5 Minute Treat: Shamrock Pretzel Pops

St. Patrick’s Day is just around the corner and today I wanted to share with you a sweet little treat idea that is no-bake, made in just five minutes, and can be customized to your child’s own dietary needs.

Do you know why we celebrate St. Patrick’s Day? Every year on March 17, the Irish and those of us that are Irish-at-heart across the world observe this day together, but many don’t know the origin of the holiday. What began as a religious feast day for the patron saint of Ireland has become an international festival celebrating Irish culture with parades, dancing, special foods and a lot of green food.

Each year I try to come up with a sweet treat for my kids to celebrate the holiday. We have celebrated with homemade Shamrock Shakes and ate a delicious Rainbow Cake in a Jar complete with Cloud Frosting.

As my kids get older, we seem to get busier so I wanted to share a treat that any busy mom could prepare or that your older children could prepare with a little supervision from you. The best part about these is that this is a treat that you can create for your gluten-free child by utilizing you favorite gluten-free mini pretzel. Rolos and plain M&M’s are also gluten-free treats, but always make sure that you check the back of the bag since seasonal candies can affect the factory line and introduce allergens that are not typically present.

Supplies Needed
• 1 bag of plain M&M’s (have your child help you sort all the green ones out for this treat)
• 1 bag of mini pretzels (regular or gluten-free)
• 1 bag of Rolos
• Wilton Lollipop Sticks
• Parchment Paper

Directions
1. Preheat your oven for 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and assemble your pretzels into a clover shape as shown above.
2. Add a Rolo in the center of each of your clovers. Gently take your cookie sheet over to your oven and slide your cookie sheet into the oven. Bake for 3 minutes, or until the Rolo has just begun to melt.

3. Pull out the cookie sheet and carefully insert a lollipop stick in through the Rolo while carefully placing an M&M in the center. Repeat until finished. It’s important to do this step while they are still warm, as these harden quickly once they cool.
4. Allow them to cool fully before removing from the cookie sheet and carefully peel them off of the parchment paper. Ta-da! Treats for everyone!

I just love the simplicity and festivity of this adorable treat. My kids loved it too and it was a fun way for this Irish-at-heart family to celebrate this fun holiday!

Happy St. Patrick’s Day, friends!