We recommend products we would use ourselves and all opinions expressed here are our own. This post may contain affiliate links, which means we might make a small commission at no extra cost to you. This helps us keep the blog running. See our full disclosure here.
We’ve all been there – a bag of pretzels, slightly crushed, sitting sadly in the pantry. Instead of tossing those broken bits, you can turn them into something that gives them new life. Taking something imperfect, like broken pretzel pieces, and revitalizing them can turn into something better than what you had in the first place! So for the question of what to do with broken pretzels, I have a few ideas to make these little guys shine.
Savory Pretzel Snack Mix
One way to use broken pretzels is by creating a snack mix. Check out this great Everything Ranch Cheese and Pretzel Snack Mix by Half Baked Harvest. It’s loaded with ingredients you could find in your pantry and savory flavors, thus making it the perfect pairing for your broken pretzels.
Turn Broken Pretzels into Pretzel Crumbs
Turning broken pretzels into crumbs is a fantastic way to repurpose those bits that might otherwise go to waste. Throw your pretzels into a freezer bag and use a rolling pin to roll over them until they are crushed into a thick dust. If your freezer bag survived the rolling, label it and pop it in the freezer so you can pull it out whenever you want to use the pretzel “flour.” Use pretzel crumbs to add a crunchy coating on fish, chicken, or fried cheese. You can also sprinkle it over creamy dishes like mac ‘n’ cheese before you bake them.
Chocolate Coated Broken Pretzel Bites
These tasty treats are inspired by Imperfect Food’s dark chocolate-covered pretzel pieces; a snack we fight over in our house.
Time needed: 1 hour and 10 minutes
Addictive and satisfying, these bites are a breeze to make. Coat crunchy pretzels with melted dark chocolate and dust them with cacao for an extra touch of decadence. These take 10 minutes to assemble, and an hour to set/dry.
- Gather Your Ingredients
Ensure you have the following items on hand:
Small to medium saucepan
Heatproof bowl that fits on top saucepan
Dark Chocolate
Broken Pretzels
Rubber scraper
Cacao Powder or other toppings
Sheet pan covered with parchment paper for cooling pretzels - Melt the Chocolate
Add an inch or two of water to a saucepan, heat on medium-low on your stove top, and place a bowl on top without falling in. Add your choice of chocolate. We prefer dark chocolate. Stir the chocolate with a rubber scraper until almost fully melted.
- Coat Broken Pretzels in Chocolate
Remove the bowl from the stove top, add broken pretzel pieces, and gently stir to coat. Using the scrapper, transfer some of the wet pretzels onto the parchment paper.
- Dust and Dry
Dust the pretzels with cacao powder and using both hands, grasp each side of the parchment together and shake the pretzels to coat them in the powder. Repeat adding more pretzels and shaking them in cacao powder until the pretzels are thoroughly dusted. Leave them on the parchment-lined sheet pan for drying. Drying should take about an hour.
Variations
Experiment with different toppings like sprinkles, broken candy cane pieces, chopped nuts, drizzled white chocolate, or instant espresso powder instead of cacao.
What to Do with the Chocolate-Coated Pretzels
Here are some delightful ways to enjoy these treats:
- Snack Mix: Combine them with nuts, dried fruits, marshmallows, and popcorn for a sweet and salty snack mix.
- Trail Mix Upgrade: Elevate your trail mix by incorporating these bites for a gourmet touch.
- Ice Cream Topping: Sprinkle over your favorite ice cream for added crunch and chocolate.
- Dessert Garnish: Decorate cakes, cupcakes, or puddings with these pretzel bites for a delightful and crunchy topping.
- Gifts in a Jar: Create DIY gifts by layering these pretzel bites in a jar with other treats, then add a festive ribbon.
- Coffee or Hot Cocoa Companion: Enjoy them as a side treat with your morning coffee or evening hot cocoa.
- Yogurt: Great as a topping for plain yogurt or used to add a playful element to your yogurt parfait by including these bites between layers of yogurt and fruits.
Broken Pretzels Can Be A Useful Kitchen Staple!
From sweet and salty chocolate-coated bites to savory snack mixes and flavorful crumbs, use broken pretzels to your advantage.
We invite you to try these ideas and let us know how they go. Share your culinary creations with us below. Happy cooking!
Chocolate Coated Pretzel Bites
Ingredients
- 2 handfuls semisweet chocolate chips or chopped, ~1/3 cup
- 4 handfuls pretzels broken pieces, ~3 cups
- 1/4 cup cacao powder add more as needed for dusting
Instructions
Melt the Chocolate:
- In a saucepan, add water and heat it on medium-low.
- Place a heatproof bowl on top, add dark chocolate, and stir until almost fully melted.
Coat Broken Pretzels:
- Remove the bowl of chocolate from the heat and add broken pretzel pieces.
- Gently stir until coated.
Dust the Chocolate Covered Pretzels:
- Using scrapper, transfer a few scoops of pretzel pieces at a time to the parchment paper.
- Dust the chocolate coated pieces with cacao powder and lift two sides of the parchment to gather the pieces and shake them until coated in powder.
- Repeat adding pretzel pieces and shaking until all of your pretzel pieces are coated.
Drying:
- Keep coated pretzels on a parchment-lined sheet pan to dry.
Notes
- Plain
- Sprinkles
- Crushed Candy-Cane Pieces
- Chopped Nuts
- Drizzled with White Chocolate
- Sprinkled with Instant Espresso Powder
- Snack Mix
- Trail Mix
- Ice Cream Topping
- Dessert Garnish
- Gifts in a Jar
- Coffee or Hot Cocoa Companion
- Yogurt Topping
