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These buttery soft pretzel bites are quick and easy to make and irresistibly delicious — especially with some hot cheese dip or honey mustard!
So many of you have made and loved my homemade pretzel recipe over the years. But as much as I love traditionally-shaped pretzels, I have to say that these cute little pretzel bites are what I tend to make most often in my kitchen! ♡
This bite-sized version of the recipe is even quicker and easier to make, with all of the same, buttery, crispy goodness in each bite. They have the perfect ratio of crispy golden exterior to soft and chewy center. They’re perfect for sharing and snacking. And best of all, this recipe comes together easily in about an hour with basic pantry staples — no stand mixer required!
Here in our house, we’re partial to traditional buttery pretzels sprinkled with chunky pretzel salt and paired with my favorite beer cheese dip, but feel free to customize your batch however you’d like! You could top the pretzels with everything from cinnamon sugar to everything bagel seasoning, asiago cheese or herbs. You could dip them in everything from ranch dip to honey mustard, white queso, marinara or garlic butter. There are endless ways to enjoy these pretzel bites, so have fun experimenting with your favorite combinations!
So whether you’re planning a game day spread, need an easy party appetizer, or you’re just craving a fun homemade snack, these buttery soft pretzel bites are guaranteed to hit the spot. Let’s start baking!
Soft Pretzel Bites Ingredients
To make this homemade soft pretzel bites recipe, you will need the following ingredients:
Milk (or water): I prefer to use cow’s milk as the base of this pretzel dough, which makes each bite extra tender and adds a subtle hint of sweetness. But if you’re avoiding dairy, water works perfectly well as a substitute.
Sugar: I use brown sugar in this recipe for its warm molasses-like flavor, but white granulated sugar or coconut sugar would work well too.
Sea salt: We will use fine sea salt to season the dough. Then I highly recommend sprinkling the top of each bite with pretzel salt (or coarse sea salt) for an extra salty crunch.
Yeast: One packet of active dry yeast is all you need to help the dough rise. As always, be sure that your yeast is fresh and blooms properly in the first step before you proceed with the recipe — this is essential for success!
Flour: Regular all-purpose flour works beautifully in this recipe to give the pretzels a soft and chewy texture. You’re welcome to substitute white whole wheat flour if you would like, but the pretzels will be slightly more dense.
Butter: Melted butter adds richness to the dough and gives each bite a golden, buttery finish when brushed on top after baking.
Baking soda: Yes, 1/3 cup of baking soda is correct — this amount is essential for the boiling water bath, which gives the pretzels their classic golden crust.
Egg: Finally, we will whisk one egg with water to make an egg wash, which gives each bite a lovely shine and helps the salt to stick.
How To Make Soft Pretzel Bites
Detailed step-by-step instructions are included in the recipe below, but here are a few extra tips to keep in mind when making homemade pretzel bites:
Use fresh yeast. As mentioned above, be sure to check the expiration date on your packet of yeast before beginning the recipe. Then watch to ensure that it blooms in the first step. If it doesn’t foam up, that means the yeast is inactive and the dough will not rise properly, so it’s best to stop and start over with a fresh batch of yeast.
Don’t skip the baking soda bath. This step is essential for achieving the iconic golden, chewy pretzel crust on each bite. (Otherwise, these will just taste like basic little bread bites.) Just a 30-second dip does the trick!
Don’t overcrowd the baking sheet. Give the dough bites plenty of space so that they have room to puff up and brown while baking. You can either use one large baking sheet or two smaller sheets.
Be generous with butter. A good brush of melted butter adds so much flavor to these pretzel bites right out of the oven! Highly recommend.
Serve immediately. Homemade pretzels are always best served right away, especially while they’re still warm and pillowy soft.
Recipe Variations
Here are a few fun ways to customize this pretzel bites recipe:
Add toppings: Sprinkle your pretzel bites with cinnamon sugar, everything bagel seasoning, grated cheese (Asiago, Parmesan, etc), garlic powder, Italian herbs, a thin slice of jalapeño, or whatever else sounds good.
Add herbs to the dough: Mix your favorite fresh or dried herbs into the dough itself, such as rosemary, thyme or oregano.
Stuff the bites: Stuff the bites with a chunk of cheese, peanut butter, Nutella, etc.
Make it vegan: To make vegan pretzel bites, use your favorite non-dairy butter and water in place of milk.
Dips To Serve With Pretzel Bites
If you are looking for some delicious dips to serve with your pretzels, consider one of these favorites:
This delicious homemade soft pretzel bites recipe is easy to make in about 1 hour with ingredients you likely already have on hand. See notes above for possible variations you can make too.
