pretzel bites in a parchment lined container

The Best No-Hassle Pretzel Bites Recipe

I’ve made more versions of these than I’d care to admit. There are so many different recipes out there that I was determined to find one that was what I was looking for. Well, I didn’t. I ended up having to combine the steps and ingredients of about 5 different ones and ended up with one that I love!

I hated the recipes that had all the muss and fuss of boiling baking soda in water and having to put them in there and blah blah blah. I mean really, I can’t even tell the difference AT ALL. So, I opted for a more simplistic route and I’m really happy with the results.

I also tried these with cinnamon and sugar on them, but ultimately ended up loving the salted kind better. It’s just something about a soft, salty pretzel! You don’t have to cut these up into bites if you don’t want to. You could also easily turn them into full blown pretzels. I did a few and they were puffy and delicious!

What you’ll need for this Pretzel Bites Recipe

  • warm water
  • yeast
  • salt
  • sugar
  • all purpose flour
  • baking soda
  • egg
  • Coarse kosher salt for sprinkling

How to Make Pretzel Bites

  1. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set it aside. 
  2. Combine the warm water, yeast, and sugar to a large mixing. 
  3. Let the yeast bloom. This will take about 5 minutes. You’ll know it’s blooming when you see little puffs of expanded yeast float to the top and it gets nice and foamy. 
  4.  Add the salt and mix to combine. 
  5. Begin adding the flour 1 cup at a time, mixing to combine fully before adding in the next cup. I recommend using a large plastic or wooden spoon for this step. 
  6. After the flour is fully added, make sure the dough is no longer sticky. If it is sticky, continue adding in a little more flour (¼ cup at a time) to the dough until it is no longer sticky. 
  7. Place the dough on a floured surface and knead for about 4-5 minutes. 
  8. Using a knife, cut the dough into 4 sections. 
  9. Roll each section into a long rope. 
  10. Cut the rope into 1” x 1” squares. 
  11. Prep them all and set them aside. 
  12. Bring a large pot of water to a boil (about 8 cups). 
  13. Slowly add in the baking soda. It’s important to do this slowly or it will cause it to boil over. 
  14. Add about 15-20 pretzel bites at a time to the boiling water and let them cook for about 30 seconds. 
  15. Remove them from the water (draining the excess) and place them on the parchment lined baking sheet. Make sure the bites aren’t touching. 
  16. Continue this process until all of the pretzel bites have been done. 
  17. In a bowl, beat the egg and add 1 tablespoon of water. 
  18. Brush each of the pretzel bites with the egg wash and then sprinkle them with coarse kosher (or sea) salt. 
  19. Bake them in the oven for 15 minutes. 
  20. If they aren’t fully browned on top, you can switch to broil and leave them in for about 1 minute. Keep your eye on them! They can burn quickly under the broiler. 

Soft Pretzel Bites Recipe Variations

  • The great thing about these pretzel bites are all of the different variations you can make.

For the shape, you can use this recipe to make full size pretzels, mini pretzels, or pretzel bites.

To change up the flavor, instead of sprinkling them with salt, you can sprinkle them with cinnamon and sugar for sweetness or even top them with cheese and pepperoni for a pizza-style pretzel.

Toppings for Pretzel Bites

You can get really creative with the toppings for pretzels. Whether you make them into bites or leave them as full size pretzels, here are some options:

  • beer cheese sauce
  • honey mustard
  • cinnamon sugar
  • marinara sauce
  • pepperoni
  • cheese
  • jalapenos
  • garlic and parmesan
  • pesto
  • chocolate

How to Store Soft Pretzel Bites

The best way to store leftover pretzel bites is to place them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Can you freeze already made pretzel bites?

Already made pretzel bites can be frozen. Place them in an airtight container or ziptop bag with the extra air removed. Freeze them for up to 6 months.

How long are pretzel bites good for?

Pretzel bites are good for up to 3 days at room temperature or 6 months when frozen.

Do you have to refrigerate pretzel bites?

Pretzel bites do not need to be refrigerated.

How to Make Pretzel Bites FAQs

How many pretzel bites is a serving?

There is 1 pretzel bites in a serving.

How do you soften pretzel bites?

Pretzel bites will be soft as soon as they come out of the oven.

If you want to soften leftover pretzel bites, place them in the microwave for about 5-10 seconds and they will soften back up.

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Homemade Soft Pretzel Bites

5 from 2 votes
Prep 20 minutes
Cook 15 minutes
Total 35 minutes
Servings: 50 bites

Ingredients 

Instructions 

  • Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set it aside.
  • Combine the warm water, yeast, and sugar to a large mixing.
  • Let the yeast bloom. This will take about 5 minutes. You’ll know it’s blooming when you see little puffs of expanded yeast float to the top and it gets nice and foamy.
  • Add the salt and mix to combine.
  • Begin adding the flour 1 cup at a time, mixing to combine fully before adding in the next cup. I recommend using a large plastic or wooden spoon for this step.
  • After the flour is fully added, make sure the dough is no longer sticky. If it is sticky, continue adding in a little more flour (¼ cup at a time) to the dough until it is no longer sticky.
  • Place the dough on a floured surface and knead for about 4-5 minutes.
  • Using a knife, cut the dough into 4 sections.
  • Roll each section into a long rope.
  • Cut the rope into 1” x 1” squares.
  • Prep them all and set them aside.
  • Bring a large pot of water to a boil (about 8 cups).
  • Slowly add in the baking soda. It’s important to do this slowly or it will cause it to boil over.
  • Add about 15-20 pretzel bites at a time to the boiling water and let them cook for about 30 seconds.
  • Remove them from the water (draining the excess) and place them on the parchment lined baking sheet. Make sure the bites aren’t touching.
  • Continue this process until all of the pretzel bites have been done.
  • In a bowl, beat the egg and add 1 tablespoon of water.
  • Brush each of the pretzel bites with the egg wash and then sprinkle them with coarse kosher (or sea) salt.
  • Bake them in the oven for 15 minutes.
  • If they aren’t fully browned on top, you can switch to broil and leave them in for about 1 minute. Keep your eye on them! They can burn quickly under the broiler.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g, Calories: 35kcal, Carbohydrates: 7g, Protein: 1g, Fat: 0.2g, Saturated Fat: 0.05g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 0.1g, Trans Fat: 0g, Cholesterol: 4mg, Sodium: 267mg, Potassium: 12mg, Fiber: 0.3g, Sugar: 0.4g, Vitamin A: 5IU, Vitamin C: 0mg, Calcium: 2mg, Iron: 0.4mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Appetizer, Side Dish
Cuisine: American

Hi! I’m Kara!

Kara loves all things food and spending time with her family and dogs. She has a passion for cooking and loves making yummy, family-friendly recipes.

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5 from 2 votes (2 ratings without comment)

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2 Comments

  1. I’m looking forward to making this recipe and bought all of the ingredients needed yesterday. The question I have, though, is do you use fast rising instant yeast or active dry yeast for this?