This Pretzel Bites Recipe is soft, chewy, and impossible to stop eating. Finish them with salted butter or cozy cinnamon sugar, then dunk in cheese sauce or a sweet glaze.
author’s note
My Most Requested Party Snack Ever!
My sister’s obsession with Auntie Anne’s pretzel bites rubbed off on my family after a few mall trips this summer. She got my kids hooked, and now they beg me to go just for pretzel bites. After paying mall prices one too many times, I decided it was time to figure out a homemade version that actually lived up to the real thing.
After a lot of testing, this Pretzel Bites recipe became the clear winner. They are soft and chewy on the inside, lightly crisp on the outside, and perfectly buttery with that classic pretzel flavor. The baking soda bath is the key here. It gives the bites that signature pretzel taste and texture you just cannot get without it.
Homemade pretzel bites are easier than you might think, and once you make them from scratch, it is hard to go back to store bought.
Ingredients
This pretzel bites recipe just needs 8 ingredients, most of which you likely have if you bake yeasted breads like French, White, or Honey Whole Wheat Bread.
| Ingredient | Tips & Swaps |
|---|---|
| Milk | Whole milk is best, but 1% or 2% also work. |
| Water | Warm water works best. Test it on your wrist. |
| Honey | Adds a light, subtle sweetness to the bites. |
| Yeast | Instant or active dry both work. Active dry may take longer to rise. |
| Flour | All-purpose or bread flour work, but bread flour is best. |
| Salt | Some goes in the dough, then more on top later. |
| Butter | Used in the dough and brushed on after baking. |
| Baking Soda | Mixed with boiling water to create the pretzel bath. |
How To Make Pretzel Bites Recipe
- Mix: Combine warm water, milk, yeast, and honey; let it foam.
- Combine: Mix with flour, salt, and butter to form dough.
- Knead: Knead the dough and let it rise until doubled.
- Shape: Roll into ropes, cut into bite-sized pieces.
- Boil: Dip pieces in a baking soda bath for 10 seconds.
- Bake: Brush with butter, sprinkle with salt, and bake until golden.
- Serve: Enjoy warm, plain, or with dipping sauce!
Kitchen Tools To Help
- Dough scraper or spatula: Helps scrape and move dough easily.
- Baking liners or parchment paper: Prevents sticking and helps the bottom brown evenly. Don’t use foil or wax paper; wax paper melts in the oven.
- Stand Mixer: Makes pretzel dough quicker to prepare.
- Towels: Great for covering dough while it rises.
- Ruler or tape measure: Ensure the dimensions of the dough are on track.
Quick Tip
I also tested this Pretzel Bites recipe using a hand mixer. While a bit more work, they’ll do the job!
Pretzel Bites Recipe Toppings
- Brush melted butter on the bites and sprinkle with coarse salt (like pretzel, bagel, or kosher salt) for the classic topping.
- For cinnamon sugar pretzels, bake without butter or salt. Brush with butter right out of the oven, then coat in cinnamon sugar.
Delicious Dips For This Pretzel Bites Recipe
- Cheese Sauce: Perfect with salty pretzels! Add hot sauce or cayenne for extra spice.
- Cream Cheese Sauce: Great with cinnamon-sugar pretzels for a cinnamon-roll flavor.
- Honey Mustard: A mix of sweet and tangy, great with salty pretzels.
- Nutella or Chocolate: Sweet and creamy, perfect for cinnamon-sugar pretzels.
- Ranch: Smooth and savory, a fun dip for salty pretzels.
- Caramel Sauce: Sweet and rich, delicious with cinnamon-sugar pretzels.
Storage
How Long Do Pretzel Bites Last?
- Best Fresh: Pretzel bites are best eaten warm the same day. Store in an airtight bag at room temp for 3–5 days.
- Reheating: Warm in a 350°F oven for 5 minutes, microwave briefly, or use an air fryer to crisp.
- Freezing: Freeze cooled bites in an airtight container for 2–3 months. Reheat at 350°F for 10 minutes.
Use Leftover Yeast In:
Muffins And Quick Breads
Fry Bread Recipe
Appetizers
No-Knead Bread Recipe
Lunch
Easy Focaccia Recipe
Breakfast
Homemade Cinnamon Rolls
Pretzel Bites
These Pretzel Bites are amazing! Brush with butter and sprinkle with salt or cinnamon sugar, then dip in cheese sauce or cream cheese glaze—so good!
Video
Equipment
- Large sheet pan (15″ x 21″) 15 x 21-inch
- Silicone baking mat or parchment paper
Ingredients
- 1 cup warm water
- 1/2 cup warm milk whole milk recommended
- 2-1/4 teaspoons instant yeast or active dry—see note 1
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 3 up to 4 cups bread flour plus more for dusting surface, see note 2
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 5 to 7 tablespoons unsalted butter divided
- Cooking spray
Baking Soda Bath
- 8 cups water
- 1/4 cup baking soda
- 1 teaspoon coarse salt or make cinnamon-sugar pretzels with cream cheese sauce—see notes 3 and 4
- Cheese sauce optional, for serving, see note 5
Instructions
- Quick Tip: It may be helpful to watch the tutorial video in this recipe post before starting!In a medium bowl, whisk the warm water, warm milk (see note 6), yeast, and honey; let sit 5–10 minutes. It should look creamy/foamy after 5 minutes (see photo). If not, your yeast didn’t work, and you’ll need to begin again. (Either the yeast is dead or the water/milk was too hot.)
