Easy homemade pretzel bites brushed with melted butter and sea salt. This easy pretzel recipe makes the perfect appetizer or snack! Always a big crowd pleaser and gone in minutes!
These pretzel bites are one of our absolute favorite appetizer recipes. We especially love to make them for game day, as well as crockpot BBQ meatballs, blender salsa, 4-ingredient cheese ball and 7-layer dip.
Pretzel Bites
These homemade pretzel bites are the perfect game day appetizer! You won’t believe how easy these are to make. I remember watching a show on the cooking channel last year where they made homemade pretzels and it has been on my list ever since. I’m always craving “mall pretzels” daily!
I specifically remember them saying the “baking soda wash” and “egg wash” were the most important steps when making homemade pretzels. This helps the dough turn into the chewy goodness that is found in a store bought pretzel. The best part about this pretzel bites recipe is that they only take about 30 minutes to make! They do involve a bit of work… but they are definitely worth it! They are so so good. I can’t wait to make these pretzel bites again!
How do you make pretzel bites?
Pretzel bites may seem intimidating to make, but they are so worth it! And these homemade pretzels are made in just 30 minutes…win! Just follow the steps below to get started. Scroll down for the printable pretzel bites recipe.
- Preheat oven to 425°F and line a baking sheet with baking mat or parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a small bowl, add warm water & yeast. Allow to sit for 3-5 minutes and then add salt and sugar and stir.
- In a large bowl, add flour and then pour yeast mixture over top. Knead with bread hook in mixer or by hand for about 5 minutes.
- Separate dough into 6 sections and then roll dough into ropes about 15-20 inches long and 1 inch thick. Cut with scissors into 11/2 – 2 inch pieces. Optional: cut a “t” or “x” on the top of the pretzel with scissors.
- In a small pan, bring water and 1/3 cup baking soda to a boil. Once water is boiling, place about 8 pieces of dough into the water for about 30 seconds. Remove with slotted spoon and place pretzel bites onto baking sheet. Brush dough lightly with egg and sprinkle salt on top.
- Bake homemade pretzels for 8-10 minutes, or until golden brown. You can turn the oven to broil for the last minute to brown the tops. Remove pretzel bites to cooling rack and brush tops with melted butter if desired.
- Enjoy soft pretzel bites with your favorite sauce!
What dips go with pretzels?
These pretzel bites pair perfectly with so many dips! We serve them with cheese dipping sauce quite frequently, but they also taste great with the dips below:
- Queso dip with chorizo
- Slow cooker queso blanco
- Buffalo chicken dip
- Spinach artichoke dip
- White bean hummus
- Slow cooker cheesy bacon dip
- Smoked Italian cheese dip
Frequently asked questions for pretzel bites recipe
How long do soft pretzels last? I personally think these pretzel bites are best within the first 2 hours. If you have leftovers, I would store in the freezer vs. refrigerator. They tend to get a little soggy when stored in a bag in the refrigerator.
Can you freeze pretzel bites? Yes, you can freeze homemade pretzels. Just place them in a freezer bag and store in freezer. You can heat them back up in the microwave (20-30 seconds) or in the oven until warm.
Is active dry yeast the same as instant yeast? Pretty much! The two yeasts can be used interchangeably when baking, however active dry yeast needs to be mixed with water so that it can dissolve and instant yeast does not.
Why do you put baking soda in water when making pretzels? The baking soda wash helps to give the pretzel bites the chewy, pretzel-like texture.
Can I use baking powder instead of baking soda for pretzels? Yes, but make sure to use 2-3 times more baking powder (so about 1 cup of baking soda for this pretzel bites recipe).
Pretzel Bites Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cup warm water
- 1 packet active yeast (or 2 1/4 teaspoons)
- 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 4 cups flour
- 1/3 cup baking soda (for boiling water)
- 1 egg whisked
- coarse salt (or kosher or sea salt)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with a baking mat or parchment paper and set aside.
- In a small bowl , add warm water and yeast. Allow to sit for 3-5 minutes. Add salt and sugar and stir.
- In a large bowl, add flour and then pour yeast mixture over top. Knead with bread hook in your mixer or by hand for about 5 minutes.
- Separate dough into 6 sections. Roll dough into ropes about 15-20 inches long and 1 inch thick. Cut with scissors into 11/2 – 2 inch pieces. Optional: cut a “t” or “x” on the top of the pretzel with scissors.
