Teepee Sugar Cones

Ingredients You’ll Need

• 12 pointed sugar cones
• 3/4 cup (130 g) semisweet chocolate chips or candy melts
• 36 thin pretzel sticks
• 1/3 cup fall-colored sprinkles

How to Make Teepee Sugar Cones

1. Step 1.

   Line a tray with parchment. With a small serrated knife, carefully trim just enough from each pointed cone tip to fit three pretzel sticks. Work slowly and rotate the cone instead of forcing the knife straight through.

2. Step 2.

   Melt the chocolate in short microwave bursts, stirring until smooth. Let it stand 3–5 minutes so it thickens slightly before dipping.

3. Step 3.

   Dip the wide rim of each cone about 1 inch into chocolate and immediately coat with sprinkles. Set the cones upright on parchment.

4. Step 4.

   Dip the ends of three pretzel sticks in a little chocolate and insert them through the opening at the pointed end of each cone, arranging them like poles.

5. Step 5.

   Leave the cones undisturbed until the chocolate is firm, about 20 minutes at cool room temperature, or chill briefly to speed the set.

Trim less than you think you need

Sugar cones crack when too much pressure is concentrated in one spot. Use a small serrated knife with a gentle sawing motion and rotate the cone as you work around the tip. You only need an opening wide enough for three thin pretzel sticks; a large hole makes the poles wobble and weakens the cone.

It is worth having one or two spare cones on hand. Even with careful handling, brittle cones occasionally crack.

Let the chocolate thicken before dipping

Chocolate straight from the microwave can be fluid enough to run down the cone. Let it stand for 3–5 minutes, then dip the wide rim. The slightly thicker coating clings better and gives the sprinkles something to hold onto.

Candy melts are the easiest choice if you care most about a quick, firm set. Real chocolate gives a richer flavor but may remain a little softer at room temperature.

Build the poles only after the rim is decorated

Decorate the wide end first while the cone is easy to hold. Once the pretzel poles are inserted, the cones become awkward to dip and easier to knock over. A touch of chocolate on the pretzel ends helps stabilize the poles inside the opening as it sets.

Turn it into a party activity

If guests or children are decorating their own, do the fragile cone trimming ahead of time. Set out the prepared cones, melted coating and small bowls of sprinkles so the activity itself is just dip, decorate and add the poles. That keeps knives away from the decorating table and makes the process much faster.

Storage and make-ahead

Make them up to 2 days ahead and keep them airtight at cool room temperature. Humidity softens sugar cones surprisingly quickly, so avoid the refrigerator unless you only need a brief chill to set the chocolate. Once set, move them back to a dry container.

White chocolate or colored candy melts can change the look for a different party theme. Keep decorations relatively light; heavy candies can slide down the angled surface before the coating firms.