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)
Ugh. These are amazing! I have long made the regular soft pretzel recipe you have posted here, but these…. THESE take the cake for instant gratification! Thanks for another great cure for the snack attack!
Wow. These are the best. Kids loved. Just like the mall. Thank you!
They were so good! I’m ten years old and I made them by myself no help what so ever.
You are amazing, Nora!
They were delicious!
Great recipe. Although I found out the hard way that you should not use parchment paper in an oven hotter than 400. Not sure if that’s for all parchment papers (I was using the Total Home brand), but if so, that would be helpful to note. We had paper stick to the bottom of the pretzels and a house full of smoke. Regardless they are still delicious.
Made these tonight as a consolation for being in lockdown 2.0 and they were winners. For those in the U.K., all Purpose Flour is Plain Flour, Baking Powder is Bicarbonate of Soda and 500 F is 260c but I would maybe only do 250c as the grease proof paper did burn a bit. Also, I didn’t ave a brush for the butter so I just dunked them in it.
Delicious!
Amazing !! Amazing !! Did not believe it was possible to make such yummy pretzels. Fun for the whole family to help make.
I never reply to blogs like this because I’ve never felt like I should or needed to but these pretzels bites. Oh. My. Goodness. They are simply amazing and I’ve had success with yeast (which almost never happens). I’m any case, my family loves these and asks for them all the time now. The cinnamon sugar too. Oh the carbohydrate goodness.
Thank you, Sarah!
Is this easy to make by hand, or one of those recipes that truly requires a mixer? I’m much more comfortable kneading by hand than using a mixer.
This dough can definitely be kneaded by hand. 🙂
Does anyone else have issues when the pretzel bites burning on the bottom? I made them twice and the second time they didn’t burn as bad because I watched them and took them out early
These were amazing!! We did the salty and cinnamon sugar version and they were perfect!!!
These are delicious! Bagel bites for days…cinnamon and sugar, along with some to dip in cheese sauce.
I’ve made these 5 times this month. Yum. The kids love them.
I’d call that a really good month, Kim! 🙂
Hi, thank you for the recipe!
Is there anyway to make sure the texture is still soft & chewy after a few hours? It is godly if eaten while warm, but I’m thinking of bringing them along to my relative’s house a few hours away.
You can lightly warm them again to get that same texture right back…otherwise they probably won’t be quite as yummy as straight out of the oven.
I made these pretzel bits with 3 (ages 9-14) of my grandchildren. We did it as a kind of science lesson, what yeast does in bread dough, baking sodas role, etc. They had done a little research before coming to my place on leavening agents. Anyway we measured and mixed. The 12 year old loved the feel of the dough, he was our cutter. After baking both the salted and the cinnamon ones, they took votes on which everyone preferred. Seems the salted ones won out because of the delicious cheese sauce they made, Thank you for great recipes that were easy to make and so delicious to eat! (The pictures of each step were very helpful also).
What a fun grandma you are! I loved this! Thanks for sharing.
I don’t have a mixer but I have a bread machine. Do you think I can make it on the dough cycle?
I don’t have a bread machine so I can’t say for sure, for sure, but I bet that would work!
Hi cant wait to try this out. One question can we add chopped jaltand bit of cheese to it. Can we do that.. will they come out fine? If so do i add it to the dough before rising it?
Meant to say chopped jalepenos
These were amazing and so easy. We put out some hummus for a guilt free dipping option and it was great. Although a honey mustard dip was definitely our guilty pleasure.
Thanks for all the amazing recipes!
Thanks, Britney!
Thank you for posting this with your son making it. My 10 year old decided to make them and had more confidence in doing so after seeing a picture of your son working on the recipe. He did it all on his own and loves them!
I’m so happy to hear that!
My parchment paper box says it is oven proof to 420 degrees…… I’m scared to put it in a 500 degree oven…. thoughts?
It would probably be better to err on the side of not using it if the box says that – you can try just greasing the baking sheet.
Made them twice so far and they are so delicious! The second time I stuffed a pepperoni and cheddar cheese cube inside and rolled it up right- and they were amazing. No leftovers here! Thanks for a great quick recipe!!!!
Yum, Laurel! I think we’ll do that today!
Oh Mel! These are dangerous! I made a double batch to share with family…and I don’t want to share! I guess my plans for not gaining weight during the pandemic are going to be harder to keep!
