Easy Buttery Soft Pretzel Bites

These buttery soft pretzel bites have everything you get in regular pretzels and it’s much easier to make. No fancy twisting! All the goodness of pretzels in bite sizes!

Serve it plain, roll it in cinnamon sugar while hot, or serve it with cheese sauce for a great game-day appetizer.

There’s short cut method to making cinnamon sugar style pretzels. Instead of making dough from scratch you can use mini pretzel twists from store and roll in butter-cinnamon-sugar.

Why this recipe works

• All the wonderful things you love about pretzels but in bite sizes.
• No fancy twisting! Pretzels in bite sizes that almost anyone can make.
• You’ll need basic pantry ingredients.
• Perfect snack for super bowl party or any other gatherings, tastes great with bubbly cheese sauce.

Ingredients

Below photo shows all ingredients that you need to make soft buttery bite size pretzels. Ingredients for spicy cheese sauce can be found here. 

Ingredients notes:

1. Flour: spelt or all-purpose flour works best. You can also use a mix of spelt, all-purpose flour, and white flour.
2. Yeast: active dry yeast . Avoid using old expired yeast, the flour won’t rise and pretzel bites will turn hard.
3. Sugar: use granular white sugar.
4. Salt: use kosher salt to mix in the dough and coarse sea salt to sprinkle on top of the pretzels.
5. Baking soda: make the baking soda bath for pretzels to be dunked in before baking it. Baking soda baths for pretzels should not be skipped, pretzels won’t brown if skipped.
6. Butter & vegetable oil: melted butter added while making dough adds richness to the dough making it tasty. Oil is brushed over the kneaded dough and then allowed to rest in a bowl, oil prevents the dough from sticking.
7. Egg: egg washes to brush on top of the pretzel before baking. Aids in browning when you bake.

Ingredients additions and substitutions

• Flour – use spelt flour or use a mix of spelt flour and whole wheat flour.
• Yeast – I have used active dry yeast. You can switch to rapid rise or instant yeast instead if available. Make sure your yeast is not past its expiry date.
• Sugar – you can substitute white sugar with light brown sugar, or coconut sugar.
• Salt – If you have access to pretzel salt, use it instead of coarse sea salt.

Step-by-step pictures

This is Auntie Anne’s pretzel bites copycat recipe and it’s easier to make than you imagine. The thought of making pretzels at home can be intimidating sometimes, but don’t be. Follow the recipe and you’ll be amazed how easy it is to make your own at home.

Making dough from scratch is the way to go. But there’s a shortcut way for pretzels by using store-bought biscuit dough, which can be considered if you are pressed for time and convenience.

Step 1: Use a stand mixer or hand mixer to make the dough. In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment mix warm water, melted butter, active dry yeast, and light brown sugar for a few seconds. Allow it to sit for 5 minutes.

Step 2: Switch to dough hook attachment. Slowly add flour in parts (1 cup at a time) and kosher salt mix on low speed until well combined.

Step 3: Increase the speed and continue to mix. If dough is very sticky add 1 tablespoon flour at a time and keep mixing it.

Step 4: Continue mixing dough for about 5 minutes or until smooth and pull away from the sides of the bowl.  Poke the dough with your fingers and if it bounces back, the dough is ready. 

Transfer smooth dough to a big bowl greased with vegetable oil. Cover with greased cling wrap or cloth. Set it aside to rest for 30 minutes in a warm place until it is doubled in size.

Step 5: If you use hands like me, prepared dough needs kneading to make it smooth. Lightly sprinkle flour on clean dry surface. Transfer dough from the bowl on to the surface.

Step 6: Knead dough for 3 to 5 minutes or until smooth. The best way to knead is the stretch and roll method. Stretch like shown in the picture.

Step 7: Roll back the pulled dough. Repeat this for 3-4 minutes.

Step 8: The dough should be smooth.

Step 9: Transfer the dough to a big bowl greased with vegetable oil.

Step 10: Cover with greased plastic wrap or cloth.

Step 11: Set it aside to rest for 30 minutes to 1 hour in a warm place until it is doubled in size. While the dough rests, preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit (or 220 degrees centigrade). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicon mat. Or generously spray oil over a baking tray to bake directly on it.