Mix the dough. Whisk together the warm milk and sugar in a large mixing bowl (or in the bowl of a stand mixer). Sprinkle the yeast on top and wait 5 minutes for the yeast to foam up and activate.
Knead the dough. Add the flour, melted butter and salt. Then either (a) use a spoon to mix everything in until combined, and then use your hands to knead the dough for about 4 minutes until it is smooth, adding a bit more flour if the dough is too sticky or (b) use a stand mixer with a dough hook and mix on medium speed for 4 minutes until the dough is smooth, adding a bit more flour if the dough is too sticky.
Let the dough rise. Transfer the dough to a lightly-oiled bowl, cover with a damp towel, and let the dough rest for 20 to 30 minutes in a warm place until it has doubled in size.
Prep oven, baking sheet and boiling water solution. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 450°F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper, then set aside. Combine the water and baking soda in a stockpot or very large saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
Form the pretzel bites. Turn the dough out onto a lightly-oiled work surface and divide into 12 equal pieces. Roll out each piece of dough into even 3/4-inch wide ropes. Use a knife to cut the rope into individual pretzel bites, about 1-inch long each.
Boil the pretzel bites. Very carefully, use a spatula or spider strainer to transfer the the bites into the boiling water, about a dozen or so at a time time, for about 30 seconds per batch. Transfer the pretzel bites to the parchment-lined pan, spaced out so that they’re not touching, and repeat with the remaining pretzel bites.
Add egg wash and salt.Brush the top of each pretzel bite with the egg wash and sprinkle with the coarse sea salt.
Bake. Bake until the pretzel bites reach your desired level of golden brown color, about 12 to 14 minutes. Transfer the baking sheets to a wire cooling rack.
(Optional: Brush with extra butter.) If you would like your pretzel bites to taste extra buttery, brush them immediately with extra melted butter.
Serve warm. These pretzel bites taste best the day they have been baked, and even better hot out of the oven. So serve warm and enjoy!
Hi Ali, just wondering about how many pretzel pieces this makes :) I know it says 12 servings but I am trying to figure out how much that is in actual pieces. I need to make a whole bunch for a kindergarten party. Thanks in advance! Andrea :)
Would love to make these … can I make the dough one day … finish some to completion and keep the rest of the dough for the following day to make more fresh ones
Turned out pretty much perfect even adding the melted butter to the dough late after an initial knead (oops). I let the dough proof for 1 hour and took only ~8 minutes to bake. Wish I knew how the chain pretzel stores get theirs so evenly browned all around, but this recipe worked really well.
Lizzy —
The difference in the browning is typically due to commercial stores using convection ovens (the heat from all sides and will usually also have a small fan to help circulate the hot air as well so it cooks more even), and households typically hold conventional ovens that only heat from the bottom. In order to get that beautiful brown we all love try 1. when you start to see them browning flip the pan around, or 2. buy a small convection toaster over for your counter.
these are so good and easy to make!! i will definitely be making these again! (ps. don’t put the baking soda in while it’s already boiling… make sure you do it before like the directions said :))
This recipe should not be allowed!!
I sat down with a bottle of wine and my pretzel bites during a snow day.
Could’ve done without the added butter on top. (But it’s a snow day!)
I would love to make these for St. Patrick’s day with a pub cheese, but I only have one oven and will need to bake them the day before, oven will be occupied most of the day with the Corned Beef of course.
Any tips on keeping them fresh, not necessarily warm?
I was nervous about working with yeast because I haven’t always had the best of luck, but this recipe was so easy and my husband is very pleased with how they turned out. So isn’t that all that matters? LOL!! Will be adding this to my appetizer menu!!
These were great! The doughs texture was different than I am used to but it seemed to work out ok! I kept my hands and work surface lightly oiled so that my dough didn’t dry/crack while rolling/shaping – I was a little slow haha. I split my dough for two different bakes – one I cooked same day for me and my husband to taste.
The second batch, for a work party, was about 3/4 of what the recipe makes. I rolled and cut my pieces and laid them out on a parchment covered baking sheet, covered with plastic wrap, and put in the fridge overnight. In the morning I boiled and cooked as per the recipe. They did not lose any fluff after resting for about 10 hours. In total I filled one 5.5c Tupperware and one sandwich baggie.
I wanted to make pretzels for my husbands coworkers. I only made one batch. Im not exaggerating when I say this dough trippled in size. I made small bites and followed the directions almost to a t. I added just about 1/2 tsp more of yeast, because often times with yeast the recipe doesnt have enough to poof well in my particular home. This poofed ontop of our stove with the oven on 200 for about 45 minutes.
