Give Your Baked Goods A Touch Of Fall With Pumpkin Spice Pretzels

Sweet and salty is always going to be a winning combination, but adding pumpkin spice to the mix somehow makes it even better. Pumpkin spice pretzels — whether store-bought or homemade — add the perfect salty and aromatic touch to all your favorite autumnal sweet treats.

Pumpkin spice pretzels can be chopped up and folded into batters and doughs. Try adding them into chocolate chip or white chocolate cranberry cookies for a textural hit, and press a few big shards on top of the cookies for decoration right when they come out of the oven. Fold them into rice crispy treats, or make a fall-themed snack mix with pumpkin spice pretzels, Reese's Pieces, candy corn, toasted pecans, and plenty of Chex cereal.

Pumpkin spice pretzels are the perfect finish for cupcakes and frosted brownies too. Keep them whole, break them apart, or crush them into a pumpkin spice pretzel gravel that you can easily sprinkle on the outside of cake pops, layer cakes, or cottage cheese pumpkin cheesecake bites. For some adult indulgence, make the best-ever pumpkin espresso martini by finishing it off with whipped cream and some of this spiced pretzel dust.

For all these delicious desserts, you, of course, need the pumpkin spice pretzels themselves. Many different retailers, including Target, Walmart, HEB, Kroger, and more, are putting various types of pumpkin spice pretzels on the shelves for the fall season. Trader Joe's miniature pumpkin spiced pretzels are covered in spiced pumpkin seeds, and Hayden Valley Foods Pumpkin Spice Yogurt Covered Pretzels are a perfect mix of crunchy, sweet, and salty. Pick your favorite, or use a couple of different brands to get a variety of shapes and colors!

There are lots of different options on grocery shelves, but you can also make your own for a fun fall project. Snack on some and reserve the rest for all your favorite autumnal dessert recipes. For a dipped version, just heat up some white chocolate in a double boiler or in the microwave, and stir in some homemade pumpkin pie spice. Dunk whichever shape of pretzel you prefer in the chocolate mixture, and then transfer them to a sheet pan or plate lined with parchment paper so that the coating can harden.

Alternatively, toss pretzels with melted butter, sugar, and all your favorite warm baking spices before popping them in the oven for about half an hour. Whether using homemade or store-bought pretzels, most any fall dessert does well with this pumpkin spiced pretzel twist!