3 Easy Christmas Treats (with 3 ingredients or less!)

Name: 3 Easy Christmas Treats
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 25 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 16 oz bag of mini pretzels or pretzel Snaps by Snyder (you'll use 50 pretzels); 10 oz bag of Rolo chocolate caramel candy; 50 pecan halves, about 4 ounces; 1 cup chocolate chips; 1 cup whole cashews or cashew pieces; Maldon flake salt; 40 Ritz crackers; 1 (10 ounce) bag of Ande's Creme de Menthe baking chips

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Chocolate candies are always a hit around the holidays. Add some caramel or nuts, and you're on your way to something amazing! There are a few that I can never get enough of: Pecan Turtles, Chocolate Cashew Clusters, and Ritz Thin Mints. Read on to learn more about my 3 Easy Christmas Treats (that contain three ingredients or less).

Three kinds of chocolates on a red plate with candy canes in the background.

If you've ever ventured into the world of holiday cookie plates, then you know how much work it can be. Batch after batch of sugary treats lining every counter you have. A hot oven running all day long. And sugar. So. Much. Sugar. Tis the season!

In this post, I'll share 3 easy Christmas treats to help you fill out those holiday cookie platters for your loved ones. You don't have to be a professional baker to whip up something special! So let's get started!

Read on for all the loving details to make 3 easy Christmas treats, or skip down to the recipe card!

Jump to:

Featured Ingredients
Tools for the job
How to make 3 Easy Christmas Treats
Hot Tip!
How to make and use a double boiler
Storing these Christmas treats
FAQ
Related
3 Easy Christmas Treats
💬 Comments

Featured Ingredients

Read below about a few of the ingredients used to make these 3 easy Christmas treats.
TIP: Add festive sprinkles as an OPTIONAL ingredient for any of these recipes!

The ingredients used to make pecan turtles with Rolo candies.

Ingredients used to make chocolate cashew clusters.

Pecan Turtles

Pretzels - I prefer to use the little grid-shaped pretzels called Butter Snaps by the Snyders brand. They have an extra buttery flavor that complements the treat, and the flat grid is the perfect base to hold the melty chocolate candy.

Rolo - If you are unfamiliar Rolo is the name brand of the candy used to make this treat. It is a small cylinder-shaped chocolate filled with caramel. It's the perfect size for this little pecan turtle!

Pecans - You'll want pecan halves for this recipe.

Chocolate Cashew Clusters

Chocolate - For the best flavor in your treats, it's imperative to use high-quality ingredients since there's very little to mask the flavor. I recommend using good quality chocolate chips instead of a chocolate bark bar. Trust me, the taste makes it worth it!

Also, use the style you like best, whether it's semi-sweet, milk chocolate, dark chocolate, or even white chocolate!

Cashews - Again, use what you like best, so if you prefer peanuts or walnuts, go for that! I'd stay away from almonds as they can be a bit hard to bite in a cluster.

Maldon salt - This is the icing on this cake. Like my Salted Caramel Cheesecake Dip, just a pinch of beautiful flake salt takes this treat to the next level!

Ritz Thin Mints

Mint chocolate - You can buy a package of Ande's Creme de Menthe thin mints and unwrap them individually or check the baking aisle for a bag of Ande's baking chips. It may be with seasonal baking items as well.

Ritz crackers - Here's the secret ingredient! However, be sure to get the name brand. The generic versions don't quite stand up to the test.

See recipe card for quantities.

Tools for the job

Measuring cups and spoons
Sheet pan
Parchment or a silicone baking mat
Double boiler or small pot with a fitted bowl
Medium sized bowl
Small dining spoon, dinner fork

Three easy christmas treats on a red plate with a nutcracker and candy canes in the background.

How to make 3 Easy Christmas Treats

Pecan Turtles

Preheat your oven to 300°F.
Unwrap the Rolo candies.
On a lined sheet pan, evenly place as many pretzels as you'd like to make. Top each pretzel with a Rolo, then top each Rolo with a pecan.
Carefully set the pan in the oven and warm for 3 minutes.
When the candy is out of the oven, gently press each pecan down into the chocolate to connect all three pieces.
Let the pecan turtles cool for 20 minutes.

Rolo candies falling out of the package with some unwrapped from the foil.

Three pans filled with the ingredients for pecan turtles with a sheet pan in front filled with stacked pretzels, chocolates, and pecans.

Sheet pan with cooked pecan turtles showing a finger pushing the pecan into the warm chocolate candy.

