What do you get when you cross salty pretzels with sweet praline and cinnamon? Simply the most irresistible snack around! Cinnamon Praline Pretzels will keep you coming back for more!
Cinnamon Praline Pretzels are deliciously addictive. You can either thank me or curse me out! I'd understand both reactions. HaHa!
Jump to:
- The ingredient list:
- Kitchen tools and equipment needed:
- How this recipe came to be:
- When to serve cinnamon praline pretzels:
- Serving suggestions:
- What is the best way to store these praline pretzel snacks?
- How to make cinnamon praline pretzels:
- Additional cooking temperatures for the praline topping:
- Additional snacks recipes:
- Printable Recipe Card
This recipe was originally shared in 2015. This post has been updated with additional information, including a recipe card, but the recipe itself has remained unchanged.
The ingredient list:
- mini pretzels
- butter
- chopped pecans
- granulated sugar
- brown sugar
- pure maple syrup
- half and half
- ground cinnamon
- pure vanilla extract
- salt
Kitchen tools and equipment needed:
- heavy-bottom saucepan
- baking sheet
- parchment paper
- baking spray
- wooden spoon or spatula
- measuring cups and spoons
- candy thermometer
- nut chopper (optional)
- cellophane bags (optional for gift giving)
- bakery boxes (optional for gift giving)
- air-tight containers (for storage)
How this recipe came to be:
Often as I lay awake in the middle of the night, I think about recipes. Doesn't everyone?
This one came to me during one of those restless nights, and it just goes to show that sometimes sleep is overrated. LOL! NOT!
It's a good thing I like to keep paper and a pen on the nightstand beside my bed. Otherwise, I might not have remembered this idea for Cinnamon Praline Pretzels.
My original thought was that they'd be great for tailgating, but let's not fool ourselves. They're crazy good anywhere, and anytime!
When to serve cinnamon praline pretzels:
They'd be an absolute hit no matter where you served them. Their salty, sweet taste will keep folks coming back for more and more.
So much so that there needs to be the following warning attached to them:
HIGHLY ADDICTIVE! PLEASE PROCEED WITH EXTREME CAUTION!
Serving suggestions:
- bring them to tailgating events
- serve them at holiday parties
- pack them in the kid's lunchboxes
- crush them and serve as an ice cream topping (crushed)
- serve them at a cocktail parties
- put them out at backyard BBQs
- chomp on them around a bonfire
- munch on them on a hayride
- pack them for long car rides
- serve them at sporting event festivities
- give them as gifts
- bring them work meetings
- serve them at game nights
- crunch them and sprinkle as a topping for cobbler and crisps
- crumble them and sprinkle on to of baked apples
- crush them and serve on top of oatmeal (when you're feeling decident)
- crumble them and mix into cookie dough
- forget all of the above and eat them straight off the cookie sheet 😉
What is the best way to store these praline pretzel snacks?
They'll keep fresh for up to 3 weeks if stored in an air-tight container in the pantry.
How to make cinnamon praline pretzels:
- Spread the pretzels in an even layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet that has been sprayed with baking spray. Set aside.
- In a medium-size heavy-bottom saucepan toast the pecans for 2-3 minutes over medium heat stirring frequently.
- Add the butter and allow it melt.
- Stir in the granulated sugar, brown sugar, and maple syrup.
- When the sugar has dissolved, stir in the half and half, salt, and cinnamon.
- Increase the heat to medium/high and occasionally stir the mixture until it reaches a hard-ball temperature of 200-230 degrees on a candy thermometer.
- Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract.
- Pour the cinnamon praline caramel as evenly as possible over the pretzels on the baking sheet.
- Carefully stir the pretzels with a spatula or wooden spoon to thoroughly coat the pretzels with the praline.
- Sprinkle the coated pretzels evenly with a pinch of salt (if desired).
- Allow the pretzels to set and cool completely. The praline caramel will harden slightly as the pretzels cool.
- Once cool, break the pretzels into pieces and serve.
Additional cooking temperatures for the praline topping:
Note - if you'd like your praline coating harder, feel free to take the temperature up when making the caramel. The following are the temperatures for the stages of candy making:
softball stage - 234 241 degrees F
firm ball stage - 244 - 248 degrees F
hardball stage - 250 - 266 degrees F
soft crack stage - 267 - 289 degrees F
hard crack stage - 289 - 309 degrees F
Additional snacks recipes:
*Everything Seasoned Oyster Crackers (pictured below)
Everything seasoned oyster crackers only take only minutes to make, and you’ll love how each little cracker packs such a huge hit of flavor.
*Skillet Roasted Rosemary Hazelnuts (pictured below)
Move over popcorn… there’s a new snack kid in town! Roasted Rosemary Hazelnuts are as addicting as popcorn, and they’re good for you too.