(Seriously…so good!)
These are amazing! My family asked me to make them two days in a row. I took them to my neighbor and she immediately asked me for the recipe. Sooo good.
The perfect comfort food! I followed the recipe exactly and they turned out amazing!
How would you store leftovers?
We toss them in a ziploc bag or covered container. They get a little softer on the outside, but they’re still yummy – usually we warm them up for a few seconds in the microwave.
Excellent!
Could I use Self rising flour? If so how would that change the other Ingredients? I’m very excited to try this but all I have is self rising
Self rising flour has baking powder and salt already added to it…I’m not sure how it fares in recipes that also call for yeast. I’m guessing it might cause the bread to overrise (but you definitely can’t use self-rising flour in place of yeast and flour, if that makes sense – this recipe still needs the yeast). You’ll have to experiment. Maybe use self rising flour and cut the yeast in half?
Hi Mel! I tried this recipe and I hate to sau it but they came out really disgusting! They didn’t puff up at all and they tasted like straight baking soda. I know that you test your recipes a lot and I love your site, so I figured I must have done something wrong??? I followed the directions exactly so idk why they didn’t turn out… Any tips?
Hi Molly, did you use really hot or boiling water to dissolve the baking soda? That can help. If you are really averse to that flavor, decrease the baking soda by half. If the pretzel bites didn’t puff at all, it sounds like your yeast might not have proofed correctly (is it expired?) I’m sorry they didn’t work out for you!
These are so good…deadly when dipped in your spicy garlic sauce. They’re as quick to make as you said. Yet another great recipe!
These were great! I will be making them again.
These were delish Mel!!! Thank you!!
Holy cow, Mel! My family loved these! We had lentil soup for dinner (your recipe, of course!) and I used these as a reason to come to the table. We were all fans, and I have a picky eater who won’t even eat rolls. So, thanks!
Love the idea of serving these with lentil soup – YUM!
If you wanted to make these sweet, would you put the cinnamon sugar on before baking or after?
I just made some – SO GOOD! You put the cinnamon/sugar on after. Bake as directed for the salty ones, but don’t sprinkle with salt. Slather butter on the baked bites, then toss them with cinnamon/sugar. We put the cinnamon/sugar in a bag, tossed in the buttered bites, and shook to cover. Mel explains it in the picture section of her post.
I would roll them in cinnamon and sugar right out of the oven (after being brushed with butter).
SO excited to try these!!! Have you experimented with sourdough at all? Not sure about ID, but in NV right now yeast has become the new toilet paper. You can not find it ANYWHERE!!! I have a bit left over from my holiday cinnamon rolls, but that’s it. I luckily scored some flour the other day, but yeast still eludes me. I am now looking into sourdough recipes since you can make your own starter and don’t need yeast. Apparently you can make pretzels,, cinnamon rolls, even brownies with the starter. I have been a regular at your site for years and years now and consider you an “expert” in the kitchen. So, I’m curious as to whether or not you’ve ever ventured into this!
That’s such a bummer about yeast!! I have made sourdough bread quite a bit in the past, but I’m terrible at keeping up my sourdough starter so I go in phases. My favorite resource for all things sourdough is King Arthur Flour.
We have the same yeast-issue in Hungary, Europe and I tried this recipe with my sourdough (4.5-5 oz). It turned out really good, yummy. But let the dough rise for 2-3hours, the longer the fluffier. 🙂
Awesome feedback on using a sourdough starter with this recipe!
I made these on the weekend and they were a hit.
They absolutely taste amazing: crunchy on the outside, soft on the inside, buttery and salty. My brother who is 18 tried a couple before he left the house for the rest of the evening. He was very disappointed when he came home and there were NO PRETZEL BITES LEFT.
We LOVED them and will definitely make them again!
Haha, poor guy! 🙂
I have been dreaming about the day I could make these. I finally made them yesterday, had them resting on the sheet pan after doing their water and soda bath. Then I got word that a store was restocking their toilet paper, so we left our boys in charge of finishing them. Then we got a flat…..and all I could think about was my boys eating all the pretzel bites. They were still good when we got home, but I’ll be making them again today so I can have the freshly buttered, right out of the oven ones. Can’t wait.
What a day, Cicily!! Glad you made it home safe and sound!
