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These warm and buttery-soft Homemade Pretzel Bites are easy to make and taste just like your favorite mall pretzels. Perfect for parties and game days, serve these irresistibly delicious little pretzel bites plain, coated in cinnamon and sugar, or with your favorite dip, like hot cheese sauce or stone ground mustard.
Super Soft Pretzel Bites
I love making (and especially eating) homemade pretzel bites. They’re fun (most importantly) and less of a commitment than full-size soft pretzels, making them the perfect bite-size party food. With a soft and chewy inside and buttery, salty outside, these homemade pretzel bites disappear quickly, especially when paired with a variety of dips like warm cheese, ground mustard (my favorite), caramel, or chocolate.
Key Ingredients and Substitutions
Find the printable recipe with measurements in the recipe card below.
- Warm water: The water is used as the base for the dough. It should be warm (about 110°F/43°C) to help activate the yeast. You can use warmed-up cow’s milk for slightly sweeter pretzel bites.
- Sugar: Added to “feed” the yeast, helping the dough rise more quickly. We’re adding granulated sugar, but feel free to use brown sugar if preferred.
- Dry Active Yeast: Yeast is a leavening agent that causes the dough to rise, making the pretzel bites light and airy inside. For this recipe, we’re using active dry yeast, which needs to be dissolved in warm water before use.
- Butter: This is used to add flavor to the dough. Butter will be added to both the dough and brushed on top of the pretzel bites after baking.
- All-Purpose Flour: We’re using standard all-purpose flour. If preferred, you may substitute bread flour.
- Salt: Mixed directly into the dough, salt adds flavor and helps control the yeast’s fermentation process.
- Baking Soda: Dissolved in a pot of boiling water, the pretzel bites are dipped in the alkaline bath before being baked, giving them their characteristic golden-brown crust and slightly crisp exterior.
- Egg: Mix egg yolk with a little water to make an egg wash. Brush this wash on top of the pretzel bites before baking. This gives them a shiny finish and helps toppings (like salt or cinnamon and sugar) stick better.
- Coarse Sea Salt: Used as a topping for the pretzel bites.
How to Make Pretzel Bites
1. Mix the dough: Whisk together the warm water, sugar, and yeast in a large mixing bowl. Cover the yeast mixture and allow it to sit for 5 minutes or until foamy on top. As the yeast activates, combine the melted butter, 4 cups of all-purpose flour, and salt into the bowl of a large stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment. Add the yeast mixture to the flour mixture.
- If you do not have a stand mixer, add the melted butter, flour, and salt to the yeast mixture after it has been activated. Use a large mixing spoon to mix together, then knead by hand on a lightly floured surface for at least 5 minutes.
2. Knead the dough: Knead the dough at low speed for about 1 minute, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula if needed. Continue to beat at low speed until the dough comes together and pulls away from the bowl (Note: if the dough is extremely sticky, add 1/4 cup of additional flour at a time). Continue to beat at medium speed for an additional 5 minutes until the dough is smooth. Poke the dough with your finger – it should slowly bounce back.
3. Let the dough rise: Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl, turning to coat it with the oil. Cover the bowl with a damp towel or plastic wrap and place it somewhere warm. Let the dough rise for 30-60 minutes or until it has doubled in size.
4. Preheat the oven to 450°F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
5. Prepare the alkaline solution: Bring 3 quarts of water to a boil. Carefully add the baking soda (it will boil over, so add it slowly).
6. Form the pretzel bites: Turn the dough out onto a countertop or clean work surface that has been very lightly dusted with flour. Divide the dough into eight equal pieces. Roll each piece into a long 10-12-inch rope about 3/4-inch thick. Slice each rope into small 1-1.5-inch long pieces. Repeat with the remaining dough.
- Note: if stretching the dough becomes difficult or the ropes start shrinking, stop and cover all of the dough with a towel. Allow the dough to rest for about 10 minutes before resuming.
7. Boil the pretzel bites: Use a slotted spoon to carefully lower 10-12 dough bites into the baking soda bath and let them boil for 15-30 seconds. Remove the boiled pieces, allowing as much water to drip off as possible, before transferring them to the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with another batch of pretzel bites.
8. Egg wash and salt: In a small bowl, whisk together one egg and two tablespoons of water. Brush the tops of each pretzel bite with egg wash, then sprinkle with coarse sea salt.
9. Bake and repeat: Bake the first batch of pretzel bites for 14-18 minutes or until the tops are golden. Meanwhile, repeat the boiling/washing/salting of any remaining dough pieces and bake once the first pan is finished.
