Homemade Soft Pretzel Bites
Homemade pretzel bites are soft, tender, and chewy with a classic pretzel flavor, making them amazingly delicious and perfect paired with Dijon, whole-grain mustard, or vegan queso dip!
A Fun & Easy Snack
Sometimes a craving will come over us, and we just must oblige. And that was the case with these homemade soft pretzel bites, which just happen to be vegan, too!
I was craving pretzels and wanted to make them bite-sized, and they turned out to be pretty wonderful. The crust is somewhat firm, and the center is nice and soft, with a good chew and wonderful pretzel flavor.
The trick to making these delicious pretzels is the baking soda bath. In my trials, it made all the difference. Although you can skip this step, it will give you that golden color and classic pretzel flavor.
These pretzel bites are quick, easy, and fun to make. It’s a great project to do with kids, and everyone will love sitting around eating these soft and chewy bite-sized pretzels!
So let’s get baking – the batch you’ll see here is very rustic and carefree!
Ingredients You’ll Need
In this recipe, a simple dough is made, cut into pieces, and given a baking soda bath, creating flavorful pretzel bites that are perfect for snacking or gathering around.
Here is everything you’ll need, plus ideas for substituting ingredients:
- Flour – use spelt, all-purpose, or combine these with whole wheat
- Yeast – both instant and active yeast will work
- Sugar – pure cane, coconut or date sugar, maple syrup is ok too
- Salt – pretzel salt or any coarse salt is fine (even flavored salt, such as garlic salt, is great too)
- Baking soda – can not substitute, but a baking soda bath can be optional
- Olive oil or vegan butter – use your favorite oil. If using butter, I recommend Miyoko’s
***Prefer the recipe card? You’ll find the exact measurements and instructions just below.
How To Make Soft Pretzel Bites
Here is a quick guide with photos for reference to help you make the process as easy as possible.
Start yeast. In a large bowl, pour warm water and sugar, stir to mix, sprinkle with yeast, and let sit for 5 – 10 minutes. Yeast should become foamy (if using instant yeast, it may not become as foamy).
Alternatively, use the bowl of a food processor or stand-alone mixer, fitted with a dough attachment. Instead of using a spoon to mix, use a hand blender with a dough attachment.
Make dough. Add half the flour to the yeast and mix. Add salt and remaining flour, and mix until combined.
Knead the dough. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead for about 3 minutes. Cover the dough and let it rest for 10 minutes, up to 1 hour.
Roll + slice dough. Knead the dough three to four times, and slice it in half using a sharp knife or pizza cutter. Roll and shape each half into a log, about 10 inches long. Cut 1-inch pieces.
Baking soda bath. Fill a large, shallow pot with 2 inches of water and bring it to a boil. Add baking soda and place half of the bites in the water, and poach for 30 seconds. They will sink and rise. Once risen, they should be ready. Use a slotted spoon to transfer pretzel bites to the baking sheet. Continue until all pretzels are poached.
Bake. Using a silicone brush, coat the pretzel bites with olive oil or vegan butter, then sprinkle with salt. Bake in a preheated oven set to 425°F until golden brown, 12–16 minutes (oven may vary).
It’s super straightforward and easy. Enjoy your prezel-making experience!
Tips For Success
- Play around with the pretzel bite shapes. Cut the slices in half, making them even smaller. Or make four smaller rolls instead of two, using the same 1-inch cuts.
- If needed, skip the baking soda bath. The pretzel bites won’t brown as much or have the unique pretzel flavor, but they will still be delicious!
- Making the dough is pretty foolproof and forgiving. You can mix the dough with a spoon and your hands (as I’ve done here), or use a stand-alone food processor or hand mixer with the dough attachment.
Storage & Reheating
We love how well these pretzel bites store. Keep them on the counter or freezer for later.
- Counter: Leftovers can be stored on the counter, covered, for up to 3 days.
- Freezer: Pretzel bites are freezer-friendly and can be stored for up to 2-3 months. To freeze, place pretzel bites on a baking sheet and freeze for 3 hours or so, or until frozen (this will help them stay separate). Once frozen, place them in freezer-safe ziplock bags or containers.
- Reheat: Warm in the oven set to 350 degrees from frozen for about 15 minutes. Alternatively, microwave using 30-second intervals, checking between each, until warmed through.
Serving Suggestions
These soft pretzel bits are best served warm as a snack or appetizer. We especially love dipping them into something creamy and flavorful!
- We highly recommend pairing it with our creamy vegan queso.
- There’s a terrific variety of mustards – regular, Dijon, or whole grain. We’ve even used a habanero mustard that was delicious and perfect for those who enjoy a spicy kick!
More Easy Snack Recipes!
If you try this pretzel bites recipe or have a question, please let me know! Leave a comment and rate it below. I love to hear what you think, or any changes you make.
Print Recipe
Print
HOMEMADE SOFT PRETZEL BITES
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: Makes 20 Pretzel Bites 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Homemade pretzel bites are soft and tender, with the classic flavor pretzels get from a baking soda bath. They are delicious and pair well with Dijon or whole-grain mustard!