- In a small pan, bring water + 1/3 cup baking soda to a boil. Once water is boiling, place about 8 pieces of dough into the water for about 30 seconds. Remove with slotted spoon and place pretzel bites onto baking sheet. Brush dough lightly with egg and sprinkle salt on top.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until golden brown. You can turn the oven to broil for the last minute to brown the tops. Remove pretzel bites to a cooling rack and brush tops with melted butter if desired.
- Enjoy homemade pretzels with your favorite cheese sauce.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Mmm… now I’m craving homemade pretzels! They are perfect right out of the oven. Definitely add these babies to the must make list! You could even roll them in cinnamon sugar before baking to create a yummy dessert. Enjoy!
Yuuuuuuuuum!
We are going to make these tonight for FHE! Thanks! Pinned it!
These look so good. These would be amazing in my husbands lunch!
Those look so delicious!
These look so good! I always get pretzel bites when we go to the mall! Yum!
xoxo
So yummy!! Thx for the recipe. The kids will love these. :)
Yum yum yum! I love pretzels and these look amazing. Pinning!
Yum, these look so good! Is it possible to freeze half of the dough after it rises? I feel like it would be too dangerous to make all of these! ;)
Hi Chelsie! I’m not sure it would freeze well, but you could freeze them after they are cooked. They might not taste quite as fresh, but they would still be yummy! :)
I baked them and then threw the about 10 that were not eaten in a freezer quart bag. I took some out 2 days later and they heated up in about 20-25 seconds in the microwave – they tasted pretty good. There are still some in the freezer so I will see how they do after being in their longer.
Glad to know they froze pretty well for you! I think they are best served warm and fresh. :)
Yum! Do you have a recipe for a good cheese sauce? The one you have pictured looks amazing.
Hi Quincy! I actually don’t have a favorite cheese sauce…I have been trying out a few and I haven’t been able to get it just right. This one I actually got from the store! :)
I also crave those “mall pretzels”! There’s something about those that brings back a lot of memories from high school when I spent a lot of time at the mall. These look delicious–thanks for sharing the recipe!
These were delicious, I just finished in the kitchen and my family is super happy :)
I’m glad your family liked them Heather! Thanks for stopping by again to leave a comment! Hope you have a great weekend! :)
These were horrible…way too much baking soda or something! YUK
I’m sorry these didn’t turn out for you! You might have left the pretzel bites in the soda wash too long. You could always skip this step, it just gives it the pretzel texture!
These look great. Going to make them tonight.
I hope you enjoyed these Allan! :)
Yum! Now if I could somehow fill them with peanut butter… ;-)
YUM! If you end up doing it, please come back and let us all know how it went! :)
I made these this weekend, my first attemp at pretzels. While they didn’t look at perfect as the ones in the photo, they were fantastic – my husband couldn’t stop eating them! Served with home-made cheese queso, they were a hit. Thanks for sharing!
I’m glad you liked them! Thanks for coming back and leaving a comment! :)
Oh my! These look so good! Just pinned! :)
Made these over the weekend and they were delicious!! Thanks for another yummy recipe.
Immediately after I made these, they were delicious —-good taste and texture. I stored them for a couple of hours in a plastic bag to take to a friend’s, and when I took them out of the bag to serve them, they were as tough as shoe leather. Such a disappointment! How should one store them ?
Hi Ann! These pretzel bites are best stored just on a plate. I usually try and eat them within a few hours though. :) I’ve noticed when you put pretzels in a bag, it absorbs the moisture…so that is probably why they turned tough! Sorry they didn’t last for your friends!
I’d love to take these to a party. Would it be possible to boil the bites, and then pop them in the oven a couple hours later?
Hi Kelly! I have never tried doing this but I would guess that they might get a little soggy. I think these pretzel bites are the best within 2 hours! :)
I just made these and they turned out GREAT! I, of course, made the stupid mistake of using wax paper instead of parchment… I don’t know why I always make that mistake, but I had to tear the bottoms off all the pieces! But they were so yummy I couldn’t possibly mind one little screw up the first time I make the recipe!
I’m glad they turned out well for you Heather, thanks for commenting! I’ve made that mistake before too!
Do you really use 3/4 cups of baking soda?
