These homemade soft pretzel bites are a perfect appetizer for gatherings or for game day snacks or Super Bowl parties. A chewy exterior exposes a soft and pillowy center, and they’re full of that salty, pretzel flavor that people love.
This easy soft pretzel recipe makes a lot of perfect, two-bite appetizers. They’re also addictive, so don’t be surprised if they go faster than you thought they would. Be sure to serve them warm with your favorite German mustard, stone-ground mustard, queso dip, or a beer cheese dip.
Part of what makes these homemade soft pretzel bites so easy to make is that they only need a single, short rise. There’s no fancy shaping required either, so anyone can make these. These soft pretzel bites come out nice and dark, salty, and with just the right amount of chewiness.

Be sure not to skip the alkaline bath, however. This is what gives pretzels their signature color, texture, and taste. Use baking soda instead of lye for an easy home kitchen version or try the optional baked baking soda that I mention below in the recipe.
🥘 Ingredients for Soft Pretzel Bites
Another part of what makes these homemade pretzel bites so easy to make, is that every ingredient is a pantry staple that you probably already have on hand. There are literally no fancy ingredients required or involved, like a specific type of milk or specialty flour.
Water – Use warm water for the yeast, and a good amount of water for making the alkaline solution you’ll be dipping the bites into.
Yeast – This recipe uses one standard sized packet of yeast. As I always recommend, whether you use instant or active dry yeast, bloom it first to be certain it is alive.
Sugar – I like a bit of brown sugar here to feed the yeast and lightly sweeten the dough.
Salt – I use kosher salt in the dough, and you can use either more of that, coarse sea salt, or pretzel salt for topping the pretzel bites with. Top with more than you think you would need, as this is where a good amount of the flavor is going to come from.
Butter – Just a little melted butter adds a bit of flavor and slightly enriches the pretzel dough.
Flour – All-purpose flour works best here. While bread flour feels like it would make sense, it actually makes the pretzels too chewy and dense. Optionally, you could replace about 1-1 ½ cups of the AP flour with bread flour if you choose.
Egg – Egg is optional, but you can make an egg wash to brush the bites with before baking. Doing so adds a bit more sheen to the outside of the pretzels.
Baking Soda – This is a required ingredient for making the alkaline solution you’ll be dipping the pretzel bites into. I’ll go into more detail below as to why you want to do this extra step. Just be sure that you do NOT add baking soda to the pretzel dough.
🔪 How to Make Soft Pretzel Bites
Make the Pretzel Dough
Start by adding warm water in a glass measuring cup, then add the brown sugar and stir to dissolve. Add the yeast and let it sit for 5-10 minutes until proofed and frothy looking.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, add 1-2 cups of flour, the melted butter, and the yeast mixture. On low speed, mix to combine. Once mixed, add the salt and the rest of the flour. Continue mixing until a shaggy dough forms.
Replace the blending tool with a dough hook and knead the dough on medium-low speed for another 4-6 minutes. The dough should clear the sides of the bowl and be slightly tacky, but not sticky. If it is too sticky, add some more flour, a tablespoon at a time, until it is tacky.
Lightly oil a mixing bowl and transfer the pretzel dough to it. Cover with plastic wrap or a damp towel and set it somewhere warm to rise for about an hour, until doubled in size.
Make Sodium Carbonate (Optional)
While the dough rises, preheat your oven to 250°F / 120°C. In a small foil lined pan, add the baking soda and bake it for an hour. Once baked, set aside to cool until needed.
This will change your baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) into baked baking soda (sodium carbonate). The resulting base will fall somewhere between baking soda and lye on the pH scale. Using this instead of baking soda will give you darker pretzel bites but is optional.
Shape the Pretzel Bites
After the dough has doubled, punch it down and dump it out onto a non-floured work surface. Work the dough into a rough, even circle. Using a knife or bench scraper, divide the dough into 6 equal pieces.
Working with one piece at a time, stretch and roll the dough into roughly an 18-20” rope that is ¾” – 1” thick. The length is less important than the thickness here. Using a knife or bench scraper again, cut the rope into roughly 1” segments and set aside.
Preheat the oven to 450°F / 230°C and move the racks to the upper third and lower third positions. Line two baking sheets with foil and lightly grease them with oil. In the meantime, bring a large pot of water to a boil, add the (baked) baking soda and stir to dissolve.
Make the Pretzel Bites
Once the alkaline solution comes to a boil, add the pretzel bites in batches of 10-12 at a time. Let them boil for about 30 seconds, being sure to dunk or flip them around so they get fully covered. Remove from the water with a slotted spoon or fine mesh strainer, shaking off excess water, and dump onto a baking sheet.
