Right now I’m in full gifting mode and, while our families aren’t really doing gifts this year, I still like to do a little something for the people we care about. That, and I do have quite a few people to say “thank you” to as the year comes to a close: my team at work, our receptionists and our doormen, to name a few!
It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the sheer number of people we want to recognize, but I’ve found a foolproof, easy and low cost way to give everyone something meaningful: homemade sweets and treats! After all, the way to someone’s heart is through their stomach 😉
This year C and I made two fan favorites: Rolo Pretzel Bites and Chocolate Bark. Both require minimal ingredients, are easy to make and oh so delicious! My goal here on Purely Simply is to make healthy living easier and more accessible for you guys, and I love that you can pop over to your local grocery, pharmacy or log on to Amazon to get all of the ingredients you need to gift with love.
You might be thinking, but Nora…are rolos really the healthiest holiday treat? To this I say, no, but hear me out:
1. Life is all about balance. I’m a firm believer that if you love something, you should enjoy it! Do I advise going ham on Pretzel Rolo bites? Probs not, but I also don’t advise doing that with anything tbh. Disclaimer: the bites are DARN GOOD so you might be temped 😉 I’m also well aware that although I have a limited diet, not everyone is a fan of gluten, dairy and refined sugar free black bean brownies. I do my best to accommodate!
2. You know what’s definitely not healthy? Stress. Sometimes, even when I have the best intentions, I don’t plan ahead and it’s impossible to get to the health food store and make a clean recipe. Instead of beating myself up, I improvise, and if popping over to Duane Reade and picking up three ingredients helps relieve some holiday stress than I am ALL for it!
PRETZEL ROLO BITES
These are seriously SO easy! TBH the most annoying part is unwrapping all the rolos! You can have fun with the toppings, too (see the recipe for lots of ideas!). Make sure you have parchment paper on hand and counter space (or a table!) to let them cool.
DIY CHOCOLATE BARK
As far as the chocolate bark goes, I made three options suitable for all sorts of diets: regular, paleo and sugar free. There’s something for everyone! Plus the recipe is completely customizable with various toppings. And since I’m an Amazon prime member I ordered most of my bark ingredients via Amazon Fresh or Whole Foods delivery. Easy peasy!
You can cool both treats in the fridge if you’re in a hurry, but best to let them all cool down at room temp.
Last but not least, to make our sweet treats special we wrapped them in these cute bags from Paper Source and tied them with festive ribbon. We’ll also include hand written notes! Our gifts were made with love and we hope they are loved and enjoyed by all who receive them.
Pretzel Rolo Bites
These bites are a little bit salty, a little bit sweet and ever-so-delicious to eat! A quick and easy snack, dessert or hostess gift!
- 2 bags Rolos, unwrapped
- 1 bag pretzels (round or square both work!)
- 1 bag M&Ms (I use festive ones depending for the holidays!)
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
Place a sheet of parchment paper (or a non-stick silicone mat) onto yoru baking sheet and line with a single layer of pretzels.
Unwrap your rolos and place one on each pretzel.
Bake for 2 minutes then promptly remove.
Top each rolo with one M&M.
Completely cool before serving! 15 minutes minimum. If you are in a hurry you can put yoru name in the fridge for 5 minutes to expedite the cooling process.
Store in bags or tins – these can be kept at room temp!
You can mix these up, too! Here are some more ideas:
TURTLE BITES: top rolls with pecans
PB BITES: top rolls with Reeses pieces
FRUIT BITES: top rolls with blueberries, raspberries or dried fruit
KISS BITES: replace rolls with Hershey’s kisses
Homemade Chocolate Bark
An easy sweet and customizable treat perfect for grab-and-go snacking, dessert or gifts!
- 1 bag chocolate chips (you can use milk chocolate, white chocolate or any other chip you like! See notes for ideas!)
- Toppings as desired (ideas: chopped nuts, seeds, chocolate chips, dried fruit, coconut flakes, crushed candy canes or your favorite candy (chopped))
Head saucepan on low. Line a pan, baking sheet or plate with wax paper.
Add chocolate to sauce pan. Stire frequently until even melted.
Pour melted chocolate over wax paper. Aim for chocoalte to be 1/4 inch thick!
Top the melted chocolate with toppings and spread with a spatula so toppings are evenly distributed.
Cool completely. If in a hurry, you can place briefly in the fridge! Once cooled, break apart your hands into peices and enjoy!
Note: store in a bag or tin – these can be kept at room temp!
TO MAKE PALEO: Use HU Gems Snacking and Baking Chocolate (sweetened with coconut sugar). You can also use unsweetened cacao chips and add maple syrup or coconut sugar!
TO MAKE SUGAR FREE: Use Pascha Organic Unsweetened Cacao chips.
TOPPING IDEAS / COMBOS: White chocolate with crushed pretzels and candy canes, dark chocolate with pecans and coconut flakes, milk chocolate with M&Ms, Reeses chocolate with Reeses pieces, milk chocolate with toffee bites
SHOP THE POST
It’s fine…just casually drooling over here because these all look SO good. Definitely need to make some bark soon!
Caitlin
HAHAHA girl I made them for my co-workers and our building staff and now everyone keeps asking for more! Such an easy way to bring joy to others – and yourself 😉 Enjoy!