Werewolf Claw Pretzel Rods Are A Howling Halloween Snack!
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Make these Werewolf Claw Pretzel Rods for Halloween and you’ll be sure to have a howling good time! This creative snack idea will look fabulous on your Halloween party table, or you could package them up to give to Trick or Treaters! All you need are pretzel rods, candy melt wafers, and chocolate sprinkles.
I’ve got 50+ freakishly good Halloween Recipes for you to try out – right-click and open these other recipes in a new tab so that you can read them after this one!
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Werewolf Claw Pretzel Rods
The full ingredients list and instructions are found in the printable recipe card at the end of this post. I highly recommend reading the blog post all the way through so that you don’t miss any tips or substitution suggestions and ensure that you have all the ingredients and equipment required and understand the steps and timings involved.
It’s that time of year again! Halloween is almost here and we all know what that means – candy, costumes, pumpkins, and the occasional werewolf sighting. This October 31st you can help your little ones celebrate with Werewolf Claw Pretzel Rods!
This Halloween snack is a perfect combination of sweet and salty made with pretzel rods dipped in melted chocolate, covered with sprinkles, and finished off with a candy werewolf claw – the kids are gonna love them!
The post is part of the Crafty October series on The Purple Pumpkin Blog and is filled with free printables, crafts, recipes, and more for Halloween! You can check out Crafty October from 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, and 2012 for tons of awesome Halloween ideas and inspiration!
Ingredients Used In This Recipe
While most ingredients can be bought in grocery stores, for your convenience, any specialized or notable ingredients (and equipment) needed for this recipe have been listed below and linked to Amazon or other stores if available online.
It does not include staple ingredients such as oil, salt, sugar, etc., as you’re likely to have those in your kitchen. The complete list of ingredients with measurements is found in the recipe card.
- Pretzel Rods
- Ghirardelli Chocolate Wafers – in the UK I highly recommend Callebaut Chocolate Callets.
- Candy Melts – this recipe uses white and red.
- Chocolate Jimmies Sprinkles
For my UK readers: Pretzel rods are longer and chunkier than pretzel sticks – and the latter seems to be the kind that I see in our supermarkets.
The brand that I bring home from the USA is called Snyder’s of Hanover, and they sell a range of pretzel products, which I have seen on Amazon UK. However, pretzel rods do not seem to be one of them, which is super annoying!
You could check out stores like Aldi or Lidl which might carry larger pretzel sticks. Or if you can’t find pretzels in rod or stick form, just use this method on regular-shaped pretzels! Or even plain breadsticks (just don’t use garlic or cheese ones because I can’t imagine that would be a good combo!!)
Recipes on The Purple Pumpkin Blog use both cup measurements and/or weighted measurements. American cups and kitchen food scales are handy pieces of equipment to have in your kitchen as it means you’ll be able to make all of the different recipes on my blog. I try to give American, imperial, and metric measurements in my recipes. Please note, you can mix cup measurements with weighted measurements, but never mix imperial (pounds, ounces, pints, etc.,) with metric (kilograms, grams, litres, etc.,).
Equipment Used in This Recipe
You can melt candy melts/candy wafers in the microwave or a double boiler, or if you plan on making lots of candy-covered treats in the future, I recommend investing in a candy-melting pot as treat-making life is then so much easier!
Try this PME one if you’re in the UK, as the Wilton one is not available on Amazon.co.uk.
If you want to drizzle candy melts onto the pretzels you’ll need zip-top freezer bags or disposable piping bags to get the job done.
And some wax paper to lay the coated pretzel rods on so that they can set.
More Recipes Using Pretzel Rods
One of the hero ingredients in this dish are the pretzel rods, so here are some more recipes using the same:
- These Witch Finger Pretzel Rods for Halloween are Wicked!
- Red White & Blue Firecracker Pretzel Rods
- Mickey Mouse Pretzel Rods – A Fun Disney Snack!
Melting Tips for Candy Melts Wafers
If you use the Wilton Candy Melting Pot, you can check out Wilton’s demo video on YouTube which is really helpful. They also give tips on how to melt candy melts in the microwave, as well as using the double boiler method.
The two most important things are
- Do not overheat – use an even melting temperature
- Do not add water – it makes the candy seize up and become unusable. Make sure the equipment used is completely dry, and avoid using utensils that retain moisture like a wooden spoon.
If you find that the candy is too thick, add vegetable shortening or (solid) coconut oil in 1 teaspoon increments, up to 1 tablespoon, and stir well.
Another reminder – do not add water. The very first time I used candy melts I managed to get water in the bowl and it was ruined. Learn from my mistakes! Additionally, do not use vegetable oil, butter, milk, or any other liquids as this will also make the candy seize up.
