These soft pretzel bites are exactly like regular homemade soft pretzels, but shaped into smaller pieces. The dough requires just 6 ingredients and there’s hardly any rise time, so this is a wonderful recipe for yeast beginners. Have fun shaping the bites (they don’t need to be perfect!) and enjoy warm flavorful homemade pretzels within an hour. Serve plain, cinnamon sugar style, or with your favorite dip such as spicy cheese sauce or stone ground mustard.
I originally published this recipe in 2015 and have since added new photos, a video tutorial, and more success tips. This recipe previously called for an egg wash before topping with salt, but that step is now optional as the pretzels can be salted while they are still wet from the boiling step. The written recipe below reflects that small change.
I’m writing this over 7 years after this recipe was first published and say with 100% honesty that kids and adults alike FLOCK to these pretzel bites. They’re always a massive hit, a favorite party snack, and the fact that they’re surprisingly easy is music to the ears!
One reader, Ali, commented: “Made these for the Super Bowl. I was nervous because I have very little experience with yeast and my last attempt at a yeast recipe turned out terribly. Much to my relief, these were so easy and turned out DELICIOUS! I will absolutely be making them again. I especially loved how short the rise time was… no need to start the process the night before or even hours before. Thank you! ★★★★★”
Another reader, Connie, commented: “So easy and delicious! I put off making these because I thought they would be more involved, but they were so simple! I made half with salt and half with cinnamon sugar, and these will be on all my party menus! ★★★★★”
Tell Me About These Soft Pretzel Bites
- Flavor: If you enjoy soft pretzels, you’ll love these smaller bites. They’re completely homemade, so unlike store-bought frozen soft pretzels, each has that soft, warm, and fresh-from-the-oven taste and texture. You can keep the pretzels traditional with a sprinkling of coarse salt or try the cinnamon sugar version detailed in the recipe notes.
- Texture: The difference between bread and soft pretzels/soft pretzel bites is an alkaline bath. Do you know what that is? I promise it’s a very easy step. This is when shaped soft pretzel dough takes a dip in boiling water and baking soda, a quick step that provides the iconic chewy pretzel texture and adds a deeper, richer color to the baked pretzels. The boiling water also locks in the shape so the pretzels don’t over-puff in the oven. (Without the baking soda bath, you lose texture, that deep brown color, and flavor. So, basically, you will have bite-size bread instead of pretzels.) We do this key step when making regular soft pretzels, soft pretzel rolls, jalapeño cheddar soft pretzels and soft pretzel knots, too.
- Ease: Have you ever made my recipe for regular homemade soft pretzels? It was one of the first recipes I ever published, only to be republished with step-by-step photos a few years later. It’s become a “famous” & popular recipe on this website because the pretzels are relatively quick, extremely easy, and deliver great taste. Same story with these pretzel bites! Though the recipe requires yeast, I always say that this pretzel dough is a terrific starting point for yeast beginners because there’s very little rise time. And shaping the dough into bite-size pieces is easier than shaping into pretzels. Lots of perks about today’s recipe!
Dough for Soft Pretzel Bites
I never stray from my original soft pretzel dough, so that’s what you’ll use for these pretzel bites. You need just 6 basic ingredients to get started including warm water, yeast, a little sugar to feed the yeast, melted butter, salt, and all-purpose flour. (If you have it, the same amount of bread flour works too!). You can use either instant (quick rise) or active dry yeast in this dough. I usually use Platinum Yeast from Red Star, which is an instant yeast.
The dough doesn’t require extended rise time and the baking soda bath is pretty quick, so besides the baking step, the longest stretch of time this recipe requires is shaping.
Baking with Yeast Guide
Reference this Baking with Yeast Guide whenever you work with baker’s yeast. I include practical answers to all of your common yeast questions.
Step-By-Step Pictures
Whisk the warm water, yeast, and sugar together. Cover and let the mixture sit for a few minutes until foamy on top. Waiting for it to foam isn’t totally necessary, but it helps us see that the yeast is ready and active. The right photo below shows the dough before kneading. Review my How to Knead Dough video tutorial if needed before starting the next step.
