Soft, chewy homemade pretzels made from simple pantry ingredients. Easy to make, perfectly golden, and delicious served warm with butter or dipping sauces.

Homemade soft pretzels with cheese sauce.

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Buttery Homemade Soft Pretzels

In my opinion, there is nothing quite like a hot, buttery and salted pretzel. It’s pure comfort food. And instead of giving into mall pretzels while you’re out, try making fresh homemade soft pretzels at home!

My mini pretzel bites recipe is so popular I thought I’d make a recipe for the regular-sized version, too! We also love these cinnamon sugar pretzels.

Why I Love This Recipe

  • Best texture and flavor: These homemade soft pretzels are soft, fluffy and chewy all at the same time.
  • Crowd-pleasing: We love making these for game day or a Sunday evening snack. Freeze any leftovers to pull out the next time you need a quick and easy snack!

How to Make Homemade Soft Pretzels

First mix and knead the dough. In a small bowl, add warm water and yeast. Allow to sit for 3-5 minutes or until it foams up. Add salt and sugar and stir. In a large bowl, add flour and then pour yeast mixture over top. Knead with dough hook in your stand mixer or by hand for about 3-5 minutes.

Soft pretzel dough in a two step photo collage.

Next, separate dough into 12 sections. Using your hands roll the dough into ropes about 15-20 inches long and 1 inch thick. Then form the rope into a circle and twist the top ends together. 

Rolling out soft pretzels.

Next bring the twisted ends down the center of the circle and pinch together with the bottom to form the pretzel shape.

Shaping homemade pretzels.

Then dunk each pretzel into the baking soda bath and top with salt. You may wonder if you really need to do the boil with baking soda, but it is an important step. This is what will help give the dough that classic pretzel texture, flavor and color.

Flavoring Variations

Instead of using coarse salt to sprinkle on the pretzels try some of these fun and delicious variations!

  • Cinnamon sugar: An Auntie Anne’s mall favorite! After baking, brush with melted butter than roll in cinnamon sugar.
  • Cheese: While pretzels are still wet from the baking soda bath sprinkle with cheese. Cheddar cheese, Parmesan cheese or Asiago would all be great. You can add pepperonis on top as well.
  • Everything but the bagel seasoning: After brushing with melted butter add some seasoning!
  • Garlic herb: Brush with garlic herb butter and sprinkle with Italian seasoning.

Serving Suggestions

It’s no secret that soft pretzels taste amazing with cheese sauce. Our favorite pretzel cheese sauce is below, but I also listed a few other options that would taste delicious as well.

Homemade soft pretzels on a baking sheet.

Ready to make more bread recipes? These easy breadsticks, sourdough bread recipe or no knead bread.

More Homemade Bread Recipes

soft pretzels with cheese sauce

Homemade Soft Pretzel Recipe

5 from 16 votes
Recipe by: Jamielyn Nye
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Rise time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings: 12
These homemade soft pretzels are buttery and fluffy with a chewy and salty exterior! A favorite with kids and adults, they are easy to make from scratch with no rising time.
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Ingredients 

  • 1 ½ cups warm water
  • 1 Tablespoon active yeast , or 1 packet
  • 1 ½ teaspoons salt
  • 2 Tablespoons (25g) granulated sugar
  • 3 1/2-4 cups (475g) all-purpose flour

For topping

  • 3 cups hot water
  • ⅓ cup baking soda (for hot water)
  • 1 ½ teaspoon coarse salt , for sprinkling on top
  • ¼ cup salted butter , melted for tops

Instructions

  • In a small bowl, add warm water, 1 Tablespoon sugar and yeast. Allow to sit for 5 minutes or until it foams up.
  • In a large bowl, add flour and salt. Pour yeast mixture over top. Knead with bread hook in your mixer or by hand for about 5 minutes. Allow to rise 30 minutes with a towel on top.
  • Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with a baking mat or parchment paper and set aside.
  • Separate dough into 12 balls, about 65 g per ball. Roll dough into ropes about 20 inches long and 1 inch thick. Then form rope into a circle and twist the top ends together. Then bring the twisted ends down the center of the circle and pinch together with the bottom to form the pretzels. Set aside and continue with the other pretzels. Cover the dough balls with a damp paper towel while you work to keep them soft. Let pretzels rest 10 minutes.
  • Combine 3 cups very hot water and 1/3 cup baking soda in a medium sized bowl or small pot. Stir to dissolve. Dunk pretzel dough into the water and then place on pan. This will give you a classic pretzel crust. Sprinkle about 1/8 teaspoon coarse salt on each pretzel. Repeat with all pretzels.
  • Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until golden brown. You can turn the oven to broil for the last minute to brown the tops more if desired. Remove pretzels to a cooling rack and brush tops with melted butter. Best served warm out of the oven.

Last step: Please leave a comment and rating after you make the recipe.

Notes

Storage:
  • To freeze: Once pretzels have cooled completely, transfer to a freezer bag or container and store in freezer for up to 2 months.
  • Reheat in oven: Preheat oven to 300°F and bake until warm throughout, about 10 to 15 minutes.
  • Reheat in microwave: Let thaw, then cook in microwave for about 30 seconds.
For dipping: cheese sauce or marinara. 
Variations: For a cinnamon sugar pretzel variation by dipping the pretzels in butter and then into a cinnamon sugar mixture. For a savory pretzel, sprinkle the tops with parmesan cheese and pepperoni before baking.

Nutrition

Calories: 138kcal, Carbohydrates: 29g, Protein: 4g, Fat: 1g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Sodium: 1205mg, Potassium: 45mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 1g, Calcium: 6mg, Iron: 2mg

Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used.

Homemade soft pretzels with cheese sauce on the counter.