Fast, fun, and deliciously creepy—Witches Fingers made with pretzel rods, candy melts, and almonds are the perfect no-bake Halloween treat. These eerie edible fingers are shockingly realistic, yet sweet and salty in the best way.
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Whether you need a last-minute party snack or a spooky kitchen craft with kids, Witches Fingers bring the Halloween spirit with minimal effort and maximum impact.
Why This Recipe Works
- Effortless: No baking required—just dip, decorate, and let them set
- Crunchy: Pretzel rods provide the perfect finger shape and satisfying crunch
- Smooth: Candy melts coat evenly and come in spooky shades like green or purple
- Realistic: Almonds create creepy, convincing “fingernails”
- Customizable: Easily adapted with different colors, sprinkles, or edible glitter
What You Need for This Recipe
Pretzel Rods: I like to use long salted pretzel rods like these and then break them in half for the perfect finger length.
Blanched Almonds: These are plain almonds, but if you prefer sweetened or candied almonds, those can work too.
Black Frosting: Store-bought or Homemade black frosting works great for the nails. You only need a little frosting, so I typically opt for store-bought. Alternatively, you could use black candy melts instead!
Candy Melts: I love to use Bright Green Candy Melts, but Purple or Orange would be Halloween colors too!
Refined Coconut Oil or Shortening: This is used in case you need to thin your candy melts.
How to make Witches Fingers
- Step 1: “Paint” your almonds with black frosting.
- Step 2: Melt your candy melts, then break your pretzel rods in half then dip in the melted candy melts
- Step 3: Allow the candy melts to set up slightly then place a black almond on the tip of each dipped rod.
- Step 4: Use a toothpick to create finger lines, then refrigerate to finish hardening the candy melts.
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Expert Tips
- Black Frosting: If you make black frosting from scratch, simply make a batch of my chocolate frosting recipe and add black food gel to it. It will make way more than you need, though, so use the leftover for some Halloween Cupcakes decorated with sprinkles!
- Store-bought black frosting or black candy melts are the easiest options.
- Painting black gel straight onto the almonds isn't recommended because it has a tendency to not dry and to be very messy.
- If you are using a paintbrush to "paint" the almonds black, make sure it is a food-grade safe brush.
Frequently Asked Questions
Place candy melts in a microwave-safe bowl with 2 tablespoons refined coconut oil or shortening. Microwave for 30 seconds on 50% power, stir, and repeat until melted. Add in more coconut oil 1 tablespoon at a time, until you get the consistency you want.
Sometimes I've added 4 or 6 tablespoons to get the candy melts liquid enough. I've noticed different brands and even different microwaves can melt the candies differently.
There is a point where you've microwaved the melts too much, and they burn and become crumbly and are past the point of use. That's why I recommend only microwaving in 30-second intervals.
I like to use the thick pretzel rods. These are typically found either in the chip aisle or near the beef jerky/snacks aisle.
The saltiness from the pretzels combined with the sweet candy coating is such a tasty combo- plus these are such a great way to make your Halloween snack spread more fun!
I find that breaking each rod in half makes the perfect finger length.
More Halloween Treats:
For more fun and easy Halloween recipes, don't miss my a Witches brew cocktail, Spiderweb Brownies, Black Cat Cookies, Monster Oreo Cookies, Cauldron Cocktail, and these Monster Rice Crispy Treats!
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Witches Fingers
Ingredients
- ¼ cup Black Frosting
- 24 Blanched almonds
- 12 pretzel rods large and long
- 12 oz candy melts Bright green
- 2-5 tbs refined coconut oil or shortening
Instructions
- Line two baking sheets with parchment or wax paper.
- Dip or brush the almonds with the black frosting, then place on one of the prepared baking sheets and allow to dry. If you use a brush, make sure it is food-safe quality.¼ cup Black Frosting, 24 Blanched almonds
- Combine green candy melts and 2 tablespoons coconut oil (or shortening) in a microwave-safe bowl. I recommend heating for 30 seconds in the microwave on 50% power, stirring, and repeating until melted. You can even take it out of the microwave when there a,re still a few lumps and let it sit for about a minute, then stir. The residual heat should melt the remaining candy melts. If the candy melts are still too thick, stir in more coconut oil 1 tablespoon at a time until you reach your desired consistency. You don’t want to overheat the candy melts and cause it to burn and get clumpy.12 oz candy melts, 2-5 tbs refined coconut oil or shortening
- Break pretzel rods in half if they are really long. Dip the pretzel rods into the melted candy melts and place on the 2nd prepared baking sheet.12 pretzel rods
- Allow to dry for a few minutes. You want the candy melts to be soft but slightly set up, then place an almond onto the tip of the pretzel rod, into the green candy melt, and repeat with the rest of the pretzel rods.
- Before the pretzels and candy melts are done drying, using a toothpick, gently press lines perpendicular to the pretzel into the candy melts to create the knuckle and upper finger lines. Usually, 2 sets of three lines look good.
- Once all the fingers are made, refrigerate the tray for 10-15 minutes or until the fingers are completely hardened. Enjoy!
Notes
- I've noticed different brands and even different microwaves can melt the candies differently.
- You can use refined or unrefined coconut oil for the candy melts, but refined does not leave a coconut taste, which is what I prefer. Alternatively, you can use shortening too.
You can make your own from scratch using my chocolate buttercream recipe and adding black food gel, or buy a tube of premade black frosting from the store (for this recipe I prefer to buy it since I only need a small amount). Alternatively, you can use black candy melts to dip the almonds in.
Jamie says
This is such a creative treat for Halloween! I love how simple and easy it is to make these! My nieces and nephews are going to love this!
Lisa says
Thanks Jamie! It's definitely a favorite of mine!