Knead the dough, divide into 6 sections, and then roll into six 20-inch ropes. The video tutorial located in the recipe shows these steps as well. Cut each rope into 1.5 – 2 inch pieces to make bites. I like to use a (affiliate links) pizza cutter or bench scraper for cutting this dough, but a sharp knife works perfectly fine too. Use what you have.
The photo above shows the pretzel bites after the baking soda bath. At this point, they are ready to bake.
Try Cinnamon Sugar Pretzel Bites
Immediately after the baking soda bath while the soft pretzel bites are still wet, sprinkle with coarse salt. Or if you’d like a different topping, skip the coarse salt and try the cinnamon sugar version. Bake the pretzels completely plain without salt. Once done and still warm out of the oven, brush with melted butter then dip into a mix of cinnamon and granulated sugar. See specific instructions in the Notes below.
By the way, you can have fun with even more toppings such as everything bagels seasoning instead of coarse salt. Heavily sprinkle on the pretzels while they’re still wet from the baking soda bath before baking.
For a larger version, try these soft pretzel rolls. Great for sandwiches!
Make-Ahead Tip
If you are making pretzel bites in advance, do not top them with coarse salt before baking. The salt draws the moisture out of the pretzels, and once you’ve placed the baked and cooled pretzel bites in an airtight container or bag, it doesn’t take long before you’ll notice water droplets forming inside and the pretzel bites become soggy and wrinkled. Yuck!
If you won’t be serving the pretzel bites the same day you bake them, omit the salt-topping step. Bake as directed, then allow to cool completely before placing them in an airtight container, and store at room temperature. When you are ready to serve them, place the pretzel bites on a baking sheet and brush them lightly with water, then sprinkle with coarse salt. Bake them in a 350°F (177°C) oven for 5 minutes, or until warmed through.
Same goes for freezing homemade soft pretzel bites: wait to top with salt until you’re ready to serve them. Cool the unsalted baked pretzel bites completely, then freeze in an airtight freezer-safe container or zip-top bag for up to 3 months. To reheat, brush frozen pretzel bites (no need to thaw) with water and sprinkle with coarse salt, then bake at 350°F (177°C) for 10 minutes or until warmed through.
More Appetizers & Snacks
- Pepperoni Pizza Dip
- Garlic & Bacon Spinach Dip
- Sweet Potato Skins
- Crab Dip
- Homemade Artisan Crackers
- Bacon Wrapped Cheesy Stuffed Jalapeños
- Honey BBQ Popcorn Chicken
- Cranberry Pecan Cheese Ball
Soft Pretzel Bites
- Prep Time: 40 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 5 dozen
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
These soft pretzel bites are always a crowd favorite! The easy dough requires just 6 ingredients and there’s hardly any rise time, so this is a wonderful recipe for yeast beginners. Have fun shaping the bites (they don’t need to be perfect!) and enjoy warm flavorful homemade pretzels within an hour. Review recipe notes and watch the video tutorial before starting.
Ingredients
- 1 and 1/2 cups (360ml) warm water (lukewarm–no need to take temperature but around 100°F (38°C) is great)
- 2 and 1/4 teaspoons (7g) instant or active dry yeast (1 standard packet)
- 1 Tablespoon brown sugar or granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 Tablespoon (14g) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cool
- 3 and 3/4 – 4 cups (469-500g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled), plus more for hands and work surface
- topping: coarse salt/coarse sea salt
Baking Soda Bath
- 1/2 cup (120g) baking soda
- 9 cups (2,160ml) water
Optional for Serving
- spicy cheese sauce or your favorite mustard
Instructions
- Make the dough: Whisk warm water, yeast, and sugar together in the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with a paddle or dough hook attachment. (If you do not have a stand mixer, just use a regular large mixing bowl and a wooden spoon or silicone spatula.) Cover yeast mixture and allow to sit for 5 minutes or until foamy on top. Add salt, melted butter, and 3 cups (375g) of flour. Beat on low speed for 1 minute, scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula if needed, then add 3/4 cup (95g) of flour. Beat on low speed until the dough comes together and pulls away from the sides of the bowl, about 2 minutes. If dough is extremely sticky after 1 minute of mixing, add remaining 1/4 cup of flour and continue to beat for 1 more minute. (You can see in the video that I add the remaining flour.)