10. Brush with butter (optional): For extra buttery pretzel bites, brush the tops with melted butter while they are still warm and just before serving.
Possible Variations
Customize your pretzel bites. Here are a few delicious ideas to get you started…
- Cinnamon sugar: Combine about 1/2 cup of granulated or brown sugar with two tablespoons of ground cinnamon in a shallow bowl. Bake the pretzel bites (without the coarse sea salt) until golden brown, then roll them in melted butter followed by the cinnamon sugar mixture.
- Cheese: Sprinkle the tips with finely shredded parmesan cheese or cheddar cheese before baking.
- Other seasonings: Try sprinkling your pretzel bites with various seasoning blends such as Cajun seasoning, homemade ranch seasoning, or everything bagel seasoning.
How to Freeze and Reheat Leftover Pretzel Bites
Homemade pretzel bites can be frozen. For best results, freeze them within 1-2 days of baking. Here’s how to do it:
- Freezing: Cool the pretzel bites completely before individually wrapping each bite in plastic wrap or aluminum foil. This prevents them from sticking together and helps prevent freezer burn. Transfer to a resealable freezer bag, removing as much air as possible. Freeze for up to 1 month.
- Reheating from frozen: Remove from the freezer and remove from the plastic wrap or aluminum foil they were wrapped in. Transfer to a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper and let them thaw at room temperature for 10-15 minutes before reheating in an oven preheated to 350°F (175°C) for 10-12 minutes until warm and soft.
Dips for Serving Soft Pretzel Bites
Pretzel bites pair perfectly with a variety of different dips, from sweet to savory. These are a few of our favorites:
- Beer Cheese Dip
- Buffalo Chicken Dip
- Velveeta Cheese Dip
- Rotel Dip
- Hot Crab Artichoke Dip
- Crab Rangoon Dip
- Pimento Cheese
- Melted Chocolate
- Peanut Butter
- French Onion Dip
Homemade Soft Pretzel Bites Recipe
Ingredients
- 1½ cups warm water
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 2½ teaspoon dry active yeast
- 2 tablespoon butter, melted, plus more for topping (optional)
- 4-5 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ⅓ cup baking soda
- 1 egg, plus 2 tablespoons water, whisked
- coarse sea salt
Instructions
- Whisk together the warm water, sugar, and yeast in a large mixing bowl. Cover the yeast mixture and allow it to sit for 5 minutes or until foamy on top.
- As the yeast activates, combine the melted butter, 4 cups of all-purpose flour, and salt into the bowl of a large stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment.
- Once the yeast mixture is foamy and activated, add it to the flour mixture.
- Knead the dough at low speed for about 1 minute, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula if needed. Continue to beat at low speed until the dough comes together and pulls away from the bowl (Note: if the dough is extremely sticky, add 1/4 cup of additional flour at a time). Continue to beat at medium speed for an additional 5 minutes until the dough is smooth. Poke the dough with your finger – it should slowly bounce back.
- Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl, turning to coat it with the oil. Cover the bowl with a damp towel or plastic wrap and place it somewhere warm. Let the dough rise for 30-60 minutes or until it has doubled in size.
- Preheat the oven to 450°F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
- Bring 3 quarts of water to a boil. Carefully add the baking soda (it will boil over, so add it slowly).
- To make the pretzel bites, turn the dough out onto a countertop or clean work surface that has been very lightly dusted with flour. Divide the dough into eight equal pieces. Roll each piece into a long 10-12-inch rope about 3/4-inch thick. Slice each rope into small 1-1.5-inch long pieces. Repeat with the remaining dough.
- Use a slotted spoon to carefully lower 10-12 dough bites into the baking soda bath and let them boil for 15-30 seconds. Remove the boiled pieces, allowing as much water to drip off as possible, before transferring them to the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with another batch of pretzel bites.
- In a small bowl, whisk together one egg with two tablespoons of water. Brush the tops of each pretzel bite with the egg wash, then sprinkle with coarse sea salt.
- Bake the first batch of pretzel bites for 14-18 minutes or until the tops are golden. Meanwhile, repeat the boiling/egg-washing/salting with the remaining dough pieces and bake once the first pan is finished.
- For extra buttery pretzel bites, brush the tops with melted butter while they are still warm and just before serving.
Notes
- This recipe can be made using the same amount of bread flour if preferred.
- Keep leftovers stored in a paper bag at room temperature for 12-48 hours.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
