Tessa’s Recipe Rundown
Taste: Buttery, garlicky, and so cheesy!
Texture: Crisp outside, soft inside.
Ease: Don’t be intimidated by the baking soda bath – it’s simple once you get the hang of it!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe: The absolute perfect snack for game day, Super Bowl parties, or even a cozy afternoon in.
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As much as I LOVE the classic Soft Pretzel Recipe on my site (a recipe my fiancé Joe actually invented!), sometimes I want to spice it up a bit.
What better way to spice up pretzels than by adding heaps of garlic and cheese?! There’s almost nothing better.
These addictive Garlic Parmesan Soft Pretzels are the ultimate game day food, Super Bowl appetizer, or party snack.
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Buttery, cheesy, and loaded with garlic. What more could you want out of a carb?!
Sprinkle of Science
How to Make Garlic Parmesan Soft Pretzels
Knead Your Pretzel Dough
This dough is quite dense and heavy so it needs to be kneaded well in order to allow the gluten to develop. The gluten is the backbone of the structure of these pretzels, giving them their distinct shape and chewy texture.
If you don’t have a stand mixer with a dough hook, you can also knead by hand. It’ll just require some upper body strength and about 5 additional minutes.
How to Make A Baking Soda Bath for Pretzels
Don’t be afraid of this step. It is really easy and makes a big difference in getting that golden crispy outside with the soft inside texture.
- You’ll need 2/3 cup of baking soda and 10 cups of water.
- In a large pot, bring the baking soda and water to a boil.
- Boil the pretzels in small batches in the soda solution for 45 seconds, then flip and boil for an additional 45 seconds.
Note: Make sure to dunk only up to two pretzels at a time to ensure they are able to soak thoroughly.
How to Shape Pretzels
Shape logs of dough into a letter U. Cross the arms placing one over the other, then twist them around each other once. Bring the ends down to the bottom of the U and gently press to stick. Place on two greased parchment-lined baking sheets.
How to Store Pretzels
These pretzels are definitely best served the day they’re baked. Even better, still warm from the oven! However, you can store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. Reheat in the toaster oven at 350°F for a few minutes to refresh.
How to Freeze Pretzels
Store the baked but plain uncoated pretzels in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 2 months.
Defrost by letting them sit on the counter for about an hour. Or, simply microwave for about 30 seconds. If desired for a crispier texture, once defrosted, refresh in the toaster for about 5 minutes. Proceed with coating with butter and sprinkling with the topping as directed in the recipe.
Garlic Parmesan Soft Pretzels
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Ingredients
For the pretzels:
- 1 tablespoon active dry yeast
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 1/2 cups (355 grams) warm water (about 110°F), divided
- 5 cups (635 grams) all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons fine sea salt
- 4 tablespoons (57 grams) unsalted butter, melted
For baking soda bath:
- 2/3 cup of baking soda
- 10 cups of water
For the garlic Parmesan:
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 teaspoon salt (add more or less to taste)
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1/3 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Spray with nonstick cooking spray.
Make the dough:
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine the yeast, sugar, and 1/4 cup of the water. Whisk to combine. Let stand for 5 minutes or until frothy.
- Add the remaining 1 1/4 cups water, flour, and salt and stir to combine. On low speed, gradually pour in the melted butter.
- Increase speed to medium and knead for about seven minutes until the dough is elastic and completely smooth and doesn’t stick to the sides of the bowl or your hands. This will be a dense dough, so be careful not to step away from your mixer in case it decides to jump on the counter.
Shape the pretzels:
- There is no need to allow this dough to rise prior to shaping. Remove the dough to a clean work surface (do not flour). Divide into 10 equal pieces (each should be about 100 grams). Roll each piece against the counter or between your palms into about a 20-inch long log.
- Shape the log into a letter U. Cross the arms placing one over the other then twist them around each other once. Bring the ends down to the bottom of the U and gently press to stick. Place on two greased parchment-lined baking sheets. Repeat with all the dough portions.
- Cover and allow the shaped pretzels to rise for 30 minutes while you prepare the bath. The shaped pretzels should be slightly puffed before 'bathing.'
Prepare the baking soda bath:
- In a large pot, bring the baking soda and water to a soft boil. Once risen, boil the pretzels in small batches in the soda solution for 30 seconds, then flip and boil for an additional 30 seconds.
- Using a slotted spoon, remove the pretzels back to the prepared baking sheets. Using a paring knife, score two slices into the thickest part of each pretzel. Repeat until all pretzels have been bathed and scored.
Bake the pretzels:
- Bake both trays at 400°F for about 16 minutes, alternating the trays half through the baking time for even baking, until deeply golden brown. Bake for less time for softer pretzels and more time for crispier pretzels.
Prepare the topping:
- While the pretzels bake, melt the butter in a small saucepan set over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the salt, garlic powder, and parsley and stir to combine.
- Brush hot pretzels all over with the garlic butter mixture. Sprinkle generously with the Parmesan cheese. Serve warm.
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This post was originally published in 2015 and updated in 2022 with recipe improvements and new photos. Photos by Ashley McLaughlin.
Can any of season blend be added into the dough making process? Instead of just on top of pretzels.
We haven’t tried that because the topping was flavorful enough for us, but if you experiment, let us know how it goes! I’d start with a small amount of seasoning to ensure the dough doesn’t become too dry and difficult to roll out.
Does sea salt have to be used or will table salt work just as well?
hey! these pretzels look great! if I want to make half of the amount, should I divide all the ingredients in two, including the bath? thank you!
Hi Kit! We haven’t tried halving the bath, but even with half the amount of pretzels, you may want to keep the bath the same, just to ensure you have enough liquid to easily submerge the pretzels. Let us know what you think of these pretzels once you’ve given them a try! 🙂
Can I use lye bath on Parmesan pretzels
Hi Dominick! Yes, feel free to use the lye bath detailed in Tessa’s Classic Pretzels post here. Let us know what you think once you’ve given these pretzels a try! 🙂
I made your pretzel bites with the garlic parmesan sauce. OMG! They were a hit at the super bowl party.
Thank you once again for another recipe hit!
This is a great idea . Are the ingredients for the dough the same to knead with hand, since I don’t have a stand mixer
Hi Jessy! The ingredients will stay the same, you’ll just need to knead the dough for about 3-5 additional minutes than what the recipe calls for. Let us know what you think of this recipe when you give it a try 🙂
These were so good! The topping takes them to the next level! Would definitely make again.
Oh mama are these fantastic! This recipe is so straight-forward and easy to follow, it was really fun too shape these too.
Delicious and super easy to make. Was my first time using yeast and the pretzels turned out great!
So glad you gave our recipe a try!
Yummy pretzels
These are delicious! I made the beer cheese dip to go with it, but honestly didn’t need to; the flavor of these are great stand alone! Very easy to make (the difference between this dough and the classic soft pretzel dough is minor), and making the garlic butter topping that gets brushed on made me hungry for hours, with the scent floating about the house.
I wanted to love these like all the other of HTH recipes I’ve made, but this was a miss for me. I guess I haven’t had enough soft pretzels in my life, but I found they just tasted like baking soda. The recipe was easy to follow, and the texture was was really nice – hubby loved them, so maybe it’s just me?
Sorry to hear that, Chrissy! I’d suggest placing your pretzels in the baking soda bath for a bit shorter period of time the next time you try this recipe. You’re also welcome to use a lye bath instead, as detailed in the pink box above our Classic Soft Pretzels recipe. I hope you give this recipe another try!