- Knead the dough: Keep the dough in the mixer (and switch to the dough hook if using the paddle) and beat for an additional 5 full minutes, or knead by hand on a lightly floured surface for 5 full minutes. (If you’re new to bread-baking, my How to Knead Dough video tutorial can help here.) If the dough becomes too sticky during the kneading process, sprinkle 1 teaspoon of flour at a time on the dough or on the work surface/in the bowl to make a soft, slightly tacky dough. Do not add more flour than you need because you do not want a dry dough. After kneading, the dough should still feel a little soft. Poke it with your finger—if it slowly bounces back, your dough is ready to rise. You can also do a “windowpane test” to see if your dough has been kneaded long enough: tear off a small (roughly golfball-size) piece of dough and gently stretch it out until it’s thin enough for light to pass through it. Hold it up to a window or light. Does light pass through the stretched dough without the dough tearing first? If so, your dough has been kneaded long enough and is ready to rise. If not, keep kneading until it passes the windowpane test.
- Cover lightly with a towel and allow to rest for 10-30 minutes. (Meanwhile, I like to get the water + baking soda boiling as instructed in step 5.)
- Preheat oven to 400°F (204°C). Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Silicone baking mats are highly recommended over parchment paper. If using parchment paper, lightly spray with nonstick spray or grease with butter. Set aside.
- Shape: With a sharp knife, pizza cutter, or bench scraper, cut dough into 6 equal pieces (just eyeball it, doesn’t have to be perfect). Sprinkle work surface very lightly with flour. (Tip: The heavier you flour the work surface, the harder it is to roll the dough. A little stickiness actually helps. You only need *a very light* dusting of flour.) Roll each piece of dough into a 20-inch rope. If the ropes keep shrinking and stretching the dough becomes difficult, stop what you’re doing, lightly cover all of the dough, and let it rest for 10 minutes so the gluten can relax. Then, return to rolling it into ropes. Cut each rope into 1.5 – 2 inch pieces to make bites.
- Baking Soda Bath: Mix water and baking soda together in a large pot. Bring to a boil. Place 8-10 pretzel bites into the boiling water for a quick 10-15 seconds. (Any longer and your pretzels could take on a metallic taste.) Using a slotted spatula or spoon, lift the pretzel bites out of the water and allow as much of the excess water to drip off. Place bites onto prepared baking sheets. Sprinkle each with coarse sea salt while they are still wet or leave plain if using cinnamon sugar topping listed in the notes. Repeat baking soda bath with remaining pretzel bites. If needed, you can cover and refrigerate the boiled/unbaked bites for up to 24 hours before baking.
- Bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from the oven and serve warm.
- Cover and store leftover pretzel bites at room temperature for up to 3 days. They lose a little softness over time. To reheat, microwave for a few seconds or bake in a 350°F (177°C) for 5 minutes.
Notes
- Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: If planning to freeze baked pretzel bites, do not top them with coarse salt before baking. Cool completely, then freeze in an airtight freezer-safe container or zip-top bag for up to 3 months. To reheat, brush frozen pretzel bites (no need to thaw) with water and sprinkle with coarse salt, then bake at 350°F (177°C) for 10 minutes or until warmed through, or microwave frozen pretzel bites until warm. The prepared pretzel dough can be covered and refrigerated for up to one day or frozen in an airtight container for 2–3 months. Thaw frozen dough in the refrigerator overnight. Refrigerated dough can be shaped into pretzel bites while still cold, but allow some extra time, about 1 hour, for the pretzel bites to puff up before continuing with the baking soda bath and baking.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Electric Stand Mixer | Baking Sheets | Silicone Baking Mats or Parchment Paper | Pizza Cutter or Bench Scraper | Large Pot | Coarse Salt
- Flour: If you have it, the same amount of bread flour works instead of all-purpose flour. Do not use whole wheat flour.
