Addicting Christmas M&M Pretzel Hugs

Mmmm, salty, crisp mini pretzels topped off with soft and silky chocolates with an M&M on top! These Christmas M&M pretzel hugs are the most addicting Christmas snack!

It’s one of those non-recipes so I know you don’t technically need a recipe card for our Christmas M&M Pretzel Hugs but it might come in handy.

You see, every year our teenager sets out to make little chocolate pretzels and every year I cannot remember what I set the oven to. So, yes, they are easy and take no instruction at all, but then again, if you’re losing your marbles like I am….

The best part about this Christmas Party Snack is that you can use whatever you’d like:

• Regular Kisses
• Hugs
• Candy Cane Kisses 
• Cookies and Creme Kisses

How to Make M&M Pretzel Hugs

1. Line a baking sheet with a silpat or parchment paper in case any chocolate melts through the pretzels. (PS I cannot live without my silpats. I have more than I can count and they are life changing in cookie making especially.)
2. Place pretzels in lines and top each with a Hershey’s Hug. 
3. Heat the oven and place the pan in the oven for a few minutes. 
4. Once the chocolate is shiny but still has a little consistency pull them out and quickly top with an m&m
5. Allow to set up completely before eating. 

How to Store Pretzel Hugs

Store cooled and hard pretzel hug snacks in an airtight container for up to 1 week. Refrigeration can soften the pretzels so it’s not recommended.

Oh Sweet Basil Pro Tip!

Make sure you test the chocolate before you pull them from the oven as sometimes only the tip of the chocolate has melted and the m&m is standing too high. 

Gently press the m&m onto a chocolate with the oven open and if it presses the chocolate down into a soft mound without totally making a puddle you’re ready to go!

To Correct a Problem

If the chocolate is too melted let them stand in a cool place to start to solidify again before pressing in the chocolate. 

Are Pretzels Gluten Free?

Pretzels are not gluten free unless you buy the gluten free pretzels. 

Are Pretzels Dairy Free?

Pretzels are almost always dairy free but it’s best to double check the packaging just in case. 

Are Pretzels Healthy?

Pretzels are a salty-carb. Not really a healthy snack as they are not full of many vitamins and minerals.

That being said, if you’re trying to decide between pretzels or chips, yes, go pretzels. 

Are Hershey Hugs Chocolate?

Hershey’s hugs are made with chocolate and white chocolate so it’s not a pure, good quality chocolate like some others, but it’s still a chocolate candy.

Old Fashioned Molasses Cookie Recipe

Old fashioned molasses cookies are one of the chewiest, yummiest cookies to make for the holidays, you will absolutely love them!

These old fashioned molasses crinkles are fantastic and totally similar to our white chocolate molasses cookies. These are meant to get those beautiful cracks all over the top and be a little more chewy to bite into. I have a secret to making those cracks as cracky as possible too!

Note, these cookies are not crunchy as we aren’t making gingerbread cookies, but chewy as is in sink your teeth into delicious. It seems like molasses crinkles are becoming forgotten but I refuse to let that happen.

What Do I Need to Make Molasses Cookies?

I’ve had quite a few molasses crinkle cookies in my day and I’m sorry to say that I have the same complaint with all of them, too much molasses and ginger. I don’t want to be breathing fire when I bite into a cookie.

Now I do like molasses cookies to have warmth to them as that’s how they should be but that all comes from the right ingredient ratios. We only need 1/2 cup of molasses and that’s plenty to bring on the flavor. Here is everything you need:

• Butter: unsalted, softened
• Brown Sugar: adds sweetness and rich molasses flavor
• Sugar: Just regular granulated sugar is used to both sweeten the dough and to roll the dough in before baking.
• Molasses: adds flavor, sweetness and richness of flavor
  • PRO TIP: We prefer Grandma’s brand dark molasses.
• Vanilla: adds flavor
• Eggs: gives the cookies structure
• Flour: just simple all purpose flour is all you need
• Ground Cinnamon: adds warmth and flavor
• Ground Cloves: adds festive holiday flavor
• Baking Soda: gives the cookies rise and fluffiness
• Ground Ginger: adds flavor and warmth
• Salt: enhances all the flavors

The measurements for all the ingredients can be found in the recipe card at the end of this post.

