These white chocolate snowmen are a cheerful no-bake project with no oven required. You melt white chocolate, spoon it into puddles on parchment, then press marshmallows, pretzel arms, and candy decorations into each one. After a quick chill, you have six cheerful treats that look like they belong on a holiday dessert table.
The appeal here is simplicity paired with personality. Each snowman is built the same way, but the candy choices—orange noses, chocolate chip eyes, red and green buttons—let you customize the look. It’s the kind of no-bake project that works for a casual family gathering or as something to make with kids who want to help decorate.
About the Ingredients
White chocolate is the foundation. Twelve ounces melts into a smooth base that holds the marshmallow and pretzel pieces in place as it sets. White chocolate can be finicky—it scorches easily and hardens quickly—so the coconut oil is there to keep it workable. One teaspoon of coconut oil thins the chocolate just enough to spoon smoothly without making it greasy. If you’re melting over a double boiler, keep the water below a simmer and stir often. If you use a microwave, work in thirty-second intervals and stir between each one. Stop as soon as the chocolate looks mostly melted; residual heat will finish the job.
Marshmallows form the snowman’s body and head. Six large marshmallows give you one per treat. They’re sturdy enough to hold the pretzel arms and candy decorations without collapsing, and they stay soft inside while the white chocolate sets around them. Press each marshmallow firmly into the warm white chocolate puddle so it anchors well.
Mini peanut butter cups become the hat. One per snowman sits on top of the marshmallow. The flat base of the cup nestles into the marshmallow surface, and the ridged edge and rounded top create a natural hat shape. If your peanut butter cups are slightly warm from the kitchen, they’ll press in more easily.
Pretzel sticks are the arms. Place two per snowman into the melted white chocolate beside the marshmallow. Pretzels are sturdy enough not to break under gentle pressure, and their salty crunch contrasts nicely with the sweet chocolate and marshmallow. Insert them at a slight angle so they look natural.
Orange candies serve as the nose. One per snowman goes in the center of the marshmallow face. Orange rounds work well because they’re small, bright, and sit flush against the marshmallow surface.
Chocolate chip buttons are the eyes. Two per snowman go above the nose. Mini chocolate chips stay in place once the white chocolate sets, and they’re small enough that the proportions look right on a marshmallow face.
Red and green candies are the decorative buttons on the white chocolate base. These add color and holiday spirit. Use as many or as few as you like; the recipe doesn’t specify an exact count, so you can adjust based on how you want each snowman to look.
Ingredients
- 12 ounces white chocolate
- 6 large marshmallows
- 6 mini peanut butter cups
- 12 orange candies
- 12 pretzel sticks
- 12 mini chocolate chips
- Red and green candy-coated chocolates, for buttons
- 1 teaspoon coconut oil
How to Make It
Melt the white chocolate with the coconut oil using either a double boiler or microwave. Over a double boiler, place the chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over simmering water, making sure the bowl doesn’t touch the water. Stir frequently until smooth. In a microwave, place the chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl and heat in thirty-second intervals, stirring between each one. Stop when the chocolate is mostly melted and let residual heat finish the job. Overheating white chocolate causes it to seize and become grainy, so gentle, frequent stirring is key.
Once the chocolate is smooth, work quickly. White chocolate sets fast, especially as it cools on the parchment. Have all your decorations—marshmallows, peanut butter cups, pretzels, and candies—assembled and within reach before you start spooning.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Using a spoon, drop six circles of melted white chocolate onto the parchment, spacing them a few inches apart so they don’t touch. Each circle should be roughly two to three inches across—large enough to anchor a marshmallow but not so large that it spreads thin.
Working one at a time, press a large marshmallow into the center of each white chocolate puddle. The warm chocolate will soften the marshmallow slightly and help it stick. Push the marshmallow down firmly so it’s anchored and won’t shift when you add the other pieces.
