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We are fast approaching my favorite time of year – Christmas! The decorations, lights, and carols all put me in a festive mood. And one of my favorite things this time of year is Christmas cookies and other goodies. It’s a busy time of year for most and sometimes the stress of baking or spending hours in the kitchen is just too much for some. That’s why I want to share with you a few recipes for QUICK yet delicious holiday treats. Chocolate is involved (lots of chocolate is involved). And the kids can help with decorating if you need an extra hand or 2.
You’ve probably seen some of these treats around before or perhaps you’ve made them yourself but here are the recipes if you are interested:
- Holiday Rolo Pretzels
- Holiday Peppermint Pretzels
- Slow Cooker Chocolate Peanut Clusters
- Chocolate Covered Graham Crackers
Let’s walk through how to make them!
These are super simple to make, the recipe can be doubled or tripled to meet your needs, and they are simple enough the kids can help assemble them (just be careful of the hot pan!). The base is a pretzel, the center is a Rolo, and the topping is a red or green M&M candy. These have a long shelf life when stored in an airtight container and do freeze well if you prefer. I keep a bowl on the counter to snack on throughout the day.
The recipe can be found here.
Start by preheating the oven to 250 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Arrange the pretzels on a baking sheet in a single layer. Use 2 baking sheets if you are going to double or triple the batch.
Top each pretzel with one Rolo.
Bake for 4-5 minutes or until the Rolos start to melt. You don’t want them to melt completely! Just soften up. Remove from the oven and place one M&M on top and press down gently.
Top with sprinkles, optional, but I think it makes these quite festive. Let the chocolate cool completely, then store in an airtight container on the counter. Enjoy!
The recipe can be found here.
These are also quite simple to make, the recipe can be doubled or tripled, and your kids can help with assembly. The base is a pretzel, the center is a peppermint Hershey kiss, and the topping is a red or green M&M candy. These have a long shelf life when stored in an airtight container and do freeze well if you prefer. These are fun to portion out and pack in a little baggie, so you have a treat at work or school throughout the week.
The recipe can be found here.
Start by preheating the oven to 250 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Arrange the pretzels on a baking sheet in a single layer. Use 2 baking sheets if you are going to double or triple the batch.
Top each pretzel with one Hershey kiss.
Bake for 4-5 minutes or until the kisses start to melt. You don’t want them to melt completely! Just soften up. Remove from the oven and place one M&M on top and press down gently. Let the chocolate cool completely, then store in an airtight container on the counter. Enjoy!
The recipe can be found here.
Slow Cooker Chocolate Peanut Clusters
These are super yummy and tend to be a crowd favorite when I make them! It’s a slow cooker recipe too, so what’s not to love? You add all ingredients to the slow cooker, stir occasionally, scoop into portions, and let set. I like to use honey roasted peanuts because I like the flavor and they add a hint of salt to each bite, but you can use plain salted peanuts if you prefer.
The recipe can be found here.
Start by layering the ingredients in the bowl of a slow cooker (do not add the sprinkles, those are for topping). I like to place the chocolate on the bottom and peanuts on top with the chocolate broken into chunks, so it melts easier.
Cover and cook on low for 1 hour, without stirring. After 1 hour has passed, uncover the slow cooker, and stir. Be careful to not spill anything over the sides! My slow cooker was quite full. Continue to cook on low in 20-minute increments until fully melted and combined. Turn off the slow cooker. If I remember correctly, my batch is usually don’t in 1 hour 20 minutes. The chocolate will be nice and smooth so you shouldn’t need much more time than that. I also sometimes add an extra cup or 2 of peanuts so the clusters are extra peanut-y and chunky. You could even stir in some marshmallows at the end.
Line 2-3 baking sheets with parchment paper. Use a 1 Tbsp cookie scoop to scoop the mixture into balls and place on the wax paper. Leave a little space in between each cluster to allow for spreading while cooling.
Top with sprinkles. This step is optional, but I think it makes the clusters very festive and fun. Place the baking sheets in the fridge for 10-15 minutes to allow the chocolate to set. Once the chocolate is set, store in an airtight container on the counter. Enjoy!
The recipe can be found here.
Chocolate Covered Graham Crackers
These are probably my favorite of all the treats I’ve made so far for the holidays. The simplicity of the treats brings me in, but the sweet combination of flavors makes me want more. Honey graham crackers are dipped in vanilla or chocolate almond bark and decorated with holiday sprinkles or candy. These have a long shelf life when stored in an airtight container.
The recipe can be found here.
Start by breaking apart the graham crackers. Line 2-3 baking sheets with parchment paper. I mentioned previously that I use honey graham crackers, but you could try with cinnamon or chocolate for a different flavor.
Use a double boiler to melt the chocolate almond bark. Dip the graham crackers, one by one, into the melted chocolate until completely coated, shake off the excess chocolate, and place on the baking sheet. Repeat until all the melted chocolate has been used. Add sprinkles or candy to each graham cracker before the chocolate sets. You should have enough chocolate to make 20-25 coated graham crackers.
If you do not have a double boiler, you can simply melt the chocolate in a microwave safe bowl. Melt in 30-second increments, stirring in between, until melted and smooth. Then dip the graham crackers and follow the rest of the steps.
Use a double boiler to melt the vanilla almond bark. Dip the graham crackers, one by one, into the melted chocolate until completely coated, shake off the excess chocolate, and place on the baking sheet. Repeat until all the melted chocolate has been used. Add sprinkles or candy to each graham cracker before the chocolate sets. You should have enough chocolate to make 20-25 coated graham crackers.
If you do not have a double boiler, you can simply melt the chocolate in a microwave safe bowl. Melt in 30-second increments, stirring in between, until melted and smooth. Then dip the graham crackers and follow the rest of the steps.
Alternately, if you do not want to add sprinkles or candy, melt red or green candy melts and drizzle in a decorative pattern over the top.
Once the chocolate is set, enjoy immediately or store in an airtight container on the counter. Enjoy!
The recipe can be found here.
These recipes are wonderful for cookie exchanges (because 1 recipe makes enough to go around), to share with coworkers, to pass around for little treats throughout the work week, or to simply keep at home and enjoy yourself 😊 All are easy to make and don’t require a lot of time in the kitchen, which seems to be precious this time of year!
You can adjust these recipes for other holidays as well. Make the Holiday Pretzels but substitute the red and green candies for purple, green, and orange candies for Halloween. Decorate the Chocolate Covered Graham Crackers with St Patrick’s Day colors or Valentine’s Day colors. Swap out the sprinkles on the Slow Cooker Chocolate Peanut Clusters for a different color (appropriate for whatever holiday you are celebrating).
Happy Cooking and Happy Holidays!
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