Soft Pretzel Bites Recipe + Video

This pretzel bites recipe comes out tender and chewy with the most subtle sweetness. Make some right at home in just 30 minutes!

Soft and tender pretzel bread topped with coarse salt is always delicious, and perfectly poppable bites make it the perfect snack for any occasion. 

Plus, this quick and easy appetizer can be made with or without a mixer, so whip up a batch today!

For extra flavor, try making these soft pretzel bites with beer instead of milk or use the same dough to make pretzel dogs.

You can even turn them into gooey pretzel bombs stuffed with jalapenos and cheese!

Pretzel Bites Recipe Instructions

These come together quite easily, especially if you have a stand mixer to do the work for you.

Please note that this recipe requires the dough hook attachment, so it cannot be made with a hand mixer instead.

1. Make the dough. First, bloom the yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer. Once it’s nice and foamy, mix in the flour and salt until it forms a ball. 
2. Cut into pieces. Turn out the dough onto the counter and shape it back into a ball. Cut that into four even pieces, then roll each quarter into a long strand. Slice each strand into 16 pieces, about 1-inch long each. 
3. Do a baking soda bath. This is what gives soft pretzels that golden brown color and chewy exterior, so don’t skip this step!
4. Bake until browned. Transfer the bites to a lined baking sheet, leaving space so none are touching. Brush the tops with egg wash and sprinkle with salt, then bake.

No stand mixer?
No problem! You can make the dough by hand instead. Add milk, yeast, and honey to a large bowl. Once the yeast blooms, add the salt and flour and mix everything with a spoon.

Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead for 3-5 minutes until the dough is no longer sticky. Then, proceed with the remaining instructions.

Helpful Tips and Tricks

• When is the dough ready? It should be tacky, not sticky. This means it will pull away from the sides of the mixer as it forms into a ball. You can also test it by pressing your finger lightly into the dough. If your finger pulls away clean, then it’s ready to cut!
• Create uniform pieces. While any knife can be used to cut the dough into bites, I find that a bench scraper makes quick and easy work of the whole process. Plus, the edges come out smooth and clean.
• Storage and reheating. These are best hot out of the oven, but they should stay fresh for a day or two in the refrigerator. Or, you can freeze them for up to 3 months. Reheat in the microwave or oven until warmed through.

What You Will Need To Make Soft Pretzel Bites

• Stand mixer or a large mixing bowl if you’ll be making the dough by hand
• Baking Sheet - Used for anything from cookies to roasting, a good baking pan will last for years.
• Active Dry Yeast - This is my favorite. It’s important to have a really good yeast, and it should be fresh. I keep mine in the freezer in a mason jar for optimum freshness.
• Basting Brush - I like this one over the silicone ones.

FAQ - Common Recipe Questions

What dip goes well with soft pretzel bites?
These are delicious in something as simple as mustard or pair it with a warm bowl of cheddar dip. You could even serve this with my delicious Beer Cheese Fondue!

Can I double this pretzel bites recipe?
Sure! I would recommend making the dough itself in batches, but you could cut it into pieces all at once and bake the pieces together using two baking sheets.

Enjoy!

With love from our simple kitchen to yours. 

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Check out our video at the top of the page for step by step instructions for Soft Pretzel Bites Recipe!!!

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Author: Donna Elick

Soft Pretzel Bites

This pretzel bites recipe comes out tender and chewy with the most subtle sweetness. Make some right at home in just 30 minutes!

Prep time: 22 MinCook time: 8 MinTotal time: 30 Min

Ingredients

• 2¼ teaspoons active dry yeast
• 1¼ cups warm milk (110°-120°F)
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 3¼ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ cup baking soda
• 1 large egg
• course salt (or pretzel salt)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 450°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or spray with cooking spray.
2. Pour milk into the bowl of a stand mixer (see cooks note if you do not have a stand mixer), sprinkle yeast over top, add honey and stir. Allow yeast to bloom for 5-10 minutes. Once it is nice and foamy, it is ready.
3. Fill an 8 quart pot with water and bring to a boil over medium high heat. In a small bowl beat egg and 2 tablespoons water with a fork. Set aside. Wash a section of counter top for rolling out dough. Do not flour it or it will be harder to roll out the dough.
4. Add flour and salt to mixer. Knead for about 3 minutes until the dough comes together in one ball. Add more flour a tablespoon at a time as needed, if bread is too sticky to come together. Dough should be tacky when you pull it out of the mixer, not sticky.
5. Place dough on counter top and form dough into a ball. We are going to cut this ball into 64 (somewhat) even pieces. First quarter the ball of dough. Roll each quarter into an 18-22” strand. Cut that into 4 equal pieces. Then cut each piece into 4 equal pieces. I used a bench scraper but a butter knife will work fine. When you are done you will have 64 pieces.
6. Carefully, add baking soda to boiling water. USE CAUTION: IT WILL BUBBLE UP. Place dough bites into boiling water about 10 at a time. Remove with a slotted spoon after 30 seconds. Place on parchment paper to cool and repeat until all bites have been boiled.
7. Arrange all pretzel bites on parchment so they are not touching. Brush egg wash onto each one and sprinkle with coarse salt.
8. Bake for 7-9 minutes until the tops are browned.
9. Enjoy!

DONNA'S NOTES

1. You can mix the dough by hand if you do not have a stand mixer. Add milk, yeast and honey to a bowl. Once the yeast blooms stir in the salt and the flour. Mix with a spoon. Turn dough out onto floured counter top and knead for 3-5 minutes until dough is no longer sticky. Proceed with remaining instructions.

Recipe developed by Donna Elick for The Slow Roasted Italian
Copyright ©2014 The Slow Roasted Italian – All rights reserved.

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Originally published March 2014, updated and republished January 2021

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