Combine salty and sweet to make these whimsical Thanksgiving treats. Each peanut butter and Chocolate Pretzel Scarecrow is adorably decorated to brighten up your holiday dessert table.
I'm going to bet that at some point in your life you have made a craft project out of popsicle sticks. Am I right?
Back in the day, I made quite a few and had to eat a lot of popsicles to get the sticks I needed for my crafts. We couldn't just go to the store and buy them as you can now.
Well, it's been a very long time since I played with popsicle sticks, now I just play with food, but I have been inspired by several scarecrow craft stick projects I've seen on-line to create these cute fall treats.
Last winter I created snowmen, penguins, and even Olaf out of chocolate dipped pretzels and had drawn up designs for all the other holidays throughout the year. I can't believe it is now November and I'm just getting around to sharing another one with you.
I had my drawings tucked away and they were gathering dust, sadly forgotten, until two weeks ago, when I was reminded just how much you all liked my Chocolate Snowman Pretzel Craft. That post went nuts so I got back in the kitchen to make more pretzel treats.
I pulled out my sketches yesterday and got to work creating more festive pretzel crafts. I couldn't stop. I have a few more treats that will be perfect for Thanksgiving, but for now, let me show you how to make these sweet scarecrow pretzels.
Let's make Scarecrow Pretzels
You'll need:
- 1 - 2 bags Snyder’s of Hanover Pretzel Dipping Sticks (some will be broken, so you may need 2 bags)
- Peanut Butter Candy Melts (confectionery coating)
- White Candy Melts (confectionery coating)
- melted and tempered pure milk chocolate or melted Light Cocoa Candy Melts*
- white modeling chocolate*
- yellow, orange, dark brown (or black) food coloring
- large (½ inch) candy eyes
- black food coloring marker
*See the modeling chocolate recipe and tutorial along with detailed information regarding using Candy Melts/Confectionery Coating and Pure Chocolate on my Chocolate Making Tips page.
Instructions:
Snyder's of Hanover Pretzel Dipping Sticks
To create this food craft you are going to need pretzel dipping sticks. They are about 3 ½ inches long and about ⅜ inch in diameter. These are not your standard pretzel sticks which are much thinner and shorter.
I found that the pretzel dipping sticks are not all the same size, so it's best to line them up and group them according to size.
Get 6 pretzels that are reasonably close in size for each scarecrow. Then you'll need an additional pretzel to create the brim of each hat.
Peanut Butter Coated Pretzels
- Combine the peanut butter and white candy melts in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat the wafers on high for 20-30 second increments, stirring after each until melted.
- You can use Reese's Peanut Butter Chips in place of the peanut butter candy melts. You can find the chips at most grocery stores.
- You can also use Nestle Premier White Morsels or white almond bark in place of the white candy melts.
- Pour your melted peanut butter candy coating into a tall glass or jar.
- Dip about 80% of a pretzel stick into the candy, remove and allow the excess to drip off.
- Then set 6 of them next to each other on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet.
- Pop in the refrigerator for 3-5 minutes just until the candy coating sets.
Milk Chocolate Dipped Pretzels
- Drop a pretzel dipping stick into a bowl of melted and tempered pure milk chocolate or melted light cocoa candy melts.
- Use a dipping fork or kitchen fork to remove the pretzel.
- Set it on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Refrigerate for 3 minutes until the chocolate sets.
Modeling Chocolate Decorations
I used modeling chocolate to make my decorations. You could use store-bought candies, like taffy or fruit rolls, or even fondant, if you prefer. I think the modeling chocolate tastes the best and is the easiest to work with.
- To make the modeling chocolate decorations, you'll need to color some white modeling chocolate orange for then noses, yellow for the sunflowers, a yellow-orange for the hair, and some dark brown or black for the centers of the sunflowers.
- Roll out some of the yellow-orange modeling chocolate and cut thin strips for the hair. I pressed a JEM Strip Cutter, dusted with corn starch, into the modeling chocolate to get perfect little strips, but a pizza cutter or knife would work find.
- Roll out the orange and cut small triangles for the noses.
- To create the sunflowers, use a daisy plunger cutter to cut two yellow daisies, set one on top of another, press into the center using a wood dowel, then brush a dab of water on a small ball of dark brown modeling chocolate and insert it into the center.
- You can also just use any small flower cutter if you don't want to get that fancy.
Decorate your scarecrow pretzels.
- Attach some hair to the un-coated pretzels. Use small dabs of chocolate to make them stick if needed.
- Dip top of pretzel in milk chocolate.
- Set on a non-stick mat or a parchment paper-lined baking sheet.
- Set one chocolate dipped pretzel across the bottom edge of the wet chocolate.
- Set one sunflower in a corner of the chocolate hat.
- Use chocolate to attach two candy eyes to the peanut butter pretzels.
- Attach one orange triangle nose using a dab of chocolate.