When both sheet trays are full, brush with the optional egg-wash if using, and sprinkle the tops with some coarse salt. Use more salt than you think you need, as this is the primary flavoring.
Place the baking sheets into the oven and bake for 11-13 minutes, rotating the sheets halfway through. Let them cool on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes, then remove. Continue this boiling and baking process until all pretzel bites have been made.
Serve warm with your favorite mustard, cheese sauce, or my favorite beer cheese dip.
🥨 Why Use an Alkaline Solution?
Some foods, such as pretzels, bagels, and ramen noodles, benefit from a dip or soak in an alkaline solution. This gives pretzels not just their characteristic look but defines their taste and appearance. Without a baking soda bath, you would just be making lightly browned, doughy pieces of bland bread.
Without getting too far into science and chemistry, a strong alkaline solution can denature proteins, creating smaller amino acids that react with the natural sugars in the dough, and gelatinizes starches. These reactions enhance and accelerate the Maillard reaction, leading to more browning at a lower temperature and faster cooking time.
So, what does all that mean? It means that when baked, the pretzels develop a browner color, and a surface sheen. The gelatinization causes the surface of the dough to set more quickly, leading to a crispier crust and less rising than a normal bread would have.
An alkaline solution is made from a strong base, which alters the pH scale of the water. Traditionally this would be made with lye but is more commonly made with baking soda in home kitchens. Here are three common options used for pretzels:
- Sodium Hydroxide – Lye/Caustic Soda – Ph 13-14
- Sodium Carbonate – Baked Baking Soda – pH 11-12
- Sodium Bicarbonate – Baking Soda – pH 8-9
While food-grade lye can be purchased and is safe to use at home, you need to be very careful and take precautions. Since that can be a little intimidating for most home cooks, baking soda is a great alternative. Another great option is baked baking soda, as you can see above. This can be made at home by heating baking soda in the oven slowly at low heat. This removes water and carbon dioxide in sodium bicarbonate, changing it chemically into sodium carbonate.
When making homemade soft pretzel bites, regular pretzels, bagels, or ramen noodles, use what you’re comfortable with.
📖 Homemade Pretzel Bite Variations
This easy pretzel bites recipe makes a lot of salty, bite-sized soft pretzel snacks. Using the recipe as a base, you can make numerous other flavored pretzels as well.
Cinnamon-Sugar Pretzel Bites – Probably the most common and popular variation to pretzel bites are these dessert style pretzels. Once ready to bake, skip the optional egg wash and salt and bake as normal. While baking, melt some butter in one bowl, and mix sugar with some ground cinnamon in another. As soon as the pretzel bites are cool enough to handle, dip in the melted butter and toss in the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Tastes great with chocolate or caramel dipping sauce.
Pizza Pretzel Bites – Another great variation are pizza flavored bites. After cutting the pretzel bites, roll or press each one a bit flat, then add some shredded mozzarella and pieces of pepperoni and fold and pinch them closed. Follow the rest of the recipe as usual and serve with a warm marinara or pizza sauce dip.
Garlic Parmesan Pretzel Bites – Like the cinnamon-sugar bites, omit the egg wash and salt and bake as normal. While baking, melt some butter in a saucepan and toast some minced garlic in it over low heat. Add a bit of salt, garlic powder, dried parsley, and dried oregano. When the pretzel bites come out of the oven, add to a large mixing bowl and cover with the garlic butter, then toss with grated parmesan.
Peanut Butter Pretzel Bites – These are another dessert-like pretzel bite. While the dough is rising, place small ¼ teaspoon dollops of creamy peanut butter on a wax paper lined sheet pan and freeze. After shaping and cutting the pretzel bites, make an indentation with your thumb and add the frozen peanut butter, then fold over and seal. Boil and bake as usual and serve with a chocolate dipping sauce.
💭 Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you must boil pretzels in an alkaline solution before baking them, otherwise you end up with lightly colored and bland pieces of bread basically. The alkaline solution is what gives pretzels their signature color, chew, and flavor.
If you can find it, they make a pretzel salt that is perfect for topping pretzels. You can also use kosher salt or coarse sea salt. Just be sure to never top pretzels with fine table salt.
The main difference is heat and time. Soft pretzels are baked hot and fast, while hard pretzels are baked at a lower temperature for a much longer time, which removes a lot of the moisture from dough.
