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Easy pretzel bites are soft, chewy, and super fun to make! Get the kids involved and make a batch for the next game day or board game night. Never baked with yeast before? This is the perfect recipe to start!
Soft pretzel bites have the best chewy texture and taste amazing fresh out of the oven. Serve with your favorite dipping sauce, like Honey Mustard Sauce or Nacho Cheese Sauce for a fun family snack.
If you’ve never worked with yeast before, pretzel bites are the perfect way to ease in. The dough is lot more forgiving and doesn’t require a lengthy rise time like traditional loaves of bread – just 10-15 minutes – and you’re ready for snacking in less than an hour.
Your whole family will love these easy, bite sized snack! You only need 7 pantry staple ingredients, and you can make them sweet or savory by using different toppings or sauces.
RECIPE WALK-THROUGH
Ingredient Notes
- Active Dry Yeast – You can buy yeast in 1-ounce packages or in a larger jar. Either way you need 2 ¼ teaspoons.
- Warm Water – The optimal water temperature is 105-110℉.
- Flour – The amount given is approximate. You’ll need between 3 and 3 ½ cups. This can vary depending on humidity in your kitchen. Too much flour will make your pretzels dense.
- Egg – To make an egg wash for brushing on the pretzels to give them a shiny crust.
- Salt – you’ll add a little salt to the dough, and to the top of the pretzels. I recommend flaked sea salt for the topping.
- Baking Soda Bath – A large pot of water and ½ cup of baking soda helps the dough to puff up and gives the pretzels their chewy texture.
How To Make Pretzel Bites
See the recipe card below for full, detailed instructions
Prep. Get the oven preheating and line 2 rimmed baking sheets with silicone mats of parchment paper. If you use parchment paper, I like to spray with nonstick cooking spray.
Make the dough. Start by activating the yeast in a large mixing bowl. Stir the yeast into the warm water and let it sit for a minute or two until it foams. Then mix in the honey, melted butter, and salt before adding in the flour. You can add additional flour as needed until a dough ball is formed and it isn’t sticky. If you poke the dough it should spring back.
Knead the dough. If you’re making the dough in your stand mixer, you can let the mixer do the kneading by using the dough hook on medium-low speed for 3 minutes. Or you can knead by hand on a floured surface. Cover the dough with a dish towel and let rest for about 10 minutes.
Shape. Form the dough into a uniform shape and cut into 8 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a long, snake-like shape, then cut the rope into 1 ½ – 2 inch pieces.
Baking soda bath. Use a slotted spoon to dip the pretzels into a pot of boiling water and baking soda for about 10-15 seconds then transfer to baking sheets.
Bake. Brush with the egg wash and sprinkle with flaky sea salt. The egg wash is optional, but creates a beautiful golden crust. Bake in the preheated oven until the bites are golden brown. Cool slightly before serving
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the baking soda bath do for soft pretzels?
The baking soda bath gives soft pretzels their unique flavor and texture! The bath helps the dough puff up and gives them that chewy texture.
Can I use baking powder instead of baking soda?
No, you cannot use baking powder instead of baking soda for the bath. The baking soda is needed to get that soft pretzel texture.
Serving Suggestions
Pick your favorite dipping sauce! My family loves them warm with melted butter, but they are also great dipped in yellow mustard, honey mustard, or nacho cheese sauce.
Variations
- For sweet pretzels, try tossing them in a large bowl with melted butter and rolling in cinnamon sugar.
- Sprinkle unbaked bites with everything bagel season, poppy seeds, or sesame seeds for a delicious flavor variation.
Storage Tips
Storage and Reheating
Storage – Store in a resealable plastic bag or airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. You can reheat them, wrapped in a damp paper towel, for 10-20 seconds in the microwave.
Freezing baked mini pretzels – Let the bites cool completely then lay out on a baking sheet and pop it into the freezer. Once they are solid, transfer to a plastic freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Reheat from frozen in a 350℉ oven for 10-15 minutes until warmed.
Freezing pretzel dough – you can freeze the unbaked soft pretzel dough in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw the dough in the refrigerator overnight, then let sit out for 20-30 minutes before shaping so the dough can puff up a bit. Bake as directed.
Recipe Tips
- Stand Mixer vs Beating by Hand – Making yeast dough is one of the best reasons to have a stand mixer. You can not only mix the dough in the stand mixer but it can knead the dough for you. If you don’t have a stand mixer, you can get the same results by hand. Mix up the dough in a bowl and then knead by hand.
- Save Time – Start boiling water for the baking soda bath while the dough is resting.
More Bite Sized Snack Ideas
- Mac and Cheese Bites
- BBQ Chicken Pizza Pinwheels
- Harvest Chex Mix
- Loaded Chili Cheese Fries
- Mini Corn Cakes
Pretzel Bites
Ingredients
Pretzels
- 1 ounce Package active dry yeast 1 envelope or 2 ¼ teaspoons of active dry yeast
- 1 cup Warm water
- 1 tablespoon Melted butter
- 1 tablespoon Honey
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 3 – 3 ½ cups All-purpose flour
- 1 Egg + 1 tablespoon water
- Flaked sea salt for sprinkling on top
Baking Soda Bath
- 9 cups Water
- 1/2 cup Baking soda
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with silicone mats of parchment paper. If using parchment, spray with nonstick cooking spray.
- Pour the warm water into a large mixing bowl of a stand mixer with the dough hook attachment and stir in the yeast. Let stand for 1-2 minutes.
- Add 1 tablespoon honey, 1 tablespoon melted butter, and salt and mix until combined. Add 3 cups of flour and combine, adding more flour as needed until a ball of dough is formed and it’s no longer sticky; about 5 minutes. When you poke your finger into it, it should spring back. (If you don’t have a stand mixer, stir by hand using a wooden spoon).
- Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead for 3 minutes. Alternatively, if using a stand mixer, use the dough hook and stir at medium-low speed for 3 minutes.
- Form a ball with the dough, cover with a clean dish towel and let rest for 10-15 minutes. Meanwhile, boil baking soda and water.
- Cut dough into 8 equal pieces and roll them into a long snake-like piece of dough. Cut each rope into 1 ½-2 inch pieces to form bites.
- Place pretzel bites, 8-10 at a time into the baking soda bath for 10-15 seconds. Using a slotted spoon or spatula, retrieve the pretzel bites from the water and let the excess drip off. Transfer to the lined baking sheets.
- Whisk together egg and 1 tablespoon water in a small bowl. Brush the tops with the egg wash and sprinkle with flaked sea salt. Bake at 400 degrees F for 12-15 minutes, or until pretzels are golden brown.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer Kristin Maxwell of “Yellow Bliss Road” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. For accurate calorie counts and other nutritional values, we recommend running the ingredients through your preferred online nutritional calculator. Calories and other nutritional values can vary depending on which brands were used.