- Use a black food coloring marker to draw on a smile.**
**If you are having trouble getting your black food coloring marker to work properly, check out my Food Coloring Marker Tips tutorial.
Store your pretzels in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.
The modeling chocolate will firm up as it dries, making it easy to package them in clear cellophane bags to give as gifts, if you'd like.
You can also just set them on a serving platter and add them to your Thanksgiving dessert table.
You can find the tools needed to make this project on Amazon.com (commission earned for sales)
Printable Recipe
Coat dipping pretzels in peanut butter and milk chocolate then decorate them using modeling chocolate to create cute Scarecrow Pretzels for Thanksgiving.
- 140 Snyder’s of Hanover Pretzel Dipping Sticks
- 4 ounces Peanut Butter Candy Melts or Reese's Peanut Butter Chips
- 12 ounces White Candy Melts (confectionery coating)
- 8 ounces melted and tempered pure milk chocolate or melted Light Cocoa Candy Melts
- 12 ounces white modeling chocolate
- yellow, orange, dark brown (or black) food coloring
- 40 large (½-inch) candy eyes
- black food coloring marker
-
Combine the peanut butter candy melts or chips and the white candy melts in a microwave-safe bowl.
-
Heat the wafers on high for 20-30 second increments, stirring after each until melted.
-
Pour the melted peanut butter candy coating into a tall glass or jar.
-
Hold onto one end of a pretzel stick and dip it into the candy coating, covering about 80% of the pretzel.
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Lift the pretzel out of the peanut butter candy coating and shake it allowing the excess to drip off.
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Set on a parchment-paper-lined baking sheet.
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Continue dipping 5 more pretzels, setting them next to each other.
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Pop in the refrigerator for 3-5 minutes just until the candy coating sets.
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Repeat creating a total of 20 groupings of 6 peanut butter candy-coated pretzels.
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Drop a pretzel into a bowl of melted and tempered pure milk chocolate or melted light cocoa candy melts.
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Use a dipping fork or kitchen fork to remove the pretzel, then set it on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
-
Refrigerate for 3 minutes until the chocolate sets.
-
Color some white modeling chocolate orange, yellow, yellow-orange, and dark brown or black.
-
Roll out some of the yellow-orange modeling chocolate and cut thin strips for the hair.
-
Roll out the orange and cut small triangles for the noses.
-
Use a daisy plunger cutter to cut two yellow daisies, set one on top of another, press into the center using a wood dowel, then brush a dab of water on a small ball of dark brown modeling chocolate and insert it into the center.
-
Attach some modeling chocolate hair to the un-coated part of the pretzels so that the hair falls down over the peanut butter coated portion of the pretzels (the scarecrow's face).
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Use small dabs of chocolate to make them stick if needed.
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Dip the top of pretzel scarecrow milk chocolate to create his hat.
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Set on a non-stick mat or a parchment paper-lined baking sheet.
-
Set one chocolate dipped pretzel across the bottom edge of the wet chocolate so that it covers the tips of the modeling chocolate hair and it creates the hat's brim.
-
Set one sunflower in one corner of the chocolate hat.
-
Use chocolate to attach two candy eyes to the peanut butter pretzels.
-
Attach one orange triangle nose using a dab of chocolate.
-
Use a black food coloring marker to draw on a smile.
Store the pretzels in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.
This recipe was originally published here on Hungry Happenings on November 10, 2015.
If you think these decorated chocolate pretzels are fun, be sure to check out my other designs.
Chocolate Snowman Pretzel Craft • Black Crow Pretzels
Chocolate Pretzel Turkeys • Chocolate Penguin Pretzels
White Chocolate Pretzel Olaf • Chocolate Pretzel Scarecrows
Also, check out these Fun Thanksgiving Treats. (click link to see all the Thanksgiving Recipes.)
If you’d like to have the ultimate guide to working with Candy Clay (modeling chocolate) be sure to get your printed or e-book copy of Candy Clay Creations. This 102 page book is filled with tips and tricks for making and working with candy clay along with 17 step-by-step tutorials for decorating cupcakes, cookies, and more using candy clay. It’s a fantastic resource for anyone who wants to make festively decorated treats.
If you'd like to make a more permanent version of this project be sure to check out the tutorial for a Reversible Scarecrow Snowman Pallet Craft at Crafts by Amanda.
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The Bearfoot Baker
These are so darn cute! I love all the cute things you make but I think this guy is one of my favs!
Beth
Oh, I'm so happy to hear that:) Thanks, Lisa.
The Partiologist
Again, absolutely darling dipped pretzels!
Beth
Thanks, Kim. There's more to come:)
Karen @ Sugartown Sweets
Super-cute scarecrow treats! I can see why your site crashed! Love all your pretzel crafts Beth! 🙂
Beth
I've never had so much traffic as I did when the Snowman Pretzel Craft went viral. It was exciting and nerve wracking all at the same time. It sure motivated me to make some more of these fun treats, though, and I'm happy you like them:)