- In the bowl of a stand mixer (or large bowl), combine 3 cups bread flour and salt. Stir to combine, then make a well in the middle. Pour in 1 tablespoon melted and cooled butter. Use a spatula to scrape every bit of the yeast mixture on top. Attach paddle or dough hook and beat on low speed, scraping the sides as needed with a rubber spatula, until combined. Increase speed, and if needed (see note 7), add up to 3/4 cup more flour, adding 1/4 cup at a time until the dough comes together on the dough hook and pulls away from the sides of the bowl. After mixing for about 2 minutes, if the dough is still sticking to sides of the bowl instead of around hook, add the last 1/4 cup flour.
- Once dough is gathering around the hook, knead on low speed for 5 minutes or knead by hand on a lightly floured surface. Knead and shape dough into a ball. Spray a large bowl with cooking spray, turn the ball to coat in the oil, then cover the bowl with a towel and let rise in a draft-free, warm (70°F) environment for 1 hour 30 minutes or until doubled in size.
- Preheat oven to 450°F. Line an extra-large (15×21-inch) sheet pan (or 2 smaller pans) with silicone baking mats (preferred) or parchment paper (lightly grease with cooking spray). Punch down the dough and dump onto a lightly floured surface. Cut dough into 6 equal pieces (just eyeball it). Take 1 piece, covering the other 5 pieces with a towel. Use your hands to roll the piece into an even, long rope, about 20–22 inches in length. Cut the rope into 1.5-inch pieces. Place pieces on prepared sheet pan. Repeat with remaining dough until all dough is cut into pieces.
- While cutting out the last 3 ropes, bring 8 cups water in a large pot to boil. Once boiling, add baking soda and whisk until completely dissolved. Take 8 pretzel bites at a time in both hands and gently place (at the same time) in the boiling water. Count to 10, then use a large slotted spoon to lift the pretzel bites, tapping against the pot edge to allow excess water to drip off. Place the bites back on the prepared sheet pan. Repeat until all bites have gone in the boiling water (if the water gets foamy, reduce heat). Make sure bites are well spaced out, not overlapping, but they can be relatively close together (see picture above).
- Melt 4 tablespoons butter and use a pastry brush to brush butter generously over all the pretzel bites (should use all or most of it). Sprinkle with coarse salt and bake 12–18 minutes or until golden brown on top, lightly browned on bottom, and baked through. (If you don’t bake the entire batch of pretzels at once, bake time will be quicker). Remove from oven. Optional: for extra buttery bites, melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter and brush on bites right out of the oven, adding a touch more salt if desired. Serve warm.
Final step! Please let us know how it was by leaving a review.
Recipe Notes
Note 1: I prefer instant yeast, but active dry will work. Just note the rise time is typically longer!
Note 2: Bread flour’s higher protein gives these Pretzel Bites a better chew and texture. All-purpose flour works too, but the result is a bit less pretzel-like.
Note 3: Cinnamon sugar coating: Bake Pretzel Bites plain (no butter or salt). Melt 4 tbsp unsalted butter and set aside. In another bowl, mix 3/4 cup sugar with 2 tsp cinnamon. When pretzels are done and still warm, brush each with butter, then dip in cinnamon sugar, and place on a cooling rack. Best served warm, as they’ll get soggy after a few hours.
Note 4: Cream cheese sauce: In a large bowl, beat 4 oz softened cream cheese with 2 tbsp butter until smooth. Add 1 cup powdered sugar, a dash of vanilla, a pinch of salt, and 2 tbsp heavy cream; mix until smooth.
Note 5: Optional Cheese Sauce:
Note 5: Optional Cheese Sauce:
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1/2 tsp fine sea salt and paprika
- 1/4 tsp pepper and garlic powder
- 1 tbsp flour
- 1 (12-ounce) can evaporated milk
- 2 cups sharp (or extra sharp) freshly shredded Cheddar cheese (6 oz. cheese)
- For more flavor/some heat: add hot sauce or ground cayenne pepper (add slowly to taste)
- Dough should gather around the paddle, not stick to the bowl sides.
- It will be slightly sticky, smooth, and tacky.
- Your finger should feel slight resistance without sticking.
- Add flour gradually to maintain dough softness.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 46kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 4mg | Sodium: 238mg | Potassium: 15mg | Fiber: 0.2g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 43IU | Vitamin C: 0.01mg | Calcium: 7mg | Iron: 0.1mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
