Easy Homemade Soft Pretzel Bites
These easy homemade soft pretzel bites are AMAZING and so fast to make! Get ready for mall-style pretzels in no time.
If there’s one recipe you should drop everything and make right now, it is these soft and chewy, buttery and amazing, quick and easy homemade soft pretzel bites.
Seriously, they are so delicious, they defy description.
And the fact that you can make them at home in a little over an hour and end up with something even better than the mall (yes, really) is pretty much life changing.
We make these little pretzel bites all the time. But beware, they go fast! In our house, you better get yourself to the kitchen right when they come out of the oven or else you risk missing out completely. And no one will feel all that sorry for you.
Homemade pretzel bites = so fast
The reason this pretzel bites recipe has been on repeat for the several years is because not only are they amazingly delicious, they are so fast!
The dough is ultra-simple to make and thanks to the relatively quick rising times, they don’t take all day (not even close) to make.
When I decided to update this post with new pictures and new excitement, I enlisted the help of Cade, my 3rd son who loves to cook and bake. He is the pretzel bite making master, and he’s here to show us how easy it is to make these delightful carb-loaded snacks.
Hi, Cade! Nice to have you here. (Now is not the time to tell all these nice people that your mom forced you into this during spring break.)
How to make pretzel bite dough
This bread dough is mixed a little differently than some of the other bread recipes on my site.
To start, all the dry ingredients go into the mixer first.
- flour
- salt
- teensy bit of sugar
- yeast
Instant yeast vs active dry yeast
I always use instant yeast, but you can sub in active dry yeast.
Use the same amount of active dry yeast and proof it in about 1/4 cup water and a pinch of sugar. When it’s bubbly and foamy add it to the mixer with the water (decrease the water by 1/4 cup).
Mix the dough until it forms a ball that isn’t sticking to the middle and/or sides of the bowl. If it’s still really tacky to the touch, add additional flour, a few tablespoons at a time until it’s not so sticky.
Alternately, if it seems kind of stiff and tough (or has dry floury spots), drizzle in another tablespoon or so of hot water.
The dough should be really easy to handle. Soft and stretchy. But not too sticky.
A different rising method
This pretzel dough goes right into a lightly greased or floured gallon-size ziploc bag.
The bag gets sealed and the dough rises in the warm, slightly humid environment.
If you feel more comfortable with the ol’ greased bowl rising method, don’t worry, that works, too.
As long as your kitchen isn’t completely frigid, the dough will puff up and rise pretty quickly. About 20-30 minutes and it should be ready to go.
Take the dough out of the bag, press it into a thick rectangle of sorts and cut the dough into four strips.
They don’t have to be even. These easy homemade soft pretzel bites are rustic and imperfect, and that’s why we love them!
Cut each of the strips into six or eight little chubby pieces.
Ditch the boiling water
To make this recipe even easier, we’re going to ditch the classic boiling water bath that pretzels often get before baking.
Instead, mix a little bit of baking soda with super hot water and dunk each of those pieces of dough in the baking soda/water solution before transferring to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Don’t forget to grease the parchment paper!
Sprinkle the wet pieces of dough with coarse, kosher salt and pop those babies in the oven for 7-8 minutes.
Cinnamon and sugar option
For a cinnamon and sugar option, leave off the salt. When the pretzels come out of the oven, butter them as directed and then roll the hot pretzel bites in cinnamon and sugar. Whoa yum.
Don’t be afraid of the heat
This recipe calls for preheating the oven to 500 degrees F. I recognize that may cause some of you a bit of anxiety. It’s ok. I get it!
But that high temperature is what gives these pretzel bites their perfect golden color AND it crisps up the outside of the pretzels while leaving the insides soft and chewy.
Just do it! I’ll be here virtually holding your hand.
The ultimate key to the deliciousness
The minute the pretzel bites exit the oven, have the melted butter ready.
And then liberally brush on melted butter until you think you should stop – and then brush on some more.
The butter + the piping hot pretzel bites is the key to the ethereal deliciousness of these homemade soft pretzel bites. Please, please, please leave no pretzel unbuttered.
Dipping options for pretzel bites
We love eating these hot and buttery pretzel bites straight off the baking sheet. No wasting time. No dipping.
BUT, they are also amazing dipped in everything from mustard to ranch to cheese sauce. (See the above note for a cinnamon and sugar version.)
For a quick, homemade cheese sauce, we use this recipe. It’s simple and easy and works great with yellow or white cheddar cheese.
