Homemade Take 5 candy bites feature chewy crunchy peanut butter and caramel sandwiched between crunchy pretzel snaps and covered in silky smooth chocolate! They’re a poppable version of the fan favorite Take 5 candy bar we all know and love!

If you love candy bars and these homemade Take 5 candy bites as much as I do, you need to try my Payday Bites, Butterfinger Dip, Rolo Twix Bites, and Cheez-It Butterfinger Bites!

Why you’ll love this recipe:

This copycat recipe for homemade Take 5 pretzel bites comes about as close to the store-bought Reese’s snack size squares as you can get! These little bites are filled with the same layers of pretzels, peanut butter, and caramel all coated in melted chocolate!

If you like the sweet, salty, and crunchiness of Take 5 candy bars, you’ll love my homemade Take 5 candy bites! You get the salty from the pretzels, the sweet from the caramels, crunchy from the peanuts, and chewy from the combination of it all!

Ingredients you’ll need:

Pretzel snaps
Crunchy peanut butter
Powdered sugar
Kraft classic caramels
Semi-sweet chocolate chips
Vegetable oil

Although it’s quick and convenient to pick up a candy bar at the grocery checkout or your local convenience store, sometimes homemade is just better! Now you can make your own bulk amount of candy bites right at home.

Thanks to a few simple shortcuts, this is a foolproof recipe that’s nearly impossible to mess up. These are the perfect balance of salty, sweet, gooey, crunchy, and completely delicious. A guaranteed win in my book!

How to make the best homemade Take 5 candy bites:

Lay out half of the pretzel snaps onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
Combine crunchy peanut butter with powdered sugar, then spread 1 tsp of the peanut butter mixture onto each pretzel snap, and place in the freezer for 30 minutes to firm up.
Preheat your oven to 250 degrees F and lay out the other half of the pretzel snaps on another baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
Place one caramel square on top of each pretzel snap, then bake for 10 minutes to soften the caramels.
Immediately press the chilled peanut butter pretzels on top of each softened caramel pretzel to create mini sandwiches, then return to the freezer for 20 minutes to firm up again.
In a microwave safe bowl, combine chocolate chips and vegetable oil. Microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring in-between, until melted and smooth.
Coat each pretzel sandwich in the melted chocolate, let any excess chocolate run off, then place on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
Optionally drizzle the tops with any leftover melted chocolate, then place in the fridge to set the chocolate (about 30 minutes).
Return to room temperature to soften the caramels before enjoying!

Making candy at home can be intimidating, but this recipe is a great one for beginners! Only 6 ingredients and a few minutes of prep time makes these perfect for parties, holidays, or weekday snacking! Simple enough to whip up day of or make in advance. Even better, they’re easily portable when you want to share!

With a classic chewy and crunchy pairing and the perfect balance of sweet and salty, these mini-Take 5 candy bar bites are the best copycat for Take 5 candy bars at home. I know you’re going to love them just as much as I do!

My top tips:

LINING YOUR PAN: Don’t skip the step of lining your pan with parchment paper or a silicone mat! This is super important especially when covering the Take 5 bites in chocolate. Lining your pan prevents sticking and makes it easy to peel up the candy bites once they’re chilled.
BAKING: It’s important you’re using two baking sheets so that one can be filled with peanut butter pretzels and the other can be filled with caramel pretzels. This makes it easy to chill and bake them separately since the caramels need a little time in the oven to soften.
FREEZING: I recommend placing the tray of peanut butter pretzels in the freezer while the other pretzels with caramels are softening in the oven. This allows the peanut butter to firm back up so that it’s not a slippery mess when you are sandwiching the caramel pretzels on top.
SANDWICHING: It’s important to work quickly and assemble these Take 5 candy bites while the caramels are still warm from the oven. As the candy cools, it will begin to firm back up, making it hard to sandwich everything together.
CHILLING: Chilling the Take 5 bites before coating them in chocolate gives the fillings a chance to firm back up and ensures they will hold their shape when being tossed around in the bowl of chocolate.
MELTING CHOCOLATE: I recommend microwaving the chocolate in 30 second intervals to prevent any burning. I also like adding vegetable oil to the chocolate to thin it out a little and make it a better consistency for coating. You could use coconut oil for a similar result.
COATING: After you coat the candy bites, tap against the bowl so the excess chocolate drips off. You’ll also want to scrape all the excess chocolate off the bottom of your bites so that it won’t create a pool or “foot” of chocolate on the bottom.
CHOCOLATE DRIZZLE: I find it helpful to transfer the remaining melted chocolate to a Ziploc bag before cutting off one end and drizzling. This makes the chocolate drizzle more evenly and keeps things mess free. You can also just drizzle with a spoon if preferred.
LEFTOVERS: Once the chocolate has completely set, I like storing any leftover Take 5 bites in an airtight container or Ziploc bag at room temperature for up to 5 days. You can also store in the refrigerator but will need to let come to room temperature to soften the caramels before enjoying.

Looking for more sweet and salty snacks? Try these out!

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