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cup lukewarm water (100°F – 110°F)
- 1 tablespoon pure cane sugar
- 1 packet instant or active dry yeast (about 2 1/2 teaspoons)
- 3 3/4 – 4 cups flour (all-purpose, spelt, whole wheat or combo)
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 cup baking soda
- olive oil or vegan butter (melted), for brushing
- pretzel salt or any course salt as topping
Instructions
Start yeast: In a large bowl, pour warm water and sugar, stir to mix, sprinkle with yeast, and let sit for 5-10 minutes; the yeast should become foamy. Alternatively, use the bowl of a food processor or stand-alone mixer fitted with a dough attachment. Also, instead of using a spoon to mix, use a hand blender with a dough attachment.
Make dough: Add 2 cups flour to yeast, mix until combined. Add salt and the rest of the flour, mix until combined, for about 60 – 90 seconds. If using a processor or mixer, beat on medium-low until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl, about 1 1/2 minutes. If dough is too dry, add more water 1 tablespoon at a time, and if the dough is too wet, add more flour 1 tablespoon at a time (this may all depend on weather conditions). Transfer to a lightly floured board and knead for about 3 minutes or until somewhat smooth.
Let dough rest: Sprinkle the top of the dough with a little flour and cover with a kitchen towel. Let rest for about 10 minutes, up to 1 hour.
Heat oven to 425 degrees.
Grease a baking sheet with olive oil, or line it with parchment or a silicone mat and lightly grease it (this ensures your pretzels don’t stick). Set aside.
Roll dough: Knead the dough three to four times, and slice it in half using a sharp knife or pizza cutter. Roll and shape each half into a log, about 10 inches long. Cut 1-inch pieces.
Baking soda bath: Fill a large pot (at least 4 quarts) with 2 inches of water (about 8-10 cups). Bring to a boil. Add baking soda; it will foam up, so be gentle when adding. Reduce to medium; place half of the bites in the water and poach for 30 seconds. They will sink and rise. Once risen, they should be ready. Use a slotted spoon to transfer pretzel bites to the baking sheet. Continue until all pretzels are poached.
Bake: Using a silicone brush, coat the pretzel bites with olive oil or vegan butter, then sprinkle with salt. Bake until golden brown, 12-16 minutes (oven times may vary).
Makes about 18 – 20 pretzel bites
Pretzels are best when eaten right away or on the same day.
Serve plain or with your favorite accompaniment. I used dijon and whole-grain mustard.
Notes
Store: You can keep leftover pretzels at room temperature, lightly covered, for up to 3 days. They may soften after storing.
Flour – Feel free to use a combination of all-purpose and whole-wheat flour.
Play around with the pretzel bite shapes. Cut the slices in half, making them even smaller. Or make 4 smaller rolls, instead of 2, using the same 1-inch cuts.
Opt to skip the baking soda bath if needed. The pretzel bites won’t brown as much or have the unique pretzel flavor, but they will still be delicious!
- Prep Time: 30 min
- Cook Time: 15 min
- Category: Appetizer, Bread, Snack
- Method: bake
- Cuisine: American
FOLLOW TSV on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, YouTube, or subscribe (email) for more recipes and inspiration! ♥︎
Tried the recipe because my kids like the cinnamon sugar pretzel bites from Auntie Annie’s and Wetzel’s Pretzels. And here they are… eating it and loving it. They even did a happy dance. I added cinnamon and sugar to some at the end along with butter. I salted the others. Will be keeping this recipe. Thank you!
So glad everyone had fun and enjoyed the recipe. Your comment made my day. Thanks for sharing, Melony!
Pretzels are such a classic snack, simple but always satisfying
AHHHHHH!!! These were so good in my opinion, I also decided to cut them down into what I would call a more regular size for a pretzel bite, which meant that I made over 100 pretzel bites out of the 20 recipe, but I’m kinda glad I did because they were sooo good and I could share them with my family, I would totally make it again, and I definitely recommend it!!
Thanks for sharing, Amelia!
Just made them. Came out so nice, moist & crisp! Love em’ ❤️
Served them with some Vegan queso.. delish!
Thank you ❤️ 😊 yuummyy nummy in my tummy
Just made it. Came out so nice, moist & crispy! Love them:) Served them with some Vegan Queso.. delish!
Thank you! 😊
Great instructions. Great recipe. I made mine too big, but you learn every time. Thanks!,
So true! Thanks for sharing, TBerner!
This recipe was so easy to follow. You did such an amazing job explaining and perfecting this recipe! I had a fun time making these pretzel bites. I ended up making mine smaller since I let the dough rise too much and I had a ton of bites in the end! Thank you for sharing your recipe!
Sooo Yummy!! I added more flour than the 4 cups,I think partly because I wasn’t moving quickly enough so it was sticky. After rising it was perfect, even rolled some into traditional pretzel shapes. Absolutely delicious!!
I made these today for a vegan dinner I attended. They turned out beautifully. I used vegan butter. The recipe was easy to follow and the end result impressive. I had no left overs. This recipe is a keeper.
Thank you so much for this! I couldn’t believe I made pretzels. Just made them and they came out great. Thanks again.
So glad it was enjoyed the homemade pretzels, Sharon!
Super easy to make. I made them a bit smaller and I think I got about 100! I froze a batch for the kids after school snacks.