❄️ Storing & Reheating Soft Pretzel Bites
Once cooled completely, you can store leftover homemade soft pretzel bites in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-5 days. The salt will draw out moisture and cause the outside of the pretzel bites to become wrinkled and a bit soggy though. If served with mustard, cheese, or beer cheese dip, be sure to keep those refrigerated.
To reheat soft pretzel bites, place in a 350°F for about 5 minutes. If you’re reheating frozen bites, heat from frozen in a 350°F oven for about 10 minutes, or until warmed throughout.
For longer storage, you can also freeze leftover pretzel bites in an airtight container for 2-3 months.
If you wish to make these ahead of time, you have two options. You can make the pretzel dough and then place it in an airtight container and refrigerate for 1-2 days. When ready to make, let the dough sit at room temperature for at least an hour to rise and warm up some. Alternatively, you can bake the pretzel bites as usual, skipping the egg wash and salting, cool and store for a day or two. When ready to serve, spritz with some water or brush with melted butter, salt, and heat in a 350°F oven for 5 minutes or so.
Another option is to make large batches that you plan on freezing for pretzel bites whenever you’d like some. If you’re making large batches that you plan on making another time, you can freeze the dough and thaw overnight in the refrigerator or skip the egg wash and salting and bake them all, then freeze.
📋 Recipe
Homemade Soft Pretzel Bites
Ingredients
Soft Pretzel Bites:
- 1 ½ cups warm water
- 1 tablespoon dark brown sugar, or light, packed
- 1 packet yeast, 2 ¼ teaspoons, active or instant
- 2 tablespoons butter, melted
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 4 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 large egg, optionally for an egg wash
- Coarse sea salt for topping, or pretzel or kosher salt
Alkaline Bath:
- 8 cups water, 1-2 cups more if needed
- ⅓ cup baking soda
Directions
Make the Pretzel Dough:
- Start by adding 1 ½ cups warm water to a glass measuring cup, then add 1 tablespoon dark brown sugar and stir to dissolve. Add the yeast packet (2 ½ teaspoons) and let it sit for 5-10 minutes until proofed and frothy looking.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, add 1-2 cups of the all-purpose flour, 2 tablespoons melted butter, and the yeast mixture. On low speed, mix to combine. Once mixed, add 1 teaspoon kosher salt and the rest of the all-purpose flour. Continue mixing until a shaggy dough forms.
- Replace the blending tool with a dough hook and knead the dough on medium-low speed for another 4-6 minutes. The dough should clear the sides of the bowl and be slightly tacky, but not sticky. If it is too sticky, add some more flour, a tablespoon at a time, until it is tacky but not sticky.
- Lightly oil a mixing bowl and transfer the pretzel dough to it. Cover with plastic wrap or a damp towel and set it somewhere warm to rise for about an hour, until doubled in size.
Make Sodium Carbonate (Optional):
- While the dough rises, preheat your oven to 250°F / 120°C. In a small foil lined pan, add the ⅓ cup baking soda and bake it for an hour. Once baked, set aside to cool until needed.
- This will change your baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) into baked baking soda (sodium carbonate). The resulting base will fall somewhere between baking soda and lye on the pH scale. Using this instead of baking soda will give you darker pretzel bites but is optional.
Shape the Pretzel Bites:
- After the dough has doubled, punch it down and dump it out onto a non-floured work surface. Work the dough into a rough, even circle. Using a knife or bench scraper, divide the dough into 6 equal pieces.
- Working with one piece at a time, stretch and roll the dough into roughly an 18-20” rope that is ¾” – 1” thick. The length is less important than the thickness here. Using a knife or bench scraper again, cut the rope into roughly 1” segments and set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 450°F / 230°C and move the racks to the upper third and lower third positions. Line two baking sheets with foil and lightly grease them with oil. In the meantime, bring 8 cups of water to a boil in a large pot, add the (baked) baking soda and stir to dissolve.
Make the Pretzel Bites:
- Once the alkaline solution comes to a boil, add the pretzel bites in batches of 10-12 at a time. Let them boil for about 30 seconds, being sure to dunk or flip them around so they get fully covered. Remove from the water with a slotted spoon or fine mesh strainer, shaking off excess water, and dump onto a baking sheet.
- When both sheet trays are full, brush with the optional egg-wash if using, and sprinkle the tops with some coarse salt. Use more salt than you think you need, as this is the primary flavoring.
- Place the baking sheets into the oven and bake for 11-13 minutes, rotating the sheets halfway through. Let them cool on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes, then remove. Continue this boiling and baking process until all pretzel bites have been made.
- Serve warm with your favorite mustard, cheese sauce, or my favorite beer cheese dip.
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