These Sweet and Salty Teddy Bear Pretzels will surely melt the hearts of all those who receive them on Valentine's Day. They are incredibly easy to make and are even easier to eat, be careful or you'll eat the whole display!
I'm pretty sure that these little treats will even make the saltiest of people smile.
It would be hard not to grin when presented with a teddy bear, especially one that is salty and sweet and adorably cute.
Teddy bears hold a special place in my heart. I've had one in my bed since childhood and I'm not ashamed to admit that I still fall asleep holding onto one. There have been many different bears over the years, but they all have one thing in common, they bring me comfort.
As a child, those bears were my playmates. In my teenage years, they were stained with tears shed over boys. As I matured, they became just something to hold onto to keep my arms from flailing around as I fell asleep, but still, on occasion, I hold one tight to comfort me after a bad day.
They have always brought me joy and a sense of love. I'm sure that is why they are often associated with Valentine's Day. My current bear, a Winnie the Pooh, was actually presented to me on that special day by my husband.
Over the years here at Hungry Happenings, I've made lots of different bear-themed edible crafts. Just last week I created some Buckeye Bears - Peanut Butter Fudge Filled Chocolate Bears and I have another bear-themed treat on the way soon. Obviously I love bears and hope you do too.
Tell me I'm not alone. Do you fall asleep with a teddy bear too?
Sweet and Salty Teddy Bear Pretzels
Ingredients: (makes 25 bears)
6 ounces Wilton White Candy Melts, plus 2 more ounces
6 ounces Wilton Light Cocoa Candy Melts
50 pretzel rings (round pretzels)
50 Wilton jumbo red heart sprinkles
25 Whoppers (malted milk balls)
25 mini chocolate chips*
25 red mini M&M's
100 brown Reese's Pieces or M&M's
50 brown mini M&M's
black food coloring marker
*To make the chips easier to attach, cut the pointed tips off.
Supplies:
squeeze bottle or zip-top bags
parchment paper-lined baking sheets (that fit in your freezer)
food use only paintbrush
optional: food use only tweezers
Instructions:
Combine 6 ounces white candy melts with 6 ounces light cocoa candy melts in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat on high power for 30 seconds, then stir, then heat another 30 seconds, then stir.
Heat 25 seconds, then let the bowl sit in the microwave for 2 minutes, then stir.
If needed heat for 10-second increments, stirring after each until melted.
Pour the candy melts into a squeeze bottle or a zip-top bag. Pipe a dab of candy coating onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Set two pretzel rings together on top of the candy coating creating an "8" shape. Pipe some candy coating in between the two pretzels and attach two heart sprinkles so they form a bow tie. Use a tiny dab of candy to attach one red mini M&M in the center of the heart bow tie.
Pipe candy coating into each pretzel ring. Immediately press one Whopper candy into the top pretzel creating the bear's snout.
Pop the tray into the freezer for 3-5 minutes until the candy coating hardens.
Using the candy coating, attach two Reese's Pieces on the top pretzel to form ears and two on the bottom pretzel for the feet. Attach two mini brown M&Ms to the bottom pretzel as arms. Add a mini chocolate chip to the Whopper to create a nose.
Use a black food coloring marker to draw a mouth then draw a line from the nose to the mouth.
Melt the remaining white candy melts in the microwave for 15-second increments, stirring after each until melted. Use a food use only paintbrush to paint on the paw pads and toes. Here's a step-by-step animated GIF of this process ...
I attached my pretzel bears to paper straws just so they were easier to photograph.
If you want to attach straws, dip one end of the straw into the candy melts. Set it on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Set one pretzel rings on either side of the straw but not touching the straw. Set one teddy bear pretzel on top. The pretzel rings will hold the bear upright while the candy melts dry.
I am a member of Wilton's Sweet Treat Team and am compensated and given merchandise to use to create projects here on Hungry Happenings.
Items used to make this project that are available on Amazon.com (commission earned for sales)
More Bear Themed Edible Craft Recipes
from Hungry Happenings
Buckeye Bears - Peanut Butter Fudge Filled Chocolate Teddy Bears
Nutter Butter Polar Bear Cookies
Black Bear Snack Cake Lollipops
Two Ingredient Caramel Milk Chocolate Fudgy Bears
If you are looking for other treats or gifts to make for Valentine's Day,
you might like these other recipes too.
- Homemade Chocolate Easter Bunnies - April 3, 2023
- Mini Basketball Cheeseburgers - February 15, 2023
- Snowman Popcorn Bucket - December 24, 2022
Linda Vandermeer
Wow what an awesome idea they look adorable the paws are too cute for words
beth
Thanks, so much Linda.
Sugartown Sweets
Salty and sweet. Cutest teddy bear I ever did meet! These are just so dang adorable! I love the paws..so perfectly dotted with melts. My "teddy bear" was a life size doll my Mom made for me when I was going in the hospital to have my tonsils out. I named it for my big sister Donna. I carried that doll around till it fell apart. I would love to still have it today. Hubby has bought me Christmas teddy bears through the years. I agree that teddy bears are love..I love them all!
beth
Aww, that is such a sweet a story. I never had a life size teddy bear. I know I would have loved that and would have carried it around with me everywhere as a child too. I have lots of pictures of me as a child with a stuffed animal in my arms. I loved having something to hug. I am glad my husband gets that. Sounds like your hubby does too.
Tavette Tavetta
They're adorable (as is everything you make) and, on the straws, would be great in a mini-bouquet.
I THINK I understand about attaching the straw, but let me be sure. You dip the straw into chocolate the length of a finished bear. The 2 pretzel rings that you put on each side of the chocolate dipped straw are merely props to hold up the completed bear while it sits atop the chocolate coated straw waiting for the chocolate to harden - right?
The Partiologist is right - you take everything to the next level.
Tavette - S. Fla.
beth
You are correct, Tavette. I used the other pretzel rings just to prop them up until the candy coating hardened enough that they wouldn't slide off the straws. I didn't plan on making them lollipops, but I just couldn't find a good way to take pictures of them, so I put them on the straws. I think they would look great added to a candy or cookie bouquet.
The Partiologist
My goodness girl, you can make anything CUTE! Now a plain chocolate dipped pretzel just won't cut it anymore! 🙂
beth
Thanks. I am really loving the decorated pretzels and these were so much fun to make.
Anonymous
I need to know the nutritional information on your recipes.
beth
I'm sorry to say that I have not ever figured out the nutritional information on my recipes.