Pretzel Bites

Easy pretzel bites are soft, chewy, and super fun to make! Get the kids involved and make a batch for the next game day or board game night. Never baked with yeast before? This is the perfect recipe to start!

Soft pretzel bites have the best chewy texture and taste amazing fresh out of the oven. Serve with your favorite dipping sauce, like Honey Mustard Sauce or Nacho Cheese Sauce for a fun family snack.

If you’ve never worked with yeast before, pretzel bites are the perfect way to ease in. The dough is lot more forgiving and doesn’t require a lengthy rise time like traditional loaves of bread – just 10-15 minutes – and you’re ready for snacking in less than an hour.

Your whole family will love these easy, mini pretzel bites! You only need 7 pantry staple ingredients, and you can make them sweet or savory by using different toppings or sauces.

Ingredients for Pretzel Bites

• Active Dry Yeast – You can buy yeast in 1 ounce packages or in a larger jar. Either way you need 1 ounce or 2 ¼ teaspoons.
• Warm water – Optimal water temperature is 105-110℉.
• Melted butter – Add flavor and moisture to the pretzels.
• Honey – for a little bit of sweetness.
• Flour – The amount given is approximate. You’ll need between 3 and 3 ½ cups. This can vary depending on humidity in your kitchen. Too much flour will make your pretzels dense.
• Egg – To make an egg wash for brushing on the pretzels to give them a shiny crust.
• Salt – you’ll add a little salt to the dough, and to the top of the pretzels. I recommend flaked sea salt for the topping.
• Baking soda bath – A large pot of water and ½ cup of baking soda helps the dough to puff up and gives the pretzels their chewy texture.

How to Make Pretzel Bites

1. Prep. Get the oven preheating and line 2 rimmed baking sdheets with silicone mats of parchment paper. If you use parchment paper, I like to spray with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Make the dough. Start by activating the yeast in a large mixing bowl. Stir the yeast into the warm water and let it sit for a minute or two until it foams. Then mix in the honey, melted butter, and salt before adding in the flour. You can add additional flour as needed until a dough ball is formed and it isn’t sticky. If you poke the dough it should spring back.
3. Knead the Dough. If you’re making the dough in your stand mixer, you can let the mixer do the kneading by using the dough hook on medium-low speed for 3 minutes. Or you can knead by hand on a floured surface. Cover the dough with a dish towel and let rest for about 10 minutes.
4. Shape. Form the dough into a uniform shape and cut into 8 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a long, snake-like shape, then cut the rope into 1 ½ – 2 inch pieces. 
5. Baking soda bath. Use a slotted spoon to dip the pretzels into a pot of boiling water and baking soda for about 10-15 seconds then transfer to baking sheets.
6. Bake. Brush with the egg wash and sprinkle with flaky sea salt. The egg wash is optional, but creates a beautiful golden crust. Bake in the preheated oven until the bites are golden brown. Cool slightly before serving.

FAQs

Serving Suggestions

Pick your favorite dipping sauce! My family loves them warm with melted butter but they are also great dipped in yellow mustard, honey mustard, or nacho cheese sauce.

Variations

• For sweet pretzels, try tossing them in a large bowl with melted butter and rolling in cinnamon sugar.
• Sprinkle unbaked bites with everything bagel season, poppy seeds, or sesame seeds for a delicious flavor variation.

Storage and Reheating

Storage – Store in a resealable plastic bag or airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. You can reheat them, wrapped in a damp paper towel, for 10-20 seconds in the microwave.

Freezing baked mini pretzels – Let the bites cool completely then lay out on a baking sheet and pop it into the freezer. Once they are solid, transfer to a plastic freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Reheat from frozen in a 350℉ oven for 10-15 minutes until warmed.

Freezing pretzel dough – you can freeze the unbaked soft pretzel dough in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw the dough in the refrigerator overnight, then let sit out for 20-30 minutes before shaping so the dough can puff up a bit. Bake as directed.

More Bite Sized Snack Ideas

• Mac and Cheese Bites
• BBQ Chicken Pizza Rolls
• Easy Cheesy Chex Mix

If you’ve made this recipe, please come back and leave us a star rating or a comment below.

Pretzel Bites

Easy pretzel bites are soft, chewy, and super fun to make! Get the kids involved and make a batch for the next game day or board game night.

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 50 minutes mins

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Course Appetizer

Cuisine American

Servings 80 pieces

Calories 24kcal

Ingredients

  

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Pretzels

• 1 ounce package active dry yeast 1 envelope or 2 ¼ teaspoons of active dry yeast
• 1 cup warm water
• 1 tablespoon melted butter
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 – 3 ½ cups of all-purpose flour
• 1 egg + 1 tablespoon water
• Flaked sea salt for sprinkling on top

Baking Soda Bath

• 9 cups water
• ½ cup baking soda

Instructions

 

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with silicone mats of parchment paper. If using parchment, spray with nonstick cooking spray.
• Pour the warm water into a large mixing bowl of a stand mixer with the dough hook attachment and stir in the yeast. Let stand for 1-2 minutes.
• Add 1 tablespoon honey, 1 tablespoon melted butter, and salt and mix until combined. Add 3 cups of flour and combine, adding more flour as needed until a ball of dough is formed and it’s no longer sticky; about 5 minutes. When you poke your finger into it, it should spring back. (If you don’t have a stand mixer, stir by hand using a wooden spoon).
• Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead for 3 minutes. Alternatively, if using a stand mixer, use the dough hook and stir at medium-low speed for 3 minutes.
• Form a ball with the dough, cover with a clean dish towel and let rest for 10-15 minutes. Meanwhile, boil baking soda and water.
• Cut dough into 8 equal pieces and roll them into a long snake-like piece of dough. Cut each rope into 1 ½-2 inch pieces to form bites.
• Place pretzel bites, 8-10 at a time into the baking soda bath for 10-15 seconds. Using a slotted spoon or spatula, retrieve the pretzel bites from the water and let the excess drip off. Transfer to the lined baking sheets.
• Whisk together egg and 1 tablespoon water in a small bowl. Brush the tops with the egg wash and sprinkle with flaked sea salt. Bake at 400 degrees F for 12-15 minutes, or until pretzels are golden brown.

Notes

This recipe will make roughly 6-7 dozen pretzel bites. Depending on how you’re serving them, you should plan on 4-6 per person.

Storage – Store in a resealable plastic bag or airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. You can reheat them, wrapped in a damp paper towel, for 10-20 seconds in the microwave.

Freezing baked mini pretzels – Let the bites cool completely then lay out on a baking sheet and pop it into the freezer. Once they are solid, transfer to a plastic freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Reheat from frozen in a 350℉ oven for 10-15 minutes until warmed.

Freezing pretzel dough – you can freeze the unbaked soft pretzel dough in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw the dough in the refrigerator overnight, then let sit out for 20-30 minutes before shaping so the dough can puff up a bit. Bake as directed.

Nutrition

Calories: 24kcalCarbohydrates: 5gProtein: 1gFat: 1gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 2mgSodium: 238mgPotassium: 10mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 7IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 2mgIron: 1mg

Keyword pretzel bites

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