This basic recipe for soft pretzels is super easy and our tips will make it even easier to make the perfect sheen on top and flavors that you'll find in your local mall but these are so much better.
You will not believe how quick and easily these come together, no rising the dough, just mix, cut, boil for 30 seconds, bake, and eat (or use your favorite dip) but you really don't need a thing!
If you are worried about making too many at a time, these freeze perfectly and are delicious just rebaked and served out for parties so you can make these pretzels ahead of time and freeze them.
We love them brushed with garlic and butter but from sweet to savory we got you covered in our printable recipe below.
Believe me when I say these are easy to make and better than mall pretzels in minutes you can have cinnamon sugar, butter, and garlic, Italian herbs, and butter, Parmesan, and garlic, and even dip them in (my son's favorite way is melted cheese or Queso) but for a sweeter version try Nutella or Peanut Butter.
If you're like me I just love them in regular plain old spicy brown mustard!
I am sure you have a favorite soft pretzel flavor, just get creative and make this recipe of pretzel bites your next favorite snack!
This simple recipe will make everyone happy and your friends jealous that yours are homemade from the kitchen and better than store-bought!
Check the step-by-step photos on how to make these easy soft pretzel bites.
My recipe card is printable, so save this for your next party or just because you're a big soft pretzel fan!
Easy Soft Pretzel Bites
If you would like to try the Irish Warm Pub Beer Cheese recipe in the photo above for these quick soft pretzel bites we have you covered with the recipe, it's made with Guinness and Dubliner cheese.
We love making homemade pretzels, but the bigger ones aren't as much fun to eat for some reason.
The pretzels are soft, chewy, salty, and so good.
Suggestions
- do not overboil or overbake these
- store in airtight containers or freeze for up to 3 months in freezer bags
- these can be made unsalted
- refer to the toppings for different flavors
- instead of pretzel bites, shape the dough into thin sticks, twist, and form the dough into a heart shape for Valentine's Day
Homemade Soft Little Dough Bites
We love to make these for our get-togethers for guests and dinner parties.
Everyone is more than amazed at how delicious these are and easy to make and a Dipping Sauce Serving Bar is perfect to set up with these at the party.
Read These Tips Before Making Soft Pretzel Bites
- when dissolving yeast, the milk should be warm to the touch not cold, and using an instant-read thermometer no hotter than 100 degrees
- this dough is sticky, an additional 1/2 cup equals 4 cups that includes the rolling out and cutting ( be careful not to add too much flour or they will be dry after baking them)
- do not skip the ROLLING boiling in baking soda step
- egg wash them before baking then add the salt
- measure out everything before mixing
- use a 5 to 8-quart pot of water to 1/4 cup of baking soda when boiling these for 30 seconds
- use a timer to ensure you waited long enough in the recipe instructions
- all recipe information is in a printable card and to avoid ads just hit print
Garlic Butter Coating Recipe:
Brush the dough bites while still warm:- 1 tablespoon each of olive oil
- 1 teaspoon of melted butter
- in a plastic bag add:
- 1/2 teaspoon each, of garlic powder, dried oregano, parsley, basil little black pepper, or cayenne pepper.
- shake the bites brushed in butter in the herbs and spice mixture
Dough Additions
Stuff your dough for a change:
(use around 1/2 cup or separate into two balls and add 1/3 cup to each one)- chopped pepperoni or other cooked meats like sausage or cooked chicken minced
- bell peppers, onions, or any other chopped vegetables you like
- Asiago or other sharp long shreds of cheese
- crumbled bacon and cheddar shredded
- fresh herbs like basil, rosemary, thyme, and some minced garlic, melted butter.
Note: if using meats cooked, keep them in the refrigerator until serving, especially chicken stuffed, heat before serving for 3 minutes in a hot oven on a cookie sheet.
Dipping Ideas for Soft Pretzel Bites
- Melted Cheeses
- Pesto sauce
- Mustard of any kind
- Chili sauce
- Butter melted with Italian herbs and garlic
- Cinnamon, sugar, melted butter
- Nutella
- Peanut Butter
- Hot fudge warmed
- Any kind of ice cream topping like caramel
- Alfredo sauce
- Marinara sauce
- Hot sauce
- for these recipes check out our Chicken Wings and Dipping Sauce Recipes
Soft Pretzel Bites Pin for Later
Soft Pretzels Bites
If you're a homemade bread lover like I am, these will be your next favorite snack.
The soft pretzel bites are like a little pillow and delicious plain, stuffed, or dipped!
