If you love that classic sweet and salty combo, you’re in for a sweet reward!

These Butter Toffee Pretzels are crisp, buttery, and coated with a golden caramelized layer that clings to the pretzels.

They’re incredibly easy to make and taste like something you’d find in a gourmet shop, but you can whip them up in your kitchen in under 30 minutes!

Why you’ll love this

• Sweet & Salty Perfection: Buttery toffee hugs every crunchy pretzel for that irresistible flavor contrast.
• Quick to Make: Just a few ingredients and one baking sheet.
• Perfect for Gifting: Pack them in jars or bags for homemade holiday gifts everyone will love.
• Highly Snackable: Warning, once you start, you might not stop!

These Butter Toffee Pretzels are the perfect mix of salty crunch and buttery sweetness. Each bite is coated in golden toffee goodness that makes them absolutely irresistible.

Whether you’re gifting them for the holidays or snacking straight from the pan, this quick and easy treat will disappear fast!

Simple Ingredients

• Mini pretzels
• Butter
• Sugar
• Vanilla extract
• A pinch of salt

A few steps and you’ll be snacking in no time!

I spread them out to cool on rolled edge baking sheets.

The toffee pretzels can be dipped or drizzled with melted chocolate. Sprinkle on some coarse salt, sprinkles, or chopped nuts.

Wanted a slightly softer toffee without the snap of a crunch, use brown sugar instead of granulated sugar, and reduce the temperature of the toffee by 5 degrees.

Butter toffee pretzels are already irresistible with that sweet crackly coating, but I have a little problem… I’m completely chocolate obsessed. I can’t help myself. So yes, I dipped them in chocolate too. And honestly, it might be the best thing ever.

The sweet toffee, the salty crunch, the glossy chocolate shell, it all comes together in one blissful bite. If you thought butter toffee pretzels were gonna be good, wait until you try them dressed in chocolate. They disappear fast, and I’m not even sorry!

Butter Toffee Pretzels are the kind of treat everyone asks for the recipe after trying. They’re crunchy, buttery, and caramelized to perfection—an easy, crowd-pleasing recipe you’ll make again and again, especially during the holidays.

Why These Are a Holiday Favorite

Honestly, these Butter Toffee Pretzels are one of those treats that feel instantly festive. They make perfect homemade gifts for neighbors, teachers, or friends, and look great in jars tied with ribbon.

The buttery toffee aroma while they bake fills your kitchen with cozy holiday vibes like caramel popcorn, but better and then some!

In fact, if you love pretzels, you might love this shirt.

More Pretzel Favorites

• Peanut Butter Stuffed Pretzels
• White Chocolate Dipped Pretzels with Pistachios and Cranberries
• This Frozen Strawberry Margarita has a yummy Pretzel Crust!
• Salty Sweet Pretzel Toffee

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Butter Toffee Pretzels

Butter Toffee Pretzels – Sweet, Crunchy, and Totally Addictive!

Course Candy, Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword candy, chocolate

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 25 minutes minutes

Author Diane Schmidt – createdbydiane.com

Ingredients

• 1 lb pretzels
• 1 cup butter, 2 sticks
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• pinch coarse kosher salt
• 1 cup chocolate, melted- if desired to dip pretzels or drizzle chocolate over pretzels

Instructions

• In a heavy bottom pot, add butter and sugar and heat over medium high heat, stirring occasionally.
• The temperature on a thermometer should be 285. If you want it chewier, you can reduce the temp by 5-10 degrees. Also, you can use brown sugar for a softer toffee.
• In a large bowl or on a baking sheet. Pour the hot toffee over the pretzels, stir to coat the pretzels. Then separate with two forks so the toffee firms up without it being in a large lump.
• Allow the toffee to cool completely. Break up any large pieces that have stuck together.
• If you'd like to add melted chocolate, now is the time. Add on any nuts, sprinkles, or salt. Once the chocolate is firm.
• Then place in an airtight container or bags.

The post How to Make Butter Toffee Pretzels first appeared on Created by Diane.

Bring the sparkle to your dessert table with these stunning candy firework cupcake toppers! Made with melted white candy melts and topped with red, white, and blue sprinkles, these edible decorations are perfect for 4th of July parties, patriotic holidays, or any celebration that needs a little wow-factor. These delicate swirls resemble bursting fireworks or whimsical pinwheels, adding height and flair to any cupcake display. They’re not only eye-catching but also easy to make ahead—just pipe, sprinkle, and let them set!

Whether you’re planning a backyard BBQ, summer picnic, or birthday bash, these DIY candy toppers are a fun and festive way to add a patriotic pop to your cupcakes.

