Ingredients
For the pretzels:
- 1 packet (2 1/4 teaspoons) instant yeast
- 3 tablespoons (25 grams) brown sugar
- 1 1/2 cups warm water (about 110°F)
- 1 tablespoon canola or vegetable oil
- 3/4 teaspoon fine salt
- 4 1/4 cups (540 grams) all-purpose flour
For baking soda bath:
- 3 cups water
- 1/4 cup baking soda
For the cinnamon sugar coating:
- 4 tablespoons (57 grams) unsalted butter, melted
- 3/4 cup (150 grams) granulated sugar
- 3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
For the cream cheese frosting:
- 4 ounces (113 grams) cream cheese, completely softened to room temperature
- 4 tablespoons (57 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 tablespoon cream or milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup (125 grams) powdered sugar
Directions
Make the dough:
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In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine all of the dough ingredients. Mix on low speed until combined.
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Increase speed to medium and knead for 7 to 10 minutes until the dough is elastic and smooth and doesn’t stick to the sides of the bowl or your hands, adding a little more flour if needed.
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Place in a greased bowl, turning to coat. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and let rise until about doubled in size, about 1 hour.
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Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Spray with nonstick cooking spray or grease with butter.
Shape the pretzels:
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Remove the dough to a clean work surface. Divide into 6 equal pieces. Roll each piece against the counter or between your palms into about a 20-inch long log. Keep the remaining pieces covered. Only add flour to your work surface or dough if absolutely necessary.
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Using a bench cutter, cut about thirteen 1 1/2-inch pieces from each log. Be sure to not cut these too big, they will puff up in the oven! Place on the two greased parchment-lined baking sheets.
Prepare the baking soda bath:
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Bring the water to a boil (I like to use an electric kettle). Carefully pour the water into a large bowl (I use the bowl the dough rose in) and add in the baking soda. Stir with a wooden spoon to dissolve.
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Dunk the pretzels bites in the baking soda solution, starting with the ones you shaped first, for no more than thirty seconds, before gently removing with a slotted spoon back to the greased and lined baking sheets, spacing them out at least half an inch apart.
Bake the pretzels:
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Bake both trays at 400°F for about 12 to 15 minutes, alternating the trays halfway through the baking time for even baking, until golden brown to your preference.
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Let cool for 5 minutes before peeling away from the parchment paper.
Coat with cinnamon sugar:
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Place the cooked pretzels in a large sealable container. Toss with the melted butter. Add the cinnamon and sugar and toss to combine.
Make the cream cheese dip:
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In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese, butter, cream or milk, and vanilla on medium-high speed until very light, creamy, and smooth, about three minutes. On low speed, gradually add in the sugar and beat until fluffy.
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Coated pretzels are best served soon after making. Alternatively, you can freeze the baked uncoated pretzels. Thaw to room temperature, then refresh in a 350°F oven for 5 minutes before coating as the recipe instructs.
The best! Easy and love them so much
Do you have a video for step by step?
Hi Nicole! Unfortunately we don’t have a video for this recipe, but Tessa’s regular Pretzel Recipe here has a video. The process isn’t exactly the same (no lye bath or special shaping needed for the cinnamon sugar pretzels) and the recipe is a little different, but it will give you an idea of the steps involved. The video button doesn’t work (we’re working to fix this) so just scroll down a little from the top of the post, to see the video under the heading “Recipe Video”. Let us know what you think once you’ve tried these pretzels! 🙂
Can you make without a stand mixer?
Hi Ginger! Sure, but it’s going to take some muscle and some time! You will need to knead until the dough is elastic and smooth and doesn’t stick to your hands, and this will take a lot longer by hand – but it’s definitely possible. Let us know what you think if you give these pretzel bites a try! 🙂
I made these tonight and I was a bit disappointed with how they turned out, I wasn’t sure if it was something I did wrong but they were good at first and then left a bitter aftertaste. They were also a bit too salty for my liking. Not sure why this would be but if anyone has any ideas on how I could adjust to fix this please let me know!
Hi Maddie! I’m sorry to hear that these pretzel bites didn’t turn out as they should! Perhaps the bitter aftertaste is the lingering flavor from baking soda bath – this aftertaste could be because your baking soda isn’t fresh. Find out how to test for leavener freshness here. Alternatively, you could experiment with a shorter soak in the baking soda bath, to see if that helps – or give Tessa’s classic pretzels a try with a traditional lye bath instead! I hope that helps 🙂
I made these last weekend and they were an instant hit. I was told these were so good that it was “stupid” which I believe is the ultimate compliment from a teenager! Give this recipe a try if you are on the fence about it…you won’t regret it!!
Hahaha this comment cracked our team up!! So glad you and your teenager enjoyed these pretzel bites so much, Jen! 🙂
truly amazing recipe! i made it twice this week!
These are absolutely DELICIOUS! So light and fluffy and crispy on the outside. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE these !!!
Woohoo!! So happy to hear that, Kelly!!!
I made a savoury version today and they are super yum! Right after the “bath” I sprinkled some dried rosemary, black and white sesame seeds, poppy seeds and some japanese spices on the dough bites for an assorted savoury finish! Made a four cheese blend, baked in the oven for an easy dip, they are simply delicious! Loved every bite that’s crunchy on the outside, soft and chewy inside. Can’t wait to bake another batch!
Oh wow, that sounds incredible!! I bet you would love our Garlic Parmesan Soft Pretzels recipe 🙂
These pretzel bites were so good to make! They do make quite a fair amount so we are giving a lot of way, but that is actually a good problem to have. They’re super delicious and thanks for the recipe!
