Pretzels coated in melted butterscotch chips make a quick, no-bake candy that's sweet, salty, and full of butterscotch flavor.

A closeup of pretzels heavily coated in melted butterscotch chips and garnished with flaky sea salt.

These easy butterscotch pretzels are perfect for grazing boards, cookie boxes, and holiday parties. The neighborhood kids were playing football in the front yard while I was photographing these pretzels, and they loved them so much they devoured the whole batch that day. Maybe it's time to bring back butterscotch.

Ingredient Notes and Substitutions

Pretzels: I used the salted mini twists, I find them easier to coat than the pretzel sticks.
Butterscotch Chips: I tested this recipe with both Guittard and Nestle butterscotch chips, both worked well. I have noticed the grocery store having these chips on sale several times lately, which is how I ended up with a bag in the first place. You can also use white chocolate chips to make white chocolate pretzels.
Shortening: Don't skip adding the shortening, it helps with the smoothness of the melted chips. I use shortening, Crisco specifically, but coconut oil works too.

A glass bowl of mini twist pretzels, butterscotch chips, and shortening on a countertop.

Butterscotch pretzels cooling on a parchment lined baking sheet.

Variations

Mix in some salted cocktail peanuts with the pretzels before adding the melted butterscotch chips.
Top with flaky sea salt or sprinkles before the coating hardens.

Serving and Storage

Serving: Serve these at room temperature, after the coating has set. I can imagine these served in Fall with sliced apples or added to an autumn themed snack board. For Christmas, package them in gift tins or add to cookie trays.

Storage: After the coating on the pretzels has hardened, about 1 hour, transfer to an airtight container and store at room temperature. These will last 2-3 weeks stored properly.

Mini twist pretzels coated in melted butterscotch chips.

📖 Recipe