Let’s grab some

• Lollipop Sticks

• White Candy Melts

• patrioitic colored sprinkles and aren’t these sprinkles cute

they’d be great on these cookies too!

More great sprinkle options for more occasions

And do you see that added sparkle… that’s edible GLITTER!

You’ll also need a piping bag, parchment paper, and a baking sheet.

Making these candy cupcake toppers will be ready in no time…

Let’s start with the cupcakes… OMG Red Velvet is the way to go… or use chocolate or vanilla, or funfetti.

You’ll find my

• small batch red velvet cake recipe here
• this recipe will make about 36 red velvet cupcakes

Be sure to check out this PATRIOTIC CAKE– this is a show stopper!

In fact I have lots of Patriotic Recipes…

• Fun Summer Recipes
• Red, White, and Blue Deviled Eggs
• Cherry Pie Cookies
• Layered Red, White, and Blue Cupcake Batter
• Frosted Sugar Cookies – flag theme in post
• Patriotic Spritz Cookies
• Red White Blue Tie Dye Cookies

More Patriotic Recipes

While I piped some thin and some thick, the thinner lines worked well when eating at home. If you plan to travel with them, Make the lines THICKER, or even a small breeze will break the candy. Or place them in the cupcakes when you arrive.

Finally, If you plan on driving with food check out my tips here!

Another option to use to make items to top cupcakes and treats with is Royal Icing check out more ideas here!

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Candy Cupcake Topper

Candy melts, lollipop sticks, and sprinkles combined to make the cutest cupcake toppers

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword candy, Cupcakes

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Total Time 15 minutes minutes

Servings 6

Author Diane Schmidt – createdbydiane.com

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup white candy metls I use Ghirardelli brand
• 6 lollipop sticks 1 used 6" sticks
• 1 tablespoon sprinknles I used red, white, and blue non pariels, and stars
• edible glitter
• piping bag
• parchment paper

Instructions

• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
• In a microwave-safe bowl, melt candy in the microwave at 30 second intervals, stirring each 30 seconds, until smooth and fully melted.
• Place the melted candy into a piping bag, cut a small hole (I piped thinner and thicker lines) if you'll be serving at home, thin is fine, if you plan to travel with them, make them thick so they won't be so fragile and break while transporting.
• Place the lollipop sticks on the parchment lined baking sheet.
• Swirl the melted candy onto the lollipop sticks, allowing it to collect at the end of the stick for support.I found the thicker the better!
• Then place sprinkles on top before it firms up.
• Add a bit of glitter if using it, I dip a tiny paintbrush into the glitter then tap it with a finger to allow the glitter to release on top of the candy.
• Place the baking sheet into the fridge for 5-10 minutes until the candy is firm.
• Stick the lollipop sticks into cupcakes and serve.

The post Candy Cupcake Toppers first appeared on Created by Diane.

I love snacks and the easier the better

when it comes to last minute… I think we all need something to count on. I have a list of my top 10 favorites to share with you. I hope you find a new favorite or two.

• Chocolate with Dried Fruit-chocolate and fruit a winning combination.
• Rosemary Candied Walnuts– these are great on a charcuterie board!
• Rosemary Cranberry Toffee– might just be my number 1 favorite candy to make
• Peanut Brittle– I love peanut brittle, make it with cashews for extra fun!
• Chocolate Funnel Cake– bring on the chocolate!
• Rosette Cookies– always a favorite and fun to make too.
• Whisky Fudge– OMG give me all the bourbon fudge!
• Puppy Chow– perfect for peanut butter lovers.
• Chocolate Covered Bacon hello bacon!
• Cannoli Cones these are so fun, take minutes to whip up.

I have a little time tomorrow and think I’ll be making some Rosette Cookies and Whiskey Fudge. If there is still time more Rosemary Cranberry Toffee – this has become my all time favorite!

I cannot seem to help myself, so here are a few more:

Salty Sweets are a true favorite of mine be sure to check these out…

• Christmas Crack– chocolate pretzel toffee
• White Chocolate Covered Pretzels with Pistachios and Dried Cranberries
• Rudolph-O’s– pretzel circles, make to look like reindeer
  *And a chocolate cannoli quick dessert:
• Chocolate Cannoli Cones

And if you are looking for some Christmas Cookies I have some old favorites and a few new recipes to try!

