These Homemade Pretzel Bites are crispy on the outside and pillowy soft on the inside. Made with a few pantry ingredients, these bakery-quality pretzels are the best comfort snack and perfect for dipping and sharing. We love their crisp, salty crust and fluffy middle; they are impossible to stop eating and make a perfect after-school, game day, fun day snack.
What we love about these Pretzel Bites
With just a few pantry staples, these pretzel bites are fun to make and come out tasting better than what you could buy at the grocery store. We love the texture of these pretzel bites. They are crisp and salty on the outside, and have that signature chewy, fluffy, soft center. These are always gone the day we make them; they are literally inhaled by my family. Pretzels require an extra step of a baking soda bath, but with pretzel bites only needing 15 seconds in the boiling water, that step is done in minutes. They rise once, you roll, cut, drop them in the baking soda bath, and then bake them. If you are looking for a fun snack for after school, fall parties, game day gatherings, or just for fun, these are the perfect, addictive choice.
We like dipping the pretzels in a variety of mustards and cheese sauce. I have made my own cheese sauces for them, but they thicken so quickly, so I also have used canned cheese sauce, or bought some at fast food places that serve cheese sauces like Culver’s, Portillo’s, and others.
Looking for other fun appetizers? Try our Oven Barbecue Chicken Wings, our Buffalo Honey Wings, or for other pretzel recipes. try our Pretzel Dog Recipe.
What you need to make these Soft Pretzel Bites
You will need the following ingredients:
- Vegetable oil
- Water
- Brown sugar
- Active dry yeast
- All-purpose flour
- Butter
- Kosher salt
- Baking soda
- Egg
- Pretzel salt or coarse salt
Homemade Pretzel Bites Substitutions
I know what it’s like when you don’t have everything on hand, and the last thing you want to do is run to the store and pick something up. Here are a few ideas to substitute items on the ingredients list if needed:
- You could substitute granulated sugar for brown sugar if necessary.
- You could try other seasonings on the pretzels instead of just salt, like poppy seeds, sesame seeds, everything bagel seasoning, etc.
- You could try bread flour in place of the all-purpose flour.
- You could try brushing the pretzels with extra butter instead of using the egg wash.
Step-by-step Instructions
Step 1. In a small bowl, combine the warm water, brown sugar, and active dry yeast. Stir to mix. Set aside and let it sit for about 5 minutes. In a stand mixer, using a paddle attachment, mix together the yeast mixture, flour, melted butter, and salt. Beat on medium speed for one minute until ingredients are combined.
Step 2. Switch from the paddle attachment to the dough hook and knead the dough in the mixer on medium speed for about 5 minutes (you can also knead by hand). Turn the dough into the prepared, oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap or a towel to let the dough rise for one hour.
Step 3. Punch the dough down. Place it on the prepared greased surface and, using a bench scraper or pizza cutter, cut the dough into 6 equal pieces (it doesn’t have to be exact). Roll each of the dough pieces into an 18-inch rope. (I keep the dough waiting to be rolled in the bowl covered as I work). Using a bench scraper or pizza cutter, cut each rope into 1 ½ – 2 inch pieces.
Step 4. Carefully place 8-10 dough pieces into the boiling water for just 15 seconds, and then using a spider strainer or slotted spoon or spatula, remove the dough pieces as they finish on to your prepared baking sheets. Brush the boiled pretzel bites with the beaten egg and sprinkle with pretzel salt or coarse sea salt.
Step 5. Bake for 12-14 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature with a variety of mustards or cheese sauce. If using the honey mustard, whisk ingredients together in a small bowl before serving.
Tips
- The baking soda water bath gives pretzels their unique texture and color. The solution from the baking soda creates the shiny, crisp, and darker crust and the more dense and chewy texture of the pretzel. Baking soda is a safer and more accessible alternative to food-grade lye, which is traditionally used and creates a darker crust.
- Spider strainers are helpful for scooping out the pretzel bites from the boiling water. I really like using mine when removing food from hot oil as well. A slotted spoon could also work.