Step 12: Punch down dough that has doubled in size.

Step 13: Knead it for a minute to make it smooth

Step 14: With a sharp knife divide/cut dough into 8 equal sections.

Step 15: Roll each section with your hands to form long ropes.

Step 16: Cut the rope into 1 ½ inch bite-size pieces.

Step 17: In a large pot bring 8 to 9 cups of water to boil. Slowly add baking soda to boiling water. Be careful while adding baking soda to boiling water. It will boil and pour out depending on the size of the pan used. Using a slotted spoon drop 10 to 12 pretzels into boiling water for a quick boil of 20 seconds. Remove pretzels immediately from boiling water and drain as much as you can.

Step 18: Transfer immediately to a greased/lined baking sheet. Make sure they aren’t touching each other as they will stick to each other and break. Make an egg wash by beating one egg with 1 teaspoon of water. Brush the beaten egg over each pretzel.

Step 19: Immediately sprinkle coarse sea salt on top of each pretzel. Bake in preheated oven at 425F (or 220C) in batches for about 15 minutes. Rotate the baking tray 180 degrees halfway during the baking for even browning.

Step 20: Once golden brown, remove the baking tray from the oven. Immediately brush a generous amount of melted butter on each pretzel. Serve it immediately with cheese sauce.

If you have leftovers, transfer to air tight containers and store it at room temperature for 3 days.

Ways to serve it

Serve it with beer cheese dip or spicy cheese sauce for dipping for a great appetizer choice. It can be paired with plain Dijon mustard or honey mustard sauce.

Expert tips

1. Make sure yeast is not past its expiry date. If expired yeast is used dough will not rise and pretzels will be hard.
2. Water temperature – water should be luke warm while adding it to yeast. If it’s scorching hot it’ll kill the yeast.
3. Dough consistency: keep in mind different brands of flour and the humidity in your kitchen can affect the consistency of the dough. If the dough is still too sticky, add a few tablespoons of flour at a time to adjust dough consistency.
4. Dough resting time shouldn’t be compromised, rest until it’s doubled in size. If it’s a hot day outside, the dough will rise much faster.
5. Knead to smoothen the dough and to get better textured on pretzel bites.
6. Pan: use a stock pot or a large pan for boiling water.
7. Be careful while adding baking soda it may pour out and burn your hands.
8. Use middle rack while baking.
9. Don’t skip melted brushing with melted butter on top, as soon as it comes out of the oven. It gives it a more Auntie Anne’s flavor.

How to store and reheat

If you have leftovers, transfer them to air-tight containers and store them at room temperature for 3 days.

Freeze: freezing these pretzel bites can be done two ways.

1. Arrange chopped dough (bite-size) on a tray, and freeze for 1-2 hours. Transfer to freezer-friendly zip lock bags and keep frozen. This can be stored for 3 months in the freezer.
2. Baked pretzel bites can be stored in the freezer using freezer-friendly zip-lock bags for up to 3 months.

To cook frozen dough: remove frozen pretzel bites from the freezer and boil in baking soda bath. Allow extra time in boiling water (15 to 20 seconds extra than mentioned in the recipe) for the bites to puff up. Bake as instructed in the recipe.

Reheat: Thaw frozen baked soft pretzel bites in the refrigerator overnight. Reheat in oven at 300F (125C) until warm. Serve immediately with cheese sauce on the side.

Recipe FAQs

Other appetizers to consider

• Chicken tortilla roll ups
• Baked potato wedges
• Buffalo chicken meatballs
• Cream Cheese Dip
• Coconut Shrimp
• Cauliflower Popcorn
• Movie theater popcorn

5 from 8 votes

📋Homemade Buttery Soft Pretzel Bites

Jyothi Rajesh

These buttery soft pretzel bites has everything you get in regular pretzel and it’s much easier to make. No fancy twisting! All the goodness of pretzels in bite sizes!