Ok, I remade these, and doubled the recipe. Oh My Gosh! These were amazing! I think I’ll be making these again very soon. We’re coming out of this pandemic a few pound heavier, thanks to these. I think next time I will try putting some minced garlic and parmesan cheese on top. Mel, do you think minced garlic would burn in the oven? Should I sprinkle garlic powder on top instead?
At the high temperature, I don’t think I’d use fresh garlic – would most likely burn!
I doubled this for my family, did one tray with salt and one with sugar/cinnamon. They were gone in 10 minutes like you promised. This is a great recipe, thanks!
Love hearing this, Kristy! I also love how you split the batch and did some salty and some sweet!
My mixer just quit on me after 15 years
I haven’t decided on a replacement yet (which would you choose? Kitchen Aid or Bosch?) However, I do Have a hand mixer with some hook attachments. Would that work? I am a terrible bread maker, but wanted to try this today with my girlies. Thank you for your tried and true recipes!
Here’s a post with lots of info about KitchenAid mixers vs Bosch mixers (the comments are amazingly helpful!). I would probably make this recipe by hand rather than make it with a hand mixer.
So good! Lockdown here in England was brighter today thanks to sunshine in the garden and these bites of yumminess. My husband used some of the leftovers split and filled with raspberry jam which he said is also insanely delicious. Thanks Mel, these are a winner.
Oh yum!
Our family LOVES these pretzel bites and thankfully are so easy to make. We add about 2 tablespoons of Kernel Season’s Nacho Cheese powder (popcorn powder) in the butter and brush it over them. Delicious!!
Thanks, Lisa!
Wow, these WERE so easy, and were SUCH a hit tonight at supper. Yay for buttery salty yeasty goodness. My husband’s eyes got quite large when they came to the table, and they didn’t disappoint; especially with the cheese sauce. I served them with a vegetable soup to temper the calories and everyone was happy. Thanks for this recipe!
Thanks so much, Sarah!!
My mixer just quit on me after 15 years
I haven’t decided on a replacement yet (which would you choose? Kitchen Aid or Bosch?) However, I do Have a hand mixer with some hook attachments. Would that work? I am a terrible bread maker, but wanted to try this today with my girlies. Thank you for your tried and true recipes!
Hey Mel! Could these be cooked in an Air Fryer?
I don’t have an air fryer so I don’t know?? Certainly worth a try though!
We made these yesterday & they were a hit. Wishing we would have doubled the recipe because they were gone in 10 minutes. So yummy!
Happy to hear that, Whitney!
Hurray! A traditional pretzel recipe! I haven’t been able to find one without extra ingredients.
I will have to try these soon.
These are wonderful! So easy. The cheese sauce is my sons favorite homemade cheese sauce that he has ever had. What a fun day!
Yay!
Made these with my 9 year old son and he did the whole thing himself! Super easy and amazingly delicious! We made half of them salty and half of the sugary. Then we made a simple glaze with powder sugar and milk that we drizzled over the cinnamon sugar ones and it was the perfect finishing touch! Thanks for the awesome recipes!!
Those sounds amazing, Andrea! And your 9-year old is amazing. Way to go!
These were so delicious! Definitely my favorite quarantine snack so far!!
Thanks, Janet!
Hi Mel~
My kids helped make these today and they were AMAZING!!! My oldest typically gets very intimidated in the kitchen, but seeing your son doing it was a huge encouragement to her to give it a try 🙂 Thanks so much for doing what you do! You’re recipes, tutorials, and website have been a game changer in our home over the last six months. Thanks so much!
I’m so happy to hear that, Jen! Thanks for letting me know!
We basically ate these for dinner tonight and my kids now think I’m the greatest mom ever! They even said they were better then the ones at the mall. Thank you Mel, my whole household is singing your praises!
I highly support pretzel bites for dinner!
Super excited to make these Mel! Can I just say how amazing your boys are! I love all the cooking they are doing, and I know you have put a ton of time and patience into teaching the, but I think they are super amazing boys for getting in the kitchen with you and being willing! I can not get my kids excited about it, I’m like the Little Red Hen, no one wants to help, everyone just wants to eat.
Oh trust me, Josie – it’s been a process! Keep trying! (I hear you though, some days I feel like I’m just the kitchen servant and no one wants to do anything but eat all the goods!!)
Made these… well my 13 year old son did. They’re
The bomb! Super Yummy!!
Yay! Glad they were a hit!