Chocolate Caramel Pretzel Bites
Last week I gave you an appetizer to serve for your Super Bowl party. And as much as I love a good app, nothing trumps a good dessert! Preferably something made with chocolate. But plain old chocolate isn’t special enough for a party. No, you need something with a little more pizazz. But no matter kind of dessert you make, fruit or chocolate, cookies or candy, it has to have one specific thing to be the perfect dessert to share. It absolutely has to be a finger food.
While cookies or bars are a great option, they tend to be overplayed. I mean, anyone can bring a plate of brownies or chocolate chip cookies to a party. But candy is a nice change of pace. Now, don’t get me wrong, I would never turn down a chocolate chip cookie or brownie, but if I had to choose, I’d go with a little bite of salty, chocolaty goodness every time.
I discovered these little bites at another party a few years ago and could not get enough. They were delicious: sweet, chocolaty, full of creamy caramel with just a hint of salt. I love little bites that are both salty and sweet because you get the best of both worlds; and I’m not the only one. Why do you think salted caramels are so popular? Or why chefs often sprinkle sea salt over their chocolate chip cookies. Everyone loves a little salt. It enhances flavors and makes everything taste a little brighter. It even makes those sweet treats sweeter.
While these bites are delicious, that’s not the only reason to try them. Turns out they’re super easy to make as well. You only need three ingredients. Three ingredients that you can find at any grocery store anywhere. Just a few chocolate covered caramels, some square pretzels and your favorite nut. I chose pecans, but you can easily use walnuts or almonds… even hazelnuts. They’re all great and they all pair perfectly with the chocolate, caramel and pretzels. The most important thing when choosing the nut though, is to make sure they’re unsalted. Salted nuts will only take away from the flavor as opposed to adding to it since you’re already using salted pretzels. Salt plus more salt won’t get you a delightful treat, it’ll just get you a salty mess. The pretzels provide just enough salt to add to the treat without taking anything away.
So, if you’re trying to decide what treat to bring to this year’s Super Bowl party (or any party for that matter), these little chocolate pretzel bites are just the ticket. They’re absolutely amazing! And because they’re bite sized, people will be popping them in their mouths non-stop. I know because that’s exactly what I did the first time I tried them. I guarantee by the time the party’s over, there won’t be any left to take home. The big challenge will be to see if you can only eat one.
Ingredients
- 24 small, square grid pretzels
- 3 packages Rolo candies (8 candies each)
- 24 pecan halves
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and line a baking sheet with tin foil.
- Place pretzel squares on baking sheet and top each one with a Rolo. Bake for 2 minutes just to soften the Rolos.
- Remove them from the oven and press a pecan (or walnut) half down on top of each one, so the Rolo flattens slightly. Let the candies cool for at least 10 minutes and serve.