Frequently Asked Questions
| Can the pretzel bites be made in advance? |
| a. You can make the pretzel dough in advance (after the first initial rise and before the boiling stage) and store it in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to three days or freeze it for up to three months. If freezing, shape the dough before freezing and thaw in the fridge overnight. Keep the dough at room temperature for about an hour before boiling. Whether you freeze or refrigerate the dough in advance, be sure to store it in an airtight container so it doesn’t dry out. |
| How to store and reheat Homemade Pretzel Bites? |
| a. Once the pretzel bites cool to room temperature, store them in an air-tight container at room temperature for 2-3 days or freeze for up to 3 months. b. To refresh them, you can heat them in a 350 degrees Fahrenheit oven or an air fryer for a few minutes until they are warm and crispy. I would avoid using a microwave to reheat them as they may turn a little hard or soggy. |
Homemade Pretzel Bites
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servingsThese Homemade Pretzel Bites are crispy on the outside and pillowy soft on the inside. Made with a few pantry ingredients, these bakery-quality pretzels are the best comfort snack and perfect for dipping and sharing. We love their crisp, salty crust and fluffy middle; they are impossible to stop eating and make a perfect after school, game day, fun day snack.
Ingredients
Pretzel Bites:
Vegetable oil
1 ½ cups warm water (temperature should be between 105 and 110 degrees Fahrenheit)
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast (One .25 ounce packet)
4 cups all-purpose flour
4 tablespoons melted butter
1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
10 cups water
½ cup baking soda
1 egg, beaten
Pretzel salt or other coarse salt (like Kosher salt or sea salt)
Optional Honey Mustard:
1/4 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon yellow mustard
1 tablespoon Country Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
Directions
- Brush a large bowl with a little vegetable oil to coat and set aside.
- In a small bowl, combine the warm water, brown sugar, and active dry yeast. Stir to mix. Set aside and let it sit for about 5 minutes.
- In a stand mixer, using a paddle attachment, mix together the yeast mixture, flour, melted butter, and salt. Beat on medium speed for one minute until ingredients are combined. The dough should not be sticking to the side of the bowl when mixed, and it should come away from it when mixing. If the dough seems too sticky, you can add another ¼ cup of flour.
- Switch from the paddle attachment to the dough hook and knead the dough in the mixer on medium speed for about 5 minutes (you can also knead by hand). Turn the dough into the prepared, oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap or a towel to let the dough rise for one hour. The dough should about double in size during this time.
- While the dough is rising, brush a small amount of oil on two 18×13 baking sheets (half sheet pans). Line them with parchment paper and brush with oil again.
- Brush a little oil on a counter or working surface to roll the dough when it is ready. (Using flour can make the dough harder to roll, and a slightly greased surface works well).
- While the dough is rising, bring the 10 cups of water to a boil in a deep pot. Add the baking soda. This will cause a reaction that causes the water to bubble up, and using a deep pot prevents it from boiling over. I add a little bit of the baking soda at a time, which helps to reduce the height of the reaction as well.
- Punch the dough down. Place it on the prepared greased surface and, using a bench scraper or pizza cutter, cut the dough into 6 equal pieces (it doesn’t have to be exact).
- Roll each of the dough pieces into an 18-inch rope. (I keep the dough waiting to be rolled in the bowl covered as I work). Using a bench scraper or pizza cutter, cut each rope into 1 ½ – 2 inch pieces.
- Carefully place 8-10 dough pieces into the boiling water for just 15 seconds, and then, using a spider strainer or slotted spoon or spatula, remove the dough pieces as they finish onto your prepared baking sheets.
- Brush the boiled pretzel bites with the beaten egg and sprinkle with pretzel salt or coarse sea salt. Bake for 12-14 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature with a variety of mustards or cheese sauce. If using the honey mustard, whisk ingredients together in a small bowl before serving.
Notes
- I buy pretzel salt online. I use pretzel salt from the Boise Salt Co., which I bought on Amazon, and it works very well. I bought the 4-ounce container, and while it seems small, it lasts a while. I have made pretzels several times and haven’t used half of the salt yet. You can also use other coarse salts like kosher salt or coarse sea salt.
- The double greasing of the pans before and after lining with parchment paper has worked consistently well every time, so that the pretzel bites don’t stick to the pan. I also recommend using a lightly oiled surface for rolling out the pretzels instead of a lightly floured surface, so the dough doesn’t get too tough.
- When rolling the dough into a rope, I start with my hands in the middle of the dough portion and move my hands in a back-and-forth motion, applying equal pressure while I gradually work from the middle of the dough to the ends of the dough with my hands. If one section is a little thicker, I will roll that section a little more.
- We like dipping the pretzels in a variety of mustards and cheese sauce. I have made my own cheese sauces for them, but they thicken so quickly, so I also have used canned cheese sauce, or bought some at fast food places that serve cheese sauces like Culver’s, Portillo’s, and others as well.
I’ve never made pretzels so I was super excited to try these! They were so incredibly delicious, especially with the honey mustard sauce.
These are so delicious! Perfect for game day!