Hi! Yes I use 3/4 cup baking soda, but some recipes call for a little less so you could do 1/2 cup! :)
The recipe says 1/3 cup baking soda was that changed from 3/4 cup at some point?
Hi Stacey! Yes, the original recipe has 3/4 a cup, but I tried it again with 1/3 cup and it worked just as well. :)
So good! I thought they were a little salty though, so next time I’ll make sure to go light with the sea salt on top.
I’m glad you liked them Jessica! They are definitely salty, you’ll have to try cinnamon sugar on them too! :)
Are these pretzel bites soft like those at the mall or hard and crunchy like from the store?
Soft like those at the mall! :)
I am making these right now and am excited to taste them just wandering why this recipe didn’t need rising time??
Hi! These pretzel bites worked great without rising, but if you made larger pretzels, they would need to rise!
These all look yummy can’t wait to try them
Thanks Pam! :)
Hello,
How many pretzel bites does this recipe make? I am having a group of about 10 people and wondering if I need to double up.
Thanks,
Jaclyn
Hi Jaclyn! This recipe made about 25-30 pretzels. So if you are just having pretzels, I would say double it!
I don’t know why recipes with yeast make me nervous. I really want to make these!
Yeast used to make me nervous too! Once you use it once you’ll be inspired to use it in lots of breads and roll recipes. :)
Awesome idea! Do you know by chance if this would work with a gluten free flour?
I haven’t tried it with gluten free flour so I am not sure! If you have tried it with other recipes and it worked it should be fine for these! :)
Tried these today! Delicious! Thanks for posting!
So glad you enjoyed them Jennie! Thanks for your comment. :)
I’m making these now…actually on my second attempt and so far it’s a total kitchen disaster. I followed the recipe exactly, but the first time the dough came out SO sticky that there was no way I could roll it into ropes. It stuck to my hands like stretchy glue. I couldn’t get it off! Even flouring my hands didn’t work (I also tried flouring the cutting board…still waaaay too sticky). I thought maybe it was because I kneaded it with the bread hook in the mixer for 5 minutes. Maybe the directions meant to knead it for 5 minutes only if you’re doing it by hand? So I tried again…this time trying to knead by hand. Same results. I put the dough in the refrigerator because I’d hate to put another batch in the garbage…hopefully this will work. But I’m not sure what I did wrong. I just bought the yeast, so it’s not old… These look amazing in your pictures. There is no way my dough will make ropes like that… Any advice?
Hi Susan! I’m sorry you had trouble with the pretzel bites. The dough shouldn’t be sticky but soft. You may have needed to add more flour, I add more flour until I get the right consistency. Every climate is different so it is hard to know how much flour to add!
I found these on Pinterest and tried them for Super Bowl Sunday. They are delicious! We love them. Thanks for sharing your recipe! I know I’ll make them many times.
I’m so glad you liked them Jo! :)
Can you use pizza dough?
Hi! I haven’t tried it with pizza dough, but it may work. They just may taste more like breadsticks. :)
i just made these! They were simple and perfect!! Tasted great, everyone loved them. Thanks!
They look great I am totally trying them some time.
I made these today and my husband I both thought they were very good. My dough was stiff and I would not have been able to get the length on rolling to make a pretzel shape. It worked perfect for the bites though.
These are wonderful, and I pinned to my recipes because I will be making them again and again and…..
I made these today for a super bowl party, they came out great! What is the cut ‘x’ for? I didn’t notice that it did anything, except for giving my scissor hand a cramp!
The x on top gives them a direction to expand – without that, they wouldn’t be uniform. :)
This is my favourite. So easy and very yummy.
These are so good. My husband and teenagers LOVE these and gobble them up when I make them, which is a couple times a month.
how may does this serve?
Hi Erin! This recipe made about 25-30 pretzels. :)
Does 1/2 cup baking soda go into flour?????
Hi Martha! No, the 1/3 cup of baking soda goes in the boiling water for the baking soda wash to give it that pretzel texture! :)
Just tried this. Yummy. I had to bake them longer. Maybe my dough was too stiff? But will try again.
I’m glad you liked these! It does take a couple tries to get it just right. :)
These look amazing! I love love love homemade pretzels. But more importantly what is the recipe for that amazing cheese dip on the side? Yum yum yum!!
Homemade pretzels really are the best! I actually don’t have a favorite cheese sauce…I have been trying out a few and I haven’t been able to get it just right. This one I actually got from the store! :)