- Cinnamon Sugar: Bake the pretzel bites completely plain without salt in step 7. As the pretzel bites bake, melt 4 Tablespoons (60g) unsalted butter. Set aside. Combine 3/4 cup (150g) granulated sugar and 1 and 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon. Set aside. Once the pretzels are done and still warm out of the oven, brush each with melted butter then generously dip into cinnamon sugar. Cinnamon sugar pretzels are best served that day because the melted butter topping causes them to become soggy after a few hours.
- Reference my Baking with Yeast Guide for answers to common yeast FAQs.
- Egg? This recipe used to call for brushing the boiled pretzel bites with a beaten egg before sprinkling with coarse salt. Now you can skip the egg and sprinkle the salt on the pretzels while they are still wet from the boiling step. If you prefer them the old way, feel free to continue brushing with the beaten egg before salting and baking.
Reader Comments and Reviews
I plan on making these pretzels today, and bringing them to a party tomorrow. Should I just make the dough today, and bake them tomorrow, or would they still be OK tomorrow, if I just made them all today?
Hi AB! These are best fresh. We would make the dough today, refrigerate overnight and bake them tomorrow – see recipe Notes for details.
These pretzels are fantastic and I get requests for all the grandkids birthdays!
I read the dough can be refrigerated overnight, is that in the first rise?
I need a double batch also, does it double easily?
Hi Bonnie, we’re so glad you love these soft pretzel bites! You can refrigerate the prepared dough for up to a day – so after kneading in step 2 – see the Make Ahead instructions in the recipe notes for more details! We recommend making two batches for best results.
I love this recipe. I’ve made it so many times now and I even have it printed and put up on the wall in my kitchen (the only recipe with such treatment!). Such an easy go to snack to make for my husband and I!
Real easy and delicious
Absolutely delicious! Can this dough be used for pizza? Best crust I ever worked with!!
Hi Christine, we haven’t tested using our soft pretzel dough as a base for pizza. Here’s our pizza dough recipe if you’re interested!
I just made these today and they are delicious! Definitely go with this recipe
I use King Arthur Flour for all of my recipes. Some time ago I printed all their measurements and follow their grams or ounces exactly. When using your recipes the measurements are a bit higher.
Can you tell me if I should use your gram measurements or the King Arthur flour ones when baking your recipes.
Hi Marcia! We use King Arthur flour a lot as well, and we measure all-purpose flour to be about 125g per cup. We recommend using the measurements written in our recipes (as they were tested with those measurements) for best results.
Hi Lexi!
Thanks so very much for clarifying this for me.
I’ve tried so many of Sally’s recipes and love each and every one of them.
Whenever I’m asked where I got a recipe from, there’s a pause and I just look at the individual and they respond “Sally’s, right”!
Thanks again to you and Sally!!
Can this recipe be halved?
Hi Jax, You can halve the recipe for a half batch, yes.
Tried these for a summer evening project and they are delicious. They are also very forgiving so I’m glad I gave it a try ! My presentation needs some work but they taste incredible!
I made these delightful pretzel “nuggets” bites today. A very quick and easy recipe. The “nuggets” turned out golden pretzel perfect. Thank you for sharing this recipe. I’m having a hard time finding Hershey’s cocoa for baking. I guess because of the new tariff taxes. What do you recommend I use as a substitute? According to google Dutch Process is not a good substitute. If you would recommend a substitute I would greatly appreciate it. Thank you
Hi John! We like Ghirardelli brand cocoa powder as well.
Thank you!
my pretzel bites will not turn golden brown even after 20 minutes of baking, please help!
Hi Ana, The quick baking soda boil gives the pretzels their traditional flavor and lovely browned color—was the bath time shortened at all? Otherwise they may just need a few additional minutes in the oven. Thank you for giving these a try!