When you want the other-worldly yumminess of homemade soft pretzels but don’t want to stress about long skinny ropes of dough and intricate pretzel shapes, pretzel bites are the only way to go!
I love recipes like this that provide a ton of rock star status with very few, very easy to find ingredients.
All I know is, I better never be left alone with a batch of hot, buttery pretzel bites. I’m not super proud of how I already know that would end. But I also know I would enjoy every single moment (and bite).
FAQs for Homemade Soft Pretzel Bites
You can lightly warm them again to get that same texture right back if you’ve lost some of the straight-out-of-the-oven yumminess.
We toss them in a ziploc bag or covered container, then we usually we warm them up for a few seconds in the microwave.
If you don’t have parchment paper you should be fine with just a greased pan. I just use parchment for easy cleanup.
If you absolutely can’t make them fresh (they are much better that way), I’d make the dough and refrigerate it, then take it out 2-3 hours before baking so that it is at room temperature.
Yes! I always double the yeast when I make a double batch.
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Easy Homemade Soft Pretzel Bites
Ingredients
Dough:
- 2 ¼ cups (320 g) all-purpose flour (see note)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 tablespoon instant yeast
- 1 cup warm water
Topping:
- ½ cup very hot water
- 2 tablespoons baking soda
- Coarse, kosher salt
- 3 tablespoons (43 g) butter, melted
Instructions
- In a large bowl or the bowl of an electric mixer, add the flour, salt, sugar and yeast. Mix. Add the water. Mix well, adding more flour, if needed, a bit at a time to form a soft, smooth dough that clears the sides and bottom of the bowl. It should be soft but not overly sticky.
- Knead for 4-5 minutes until the dough is soft and stretchy. Grease the inside of a gallon-size ziploc-type bag with nonstick cooking spray and place the dough inside. Close the bag, leaving room for the dough to expand, and let it rest for 20-30 minutes (or up to 60 minutes) until doubled in size. Alternately, the dough can rise in a lightly greased, covered bowl.
- Preheat oven to 500°F. The high heat ensures the pretzels will brown beautifully on the outside while staying soft and chewy on the inside. Line two half sheet pans with parchment paper and lightly grease with cooking spray.
- Transfer the dough to a lightly greased or floured work surface, and cut the dough into four thick strips. Cut each strip of dough into about 6-8 pieces. It doesn’t have to be exact.
- Combine the very hot water and baking soda and whisk to combine well.
- Dip each pretzel bite in the baking soda solution (this helps give the pretzels a nice, golden-brown color). Let the excess liquid drip off before placing the pretzel bites a couple inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.
- Sprinkle the pretzel bites with coarse, kosher salt. Allow them to rest, uncovered, for about 10 minutes.
- Bake the pretzels for 7-8 minutes until golden brown.
- Remove the pretzels from the oven, and immediately brush them with the melted butter. Keep brushing the butter on until you’ve used it all up; it may seem like a lot, but that’s what gives these pretzels their ethereal taste. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Notes
Recommended Products
Recipe Source: adapted from this recipe (originally from King Arthur Flour)
I love soft pretzel bite!!! YUM!!
Oh my, holy cow….these are fantastic! I think I just had pretzels for dinner, I couldn’t stop eating them!
ethereal pretzels, eh? a statement like that makes them pretty hard to pass up!
Made these last night, and LOVED the crunch on the outside with the soft chewy centers. I think I need to combine this with my pizza bites recipe–just add cheese and pepperoni inside, dunk in marinara. Yum!
These look awesome! I have a favorite pretzel bite recipe, but curious to use this as you dip it in soda water, rather than boiling soda water. I could use the skipping of a step! 🙂
Oh these look delicious! We’re a sucker for anything pretzel related. Printed this and hoping to make it this weekend. :o)
So dangerous! My mid kid will loveees these! He is always asking to go get a soft pretzel 🙂 Thanks!
This is definitely going into my delicious bookmarks to try later!!
I cannot wait to make theses…I think I’ll make them today. Just 2 days ago I was literally thinking I need to find a good pretzel bite recipe; that was after I was thinking of running to the mall to by some from the pretzel venue. So excited!
My mom makes the best soft pretzels. I have never made them (she lives just down the street and calls us when they come out of the oven. Why mess with that?). It would be funny if I could put hers to shame :). My daughter is having a Super Bowl party here, I think a big old batch of these and your dip would be perfect!
Why is it that I’ve just now found your website? Your recipes are amazing and I can’t wait to try the pretzel bites this weekend! Yumm-O!