Try my easy recipe at your next party or event, I promise you, you didn't make enough, watch them get devoured quickly!
Yield: 36 or more
Soft Pretzel Bites
Step-by-step soft pretzel bites are a delicious addicting snack and super easy to make with many flavor suggestions.
Prep time: 25 MinCook time: 9 MinTotal time: 34 Min
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 packet of dry yeast
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon cooled melted butter
- 3 - 3/4 cups to 4 cups of flour (more for rolling if the dough is too sticky add a few more tablespoons up to 4 cups it should be stiff and easy to roll with very little extra flour)
- 1 - 1/2 cups of warmed whole milk or half and half (just slightly warm to touch the degrees should be at 100 degrees no hotter)
- Optional: Kosher coarse salt or Pink salt for garnishing on top before baking
- Note: the dough should be soft, when cutting and rolling with flour the shape should stay together. If you add too much flour these will be dry inside after baked.
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
- Prepare a cookie sheet with Silpat or parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl, using an electric industrial mixer, add yeast and warm milk.
- Let the mixture sit in the bowl and stand for around 10 minutes.
- Add flour, butter, sugar, and salt, to the yeast mixture.
- Use the dough hook to beat the dough for at least 4 minutes.
- In the meantime get a 5-quart saucepan ready and fill it with water and the addition of 1/4 cup baking soda added to the water and leave 3 inches of space from the top of the pan.
- On a floured board, roll out the dough, cut into 4 pieces then roll into long ropes, and then cut evenly with a sharp knife to make pretzel sticks around a thumb's length and a 1/2 inch wide and around 2 inches high.
- Place around 6 to 8 pieces into the in a rolling boiling baking soda water at a time for around 30 seconds. This will keep its shape make sure it's boiling!
- Note: this may spill over so do not leave it unattended and lower the heat if it starts to foam up too much but a large deep 5 to 6 quart pot will be essential.
- Then remove with a slotted spoon and add to a Silpat mat lined on a cookie sheet or lined with parchment paper cookie sheet.
- Brush with some beaten egg mixed with a tablespoon of water and sprinkle with coarse salt.
- Bake until tops are nicely browned around 9 to 10 minutes depending on the thickness you rolled them out to.
- Optional: For the garlic butter variation:
- While still warm brush with 1 tablespoon each of olive oil and 1 teaspoon of melted butter and shake in a ziplock bag adding 1/2 teaspoon each, of garlic powder, dried oregano, parsley, basil little black pepper, or cayenne pepper.
Notes
Dipping Ideas for Soft Pretzel Bites
- Melted Cheeses
- Pesto sauce
- Mustard of any kind
- Chili sauce
- Butter melted with Italian herbs and garlic
- Cinnamon, sugar, melted butter
- Nutella
- Peanut Butter
- Hot fudge warmed
- Any kind of ice cream topping like caramel
- Alfredo sauce
- Marinara sauce
- Hot sauce
Garlic Butter Coating Recipe:
Brush the dough bites while still warm:
- 1 tablespoon each of olive oil
- 1 teaspoon of melted butter
- in a plastic bag add:
- 1/2 teaspoon each, of garlic powder, dried oregano, parsley, basil little black pepper, or cayenne pepper.
- shake the bites brushed in butter in the herbs and spice mixture
Read These Tips Before Making Soft Pretzel Bites
- when dissolving yeast, the milk should be warm to the touch not cold, and using an instant-read thermometer no hotter than 100 degrees
- this dough is sticky, an additional 1/2 cup equals up to the 4 cups It also includes the rolling out and cutting ( be careful not to add too much flour or they will be dry after baking them)
- do not skip the Rolling boiling in baking soda step
- egg wash them before baking then add the salt
- measure out everything before mixing
- use a 5 to 8-quart pot of water to 1/4 cup of baking soda when boiling these for 30 seconds
- use a timer to ensure you waited long enough in the recipe instructions
- all recipe information is in a printable card and to avoid ads just hit print
Nutrition Facts
Calories
88Fat (grams)
22 gSat. Fat (grams)
19 gCarbs (grams)
29 gNet carbs
18 gSugar (grams)
22 g
These are all copyright-protected images and content. Do not reprint/reuse this recipe or its images without my written permission.
Soft Pretzel Bites Pin for Later
Some Other Favorite Recipes
Tuscan Garlic Bread
Old Fashioned Corn Fritters
Potato Dough
Mom's Stuffed Focaccia