Chocolate Covered Pretzel Bites Stuffed with Tahini Date Caramel

Ok, officially in count-down mode over here. I just got to California late last night to visit with extended family over the holidays, so this week, I’ve been in a scramble to get everything done… shipping out gifts, last minute shopping, etc. Evan and I are parting ways this Christmas, as he heads to Seattle to visit his family, so we celebrated our Christmas this past weekend. We went to the Boston Ballet’s The Nutcracker, which has now become a yearly tradition of ours since it’s our 3rd (or 4th?) year doing it – I used to do the same thing with my mom at the local production of The Nutcracker in my hometown. Then, we went to one of our favorite restaurants (Ostra) for dinner and drinks.

Today I’m sharing a recipe that I think would make a wonderful last-minute edible gift for friends or family, or even at a holiday party (I’m already thinking about New Years Eve!) Sweet, chocolatey, caramel-y, with a hint of earthiness from tahini, a little salt, and a crunch from pretzels.

The caramel filling is made from dates, tahini, and a little water. And that’s it. I could eat it by itself. I may or may not eat some of it with apples every time I make this. These can easily be made vegan by choosing a vegan chocolate for the coating, and you can make them in increments if you don’t feel like doing it all at once. Sometimes I’ll make the caramel ahead of time and fill later in the day or the next day. You can also half-dip them in chocolate if you’re feeling lazy (no judgment. I’ve totally done this – see below.)

They’re totally addicting and make a wonderful gift. They also make a fun addition to cheese boards – that’s actually how I’ll be eating them on NYE! Side note – Evan’s eyes lit up when he first tried these, and I think he’s obsessed with them even more than I am (hard to believe).

If I don’t talk to you before, happy holidays! Hope you have a restful and fun time with family and friends.

Chocolate Covered Pretzel Bites Stuffed with Tahini Date Caramel

 

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Prep time

30 mins

Total time

30 mins

 

5-ingredient chocolate covered pretzel bites stuffed with tahini date caramel. The caramel is made with just dates and tahini. Crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside, these are totally addicting!

Author: thyme & toast

Serves: ~50

Ingredients

• 12-ounce bag of square pretzels
• 20 pitted medjool dates, soaked in hot water for 10 minutes and drained well
• ⅓ cup tahini
• 1 - 2 cups dark chocolate chips (start with 1 cup if half-dipping or use the full 2 if fully covering in chocolate)
• 1 - 2 tablespoons melted coconut oil (use 1 tablespoon coconut oil per heaping cup chocolate chips)
• Optional: sea salt

Instructions

1. Add the dates to a food processor, pulsing until small bits remain. Add the tahini and continue pulsing/processing until the mixture begins to form a paste. You will likely need to stop periodically to scrape the sides down. Add 1 - 2 tablespoons warm water if needed to help the dates process into a paste. (Be sure not to add too much - you want to make sure it's a paste and not too liquid-y!)
2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place a layer of pretzels on it in a flat layer. Add about 1 heaping teaspoon of the date caramel on each pretzel then sandwich together with another pretzel. Place the pan in the freezer for 10 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, melt the chocolate with the coconut oil in a double broiler or in the microwave in 30-second increments.
4. If you're half-dipping the chocolate, dip a side of each pretzel sandwich in the chocolate mixture and place back on the parchment lined baked sheet. If you're fully dipping, use a fork to dip each pretzel into the chocolate, shaking off the excess. Place back on the parchment lined baking sheet. If you're adding sea salt, immediately sprinkle each after dipping in chocolate.
5. Place in the fridge until set, about 10-20 minutes. Store in the fridge until ready to serve,

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