Fall Pretzel Kisses

These easy fall pretzel kisses combine salty pretzels, chocolate Kisses, and Reese’s Pieces for a simple sweet-and-salty fall treat perfect for parties or Thanksgiving.

I love sweet treats. Everything from big, complicated desserts to easier than you can believe little snacks.

These fall pretzel treats fall into the easy category. I actually tried them out for the first time way back in 2014. Yes, really. Back then I made them with M&Ms because I had seen fall-themed M&Ms in the grocery store- regular flavor (no pumpkin pie spice or apple cider, thank you), just in fall colors. When I went to re-make them this year, I was disappointed to discover flavor abominations had taken over the fall M&M aisle. Haha. So I tried Reese’s Pieces instead. And they turned out great!

If you’re looking for another easy fall treat, check out Fall Puppy Chow.

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Step-By-Step Pictures

This recipe is very, very easy to make. Nevertheless, I took some pictures of the prep process so you have an idea how the pretzels look on cookie sheet with the kisses on top of them, etc.

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FAQ & Notes About Recipe

• Can I use regular Hershey’s Kisses, not Hugs (striped ones)?
-I tested this myself when I first made them years ago. It took extra time in the oven to get the chocolate Kisses to melt as well. And the end product did not look as attractive. They still tasted good, though.
-However, a reader tried them too when she couldn’t find Hugs, and let me know her results: “The milk chocolate took approximately 7.5 minutes in 200 degree oven to get that glisten.” She also mentioned getting chocolate on her hands putting the candy on top- but I don’t know if that was the milk chocolate, the fact she was making hundreds for a party (whew!), or just hadn’t mastered the “drop and gently push a tiny candy on melted chocolate” technique.

• Most versions use M&Ms, can I use those?
-Yes, you can. In fact, when I originally made these in 2014, there were fall colored M&Ms. They no longer make them. Your choices (currently) are: Halloween colored ones (I don’t suggest), flavored ones (up to you…if pumpkin pie spice is something you like, give it a try), or buying regular M&Ms and picking out the brown, orange, red, and yellow ones to use for this recipe.

• How to melt Hershey’s Kisses on pretzels?
-The key to this is a low oven temperature. 200° should be perfect. If you’re using striped Hershey’s Kisses (Hugs), then 5 minutes precisely works well. If you’re using the milk chocolate Kisses, a bit longer is suggested. One test showed that 7.5 minutes worked perfectly to get “that glisten”.

• Why aren’t the Hershey’s Kisses on the pretzels melting?
-First, verify they’re not actually melting by pressing a candy into the top. They retain their shape even when melted perfectly until you press on them. Making them look deceptively not melted even when they are.

-If they’re actually still hard, the oven temperature might be too high. Chocolate is very touchy about higher temperatures (trust me, I once “seized” some chocolate melting it in the microwave on full power). If the oven is too hot, the chocolate can seize or harden into a lump. Try it at 200°.

-I haven’t tested the regular milk chocolate ones recently (just the Hugs for this recipe), but apparently other bakers have reported that the milk chocolate ones don’t melt like they used to. Some people attribute this to a change in the candy formula, but I haven’t verified this. The suggested work-around is using Hugs or trying a different chocolate or candy (Rolo caramel candies are common recommendation).

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Fall Pretzel Kisses REcipe

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What Did You Think?

Did you like these easy fall pretzel kisses? Were you able to find striped Hershey’s Kisses without too much effort?

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