Sayonara mall pretzel shop & pizza chain! My daughter & I made these pretzel bites today, 1/2 cinnamon sugar & 1/2 garlic Parmesan (your recipe). Amazing! Super easy, fun & delicious!
Woohoo!! So happy you both loved this recipe!
These Cinnamon Sugar Pretzel Bites were super easy to make and fun! I brought them to friends house for dinner and they were a big hit!
I made the cinnamon sugar pretzel bites for the January baking challenge. So yummy I couldn’t stop eating them.
These Pretzel bites are delicious!!!! I didn’t have a bench scraper, so I used the edge of a sharp spatula. I thought the directions were easy to follow and helped set me up for success! Delicious success! 🙂
Loved these! I ended up doubling the frosting, but that’s only because I’m a frosting fiend!
ha, love it! Glad you enjoyed them 🙂
These were sooo tasty for a dessert treat! I had a little bit of a hard time cutting the dough with the bench scraper so they were not all shaped wel but they were delicious.
Oh man, these are super easy and taste absolutely delicious! Definitely a family favorite.
This was the PERFECT pretzel recipe!! It was chewy and soft in the inside, and had the perfect texture!!
Nice to snack on
My favorite of the two that I made. I love sweet. The dough was not as springy and much easier to handle. Very tasty.
I haven’t even made the frosting yet but the bites themselves are delicious! Just make sure to keep a close eye on them in the oven, they burn quick.
These were delicious, and so easy to make!
These are dangerously good! And way too easy! My husband and I were eating them as I was putting them on the plate. Absolutely love these!
This recipe is amazingly easy! It’s delicious! I’m so happy i tried this recipe! I’m definitely going to make these over and over. My husband loved these and will be sharing these with my best friend, she always looks forward to trying any sweet treats i make! Thank you for this amazing recipe! I also want to make the garlic parmesan pretzels! I already know they will be great!
Wonderful! So happy you both loved this recipe!
Terrific very clear recipe. They are so delicious, my kids devoured them!!
I loved these pretzel bites! The recipe was easy to follow & well written. I loved the optional dip too! I can’t wait to make these again!
Fun, easy recipe! Don’t need to head to the mall for these anymore!
Super delicious and super easy to make! It will definitely be a new favorite!
These are super addicting! AND super easy to make! It will definitely be a new favorite snack. I didn’t get a chance to make the frosting, but they were still tasty!
I absolutely love the cinnamon sugar pretzel bites. They’re not too sweet but just right and soft and chewy. Probably a bit bigger than a bite but that is my fault as I made them a bit bigger than they should have been by making 60 of them instead of 80. They really are excellent.
Super simple and super worth it! My kids loved them!
Delicious and surprisingly easy! The only drawback was that it’s such a large batch to be eaten very quickly. I may try doing just half next time or at least saving these as a party snack. Very yummy though!
Glad you enjoyed them! These freeze beautifully (perfect for weeknight cravings)! Check out more details in the pink box above the recipe 🙂
Delicious, easy snack to have on hand!
My first batch was delicious! The recipe is easy too. However subsequent batches I believe I left in the baking soda bath too long and they came out having a “metallic/bitter” taste. I will try this recipe again.
It’s a wonderful recipe as I know since my classic pretzels turned out fabulous, It was very easy to make as well. However my first batch tasted the best. Subsequent batches seemed to taste very “yeasty”. Not sure why, but I didn’t know how to keep the baking soda bath hot enough throughout the process, so after the first couple batches I heated the mixture over the stove to keep it hot for dipping like the method for classic pretzels. Not sure if that is where I went wrong?
hmmm so interesting that your first batch turned out great, whereas the other batches tasted more yeasty! I’d definitely make sure you’re measuring the yeast and sugar properly. Too much sugar can result in the yeast growing too fast, but also too much yeast would result in a dough with that unpleasant yeasty taste. Did you notice your pretzels tasting more like baking soda than yeast? If so, it’s possible they were left too long in the baking soda bath for those subsequent batches. I definitely hope you give these another try, especially since your first batch turned out perfectly! Let me know how your next batch goes. Good luck!
Easy and delicious! I made them for my family, with rave reviews!
Just popped one I my mouth warm and soft. The Cinnamon and Sugar combined with the butter is beyond yummy. Recipe easy to follow and they came out exactly as I had anticipated. Warming treat on an extremely cold January day in Toronto.
Yay! So happy to hear that, Risa! Have a wonderful weekend 🙂
My first yeast dough and it was a success. Your tips and directions were so helpful along with the video. Thank you for such a fantastic recipe!
Yay! So happy to hear that, thanks for trying our recipe!
These were so easy to make and absolutely delicious! They look amazing, taste even better, and I felt like the best mom ever when my kids came home to these as their after school snack. We will definitely be making these again. I’d love to try them topped with butter and salt or with a mustard dipping sauce.
Aw yay!! So glad your kids loved them!
They were really good! I will make again to perfect my skill.
These are delicious!!!!! So tasty! Easy to make! Great for parties!
These are so amazing! They were eaten so quickly!! My favourite part was the baking soda bath. I had no idea what I was doing but it was pretty fun. Love this recipe. Super addictive.
Way to try something new! So glad you enjoyed the process of making these as well as the end result! 🙂
WOW!!! These were wonderful!! Crispy on the outside and tender and perfect texture inside. They didn’t last long with the family!!
I’ve never had luck with pretzels before until now!
I’ve also made the garlic Parmesan pretzels and they were a huge hit as well!
So glad this recipe was easy to follow and that you enjoyed them!
These were a hit and not very hard!
These were fun to make and delicious!
These were easy to make and so delicious! We made the frosting to go with them and they were gobbled down in record time.