Witch Finger Pretzel Rods

Looking for a fun, simple and easy recipe for your family this Halloween? These witch finger pretzel rods get a star for all three. Easy enough the kids can help make these spooky candy coated goodies. These dipped pretzel rods don’t need a lot of ingredients making them a simple cooking project. And the kids will love how they look! Even adults will get a kick out of fun they look.

Witch Finger Pretzel Rods Recipe

Begin with your ingredients

• Pretzel rods
• 8 oz. bag of bright white candy melts
• 20 pieces of sliced almonds
• Gel food colors in green and black

Time to Get Cooking

Set out all your ingredients and equipment (small bowl, sheet pan lined with parchment paper, a bowl large enough for your candy melts, toothpicks). I recommend wearing aprons to avoid getting food coloring on your clothes.

Prepare the finger nails first (instructions in the recipe below) Be gentle with them because I’ve noticed some almond slices break easily. Because they’re black it’s hard to see when they are baked enough. Therefore, make sure to stick to the 5 minutes and not more.

Break 10 pretzel rods in half to make 20 “fingers”. Now, if you want long fingers, feel free to not break the rods in half and use them whole. Just remember if you want to make 20, you’ll need 20 rods instead of 10.

Your candy melts come with melting instructions. There are different methods to go about melting candy melts. They melt nicely in the microwave. Folks like the speed and convenience of the microwave so we included them in our recipe based on the package instructions.

They melt well in a double boiler, too. If you don’t have a double boiler, a pan or bowl set inside a pan of water works well. If you’re planning for more fun candy making projects, get a candy melting pot by Wilton. It heats your candy at the right temperature and keeps it warm throughout your candy making.

One your melts are melted you mix in the coloring. It’s always good to add coloring in smaller doses rather than a lot at a time and then over do it. 

After dipping your pretzel rods, lay them parchment to decorate them. You want them to not get solid until you have attached the “nails”. Plus you add the “wrinkled knuckles” more easily making them more realistic.

Finishing Up

I hope you and your family enjoy making these as much I did! Looking for more Halloween treats and decorations ideas? Check out these other posts:

Halloween Oreo Cupcakes Recipe

The Best Halloween Porch Decorations

Yield: 10 servings

Witch Finger Pretzel Rods

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

Make things fun with these spooky Halloween treats These witch finger pretzel rods are a delight for all your family. And, make a great family project to do make together.

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Ingredients

• 10 pretzel rods
• 8 oz bright white candy melts
• 20 pieces of sliced almond
• Gel Food Coloring: Green and Black

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 400F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
2. In a small bowl, combine 1/8 tsp of black gel food coloring with a few drops of water and stir to dissolve the food color.
3. Add the almonds to the bowl and stir until they are black on all sides. Transfer them to the parchment lined sheet pan (make sure they are in an even layer) and bake for 5 minutes.
4. Next, break the pretzel rods in half so you have 20 ~4” rods.
5. Melt the candy melts according to the package directions (typically you’ll melt them in a microwave safe bowl at 50% power and stir them every 30 seconds).
6. Once the candy melts have fully melted, add in 1/4 tsp of green food coloring. If you’d like a brighter color, add another 1/4 tsp and stir. Continue until you get the color you’re looking for.
7. Dip each pretzel rod into the green candy melts and then tap it on the side of the bowl to allow any excess chocolate to drip off.
8. While the chocolate is still soft, place an almond on the tip of the pretzel. Make sure to place the pointed end of the almond upward so it looks like a nail.
9. Next, use a toothpick to draw 3 small lines just below the nail and 3 small lines just above where the chocolate dip ends. This will make the pretzel rod truly look like a finger!
10. Note: See photos for exact placement if you are unsure.

Notes

You must use gel food color in this recipe as liquid can change the consistency of the candy melts. I used Wilton Gel Colors in Black (for the almonds), Juniper Green and Kelly Green (a 50/50 mix for the pretzels). You could also use green candy melts, the color will just come out differently than the ones shown in this recipe.

You can use tempered white chocolate in this recipe, although it can be difficult to melt properly. Candy melts are highly recommended.

If your candy melts seem too thick to dip, do not add liquid. Add 1 tbsp. of vegetable shortening, microwave for another 15 seconds, and then whisk to combine.

Nutrition Information:

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 123Total Fat: 4.6gSaturated Fat: 3.6gCholesterol: 1mgSodium: 115mgCarbohydrates: 18.6gFiber: .4gSugar: 6.8g