Easy Caramel Marshmallow Treats take minutes to make and only a handful of ingredients. This no bake recipe has salty pretzels mixed with gooey caramel, topped with a marshmallow, and drizzled in chocolate.
I made these Caramel Marshmallow Treats for a Christmas party recently. She may be biased, by my daughter declared these THE BEST CHRISTMAS TREAT I’VE EVER MADE.
Boom time.
Although such a statement is validating, I really didn’t feel the work put into making these Caramel Marshmallow Treats warranted such praise. This holiday treat is stupid easy to make, just like Preacher Cookies or gluten-free Oreo balls.
Easy Caramel Marshmallow Treats don’t require a candy thermometer, it can all be done in your microwave, and they take about 15 minutes to make.
Of course I didn’t share any of that with my daughter. 😏
How to Make Caramel Marshmallow Treats
- Have all the ingredients ready and prepared before you start. This recipe goes quick!
- Melt the caramels in the microwave and stir in the crushed pretzels.
- Use two spoons to scrape caramel / pretzel mix onto greased waxed paper.
- Immediately push down a large marshmallow.
- Once all the marshmallows are set, drizzle on melted chocolate and decorate with sprinkles.
SAVE THESE CARAMEL MARSHMALLOW TREATS TO YOUR PINTEREST BOARD!
And let’s be friends on PINTEREST! I’m always sharing great recipes!
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Caramel Marshmallow Treats
Ingredients
- 2 cups lightly crushed pretzel sticks, regular or gluten free
- 11 oz bag caramels (about 36 caramels)
- 2 tablespoons milk or cream
- 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1/2 teaspoon vegetable oil
- 20-24 large marshmallows
Instructions
- Line a baking sheet with wax paper and spray with cooking spray. Have pretzels crushed and measured and marshmallows ready.
- In a large microwavable safe bowl place caramels and milk. Cook on high for 1 minute and stir. Cook about 1 – 1 1/2 minutes more, stirring and checking every 15-30 seconds until it is just melted and smooth. Be care to not overheat because caramel will become very hard when cooled. Gently mix in crushed pretzels.
- Using 2 spoons, scrape about a tablespoon full onto the cookie sheet (see photo in post). Place about 3-4 caramel / pretzel scoops then immediately push a marshmallow down firmly into the center. It’s okay to really push it down, so the pretzels spread and the marshmallow sticks to the caramel. Caramel can be reheated for a few seconds if it starts to harden and become hard to work with.
- Finish placing all the marshmallows in caramel. Then go back and shape with fingers caramel in a more circular shape around marshmallow.
- After all the marshmallows are placed, melt the chocolate and oil together in another microwaveable safe bowl. Cook on high for 45 seconds, stir. Continue to cook for about 1 minute more, checking every 15 seconds, until all the chocolate is smooth.
- Drizzle the chocolate over the marshmallows with a small spoon and decorate with sprinkles, if desired.
❉DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE? DON’T FORGET TO GIVE IT A STAR RATING AND COMMENT BELOW!❉
Nutrition
Below is my original post (12/16) about the inspiration for these Easy Caramel Marshmallow Treats – my Mom, who makes crazy seem easy at Christmas-time.
If you’ve read my post on Mom’s Easy Microwave Caramel Corn, you know I have a problem with overreaching at Christmastime. Upon further reflection, all my craziness can be blamed on my Mom.
Sorry, Mom.
Linda is always a terror in the kitchen, but she takes it to another level during Christmas-time. Her uniform is her robe, which she never changes out of because there just isn’t a spare moment to.
Growing up, we were assaulted with nonstop Christmas music while she stationed herself in the kitchen day and night. The music propelled her to knock out mile long lists of food for all the festivities – Christmas Eve, Christmas breakfast, Christmas dinner, and holiday baking for friends and neighbors.
The holiday baking was really an animal in itself. The kitchen and dining room were overrun with baking sheets of cookies and treats waiting to be cooled, drizzled with chocolate, sprinkled, or stored in an insane number of cookie tins.
Filled cookies tins were stacked on the dining room floor for us to eat with abandon around the holidays. At all points of the day you could hear one of us opening and closing the stacks of tins to find the kind of cookie we wanted.
Don’t get the impression we all just loafed around and gorged on cookies all day while Mom slaved away in the kitchen.
“MISSI!! COME MAKE THE TURTLES!”
“JENNY! I HAVE ALL THESE OREOS YOU HAVE TO DIP!”
“PUT THESE COOKIES AWAY! I NEED ANOTHER COOKIE SHEET!”
“WHEN ARE YOU GUYS GOING TO DECORATE THESE COOKIES!”
Even though Dad couldn’t make a cookie to save his life, he wasn’t spared either. Dad was in charge of running back and forth to the store when we ran out of butter, eggs, chocolate, and powdered sugar.
“TERRY! I NEED MORE EGGS!”
What could we possibly do with 6,000 cookies and treats? The eight of us found a way work through them, and when we had friends over the cookie tin towers took their breath away.
On Christmas Eve we packaged up plates to take to all the neighbors, we brought them to parties, hit them hard on Christmas Eve and Day, and then they made road trips to visit my older sisters and brothers.
So here you go, Mom. A new one to add to the list.
Lucky for you these Caramel Marshmallow Treats only takes a few minutes to make, or you can just yell at me to do it next time I come over.
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Karly says
This post both warmed my heart and left me drooling. LOVE these treats– so much fun and so delicious! Gotta try these with my kiddos!
Melissa says
Thanks Karly! Enjoy the baking season 🙂