How to Make Molasses Cookies

These old fashioned soft molasses cookies come together quickly and easily. Here are the basic steps:

1. Wet Ingredients: Mix the butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer and cream until light and fluffy using the paddle attachment. Add the molasses and beat until smooth and then the egg and mix again.
2. Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk all the dry ingredients together.
3. Combine: Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and mix until combined.
4. Chill: Scrape the sides of the bowl down and wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours.
5. Prep: Preheat the oven and prep baking sheets with silpats or parchment paper.
6. Form: Scoop the cookie dough into balls and using your hands, roll the dough into balls. Roll the dough in

Welcome to the weekend, my friends! I shared yesterday in a blog post that I’m taking a blog vacation for the rest of the year. I’m looking forward to lots of sleep, plenty of delicious foods (that I won’t be photographing), and as many walks outside as I can squeeze into the days.

You’ll still hear from me on the weekends with the newsletter though. And if you have questions on a recipe, please leave comments on the recipe post, so that I can help you out when possible.

ON THE BLOGS THIS WEEK: Stuffed French bread with a savory combination of sausage, eggs, and cheese creates a hearty breakfast or brunch. Hollowed-out French bread is the perfect vessel to hold warm, seasoned sausage, creamy eggs, and gooey cheese.

Crisp-tender broccoli florets, charred to perfection, complement the caramelized sweetness of roasted sweet potatoes. Roasted Broccoli and Sweet Potatoes offer a delightful medley of textures and tastes, creating a delicious side dish.

Stuffed Poblano Peppers hold a savory filling of seasoned ground beef, rice, onion, and bell peppers. Topped with a zesty sauce and melting cheese, each bite delivers smokiness and a hint of heat.

The velvety sweetness of chocolate mingles with the nutty goodness of walnuts in these Chocolate Walnut Cookies.

Thick and soft-baked, chewy Molasses Crinkle Cookies are full of gingery, brown sugar, and molasses flavor.

Light, buttery, almond-flavored shortbread thumbprint cookies have been the most requested cookie I make for almost as long as I can remember. My friend Augusta gave me this recipe years ago and it became a forever favorite at first bite.

What I’m CRAVING: I’ve had Rebecca’s Sushi Bake on my must-make list for far too long. I’m planning to make it next week and I can hardly wait!

My FAVORITE THINGS this week are these bath salts. The eucalyptus and spearmint fragrance is fantastic and the salts are the perfect way to relax at the end of the day. I just reordered them last week and realized that I’ve been using them for several years now.

What I’m WATCHING: Four Christmases

Weekly Menu Plan – Dec. 18 to 24

Here is your weekly menu plan for next week. We tried to keep things simple as we lead up to the big day!

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Monday: Butternut Squash Soup

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Tuesday: Sausage Souffle

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Wednesday: Bourbon Chicken

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Thursday: Ground Beef Enchiladas

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Friday: Baked Spaghetti Pie

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Saturday: Leftovers

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Sunday: Jerusalem Herb Chicken Thighs

READ: Weekly Menu Plan – Dec. 18 to 24

I’m wishing the very merriest of Christmases to you and yours from me and mine! May your holidays be merry, may you be surrounded by those you love, and may all your foods be tasty and stress-free.

This is my favorite time of year! Even though the kids are older now, we still look forward to the holiday traditions. Advent calendars, Christmas read-alouds, decorating cookies with friends, and holiday movie nights are all part of that.

I won’t be posting any new recipes until January, so today I’m sharing some of our long-time favorites that I’m planning to make over the next couple of weeks.

Have you tried German Pancakes? Served with my Grandma’s Orange Sauce, they’re unforgettable. They are the world’s easiest to make giant popovers. These pancakes are baked in the oven, where they rise tall and then gently fall, instead of being cooked on a griddle like traditional pancakes.

We’re big breakfast people when we have the opportunity to eat a little later in the day, so Christmas break is a fun chance to make some of our favorite breakfasts again. These tangy Cranberry Pancakes, as well as some classic Buttermilk Pancakes, are both on the meal plan list over our break. And the odds are good that there will be a batch of Ham and Cheese Waffles at some point too.

Frito Pie Huevos Rancheros is what happens when a craving for Huevos Rancheros meets a need for Fritos. This breakfast begins with a layer of chips, then you add black beans, chile sauce, roasted potatoes, melting cheese, and bacon before topping the whole pile with an egg and more chile sauce.

Christmas morning there will be both a Tater Tot Breakfast Casserole (I wasn’t kidding when I said this is my new favorite breakfast casserole.) along with a Cranberry Christmas Cake waiting on the counter.

Filled with tender chunks of pork, potatoes, and roasted green chile, Green Chile Stew is what I dream of when the weather starts cooling off each fall.

There is also a biscuit topped chicken pot pie in our near future and I’m very much looking forward to it. Those buttery, flaky drop biscuits are the perfect mat