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Prep Time 50 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 5 minutes mins

Course Appetizer, Snack

Cuisine American

Servings 12 servings

Calories 195

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• ▢ 1 ½ cups warm water
• ▢ 2 ¼ teaspoon active dry yeast
• ▢ 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• ▢ 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
• ▢ 1 tablespoon unsalted butter melted (should not be scorching hot)
• ▢ 4 to 4 ½ cups all-purpose flour plus more for counter surface and adjust dough consistency if very sticky
• ▢ 2 quarts or 8 cups water
• ▢ ⅓ cup baking soda
• ▢ 1 egg beaten
• ▢ Coarse sea salt for sprinkling

Instructions

 

• Use a stand mixer or hand mixer to make the dough. In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment mix warm water, melted butter, active dry yeast, and light brown sugar for a few seconds. Allow it to sit for 5 minutes.
• Switch to dough hook attachment. Slowly add flour in parts (1 cup at a time) and kosher salt mix on low speed until well combined.
• Increase the speed and continue to mix. If dough is very sticky add 1 tablespoon flour at a time and keep mixing it.
• Continue mixing dough for about 5 minutes or until smooth and pull away from the sides of the bowl.  Poke the dough with your fingers and if it bounces back, the dough is ready.
• Transfer smooth dough to a big bowl greased with vegetable oil. Cover with greased cling wrap or cloth. Set it aside to rest for 30 minutes in a warm place until it is doubled in size.
• If you use hands like me, prepared dough needs kneading to make it smooth. Lightly sprinkle flour on clean dry surface. Transfer dough from the bowl on to the surface.
• Knead dough for 3 to 5 minutes or until smooth. The best way to knead is the stretch and roll method. Stretch like shown in the picture. Roll back the pulled dough. Repeat this for 3-4 minutes.
• Transfer the dough to a big bowl greased with vegetable oil.
• Cover with greased plastic wrap or cloth.
• Set it aside to rest for 30 minutes to 1 hour in a warm place until it is doubled in size. While the dough rests, preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit (or 220 degrees centigrade). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicon mat. Or generously spray oil over a baking tray to bake directly on it.
• Punch down dough that has doubled in size.
• Knead it for a minute to make it smooth
• With a sharp knife divide/cut dough into 8 equal sections.
• Roll each section with your hands to form long ropes.
• Cut the rope into 1 ½ inch bite-size pieces.
• In a large pot bring 8 to 9 cups of water to boil. Slowly add baking soda to boiling water. Be careful while adding baking soda to boiling water. It will boil and pour out depending on the size of the pan used. Using a slotted spoon drop 10 to 12 pretzels into boiling water for a quick boil of 20 seconds. Remove pretzels immediately from boiling water and drain as much as you can.
• Transfer immediately to a greased/lined baking sheet. Make sure they aren’t touching each other as they will stick to each other and break. Make an egg wash by beating one egg with 1 teaspoon of water. Brush the beaten egg over each pretzel.
• Immediately sprinkle coarse sea salt on top of each pretzel. Bake in preheated oven at 425F (or 220C) in batches for about 15 minutes. Rotate the baking tray 180 degrees halfway during the baking for even browning.
• Once golden brown, remove the baking tray from the oven. Immediately brush a generous amount of melted butter on each pretzel. Serve it immediately with cheese sauce.

Video

Notes

• Make sure yeast is not past its expiry date. If expired yeast is used dough will not rise and pretzels will be hard.
• Water temperature – water should be lukewarm while adding it to yeast. If it’s scorching hot it’ll kill the yeast.
• Dough consistency: keep in mind different brands of flour and the humidity in your kitchen can affect the consistency of the dough. If the dough is still too sticky, add a few tablespoons of flour at a time to adjust dough consistency.
• Dough resting time shouldn’t be compromised, rest until it’s doubled in size. If it’s a hot day outside, the dough will rise much faster.
• Knead to smoothen the dough and to get better textured on pretzel bites. 
• Pan: use a stock pot or a large pan for boiling water.
• Be careful while adding baking soda it may pour out and burn your hands.
• Use the middle rack while baking.
• Don’t skip melted brushing with melted butter on top, as soon as it comes out of the oven. It gives more of Auntie Anne’s pretzel bites flavor.

 

Nutritional Info – Please keep in mind that the nutritional information provided is only a rough estimate and can vary greatly based on the products used.

Nutrition

Calories: 195kcalCarbohydrates: 38gProtein: 6gFat: 2gSaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 16mgSodium: 1123mgPotassium: 77mgFiber: 2gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 49IUCalcium: 15mgIron: 2mg

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