*Homemade Honey and Sesame Seed Crackers (pictured below)
When you’re in the snacking mood but still want something healthy and delicious, reach for a handful of these homemade honey sesame seed crackers.
*Cinnamon Praline Pretzels (pictured below) THIS IS THE PLACE!!
When you make this recipe (and I hope that you will), I'd appreciate it if you'd take the time to come back and give it a star rating along with a comment on why you rated as you did. Search engines such as Google appreciate comments and ratings and, in turn, will show my recipes to more people. Please look for the pink star rating box within the printable recipe card. Thank you!!
Printable Recipe Card
Cinnamon Praline Pretzels
Ingredients
- 1 bag small pretzel knots or square grid pretzels (shown)
- 1 stick (8 tablespoons) butter
- 1 cup chopped pecans
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup pure maple syrup
- 3 tablespoons half and half
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- pinch salt
Instructions
- Spread the pretzels evenly on a baking sheet lined with a sheet of parchment paper and sprayed with baking spray. Set aside.
- In a medium-size saucepan, over medium heat, toast the pecans for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and maple syrup, stirring well to combine.
- When the sugar has dissolved, stir in the half and half, salt, and cinnamon.
- Increase the heat to medium/high and occasionally stir the mixture until it reaches a hard-ball temperature of 200 - 230 degrees on a candy thermometer.
- Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla extract.
- Pour the cinnamon praline caramel as evenly as possible over the pretzels on the baking sheet, and carefully stir the pretzels with a spatula or wooden spoon to thoroughly coat the pretzels with the praline.
- Sprinkle the coated pretzels evenly with an additional pinch of salt (if desired).
- Allow the pretzels to set and cool completely. The praline caramel will harden slightly as the pretzels cool.
- Once cool, break the pretzels into pieces and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
I sincerely hope you've enjoyed today's sweet and salty pretzel snacks as much as I've enjoyed bringing them to you!
Thank you so much for visiting me today in my Kudos Kitchen. I hope you found something you'll love and that you will come back and visit me often. Please know that there is always room for you around my kitchen table!
Should you have any questions or comments regarding anything you've seen on my site, please don't hesitate to reach out to contact me. It is always my distinct pleasure to get back with you just as soon as I possibly can!
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Until we eat again, I hope you have a delicious day!
Maureen says
The temp on the candy thermometer has a wide range 200- 230. I made these and took the temp to 220' and they are soft - did not harden to break apart. Mine are more like a caramel - taste wonderful, but I don't know what I did wrong - any ideas ??
Renée says
Hi, Maureen!
You did nothing wrong. It was I who used the wrong wording. I should have never said "hard" and "break apart," since
that's not the exact consistency. I'm glad you called me out on it because I'm going back into the recipe now to change my wording, and the recipe card.
I'm happy you enjoyed the taste. That's really what it's all about.
BTW, if you do want to harder caramel coating, you can always take your praline to a higher temperature (either 132-143 degrees for soft crack, or 146-154 degreed for hard crack).
Thank you for this question. I appreciate it.
Take good care,
Renee
Sarah Caron says
Oh wow, these look incredible. I mean they'd be great for game day, but I want a baggie of these for snack today too!
Nancy Piran says
Great idea keeping the paper and pen around for when ideas pop into your head! We have made something similar for the last two christmas holiday and the family loves it!
Kim Bee says
I want to shove copious amounts of this in my face. This looks so good. Love when ideas hit at night. I need a notebook, stat.
Erin Dee says
Yes, yes, yes! I sometimes have troubles getting to sleep at night because of that and then if I wake up at 4 or 5 to go to the bathroom, then it's highly likely I'll be up for a few hours because I can't stop thinking about recipes. It's not cool. 🙁 But these pretzels looks worth it! So addictive looking.
Cookin' Canuck says
Oh yes, so many recipes come into my head at night, usually just before I fall asleep. It looks as though this one is definitely inspired by sweet dreams. What an addictive treat, Renee!
Martha @ A Family Feast says
My husband ALWAYS thinks of recipes just as we're falling asleep! (He texts them to me and then I add them to our master list in the morning...) I love the salty-sweet combo going on here!!
Lora CakeDuchess says
I also jot down notes sometimes near my bed...it does happen where I can't sleep and think of something. Yes, this is looking highly addictive! I love praline any thing, but make it a pretzel! You should sell these, Renee! Adorable glasses...I love Miss Scarlet!
The Food Hunter says
I would not be able to control myself with these around
Ginny McMeans says
I love these pretzels in a HUGE way. Thanks so much! Your glasses are adorable. Love the people art!