If you are using your microwave, test melt a small amount of candy melts first, to see how it works. You may need to adjust the temperature and time to suit your machine. Heat in 15-30 second increments, stirring the candy melts each time. They may not look melted, but they might have started melting from the inside. Stirring helps to distribute the heat.
Pretzel Dipping Tips
You want to cover the pretzel rods about two-thirds, and I think it’s easiest if you can do that in one dunking.
My tip is to use a taller container – like a mug or glass jug – rather than a bowl. That way you can dip the pretzels into the melted candy, and voila, candy-coated pretzel rods! Or you can use a spoon to help you to cover.
Tap off any dipping excess candy. (Speaking of excess candy, any candy that is leftover can be transferred to an airtight container, and you can re-melt it for another recipe.)
Store the coated pretzels in an airtight container in a cool, dry place. Storing in the fridge may cause the pretzels to soften – not good when you want them to be a crunchy treat!
More Halloween Snack Recipes
Looking for more Halloween snacks to make? Check these recipes out next:
How Do I Make Werewolf Claw Pretzel Rods?
Check out the printable recipe card below with full ingredients and instructions. Any demonstration photos do not print out to save your ink.
Werewolf Claw Pretzel Rods
Make these Werewolf Claw Pretzel Rods for Halloween and you'll be sure to have a howling good time!
Ingredients
- 1 (12 oz) package white candy melts
- 1 (12 oz) package red candy melts
- 1 (12 oz) dark chocolate wafers or brown candy melts
- 1 (12 oz) package pretzel rods (approx 20)
- Chocolate jimmies sprinkles
Instructions
- Line a large tray or baking sheet with wax or parchment paper.
- Place some red candy melts and white candy melts into separate disposable piping bags (or Ziploc food bags). Melt the candy in the microwave in 30-second increments (or according to package), squishing gently to distribute the heat and aid melting. Once melted, cut a small/medium size tip.
- Using the lined baking sheet, pipe white teardrop/pointed claw tips. Then use the red candy to drip down the tip of each claw nail. Make 20 claws, with a few extras in case of breakages. Leave to dry/set.
- Melt the dark chocolate or brown candy melts in a microwave-safe container, in 30-second increments in the microwave stirring in between.
- Pour melted candy into a tall container to dip the pretzel rods about two-thirds - use a spoon to help cover if required. Shake gently to remove the excess candy.
- While the chocolate is still wet, place a claw at the top of the pretzel rod and sprinkle with chocolate jimmies to look like fur. Repeat with the remaining pretzel rods. Leave to dry/set.
- Enjoy and Happy Halloween!
Notes
Melt the chocolate/candy melts in a microwave-safe container or food bag, in 30-second increments in the microwave (or according to package directions) giving special care not to overheat the candy as it will become too thick. If the candy is too thick, add vegetable shortening or coconut oil in 1 teaspoon increments, up to 1 tablespoon, and stir well. Do not add water or any other type of liquid as the candy will seize and harden and be unusable.
Recommended Products
As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.
- Wilton Mini Squeeze Bottles, 2-Piece
- Disposable Piping Bags -100 Pack
- Wilton Candy Melting Pot
- PME Electric Chocolate Melting Pots
- Chocolate Sprinkles Jimmies
- Ghirardelli Dark Chocolate Melting Wafers
- Wilton Candy Melts - Brown
- White Wilton Candy Melts
- Red Candy Melts
- Wilton Tall Dipping Containers
- Snyder's of Hanover Pretzel Rods, 12 oz
- Snyder's of Hanover Pretzel Rods, Old Fashioned, 27 Ounce Canister
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 20 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 20Total Fat: 1gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 7mgCarbohydrates: 3gFiber: 0gSugar: 2gProtein: 0g
This site uses Nutritionix to provide estimated nutrition. Nutritional information is always approximate and will depend on the quality of ingredients used and serving sizes. If you need exact calories and macros, please do your own calculations.
Make It A Halloween Dinner!
You’ve made the dessert, but what about the rest of the courses?
Here are additional recipes to make a full meal for a Halloween dinner party!
- Appetizer: Jalapeño Popper Mummies Recipe
- Soup: Bloody Mary Soup
- Salad: Classic Caesar Salad with Homemade Dressing & Croutons
- Main Dish: How To Make Pizza Margherita (On A Cast-Iron Griddle)
- Side Dish: Spicy Sweet Potato Wedges with Herbed Coconut Yogurt Dip
- Beverage: Voodoo Cocktail
There are 500+ Recipes on The Purple Pumpkin Blog for you to enjoy – please feel free to check them out too.
The post is part of the Crafty October series on The Purple Pumpkin Blog. Check out Crafty October from 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, and 2012 for awesome Halloween ideas and inspiration; including recipes, printables, crafts, and more!