Im not sure any will make it to my husbands work. I sprinkled with pink salt, coarse black pepper and garlic and I may have a problem now. Im eating them faster than I can make them!! They’re so crunchy, too! This is significantly easier and better than other recipes Ive used for soft pretzels.
Lol I stand corrected .. ( idk why had to read this like 5 times) before realizing you mix baking soda and water lol… 😆
How did they come out?
Hi Ali, just wondering about how many pretzel pieces this makes :) I know it says 12 servings but I am trying to figure out how much that is in actual pieces. I need to make a whole bunch for a kindergarten party. Thanks in advance! Andrea :)
Maybe 60-70 bites? It makes so many!
I LOVED these! They turned out perfect! Paired great with queso!
Would it work to prep and boil tge dough, and then refrigerate then for a day before baking fresh during a gathering?
I make these all the time and they are always a hit! I make a beer cheese dip to go with it. So good!
Would love to make these … can I make the dough one day … finish some to completion and keep the rest of the dough for the following day to make more fresh ones
I have made this recipe countless times. It’s heavily requested for me to make by family and friends. So easy and so good!
Turned out pretty much perfect even adding the melted butter to the dough late after an initial knead (oops). I let the dough proof for 1 hour and took only ~8 minutes to bake. Wish I knew how the chain pretzel stores get theirs so evenly browned all around, but this recipe worked really well.
The difference in the browning is typically due to commercial stores using convection ovens (the heat from all sides and will usually also have a small fan to help circulate the hot air as well so it cooks more even), and households typically hold conventional ovens that only heat from the bottom. In order to get that beautiful brown we all love try 1. when you start to see them browning flip the pan around, or 2. buy a small convection toaster over for your counter.
Can the dough be frozen before cooking or can the baked pretzel bites be frozen
Sounds yummy I’m going to try this recipe
can you make this dough ahead and leave in the fridge?
Can you use instant dry yeast instead of active ?
these are so good and easy to make!! i will definitely be making these again! (ps. don’t put the baking soda in while it’s already boiling… make sure you do it before like the directions said :))
This recipe should not be allowed!!
I sat down with a bottle of wine and my pretzel bites during a snow day.
Could’ve done without the added butter on top. (But it’s a snow day!)
I’ve tried MANY recipes, including sourdough. These are the first to actually turn out, look similar to the image and taste absolutely delicious!
These came out great!
Can’t wait to try
I would love to make these for St. Patrick’s day with a pub cheese, but I only have one oven and will need to bake them the day before, oven will be occupied most of the day with the Corned Beef of course.
Any tips on keeping them fresh, not necessarily warm?
Thank you,
Michelle
Terrific!!!!
Dough was perfect. Tasted excellent. Had to bake at 450 for 18 minutes.
Can this be made in an air fryer?
I was nervous about working with yeast because I haven’t always had the best of luck, but this recipe was so easy and my husband is very pleased with how they turned out. So isn’t that all that matters? LOL!! Will be adding this to my appetizer menu!!
How thick should the dough be when rolled out in 3/4 wide strips??
Anyone airfried these???
These were great! The doughs texture was different than I am used to but it seemed to work out ok! I kept my hands and work surface lightly oiled so that my dough didn’t dry/crack while rolling/shaping – I was a little slow haha. I split my dough for two different bakes – one I cooked same day for me and my husband to taste.
The second batch, for a work party, was about 3/4 of what the recipe makes. I rolled and cut my pieces and laid them out on a parchment covered baking sheet, covered with plastic wrap, and put in the fridge overnight. In the morning I boiled and cooked as per the recipe. They did not lose any fluff after resting for about 10 hours. In total I filled one 5.5c Tupperware and one sandwich baggie.
I wanted to make pretzels for my husbands coworkers. I only made one batch. Im not exaggerating when I say this dough trippled in size. I made small bites and followed the directions almost to a t. I added just about 1/2 tsp more of yeast, because often times with yeast the recipe doesnt have enough to poof well in my particular home. This poofed ontop of our stove with the oven on 200 for about 45 minutes.
Im not sure any will make it to my husbands work. I sprinkled with pink salt, coarse black pepper and garlic and I may have a problem now. Im eating them faster than I can make them!! They’re so crunchy, too! This is significantly easier and better than other recipes Ive used for soft pretzels.
I never got my dough to rise. :( no idea why. I’m not a novice with cooking or baking so I’m confused. About to boil and bake anyway, just in case. 😢
You mention stuffing with cheese or peanut butter. At what point would you do this ?