Will definitely keep this recipe!
The simplicity is appealing, and I had a successful test run. A couple of friends are gluten intolerant. Have had success with substituting 1:1 GF blend that contains xanthum gum for AP flour on recipes, but not sure if a straight substitution is sufficient for yeast breads. Your thoughts? Thanks.
Hi there! You said you could do the baking soda bath then refrigerate the bites and came the next day. Would you suggest being bites to room temp before baking or bake straight out of refrigerator? Thank you!
Hi Candy, you can bake the soft pretzel bites directly from the refrigerator. Enjoy!
If I’m going to do the soda bath today and then bake the next day, should I sprinkle the salt today or tomorrow before I bake? Thanks!
Hi Silas, we would add the salt before refrigerating, otherwise it may not stick!
Can’t wait to try these. Could I add sourdough discard if I took out an appropriate amount of water/flour?
Hi Emily, I wish we could help, but we haven’t tested this recipe with sourdough discard so are unsure of what to recommend.
Can I use olive or avocado oil instead of butter?
Hi Annette, you can try oil in place of the butter. The flavor will be a bit different.
These pretzels are a staple in my house. I make a huge batch every Sunday so my husband and toddler can snack on them throughout the week. They bot LOVE these.
I tried this recipe, first time making pretzel bites. They were a hit!! I had made some beer cheese to go with them.
Hi there! My pretzel bites didn’t brown? I didn’t want the bottom to burn, so what did I do wrong. When I made regular pretzels I had no problems.
Hi Julie, The quick baking soda boil gives the pretzels their traditional flavor and lovely browned color—was the bath time shortened at all? Otherwise they may just need a few additional minutes in the oven. Thank you for giving these a try!
Very good
Is there a way to prevent the salt and cinnamon sugar toppings from dissolving right away? This was my first batch and within an hour both salt and sugar had dissolved. I stored some in a ziploc and some in an airtight container.
Hi Kay, were you using large salt crystals/sea salt? Finer salts will dissolve more quickly. That’s normal for the cinnamon sugar pretzels as the melted butter topping causes them to become soggy after a while. When storing, leave the bag or container open just a crack to allow some air flow, which should help with the pretzels taking on too much moisture. Thank you for giving this recipe a try!
Have you tried coarse salt, or even “Pretzel salt”? The pretzel salt that comes with my premade frozen bites (Super Pretzel brand) are large, coarse and white in color. They don’t dissolve. I think it’s a specific type of salt.
I love these pretzels! They are definitely a favorite in my home. I am wondering if you have some form of nutrition facts for people that are tracking calories and/or protein?
Hi Kailyn, We don’t usually include nutrition information as it can vary between different brands of the same ingredients. Plus, many recipes have ingredient substitutions or optional ingredients listed. However, there are many handy online calculators where you can plug in and customize your exact ingredients/brands. Readers have found this one especially helpful: https://www.verywellfit.com/recipe-nutrition-analyzer-4157076 Glad to hear the pretzels are a hit!
I made these for our superbowl party and they were a hit. Easy recipe and they turned out great!
We made these for the Super Bowl, and they were a hit! We added everything bagel after the baking soda wash. Delish! We plan to try cinnamon sugar option next!
Sally I trust you with my life… everything single recipe I’ve ever used from you has been perfect every single time and this one is no exception. Thank you for being amazing
These are GREAT! They literally bounce in your mouth when you chew—not sure how else to describe. Would definitely make again and highly recommend.
I live in England now and they don’t do soft pretzels like these, and I’ve missed them dearly! They taste nearly identical to the ones from home. Thank you so much for bringing a bit of home to England with this recipe
Could you double this recipe?
Hi Mo, we recommend making two batches for best results.
About how many bites does this make?
Hi Cindy, about 5 dozen.
Pretzels were easy fast and delicious, thank you!
Thank you, very easy to make pretzels.
I added honey to the dough. While warm, slathered on some butter and rolled in a 4 sugar mix. I used granulated, brown, golden and coconut sugar. AMAZING!!!