Chocolate Cashew Clusters

In a double boiler on the stove, warm the chocolate chips until fully melted, stirring frequently. Add the cashews to the chocolate and stir until they're completely coated.
Using a small dining spoon, lay little piles of chocolatey cashews out on a piece of parchment, wax paper, or a baking mat and let cool for a few minutes.
Before the chocolate is completely cooled, sprinkle a pinch of Maldon flake salt on top. (If you do it while the chocolate is still hot, the salt will melt.)
Let the chocolate cashew clusters cool until solid.

A double boiler on the stove with semi-sweet chocolate chips melting in the bowl.

A double boiler with melted chocolates and cashews stirred in.

A bowl with cashews and chocolates besides a sheet pan with piles of cashew clusters and maldon flake salt on the side.

Ritz Thin Mints

In a double boiler on the stove, warm the Ande's mint chips until fully melted, stirring frequently. Remove from the heat.
Set the bowl alongside a piece of parchment, wax paper, or a baking mat. Drop a cracker into the bowl, then using a dinner fork, flip it over and remove it from the chocolate.
Hover over the bowl for a second to let excess chocolate drip off, then set the Ritz thin mint on the parchment.

A four part collage showing the steps of melting the Andes chocolate, then dipping ritz crackers in it with a fork.

A bowl of melted andes chocolate on a sheet pan with parchment and chocolate dunked crackers cooling.

Hot Tip!

Fancy up your Ritz thin mints by drizzling more chocolate on top using a fork. Wait until the first layer of chocolate has set, then pull out a little more chocolate with the fork and swing it over the top of each treat, waving around to drizzle lines of minty chocolate.

Andes chocolate covered ritz crackers on parchment after they've cooled and had more chocolate drizzled on top for texture.

How to make and use a double boiler

Why use a double boiler? Melting chocolate can be a finicky process. You don't want the chocolate sitting directly on the heat because it can seize up. (This is when it goes from melted glossy to thick and dry looking.) You also don't want moisture dripping into the chocolate as it can also seize up. The best way to combat these two things is by making (or buying) a double boiler.

2-piece double boiler - This product is an all-in-one design that sets it apart from add-on styles like the one below. The design ensures a snug fit that creates a barrier against water leaking or splashing into the chocolate. As a result, the chocolate stays protected from moisture and maintains its quality for longer periods.
Add-on double boiler - This is a single piece you add to a pot you already own. It usually will have a pour spout on both sides and hooks to help steady it in whatever pot you use.
A bowl and a pot - You can create a double boiler with items you already have in your kitchen! For best results, use a metal bowl that sits slightly above the pot rather than snugly in the pot, which makes it hard to remove the bowl once it's hot. (see below)

A small bowl sitting on a small pot for an example of a double boiler.

To use the double boiler, add 1-2 inches of water into the pot and set the second piece on top. Fill it with the chocolate and turn the heat on to medium-low. when you start to see pieces melting, start stirring. Listen for the water and turn it down if it starts to bubble or steam too vigorously.

Have a towel handy to set the top bowl on to catch water drips as you use the chocolate. If the chocolate starts to firm up, put it back on the warm pot and stir until melted again. You may not need to turn the stove back on for this.

Rolo candy pecan turtle treats on a white plate.

Chocolate cashew clusters with maldon flake salt on a white plate.

Ritz thin mints cookies on a white plate.

Storing these Christmas treats

All of these treats can be stored in a zip top bag or sealed container on the counter for up to a week.

If you have leftover melted chocolate in the double boiler, cover it well with plastic wrap and store in a cupboard until you need to use it again!

FAQ

Can I melt the chocolate in the microwave?

To melt the chocolates in the microwave, add the measured amount into a glass bowl or measuring pitcher. Heat the chips in 30-second intervals, stirring after each time, until the chocolate has fully melted.

Can I use a different chocolate or nuts for the chocolate cashew clusters?

You can use any kind of "chip" you can find for this treat, including white chocolate chips or even butterscotch chips. You can also change out the nuts used, for example, switching to peanuts or macadamia nuts.

What can I use instead of Ande's chocolate mint chips?

If you can't find the bags of chopped Ande's mints, you can use the regular candies or a bag of milk chocolate chips and a few drops of peppermint oil. If you need to use peppermint extract, then add a bit of cooking oil so the chocolate doesn't seize up.

3 easy christmas treats in a christmas tin with candy canes alongside a sparkly nutcracker.

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