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.
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.
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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.
This post was originally published in 2015 and updated in 2022 with recipe improvements and new photos. Photos by Ashley McLaughlin.
I made the Soft Parmesan Garlic Pretzels snd they are outstanding. The recipe was very simple to follow as bd the pretzels are award winning!!! The flavors are perfectly blended and the pretzels are so tender and delicious. Will certainly add this to my Super Bowl menu. Will add small pepperoni too!!!!
Ooo great idea to add pepperoni to the pretzels, yum!! So happy you loved this recipe!
Pretzels have always intimidate me, but Tessa’s directions have always made harder things turn out so I had full faith and was not disappointed!
So delicious and will definitely be making these again, beautiful flavour!
Yay! You just gave us the best compliment, so happy to hear how much her directions help! Glad you enjoyed this recipe 🙂
The BEST pretzel recipe ever! I made these for my husband and my 24 months old toddler, and they love them. Thank you!!!
So happy your family loved them!
These pretzels are amazing! The garlic Parmesan is delicious and the recipe was easy to follow. A great snack!!!
Loved this recipe. Next time I might try blending the butter garlic mixture prior to adding the salt garlic powder and parsley so it spreads a bit easier and captures more flavor!
Cinnamon sugar were the kids favorite but Garlic Parm is my husband’s favorite by far! So delicious!
I never thought to do any topping besides plain old salt…these are AMAZING!!!!
So happy you loved them!
These were so good! I didn’t have dried parsley but I did have fresh parsley so I added that in the topping.
These are sooo good and sooo easy!! Could seriously eat a whole pan of them at once!
So delicious was a perfect snack for my husband and my 17 month old! And not as hard as one may think to make!
The dough was perfect and very easy to work with. The pretzels turned out amazing! Delicious.
So good!! Soft and chewy.