• Teddy Bear Chocolate Butter Cookies absolutely adorable, don’t you agree.
• Orange Cardamom Cookies– bright citrusy flavor with an orange glaze.
• Rosemary Chocolate Chip Cookies– and I’ve made two batches of these and need to make one more and hide them for myself
• Chocolate Gingerbread Cut Out Cookies– I just LOVE the drizzle of green icing!
• Cranberry Pistachio Cookies– 3 ways to bake them.
• Chocolate Gingerbread Cookies– crispy and chewy a dynamic duo.

The post Easy No Bake Desserts first appeared on Created by Diane.

The French call it Mendiant, which means scraps of chocolate with dried fruit and nuts, and it’s typically served around Christmas.

I am a huge dark chocolate fan and love Ghirardellis’s 60% cacao bittersweet chocolate, but use your favorite chocolate.

Other items to add are nuts and seeds, add some large Maldone sea salt flakes, which will give it a great contrast in flavor. I made a few varieties and the two I really liked are in this post.

Add fresh herbs like rosemary or other flavors. I’ve had spicy chocolate so add in some dried peppers, or add some pepper flavored spices, test 1 to be sure you like the flavor before adding spice to the whole batch,

Choose your favorite dried fruit, any combination will work well. The bright colors make it look like shiny jewels, they are tender to bite into and the chocolate will snap just a bit to give these a great texture.

Prep all the dried fruit by slicing it into bite-sized pieces so you will be able to fit the items you want on the size “disks” you’ll be making.

If you’re cutting sticky fruits like pineapple and mango, dust the fruit or your knife with powdered sugar so they will separate easily once cut.

Some favorite items to use:

• Banana chips
• dried pineapple
• dried mango
• dried pineapple
• dried apricots
• dried cranberries
• dried or dehydrated apples
• pepitas (roasted pumpkin seeds)
• add nuts like slivered almonds, cashews, walnuts, pecans, or peanuts.

There are lots of dehydrated fruits available like strawberries, raspberries which have pretty bright colors.

I have used dried blueberries as well with good results.

You can make chocolate bark by pouring the chocolate onto a rolled edge sheet pan, placing the fruit on top, and then allowing it to cool completely at room temperature. Then cut the chocolate into squares or triangles.

WHEN MELTED CHOCOLATE:

Tempering the chocolate is bringing it to the proper temperature so the chocolate will dry firm and not melt in your hand easily or dry and be soft and bendable.

It should be well melted, hot, and easy to stir and drizzle off a spoon easily.

Popular ways to heat chocolate and in a double boiler, in the microwave, or in a food processor I have used all three methods with great success.

Using a Microwave – At 20-30 second intervals mixing in between to ensure the chocolate melts evenly

Using a Double Boiler – with a stainless or glass bowl over a pot of simmering water (that does not touch the pot) melt the chocolate while stirring it in the bowl as the hot water heats from the chocolate from underneath the bowl. In a food process the heat that is created while mixing the chocolate will melt it, and the food processor will run for many minutes. I most often use the microwave when doing a small batch, I use a double boiled when I’m making more and find it easiest to heat a little more if needed since the water stays hot while I work.

Check out my post on Chocolate Covered Fruit HERE.

For added deliciousness: you can make a batch of toffee and pour the toffee onto the bottom of a rolled edge baking sheet, then add chocolate, then fruit for a delicious fruit topped toffee with chocolate.

Making toffee is just one more additional step by boiling butter and sugar… YUM! Check out my post on TOFFEE here.

These rosemary and cranberry disks are a simplified version of the toffee I made last year that I find irresistible…

My favorite toffee recipe is this Rosemary Cranberry Toffee, it’s salted, and sweet, and the fresh rosemary tastes fantastic with the dark chocolate and buttery toffee.

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Chocolate and Dried Fruit

quick easy candy making with chocolate and dried fruit

Course Desssert

Cuisine American, French

Keyword candy, chocolate, christmas cookies, fruit

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes minutes

Total Time 15 minutes minutes

Author Diane Schmidt – createdbydiane.com

Ingredients

• 1 cup chocolate I prefer 60% cacao bittersweet chocolate (use your favorite chocolate)
• 1/2 cup dried fruit (any variety) sliced into bite sized pieces, use banana chips, dried pineapple, dried apricots, dried mango, dried apples, dried cranberries, or dehydrated fruit.

