I’m so mad guys.
Blaaaah.
I’m sick.
Being sick is obviously awful, but being sick in the summer is pure misery.
Being hot while maintaining a fever, head pounding from both evil germs plus too much sunlight and a sore throat that cannot be quenched or cooled with sun tea.
And also: I can’t eat.
Now normally, people get stoked that they’ll inevitably lose some weight from being sick. Yeah, it is kinda awesome stepping on the scale at the doctor’s office and seeing that number has gone down since some virus decided to attack your body. In a way, you almost want to thank the virus–perhaps cook it a fine meal, give it some wine, serenade it to please don’t stay long, but before you go, would you be so kind as to shave off some of that chunk on my muffin top? Thanks.
But really, not eating makes me feel worse. I get restless. Snacky. Oh boy, do I get snacky.
I’m a snack girl. I snack mindlessly, constantly. It’s bad and probably why I fluctuate between the same five pounds over and over.
I try replacing my snacks with crudites and hummus but it isn’t the same. Honestly, the last thing I want to eat when I’m sick is something that has no flavor, like celery. I want something rich and tasty, something that I can nosh on when I’m plopped in front of the TV, feeling like this could easily be my last meal.
Okay, probably not my last meal–I only have a cold and plus, I snack far too much for it to be a true “last meal”, but you get my drift.
Anywho, I figured there was nothing better than something sweet, salty, chocolatey, and oh, SO EASY to make. That’s kind of the key when your neck now feels like a toothpick.
I got the inspiration for this post from the Brownie Batter Recipes Kristan and Shelly did last week. They’re right: brownie batter is so underrated compared to cookie dough and it shouldn’t be. It’s even easier to make and just as rich and tasty.
I sandwiched the batter between two mini pretzels for that perfect sweet & salty bite. Then to make them even more awesome, they took a quick bath in some milk chocolate and got a healthy dose of rainbow sprinkles. The result? Totally snackworthy.
Now if only I could get my virus to melt off the pounds from eating these…
Brownie Batter Pretzel Bites
1 pkg brownie mix
1 stick butter, melted
1 bag miniature pretzels
1/2 pkg milk chocolate almond bark
Rainbow sprinkles
1. In a large bowl, combine the brownie mix and melted butter and stir until a stiff yet soft dough has formed. Make sure you get all the brownie mix crumbs on the bottom!
2. On a foil-rimmed baking sheet, spread out a bunch of pretzels in an even layer. Using a small spoon or cookie dough scoop, scoop about 1/2 tsp-1 tsp of brownie batter on top of each pretzel. Take another pretzel and gently press it into the brownie batter, forming a pretzel sandwich. Repeat until all the batter has been used.
3. Freeze the pretzel bites for about an hour until chilled and firm. While chilling, prepare the almond bark until smooth and melted. Dip each pretzel bite into the melted chocolate with a fork, allowing excess to drip off. Return the coated bites to the baking sheet and immediately sprinkle with rainbow jimmies.
4. Store any leftover pretzel bites in a plastic baggy at room temperature for 1-2 days, or in the freezer for a week.
The brownie batter is so totally rockin’. Sweet but not too overpowering, and perfect in complementing the salty crunch of the pretzels. Plus, you had to know I’d douse these in rainbow sprinkles. I’m predictable like that.
I hope you enjoy!!
xo, Hayley
kalamitykelli says
Y-U-M!! I have always preferred brownie batter to cookie dough!!
Kim Campbell says
This totally rocks!! I’ve been trying to come up with a snack to take to 4th Celebrations and I think I just found it!!
Ashley @ Kitchen Meets Girl says
Oh no! I’m so sorry that you’re sick! =( I’m the same way, though…I never truly lose my appetite when I’m sick and in fact, probably eat more calories than on a regular day, since I end up eating a bunch of crap and not much else. What’s up with that, anyway?!?!
Hopefully these brownie batter pretzel bites will get you back on the road to recovery in no time. They look ohmygooooshamazing!
Sally says
I agree with you Hayley!! Brownie batter doesn’t get nearly enough attention compared to cookie dough and cake batter! And it certainly is just as tasty. I obviously love chocolate + pretzels too! I will have to try this sometime! You are so creative Hayley!
Back For Seconds says
Awww so sorry you’re sick! I feel pretty lousy today too, blech.
On a happy not I just made brownies last night and now I’m a little mad I cooked the batter. Oh wait, I guess that means I have to make another batch today. Win! These look awesome and right up my alley since brownies are my favorite thing. Silly question though ( i have never used a box mix so maybe there is a difference in the batter). How do you get the batter to stay in one place atop the pretzel? I need to make these!
