Homemade soft pretzel bites are soft, chewy, and super easy to make with just a handful of ingredients. If you’re just beginning to bake with yeast, you need to try these! Enjoy warm soft pretzel nuggets sprinkled with sea salt, rolled in cinnamon sugar, or dipped in your favorite sauce.
These homemade soft pretzel bites are soft, chewy, and seriously irresistible. They’re just like my homemade soft pretzels, shaped into bite-sized pieces! If you’re just starting out baking with yeast, and especially if you’re as addicted to food court pretzels as I am, then this is the recipe for you. Prepare to be hooked. Here’s why:
Authentic flavor. These soft pretzel bites taste just like the giant soft pretzels you find at the mall! They’re buttery, soft, and as authentic as homemade gets. Sprinkled with salt or rolled in cinnamon sugar? Yes, puh-lease.
Perfect texture. Boiling the soft pretzel dough in an alkaline bath (nothing fancy, just baking soda and water!) makes pretzel dough different from other yeasted bread recipes. It’s an easy step that gives a pretzel its classic golden-brown color and chewy texture.
Beginner-friendly. Making soft pretzel bites from scratch is pretty quick by yeasted dough standards, and a lot easier than shaping full-sized pretzels. I love making these pretzel bites on a weekend afternoon in my PJs. It’s also nice to get started on the dough the day before and finish off the pretzels when you’re ready.
Ingredients You’ll Need
My tried-and-true soft pretzel dough uses common pantry ingredients, so you don’t have to search long and hard for them. Below are some quick notes. Scroll down to the recipe card for a printable list of the ingredients with amounts.
Yeast – You’ll need to activate dry yeast in warm water before you start. Make sure to check the dates on the packet beforehand, to make sure that the yeast isn’t expired.
Dry Ingredients – All-purpose flour, salt, and light brown sugar. Dark or granulated sugar will also work.
Butter – Melted and cooled to the touch. I use salted butter, but unsalted is fine if you prefer.
Baking Soda – For a baking soda bath (more on this later). Make sure you’re using baking soda and not baking powder, which isn’t the same thing.
Sea Salt – If you can get your hands on pretzel salt, that works, too. Otherwise, a sprinkle of flaked or coarse sea salt gives these pretzel bites a classic finish. I also include how to make a version with cinnamon sugar later on!
How to Make Soft Pretzel Bites
Here’s a short step-by-step with pictures to show you how to make the dough for soft pretzels, and shape it into delicious, chewy bites. You’ll find printable instructions in the recipe card.
Activate the yeast.Form the dough and let it rise.
Make the dough. First, activate the yeast with warm water in the bowl of your stand mixer. Meanwhile, mix the dry ingredients and add them to the yeast. Beat until an elastic dough forms.
Let it rise. You’ll need to cover the dough with a dish towel and let it rise somewhere warm for 2-3 hours. Some ovens come with a proof setting, which you can use if you have one. Or, let the dough rise in the fridge overnight.
Divide the dough.Shape and cut the dough into 2″ pieces.
Divide and shape the dough. When you’re ready, divide and roll the dough into 8 long ropes, about 12” long by 1” wide. Then, cut the ropes into 2” pieces. These will be your pretzel “bites”.
Boil the pretzel dough and transfer to a baking sheet.Bake until puffed and golden.
Boil. It’s time for a quick dip in the jacuzzi! Working in batches, boil the dough bites in a mixture of water and baking soda for 30 seconds before transferring them to a lined baking sheet. Sprinkle the tops of the pretzels with salt right away, as the salt sticks best to wet dough.
Bake. Finally, bake the soft pretzel bites at 450ºF for 8-9 minutes. Afterward, let them cool before serving.
Can I make pretzel dough without a mixer?
Sure! A stand mixer definitely speeds up the dough-making process, but you can mix the dough using a hand mixer, or even a wooden spoon. This pretzel dough is super approachable that way.
Make Cinnamon Sugar Pretzel Bites
For a sweet version, make cinnamon sugar pretzels! Bake the pretzels without salt. One at a time, dip the warm baked pretzels into melted butter and then roll them in a bowl of cinnamon sugar.
If needed, make your own quick and easy cinnamon sugar by mixing ½ cup of granulated sugar with 1 tablespoon of ground cinnamon.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I know if the yeast is activated?
The water that you use to “bloom” the yeast should be no hotter than 110ºF, and the yeast should start to foam after a few minutes. If you don’t notice any changes, there’s a chance that the water was too hot, or your yeast may have expired. In this case, you’ll need to start again with fresh yeast.
What does boiling pretzels in baking soda do?
It might sound a little weird, but the baking soda bath is an important step in pretzel-making. Boiling pretzel dough in water with baking soda is the secret to a pretzel’s signature flavor, golden color, and chewy texture.
How do you keep soft pretzel bites warm for a party?
If I’ve made these pretzel bites in advance, I’ll wrap them in foil and place them into the oven at the lowest setting (around 170ºF). They stay warm in there until I’m ready to serve them. See below for more serving and storage tips.
How to Store
Store. Properly stored, soft pretzel bites will stay soft for 2-3 days at room temperature. Cover the cooled soft pretzels airtight and keep them in the pantry or on the counter.
Reheat. To reheat these pretzels so that they’re soft again, I recommend sprinkling the tops of the pretzel bites with a little water and then wrapping them in foil. Warm the soft pretzels in the oven at 325ºF for 5 minutes.
Freeze. You can freeze your soft pretzels for up to 2 months. Defrost them in the fridge before serving or reheating.
With just a few ingredients, make easy soft pretzel bites that are golden, chewy, and delicious topped with salt or rolled in cinnamon sugar!
Pretzels
1 cup warm water (not above 110° F)
1 packet dry yeast (1/4 ounce)
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
1/4 cup butter, melted and cooled (see note)
8 cups water
1/2 cup baking soda
coarse or flaked sea salt or pretzel salt, optional
Cinnamon Sugar Pretzels
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted
Cinnamon Sugar
Prep the dough: Pour warm water into the bowl of a stand mixer. Sprinkle the yeast into the water and allow it to “bloom.” This will take 7-9 minutes. Yeast will become slightly foamy.
While yeast is blooming, whisk together flour, salt, and brown sugar. Add the flour mixture and melted butter into the mixing bowl with the yeast mixture. Mix this using the dough hook attachment for 5 minutes until the dough is elastic and smooth.
Let the Dough Rise: Coat a large bowl with cooking spray. Place the dough into the bowl and cover with a dish towel. Allow the dough to rise for 2-3 hours in a warm room (or use the “proof” setting if your oven has one). Or, place in the refrigerator and allow to rise overnight.
Prepare and Bake the Pretzel Bites: When ready to make the pretzel bites, preheat the oven to 450° F.
Remove the dough from the bowl and punch it down. Divide dough into 8 equal portions and roll dough into long ropes, about 1 inch in diameter, approximately 12 inches long.
Cut the dough into 2-inch pieces using a knife or kitchen scissors.
In a large saucepan, bring 8 cups of water and 1/2 cup of baking soda to a boil. In batches of about 10-12 at a time place the dough pieces into the boiling water for 30 seconds. Remove with a slotted spoon, allowing excess water to drip off and transfer to the prepared baking sheets. For salted pretzels, sprinkle with salt immediately as salt sticks best to wet dough.
Bake for 8-9 minutes until they are golden brown. Remove from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool.
Cinnamon Sugar Pretzels: Dip each baked pretzel bite into butter and then roll in cinnamon sugar.
Notes
The butter should be cooled to the touch but still melted.
