Patriotic Pretzel Sparklers
These Patriotic Pretzel Sparklers satisfy sweet cravings for both kids and adults alike with their coating of creamy white chocolate and red, white and blue sprinkles. They come together in almost no time but are such a fun way to celebrate Memorial Day, 4th of July or any summer gathering with your friends and family.
Customizable
While the sparkly star topping isn’t required, it’s one of my personal favorite special touches and really pushes these pretzels over the top into definite crowd favorite status. And the beauty lies in just how adaptable and customizable they are – swap out the sprinkles for dye-free red and pink hearts and they become perfect cute Valentine’s Day snacks too! These Patriotic pretzel rods always impress guests and disappear quickly as a much-loved salty-sweet treat.
What you need to make Patriotic Pretzel Sparklers
- Gluten free large pretzel sticks – The great thing about this recipe is you can use any shape of pretzel you’d like – after all, any pretzel dipped in melted chocolate and colorful sprinkles turns out pretty amazing. But if you want to replicate the actual Patriotic Pretzel Sparklers as pictured, with the star-topped pretzel rods, I’ve found Snyder’s brand to be the best widely available gluten-free pretzel sticks. Our nearby grocery stores typically carry them, making it easy to get the iconic long skinny sticks to deck out into these festive chocolate-dipped treats. If you are not particular about the shape and are just going for taste, my family’s favorite gluten free mini pretzels are Snyder’s and Glutino. We also like Savor’s grain-free pretzel twists.
- Chocolate chips and white chocolate chips – While most of the chocolate covered pretzel recipes call for chocolate melts, I prefer to use a combination of chocolate chips and coconut oil. This allows me to choose chocolate chips that are more compliant with my eating protocol (gluten free, dairy free). Adding just a little bit of coconut oil to melted chocolate creates more stability in the mixture and prevents the chocolate from seizing up and turning thick and grainy. You can use dark chocolate, milk chocolate or semi-sweet chocolate chips. Enjoy Life or Hu chocolate chips are my favorite brands. Enjoy Life even now makes a dairy-free version of white chocolate chips. You can use milk chocolate or dark chocolate depending on your preference!
- Sprinkles – Eastern Standard Provisions (esprovisions.com) sells my favorite red, white and blue sprinkles. Unfortunately, these are sold out at the moment. You can usually find dye-free sprinkles at Whole Foods, Trader Joes and Sprouts. Or, you can use dye-free red and blue chocolate-covered candies for your sparklers. Just crush the candies so they are smaller in size and will adhere to the pretzel rods.
How to make Patriotic Pretzel Sparklers
- White stars – Use a package of white chocolate chips with coconut oil and melt chocolate on a double broiler or using a microwave-safe bowl. Stir frequently to avoid burning the chocolate. Fill the star mold and set in the freezer for about 30 minutes until set.
- Melt – Melt chocolate chips with coconut oil using the method above. Pour the chocolate into a tall glass for dipping. I used a 12 ounce, skinny mason jar. Dip each pretzel rod and gently shake off the excess chocolate. Lay on a cookie tray lined with parchment paper. You’ll want to dip pretzels about two-thirds of the way into the chocolate to give it the look in the picture. Pro tip – To prevent the puddle of melted chocolate look, let the pretzel rods sit on the parchment paper for 5-10 minutes and then transfer to a new, fresh sheet of parchment paper leaving behind the pool of excess chocolate. Then, set the chocolate in the refrigerator or freezer.
- Drizzle/Toppings – Melt the other package of white chocolate chips with coconut oil and transfer to a piping bag. If you do not have this, you can use a quart or gallon sized plastic bag. drizzle the chocolate over the pretzels and immediately add the toppings. At the top of the pretzel stick, add some extra white chocolate and affix one of the mini white stars. Transfer to the refrigerator or freezer to finish setting or allow the chocolate to set to room temperature and enjoy!
Storage
Chocolate-covered pretzel rods will stay freshest when stored in the refrigerator or freezer within an airtight container. Make sure the chocolate coating has fully hardened and set before placing in storage containers. Lay sheets of parchment or waxed paper between layers of pretzels to prevent the chocolate from fusing the pretzels together while in storage.
For refrigerator storage, store chocolate covered pretzels for up to 1 week in an airtight container. Use freezer storage for longer term; chocolate-covered pretzels will keep frozen for 4-6 months. After thawing frozen pretzel rods, let them come to room temperature before serving for best texture. Maintaining chilled storage temperatures preserves the tempting chocolate coating on these easy chocolate-covered treats so they’re ready to
Patriotic Pretzel Sparklers
Ingredients
- Gluten free large pretzel sticks
- 1 12 oz package chocolate chips
- 2 12 oz packages white chocolate chips
- sprinkles
- 6 TBS coconut oil divided
Instructions
- To make white stars: Melt 1 (12 oz) package of white chocolate chips over a double boiler or in the microwave along with 1 TBS coconut oil. Stir frequently and take off heat when almost melted to prevent scorching the chocolate. Evenly fill the mini star mold with white chocolate. Place in the freezer for 30 minutes or longer if needed, until set. Remove from freezer and set aside to use as decorations.
- Melt 1 (12 oz) package chocolate chips and 2 TBS coconut oil using the method above. Transfer chocolate to a tall, thin glass. Dip each pretzel stick in the chocolate and gently shake off the melted chocolate. Transfer to a baking pan lined with parchment paper. Repeat until all pretzels have been dipped. Note: to keep the chocolate on the pretzels from pooling beneath the pretzels, transfer to another parchment paper after about 5 minutes. This will leave behind a small pool of chocolate on the first parchment paper creating a cleaner look for the final end product. Transfer to the refrigerator or freezer to set chocolate.
- Melt 1 (12 oz) package white chocolate chips and 2 TBS coconut oil using previously described methods. Transfer to a piping bag. Using a criss-cross motion, drizzle over chocolate covered pretzels. Immediately add sprinkles as the white chocolate quickly sets on the cold, chocolate covered pretzels. At the top of the pretzel stick, add some white chocolate and affix one of the mini white stars. Transfer to the refrigerator or freezer to finish setting.