Instructions

• Use a baking sheet to place the melted chocolate so they dry and harden with a smooth bottom and you can easily move the candy.
• Prep all the dried fruit so it's ready to put into place as soon as you're chocolate is melted.
• Heat the chocolate in the microwave at 30 second increments until fully melted, stirring at each interval. Add a teaspoon of coconut oil to thin it if needed. Alternatively, you can use a double boiler, don't allow the boiling water to touch the bottom of the pot or it may scorch the chocolate and overheat it. Dark chocolate should be melted to about 115° milk or white chocolate to about 105° check post for more into.
• Drop dollops of melted chocolate onto the baking sheet.
• Top each dollop with dried fruit.
• Allow chocolate to cool at room temperarues.
• There are many options given in the post, how to turn this into bark, trays of toffee as well and other dried fruit options.

The post Chocolate and Dried Fruit first appeared on Created by Diane.

I haven’t always been a fan of fruit in everything, but OMG this will change anyone’s mind.

This toffee is the epitome of sweet and savory, it’ll wow your taste buds.

This flavor combination took toffee to the next level. Sweet and savory toffee tastes outstanding. I had it on my idea list for a while, and the holidays got busy but as soon as I had a spare moment before the New Year, I made a batch and I made another batch the next day and another about a week later. 

Needless to say,

it’s amazing!

One bite in and every person said Oh My… this is amazing.

Continue reading: Rosemary Cranberry Toffee

The post Rosemary Cranberry Toffee first appeared on Created by Diane.

It’s no secret I love chocolate and like any true chocolate lover, 

fudge is always a good idea.

Now, this fudge is something special…

it’s really easy to make,

uses minimal ingredients, and makes a nice amount for sharing if you’re into that sort of thing… Wrap it up for a gift for any occasion.

I wanted to make a recipe that was smooth and creamy,

had a great tooth feel without being gritty,

had a great boozy flavor,

is easy and that I don’t need to run to the store to get anything special when I want to make it, I keep sweetened condensed milk on hand… and no marshmallow fluff needed.

Continue reading: Whisky Fudge

The post Whisky Fudge first appeared on Created by Diane.

Are you craving a homemade bon bon recipe but don’t even know where to start?

These simple Coconut Bonbons will have you loving every single bite!

Bon bons aren’t really all that hard to make.

And truth be told, most people just think that I sit around all day long eating bonbons since I work from home and while I wish that was the truth – it’s not! But now is the perfect time to give that whole idea a spin.

Trust me… I don’t think we’re all sitting around with our feet up in our fuzzy slippers snacking on bonbons all day.

I’ve worked from home for years, and if you would hear what people think my day is like working from home you’d get a good laugh. Working from home is not as easy to do long term as some may think, it does take a whole lot of self-motivation and organization especially if you start your own business.

This simple bonbon recipe is just one of those “rainy day” recipes that will have you grabbing one and popping it in your mouth every time you walk by the kitchen. They’re just the perfect handheld size that you can’t pass up! 

Continue reading: Coconut Bonbons

The post Coconut Bonbons first appeared on Created by Diane.

OMG, these are sweet and salty and have a ton of flavor,

they are easy to make

take about 5 minutes…

really!

I knew I was going to make some candied walnuts for the charcuterie board I’m going to make tomorrow.

When I took one look at the rosemary tree in the shape of a Christmas tree I just KNEW I had to use rosemary and make these nuts all Christmas-y!

I couldn’t wait to dive into them and guess what…

They are like CRACK! In a good way of course.

Sweet and salty and I couldn’t stop eating them.

I know these are going to be a favorite all year long.

Continue reading: Rosemary Candied Walnuts

The post Rosemary Candied Walnuts first appeared on Created by Diane.

When I was a kid I loved getting the “lifesavers candy book” at Christmas time, so it only seemed natural to create a cook with those in mind.

I never saw them any other time of year but at Christmastime. Now they are readily available. I see those butter rum candy in stores everywhere.

The gold butterscotch candies were very popular, and I enjoyed them all the time!

I still by bags of them and always seem to have some in the cabinet for snacking. Sweet, buttery and delicious. These cut out cookies not only have that great flavor they look like stained glass.

I just love how these look, they are great for cookie exchanges or to adorn you cookie platters all year long.

Continue reading: Stained Glass Butterscotch Cookies

The post Stained Glass Butterscotch Cookies first appeared on Created by Diane.

I’ve been making toffee for years,

I am always up for trying a new flavor and this time the chocolate gets blended with peanut butter for a really smooth delicious flavor.

I love the salty crunchy crackers on the bottom. Pretzels would be good too!

Just before the chocolate sets up I added a bunch of bite-sized Reeses peanut butter cups to off the tray of toffee nicely.

It not only looks irresistible, it tastes it!

You simply can’t eat just one piece.

Continue reading: Chocolate Peanut Butter Cracker Toffee

The post Chocolate Peanut Butter Cracker Toffee first appeared on Created by Diane.