Yummm! We always get these when we go to the movies – with parmesan cheese and nacho cheese dip. Can’t wait to try making them at home some night!
Perfect Super Bowl snack–heck, it’d be perfect for any kind of snack, any day–yum!!! And it’d go great with so many dips–now you’ve got me thinking!
We are snowed in and the girls and I made these for dinner with a salad – and your idea of smoothies . . . what a fun way to be stranded in the house! They were delicious and even my husband, who doesn’t normally like non-traditional dinners LOVED them. Thanks!
I don’t know if I ever told you I made those pretzels and we LOVED them but I made them so ugly, they almost looked like…something not edible that I won’t put a name to. 🙂 I bet I could handle the bites, though! Must try.
I know what I’m making with my kids tomorrow on our snow day! These look DELISH!!!
Thank you for the photos, that is really helpful. I cant wait to try this soon.
I am dying to make these…it will happen SOON–like tonight or tomorrow if I have anything to say about it! Oh, and I think I may try making a few of them coated in cinnamon sugar just to see how they taste.
Made them. Delicious. If only I had the ingredients for the chorizo dip my afternoon would have been complete.
Another winner! Thank you.
Could I make the dough in the bread machine? What do you think?
Your pretzels are the most requested afternoon snack in my house. Last year I started making them in bites and the kids love them. The recipe is so quick it’s my go to recipe for summer pool days.
These are happening at my house this afternoon. Thanks so much for posting!
Just finished making these and they are just as good as you say! Although, in the future I will NOT let the 2 and the 4 yr old help so much with the salting 🙂 For those who don’t have instant yeast, I didn’t have any either. I just proofed the yeast in the warm water, added the sugar, salt, and flour and followed the recipe from there. Worked great! Thanks for sharing!
Just got done making and eating these. They were wonderful. I am afraid that I might eat all of them and not have any to share with my husband for later.
Snow day here too in Ohio, we loved them! Thanks!!
I am so making these today! Not only are we going to be snowed in by tomorrow but I have a sick child at home (again) I love my carbs, especially when they come in this form…. snacks!
Snow day here in Texas! 😛 These were a perfect snack to make for the kids! They were delicious!!!
Look good I already have batch rising in the kitchen.
I’ve done pretzel rolls before and they are also true revelations. Putting them in bite form…sounds dangerous. And delicious.
oh yum! i really need to get working on experimenting with yeast!!
I have been reading your blog for almost now and all I have to say is thank you. Every recipe I have tried (which have been MANY) have been keepers and landed right in my permanant collection. Your hard work and good taste are much appreciated! Thank you thank you!
Oh. my. goodness. I think you are soooo trying to sabotage my diet today! I love your recipes and your great tutorials!
I love pretzels! I am definitely going to have to try these!
You & I are a match made in Heaven… Carb Heaven! I think I will have to make these for my Super Bowl party this weekend. Thanks, Mel!
These look great! I am going to have to try these. I like that you don’t have to boil the dough.
These look just amazing, I can’t wait to try them!
I’m not as bummed about being snowed in anymore! Thanks. These look fantastic.
Pretzels in hot chorizo and cheese dip…now I’m getting the picture. I’ve wanted to make pretzels for so long for my kids, and these look super do-able. Thanks for the tutorial!
Soft pretzels? My weakness!! I have got to try these.
Wow those looks good. I’m not sure I could apply the moderation rule to them. 😉 Dive in!
Ok, I’m a complete yeast retard. I love your recipes but can not find “instant” yeast here, just active and rapid. What/how much of the active would I use in this? Pleasssssssseeeeeeeee I’m dying to make them lol
Erica- I believe that one package equals 2 1/4 tsp.
These look amazing, Melanie! I love the step-by-step tutorial! You make these look so easy! 🙂
Does anyone know how many of the “packages of yeast” make up 2 1/4 tsp?
Looks awesome! I’ve had these on my “to make” list for a long time now.
Oh my goodness. I think these could be my kryptonite. They look heavenly!!
So excited to make these today as we prepare for the blizzard coming (to Milwaukee). Thanks!
I am so making these today. Thanks for the great recipe!
Oh man this looks like something I have to try today
How about brushing the pretzel bites with butter before baking? Or brushing them with butter and sprinkling them with sugar/cinnamon and have a sweet nugget (can you say “breakfast”?). Garlic butter, sneaking a chocolate chip or two in the middle of the dough? My mind is spinning with possibilities. Thanks!
Yum! These look delicious!