The Domestic Rebel says
Yay, another reason to make and eat brownies!! (As if you really needed a reason) but as far as batter goes, my batter was SUPER thick; hardly thin and runny, so it stayed on the pretzel just fine. And if your batter turns out too thick, sprinkle and stir in some flour to help thicken it. Since you’re only using the melted butter + the brownie mix (no eggs or oil or anything) it should be stiff. Lemme knooooow how you like them! They’re cure your cold 🙂
Sarah says
Holy crap Hayley…these look amazing. You’ve made the most scrumptious combination of sweet & salty – pretzels and brownies – I think you’ve just given me something to make for tomorrow’s 4th festivities! Hope you are on the mend soon, being sick is just no fun 🙁
The Domestic Rebel says
Thank you Sarah! I hope you like them, though they’re pretty hard to resist I’d say!
amy donovan (@amy_donovan) says
oh my goodness, these look SOOOO good. definitely need to make these soon – i don’t have nearly enough brownie batter in my life!
Chung-Ah (@damn_delicious) says
These bites look DANGEROUS!! I don’t think I’d be able to stop at 1, or 10 actually.
The Domestic Rebel says
You’re not alone, friend! Neither could I. The bad news is it makes a large batch. The good news is, they’re small, and small things rarely have calories. Or something like that, right?!
Dorothy @ Crazy for Crust says
Oh, sweetie, I’m sorry you’re sick! I can bring you some snacks. 🙂 LOVE these – I just made brownie batter to do mini pies (inspired by your cookie ones). I only used half…guess where the other half went??? Feel better!!!
The Domestic Rebel says
Haha brownie batter alone is dangerous… it’s lucky it made it into these bites! (or is it?!)
Jocelyn says
Being sick stinks…especially in the summer!!! But holy cow, brownie bite pretzels? I’m pretty sure these will do the trick to get you better in no time!! They are awesome!!! I’m with you…brownie batter doesn’t get the love that it should!!! I was inspired by brownie batter week on Shelly’s blog too. Now to just get it finished:-)
The Domestic Rebel says
Exactly! So much inspiration, SO. LITTLE. TIME! But it’s brownie batter, so I’m like, required to make time 🙂 Happy Fourth, Jocelyn!
Natalie D says
These looked so amazing that I had to try making something with brownie batter. I went with s’mores and used the brownie batter instead of the “chocolate bar” part. All was well and good until it was time to dip them. How in the heck do you get them dipped so smoothly and with such a nice thin layer?! I tryed thinning out my candy melts with vegetable oil, but it was still so thick and my covered s’mores were anything but smooth. And that is why I don’t make cake pops. Haha.
The Domestic Rebel says
Natalie, I loathe making cake pops! Haha. I also don’t really like using candy melts, and prefer to use the “melting chocolate” bricks like Candiquik or Plymouth Pantry. You can find them in the baking aisle at most stores. They melt smoother and are less likely to scorch–another reason why your chocolate turned chunky (hate that!). Try the melting chocolate, zap the whole brick for a minute, stir, then heat for another 30 seconds, stir and continue to stir until it’s totally melted. You won’t even need oil, it’ll be thin and smooooooth. Yummy idea with the brownie batter s’mores, too!
Natalie DeAmicis says
Thank you! I was going to toss in the towel regarding any chocolate covered goods. But I will give this a go before I make my final decision. 🙂
uncommonprincess says
Hi, The Domestic Rebel! Just stopping by to tell you that I found your recipe on Pinterest and absolutely loved the sound of it. I had it on my Recipes To Try board and my boyfriend picked it out for me to bring with me when I visit him for the holidays. I’m just about to post about it, and I thought I’d thank you for the recipe. I’ll let you know how it turns out. Also, I’ve linked here in my post. I hope that’s okay. 🙂 Thanks again.
-Rachel from Princess In The Kitchen and Love Built To Last.
Dana says
I tried this recipe but I thought it was too sweet. What size brownie mix do you use? I also felt like the brownie mix was too dry and didn’t stick between the pretzels.
The Domestic Rebel says
Hi Dana! I use a standard-size brownie mix, the kind that makes a 13×9 inch pan of brownies. And I’m sorry you had trouble! I frequently make variations on this recipe and never have trouble. However, in the mixing stage of the butter/brownie mix, it IS a bit stiff, so you could always try adding a splash of oil or a little more butter to moisten things up.