These Christmas pretzels hugs are an easy festive treat to make for holiday gifting and snacking! All you need are 3 ingredients including pretzels, Hershey’s Hugs and M&Ms.

Close up of Christmas pretzel hugs in a glass jar with green and red M&M centers.

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Christmas Pretzel M&M Hugs

These pretzel hugs (also known as Christmas hugs, Christmas pretzels, M&M pretzel hugs or pretzel kisses) are one of my favorite holiday desserts! I found the recipe on the back of the candy bag years ago and have been making them ever since.

They’re perfect if you want to make a homemade holiday treat but need something super easy that the kids can help make just like these rolo pretzels and rolo pretzels turtles!

Jamielyn Nye

Easy 3 Ingredient Treats for Gifting

We make these every year when the holidays roll around because they’re just so fun and festive. That sweet and lightly salty combo is impossible to resist, and the Hugs give you both white and milk chocolate in every bite. They’re dangerously addictive!

They also make adorable homemade gifts. Wrap a handful in cellophane with a festive bow or fill a glass jar and add one of my Christmas hugs tags (free download below). They’re always a hit, simple, colorful, and so delicious.

Square pretzels topped with Hershey’s Hugs on a baking sheet before melting

Ingredient Notes

  • Hershey’s hugs candies: These are basically like Hershey kisses, but with white and milk chocolate.
  • Pretzels: Snap pretzels work better than pretzel twists, because the chocolate won’t melt through the holes of the square pretzels.
  • M&M’s: Use the festive red and green Christmas M&M’s for a fun pop of color.

How to Make Christmas Pretzel Hugs

  1. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or foil. Place 50 pretzels on baking sheet. Top each pretzel with one unwrapped Hershey’s hug.
  2. Bake at 320°F for 2 to 4 minutes or until chocolate begins to soften, but not melted. Remove from oven and top each pretzel hug with an M&M.
  3. Allow to cool several hours then store in an airtight container at room temperature. 
Christmas pretzel hugs arranged on a baking sheet with extra pretzels and holiday M&M candies nearby.

Baking Tips

  • Do not melt the chocolates all the way. After about 2 minutes in the oven, try pressing one M&M into a Hug to test it. If it does not sink in easily, return the pan to the oven for 1 to 2 more minutes.
  • If your oven cooks unevenly, rotate the baking sheet halfway through so the chocolates soften evenly.
  • I often line the pan with parchment paper, but a silicone baking mat works really well too. The silicone helps keep the pretzel hugs from sliding, and both options prevent sticking to the baking sheet.
  • Let the M&M pretzel hugs cool and set completely before packaging. This keeps the chocolate firm and prevents any smudging or mess inside treat bags or jars.

Fun Variations

  • Rolo candies. If you’d rather use Rolo’s instead of Hershey’s hugs, you can definitely swap the candies. Or use chocolate kisses if preferred.
  • Pretzel sandwich. You can also stack another butter snaps pretzel on top, similar to a rolo pretzel sandwich.
  • More festive. For a more festive Christmas flare, try using the candy cane Hershey’s kisses. You can top with Christmas sprinkles, too!
  • Pecans. Sometimes I’ll top mine with a pecan half if I don’t have M&M’s on hand.
  • Make year round. These can be made any time of the year. Just use different colored M&M’s based on the occasion.
Freshly made Christmas hugs stacked in a clear jar with red and green M&M candies.

Free Printable Tag

If giving these Christmas hugs as a holiday gift, don’t forget to print out these FREE adorable Christmas tags!

Instructions: Print on cardstock paper and cut out the tags. Then tie some bakers twine around a jar filled with Christmas hugs and you’ve got yourself a pretty cute and inexpensive gift! :)

Glass jar filled with Christmas pretzel hugs tied with red bakery twine and a holiday gift tag.

Moe Easy Holiday Recipes

Close up of Christmas pretzel hugs in a glass jar with green and red M&M centers.

Christmas Pretzel Hugs

5 from 10 votes
Recipe by: Jamielyn Nye
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes
Servings: 50
These Christmas pretzels hugs are an easy festive treat to make for holiday gifting and snacking! All you need are 3 ingredients including pretzels, Hershey's Hugs and M&Ms.
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Ingredients 

  • 50 Hershey’s hugs candies
  • 50 pretzels
  • 50 M&M’s

Instructions

  • Heat oven to 320°F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or foil. Place 50 pretzels on baking sheet. Top each pretzel with one unwrapped Hershey's hug.
  • Bake 2 to 4 minutes or until chocolate begins to soften, but not melted. Remove from oven and top each pretzel hug with an M&M. Allow to cool a few minutes if they're too hot. 
  • Allow to cool several hours and then store in an airtight container. 

Last step: Please leave a comment and rating after you make the recipe.

Notes

Feel free to use Rolo’s instead of Hershey’s hugs if preferred. You can also top each pretzel hug with a pecan half instead of a M&M. 
To make a pretzel sandwich, top with an additional pretzel. 

Nutrition

Calories: 31kcal, Carbohydrates: 4g, Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 1mg, Sodium: 17mg, Potassium: 1mg, Sugar: 3g, Calcium: 10mg, Iron: 0.1mg

Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used.