A hot soft pretzel is a popular snack, so these homemade Soft Pretzel Bites are a real winner! Simple ingredients like flour, water, yeast, brown sugar, butter, and salt come together to form a soft dough, perfect for cutting into soft pretzel nuggets that are boiled quickly before being baked until golden brown. Top with coarse salt or cinnamon sugar and be ready for these pretzels to disappear fast!
Soft Pretzel Bites
We always like to get those soft pretzels at the mall that smell so amazing when we walk by the food court. These fresh Soft Pretzel Bites are so fun to make, you’ll be able to create hot pretzels that rival those Auntie Anne’s pretzels we all love!
Need more snack recipe inspiration? Don’t miss these amazing recipes: Garlic Knots | Alabama Firecrackers Recipe | Philly Cheesesteak Dip | Easy Fried Zucchini | Buffalo Chicken Quesadillas
The Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need to make Soft Pretzel Bites (the exact measurements and full recipe instructions are below in the easy to print recipe card):
Warm water – you can use warm tap water that is around 100°F.
Instant or active dry yeast – 1 regular size packet is the correct size for this recipe.
Brown sugar – this can be substituted for granulated white sugar.
Butter – melt the butter and allow it to cool down a bit to be ready to add to the recipe.
All-purpose flour – you will need extra flour for your work surface.
Baking soda – the soft pretzels will be boiled in water and baking soda. This gives them the familiar pretzel flavor and golden brown color after they’re baked.
Coarse salt for topping – find this salt by the regular table salt in your grocery store.
Cheese Sauce – our cheese sauce recipe goes perfectly with these bites.
How to Make Soft Pretzel Bites
Mix the ingredients to make the dough.
TIP: If the dough is extremely sticky after 1 minute of mixing, add the remaining 1/4 cup of flour and continue to beat for another minute.
Knead the dough in the stand mixer on low speed for an additional 2 minutes or knead by hand on a lightly floured surface for 2 minutes. Cover the bowl of dough with a clean kitchen towel and allow to rest for 30 minutes.
While the dough rests, preheat the oven to 400°F, and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
Forming the Soft Pretzel Nuggets
Cut the dough into 6 equal pieces. This doesn’t have to be exact; just eyeball it.
Roll each piece of dough into a 20-inch rope on a floured surface.
Cut each rope into 1.5 inch pieces to make the pretzel bites.
In a large pot, combine the water and baking soda then bring to a boil on the stove over high heat. Place a few pretzel bites into the boiling water and cook for 10-15 seconds (do not boil longer or the pretzel bites will take on a metallic taste). Using a slotted spoon, remove the pretzel bites from the water and allow the excess water to drain off. Place bites onto prepared baking sheets.
Immediately sprinkle each bite with coarse sea salt while they are still wet. Repeat the boiling process with remaining pretzel bites, working in small batches.
Bake the pretzel bites at 400°F for 15 minutes, or until golden brown.
Serve warm with dipping sauces of your choice (see ideas below)
Dipping Sauces for Soft Pretzel Bites
Homemade Cheese Sauce – Our cheese sauce recipe is the perfect match for soft pretzel bites! It’s very quick and easy to make homemade cheese sauce, so give it a try.
Mustard – Honey mustard, spicy brown mustard, or any other that you enjoy will make a great dipping sauce for the soft pretzels.
Sweet Cream Cheese – Skip the salt topping on the pretzels, then after they’re baked, dip the pretzels in melted butter and roll in cinnamon sugar. Whip cream cheese together with some powdered sugar to taste to create a sweet cream cheese dip for the cinnamon sugar soft pretzels. Delicious!
How to Store Leftover Soft Pretzel Bites
Keep the leftover pretzels in an airtight food storage container. They do keep best in the refrigerator, then warm them slightly for 15-20 seconds in the microwave. The pretzels will stay fresh for up to three days, or freeze for up to three months.
More Recipes You’ll Enjoy
Starbucks Copycat White Mocha Recipe
Soft Pretzel Bites
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups warm water around 100°F
- 2 1/4 teaspoons instant or active dry yeast 1 packet
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon butter melted
- 3 3/4 to 4 cups all-purpose flour plus more for work surface
- 1/2 cup baking soda
- 9 cups water
- Coarse salt for topping
Instructions
- In the bowl of your stand mixer, whisk together the warm water, yeast, and sugar. Allow the yeast mixture to sit for 5 minutes until foamy. Add the salt, melted butter, and 3 cups of the flour. Beat the dough in the stand mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment on low speed for 1 minute, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Add 3/4 cup more flour and beat on low speed until the dough comes together and pulls away from the sides of the bowl, about 2 minutes.
- If the dough is extremely sticky after 1 minute of mixing, add the remaining 1/4 cup of flour and continue to beat for another minute.
- Knead the dough in the stand mixer on low speed for an additional 2 minutes or knead by hand on a lightly floured surface for 2 minutes.
- Cover the bowl of dough with a clean kitchen towel and allow to rest for 30 minutes.
- While the dough rests, preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
- Cut the dough into 6 equal pieces then roll each piece of dough into a 20-inch rope on a floured surface. Cut each rope into 1.5 inch pieces to make the pretzel bites.
- In a large pot, combine the water and baking soda then bring to a boil on the stove over high heat. Place a few pretzel bites into the boiling water and cook for 10-15 seconds (do not boil longer or the pretzel bites will take on a metallic taste).
- Using a slotted spoon, remove the pretzel bites from the water and allow the excess water to drain off. Place bites onto prepared baking sheets. Immediately sprinkle each bite with coarse sea salt while they are still wet.
- Repeat the boiling process with remaining pretzel bites, working in small batches.
- Bake the pretzel bites at 400°F for 15 minutes, or until golden brown. Serve warm with dipping sauces of your choice.
Last Step:
Please leave a rating and comment letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business to thrive and continue providing free, high-quality recipes for you.Nutrition
Leave a Review!
We LOVE hearing from you! Submit your question or comment here.
Your email address will not be published.