Once the marshmallow is in place, press two pretzel sticks into the melted chocolate beside the marshmallow for arms. Angle them slightly outward so they look natural and balanced. Press them in far enough that they’re secure but not so far that they poke through the other side.
Place a mini peanut butter cup on top of the marshmallow as the hat. The flat base should sit snugly on the marshmallow’s surface. If the white chocolate has cooled too much and the cup doesn’t stay put, you can use a tiny dab of melted white chocolate to secure it, though usually the marshmallow’s texture holds it fine.
Decorate the marshmallow face with an orange candy nose in the center, then add two mini chocolate chips above it for eyes. Use a small dab of melted white chocolate to attach them if needed. Add red and green candies on the white chocolate base like buttons. Arrange them however you like—a vertical line, scattered, or in a pattern.
Repeat with the remaining five marshmallows and white chocolate puddles.
- Melt white chocolate with coconut oil until smooth. Spoon 6 circles onto a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Press a marshmallow, mini peanut butter cup hat, and pretzel stick arms into each white chocolate puddle.
- Decorate each marshmallow with chocolate chip eyes and an orange candy nose. Add red and green m&m buttons.
- Chill for 15-20 minutes until the white chocolate is completely set. Peel off parchment and serve.
Setting and Serving
Once all six snowmen are decorated, chill the baking sheet for fifteen to twenty minutes. This time allows the white chocolate to set completely and harden enough that the treats hold their shape when you pick them up. The marshmallows stay soft inside, but the chocolate shell becomes firm.
After chilling, gently peel the parchment paper away from the bottom of each treat. The white chocolate should release cleanly if it’s fully set. If any pieces stick, chill a few minutes longer. Once peeled, the snowmen are ready to serve or display on a dessert plate.
Timing and Tips
Prep time is about fifteen minutes—gathering and arranging all the ingredients, melting the chocolate, and spooning out the puddles. Actual melting and shaping takes around five minutes once you start. Chilling adds fifteen to twenty minutes. Total time from start to serving is about 35–40 minutes, depending on preparation and chilling time.
The key to success is working quickly after melting the chocolate and having everything ready before you begin. White chocolate hardens fast, so if you pause to hunt for decorations mid-project, your puddles may set before you can press in the marshmallows and arms.
If your kitchen is warm, the white chocolate will set more slowly, which gives you more working time but also means you might need to chill a bit longer. If your kitchen is cool, the chocolate sets faster, so speed matters more.
Use a parchment-lined baking sheet rather than a bare sheet or silicone mat. Parchment makes it easy to peel the treats away cleanly once they’re set, and it prevents sticking better than other surfaces.
Mini chocolate chips work better than regular-size chips for the eyes because they’re proportional to the marshmallow face. If you only have regular chips, you can break them in half, though mini chips look neater.
These treats are best served the same day or within a day or two. They’re shelf-stable at room temperature since there’s no filling that requires refrigeration, but they’re most enjoyable when the white chocolate is still slightly creamy inside.
Recipe Notes
- Chill for 15–20 minutes, until set. The recipe card uses 20 minutes.
- Preparation and melting times are estimates.
- Use a small dab of melted chocolate to attach decorations if needed.
- Contains peanuts; check the labels of all decorations for allergens.
Christmas Snowman White Chocolate Treats
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Melt white chocolate with coconut oil until smooth. Spoon 6 circles onto a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Press a marshmallow, mini peanut butter cup hat, and pretzel stick arms into each white chocolate puddle.
- Decorate each marshmallow with chocolate chip eyes and an orange candy nose. Add red and green m&m buttons.
- Chill for 15-20 minutes until the white chocolate is completely set. Peel off parchment and serve.
Notes
Recipe tips
- Chill for 15–20 minutes, until set. The recipe card uses 20 minutes.
- Preparation and melting times are estimates.
- Use a small dab of melted chocolate to attach decorations if needed.
- Contains peanuts; check the labels of all decorations for allergens.
