approximately 2 cups of candy melts for each base color you’re doing. For example, I did both black coated pretzels and white coated pretzels, so I needed 2 cups of black candy melts and 2 cups of white candy melts.

*For drizzling, you’re going to need approximately 1 cup of candy melts in drizzling color. I did purple and orange drizzles, so I needed 1 cup of purple candy melts and 1 cup of orange candy melts.

*When melting candy melts, the jar (or bowl) should NEVER get too hot to touch with your bare hands. If overheated, candy melts (and chocolate) seize easily. Allow the jar to cool, stir melts, and then heat further as needed.

What Did You Think?

What did you think of these Halloween pretzel rods? What decoration combination was your favorite? Comment below and let me know!

In regards to the recipe and ingredients, is there anything you loved? Anything you didn’t like? Let me know by rating the recipe (using the stars on the recipe card) and/or leaving a comment on the post.

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