My favorite kind of snack is a salty and sweet combination. It gets all your taste buds working and singing in harmony. Chocolate-covered pretzels fall under that delicious category, and just like chips, you can’t eat just one.
Chocolate-covered pretzels date all the way back to 1544, which means these bad boys have been enjoyed for years! It is suggested that Herr Franz Joseph Leibniz invented them in Hamburg Germany. According to the tale, he owned a pretzel bakery near a chocolate shop and the two owners decided to experiment with the combination.
Whether this story is actually true or not, no one is really sure. But I’m going to give it to him, it sounds pretty legit to me.
To sum it up, you take a salted pretzel and cover it in milk chocolate, dark chocolate, or white chocolate. You can also put another coating on it, like sprinkles or candy pearls. You can also get (or make) pretzels with caramel or peanut butter flavor – you’re really only limited by your imagination!
With all this goodness, we wonder if something as beautiful and delicate as this freezes well. Can you freeze chocolate-covered pretzels? The answer is, yes you can!
If you’re looking to make your tasty snack last some time, we can tell you just how long frozen chocolate-covered pretzels can last.
Can Chocolate-Covered Pretzels Be Frozen?
The good news is that you can freeze a chocolate-dipped pretzel. However, you need to do so in the right conditions and packaging, or else they won’t taste too good when you defrost them. I recommend binge eating them as much as you can, but that’s just me. They’re so good, I can’t help it!
However, if you have self-control and prefer storing them away for a later date, then just know you’re able to freeze them for a bit.
Benefits of Freezing Chocolate-Covered Pretzels
Well for starters, and maybe the most obvious, you get to keep your chocolate-covered pretzels for a longer period of time! Like I said before, if you have self-control, this is a great option to treat yourself later on. Feeling something sweet and salty? Boom! Take a chocolate-covered pretzel out of the freezer and save the rest for another time. This also leads to my next point, the convenience of pulling the snack out of the freezer is unmatched. You can just grab and go as you please.
Chocolate-covered pretzels also taste really good when cold (that might be an opinion…but I’m also right). Think about it, have you ever stuck a candy bar in the freezer and took a bite out of it once it was chilled? It’s a great frozen snack! No thawing is required when taking out chocolate-covered pretzels, which means the impatient ones are happy snackers all the time!
Finally, pretzels last indefinitely in the freezer, so you never have to worry about a spoiled pretzel. You can also be presently surprised next time you check your freezer and see the pretzels you kept in there months ago and forgot about them until that moment.
Drawbacks of Freezing Chocolate-Covered Pretzels
Although there’s technically no expiration date when freezing pretzels, you do run the risk of having your pretzels become stale once taking them out of the freezer, meaning they won’t taste as fresh (or as good) as when you first bought or made them. This is because the freezer has natural moisture in it that can affect the pretzels and make them taste stale and/or soft. However, if you are mindful (or frankly just don’t care) then this isn’t a huge drawback.
If the chocolate is even a little melted on the pretzel before freezing, there’s a chance of them sticking together once in the freezer, causing a chocolatey pretzel clump. This can cause an annoyance trying to pull the pieces apart, but it may also cause the pretzels and chocolate to break off, not giving you that individual helping you were looking for. However, you will have a chocolate pretzel chunk, which may not be the worst thing.
How to Freeze Chocolate-Covered Pretzels
If you are super creative and make your own chocolate pretzels, make sure your chocolate is completely cooled off on the pretzel before putting them away in the freezer. This will prevent the sticking I mentioned earlier.
Next, portion your pretzels to prevent over-packing, bulking, and extra sticking. Or, you can layer rows of pretzels with wax paper (life hack!). It will be easier to grab and go for the future too.
Proceed to wrap the distributed pretzels in a layer of either wax paper or plastic wrap to ensure protection from the freezer and minimize the potential of them becoming stale. Once they’re wrapped, you can go ahead and put them into either a freezer bag or an airtight container. Just make sure the packaging is sealed tightly.
How Long Do Chocolate-Covered Pretzels Last in the Freezer?
Chocolate pretzels normally last up to six months frozen. After this time, the quality of the treat will lessen.
Let’s break it down. Chocolate can last much longer past its “best by” date, meaning it’s safe to eat for a very, very long time. Generally speaking, pretzels can last up to three months. However, freezing them will help their shelf-life.
Although both chocolate and pretzels can lose their quality in flavor once frozen, this does not mean the snack will go bad. Therefore, these delightful treats can last you for as long as you desire.
How to Defrost Frozen Chocolate-Covered Pretzels
Personally, I love a frozen chocolate pretzel, but I understand it may not be everyone’s preference. So, if you’re super against eating a frozen snack of happiness, thawing your pretzel is fairly easy to do.
If not eating right away, take out the pretzels from the freezer and leave the package unopened, allowing the pretzels to remain secured and wrapped for the duration of the thawing period.
Leave the fully-wrapped pretzels until they reach room temperature. Then you can unwrap your desired amount and enjoy.
How to Use Chocolate-Covered Pretzels After Freezing
Once the pretzels are all thawed out, you do have the option of keeping them out and not popping them back in the freezer. Just make sure that they remain in an airtight container in a dry storage space.
However, please keep in mind that because the freezer has natural moisture, it can affect the pretzels to make them taste stale or soft, which is why defrosting them the proper way is super important to protect the taste and quality!
But what if your pretzels come in a big clump because they didn’t freeze properly? I have an idea! Go ahead and crush the pretzels. If you’re mad about something, this is the perfect time to take your aggression out. You can use these chocolate-covered pretzel bits as a new coating for a tasty dish. I recommend adding them to ice cream as a chocolate chip alternative – it works really well!
Other Ways to Store Chocolate-Covered Pretzels
While freezing is always a good option to keep the pretzels lasting fresher longer, there are other methods to storing them.
Chocolate-covered pretzels can be stored in the fridge and can stay fresh for a few weeks if stored properly.
If you freshly dipped your chocolate-covered pretzels and are waiting for them to cool down, or simply forgot to put your pretzels in a chilled environment, don’t fret! They can be stored at room temperature, and some may say this is their favorite storage method.
The thing to remember is that no matter how you store your chocolate-covered pretzels, you must wrap them properly. Always wrap them up and store them in an air-tight container to ensure freshness in any temperature.
How to Tell if Chocolate-Covered Pretzels Have Gone Bad
When thinking of chocolate-covered pretzels going bad, you really just envision them losing their freshness and having the pretzel become stale or soggier than its normal texture. However, you can still eat them if this is the case.
While chocolate-covered pretzels are still edible and enjoyable if the pretzels become stale, you may want to avoid them if the chocolate develops a funky smell. Of course, if you see any sign of mold, chuck them!