Rolo Pretzels Recipe (straightforward dessert)

At a glance

What stands out: A straightforward treat with only three ingredients: pretzels, Rolo caramels, and pecan halves or M&Ms. Sweet and salty Rolo pretzels are irresistible!

How long it takes: 10 minutes
Equipment you’ll need: baking pan, oven
Servings: makes 35

This recipe for Rolo pretzels isn’t an original idea. We're sure you’ve probably enjoyed one of these rich little bites, but it’s one of those treats that maybe you think, huh! We wonder how those are made.

Straightforward Rolo Pretzels

Just three ingredients. As you can probably guess from the photos, you only need three ingredients to make Rolo pretzels: Rolos, pretzels, and pecan halves. (Rolo candies are chocolate-covered caramels.) You can mix it up and substitute colorful M&M’s for the pecans, or even another pretzel to make sandwiches. Some people are creative and make little red-nosed reindeer.

Straightforward, straightforward, straightforward! Rolo pretzels are beyond straightforward to mix and taste oh-so-rich. If you buy the unwrapped Rolos (yes, unwrapped Rolos are available!), these treats are even easier to make because really, the most time-consuming part is unwrapping those individually wrapped chocolate covered caramels.

Kids love to make them. If you have kids in the kitchen, they’d be glad to perform the unwrapping task for you. (Beware, you may lose a few of the candies in the process!) The kids love to help out and making Rolo pretzels is a straightforward project that they can participate in. You can even make them in the microwave. It’s fun to whip up a batch or two of these goodies and make special deliveries to the neighbors. (P.S. Chocolate covered marshmallows and cake mix cookies are a couple more kid-friendly treats.)

A crowd-pleaser. Who doesn’t love caramel, chocolate and a little salty crunch? If you’re a turtle fan, you’re going to love these! (Be sure to try our turtle pancakes, too!) Rolo pretzels look just right on a Christmas cookie platter with sand tart cookies, Brigadeiros (Brazilian fudge balls), gingersnaps with white chocolate, and chocolate peppermint kiss cookies.

What goes in

• Rolos: a A Rolo is a milk chocolate-covered caramel. You can buy a bag of them, individually wrapped in foil or unwrapped. A 7.6 oz. bag contains about 35 unwrapped candies.
• Pretzels: Bite-sized mini pretzels form the base of the treat. Waffle pretzels are reliable for this job. If you have pretzels left over, make our kitchen sink cookies!
• Pecan Halves: Pecans are found in traditional turtles ( caramel and pecans, covered in chocolate). Toast the pecans first for a standby flavor. You could also use M&M’s, or some of each, like we did for the pictures!

How it comes together

Here’s how these rich candy bites come together:

Get your oven preheating to 350°F. Toast the pecans if you want. We always do because they taste so much better when they’re toasted.

Unwrap the Rolos if you bought the wrapped variety.

Arrange the pretzels on a baking sheet (lined with parchment paper if you like).

Top each pretzel with a Rolo and pop them into the oven for just four minutes.

Immediately, while the Rolos are still soft and warm, press a pecan half or M&M in the center. Cool and enjoy!

Toasting Pecans

A straightforward way to toast the pecans is to use your microwave. Spread the pecans on a large plate, and microwave for about 45 seconds. This simple step enhances the flavor of the pecans.

Ways to change it

• M&M Rolo Pretzels: Substitute colorful M&Ms for the pecan halves. Red and green M&Ms are festive for Christmas. Use red, pink, and white M&Ms for Valentine’s Day or team colors for the big game day.
• Rolo Pretzel Sandwiches: Omit the pecan half and use another pretzel on top.
• Rolo Pretzel Reindeer: Use mini pretzels (tiny twists) that are heart-shaped knots for the base. Add a red M & M for a nose and googly eye candies for the eyes. Break a pretzel in half and poke the halves into each side for the antlers.
• Walnut Rolo Pretzels: Substitute a toasted walnut half for the pecan.
• Microwave Rolo Pretzels: If you don’t want to turn on the oven, a microwave oven works just great. The recipe card below has instructions.

Keeping leftovers

Store Rolo pretzels, once they’ve completely cooled, in an airtight container for up to a week. There’s no need to refrigerate them unless your kitchen is warm.

Freeze: For longer storage, freeze the Rolo pretzels in a freezer safe container for up to 2 months.

Straightforward Treat Recipes

• Yield: 35
• Prep: 10 minutes
• Cook: 4 minutes
• Total: 14 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 bag (7.6 oz.) Rolos (see note)
• 1 bag waffle-style pretzels
• 35 toasted pecan halves (see notes) or M&Ms, or a combination (see notes for more suggestions)

Method

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Unwrap the Rolos, if you purchased the foil-wrapped ones.
3. Arrange pretzels on a baking sheet and top each with a Rolo.
4. Bake approximately 4 minutes or until the Rolo is melty. Remove from oven.
5. Press in pecan or M&M candy while Rolos are still soft. Enjoy! Makes 35 treats.

Notes

Skip the unwrapping process! Rolos Unwrapped are now available in 7.6-oz. bags. There are approximately 35 individual candies in the bag.

Toast the pecans (optional). For best flavor, lightly toast the pecans before adding them. Arrange on a large plate and microwave for 45 seconds. Cool slightly.

Make Rolo Pretzels in the microwave: Line a microwave safe plate with parchment paper. Arrange pretzels (as many as can fit) on plate and top with unwrapped Rolo. Microwave at 50% for 30 seconds or until caramel has softened. If needed, microwave an additional 10 seconds. Remove and top with desired topping.

Topping suggestions: Instead of pecan halves, try colorful M&Ms that match a theme, toasted walnut halves, or another pretzel (to make a Rolo pretzel sandwich).