• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Sprinkle Some Sugar logo
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Fall Baking
  • Recipes
  • About
  • Newsletter
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Fall Baking
    • Recipes
    • About
    • Newsletter
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×
    Home » Recipes » Appetizers & Savory Recipes

    How to Make Easy Homemade Buttery Soft Pretzels and Pretzel Bites

    Published: Feb 24, 2023 · Last Modified: Aug 28, 2023 by Jessica · 179 Comments · This post may contain affiliate links

    Share
    Pin35.9K
    Tweet
    35.9KShares
    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    These easy homemade buttery soft pretzels are so simple to make at home. They're chewy, fluffy and better than any food chain! Whip up a batch of my easy and delicious beer cheese dip to dip them in for a yummy treat!

    Baked soft pretzels on plate.

    I have a slight obsession with soft pretzels. Where ever I am, if they are being offered, there's a good chance I'm getting one.. or three. Call it a guilty pleasure but now that I can make the best homemade soft pretzels at home that are even better than any chain, my life is practically made! You guys are going to love these.

    Want to make more homemade dough? Try this EASY pizza dough recipe or a recipe without yeast, my homemade pie dough.

    Jump to:
    • Why You'll Love This Recipe:
    • Ingredients For Homemade Soft Pretzels
    • Substitutions & Variations
    • How to Make Quick and Easy Soft Pretzels
    • Recipe FAQ
    • More Recipes You'll Love
    • 📋 Recipe
    • ⭐ Reviews

    Why You'll Love This Recipe:

    • They have an incredible slightly chewy exterior, while the inside is super soft and fluffy.
    • The flavor is out of this world! I mean, they are bathed in butter as soon as they come out of the oven....
    • No more standing in long lines and spending a crazy amount of money on one pretzel when you can spend that amount or less and make an entire batch!
    • Homemade soft pretzels are easier to make than you think! Just like soft and fluffy homemade cinnamon rolls.

    Ingredients For Homemade Soft Pretzels

    • Active dry yeast: It helps the dough to rise and makes the soft pretzels puff up as they bake. Want to make a sweet yeasted treat that also uses active dry yeast? Try my strawberry cinnamon rolls or mixed berry sweet rolls.
    • Water: Make sure your water is warm (not boiling), about 105°-115°F to best activate the yeast. You will also use boiling water for the baking soda bath later in the recipe.
    • Baking soda: Used for the baking soda "bath" which is the most important steps in making homemade soft pretzels. This gives the pretzels their iconic golden, chewy outer exterior. It's the ingredient that basically makes a pretzel, taste like a pretzel! And not a buttery, salted bread stick.
    • Butter: I use unsalted butter in the dough and salted butter brushed on top of the pretzels just after baking. To simplify, you can just use unsalted since they are getting sprinkled with salt anyway. I like mine salty!
    • Fine and coarse sea salt: Fine is used in the dough - you can also just use regular table or kosher salt - and coarse sea salt is sprinkled on top of the pretzels before baking.
    • All-Purpose Flour: Measuring the flour correctly is crucial. Too much flour and your dough will be dry and crumbly creating tough pretzels. Too little, and it will be wet, sticky and unworkable.

    See recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and easy-to-follow instructions.

    Substitutions & Variations

    To use any of these variations, you will omit the coarse salt sprinkled on top after baking. Use your imagination! There are so, so many more variations you can come up with!

    Cinnamon sugar: After baking, brush with melted butter and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.

    Everything but the bagel seasoning: Brush with melted butter after baking and sprinkle with seasoning.

    Cheese: Before baking and while pretzels are still wet from baking soda bath, sprinkle with your desired flavor of cheese. Parmesan, asiago would both be absolutely delicious!

    Garlic & herb: Brush with melted butter after baking and sprinkle with garlic salt and italian seasoning.

    How to Make Quick and Easy Soft Pretzels

    Pretzel dough shaped on parchment paper before baking.
    1. Mix and knead the dough: Combine yeast with warm water and sugar. Once mixture becomes "frothy" your yeast is ready. Stir in salt and melted butter. Add flour 1 cup at a time until dough is no longer sticky. You may need more or less than the recipe calls for. If you press your finger into the dough and it bounces back, it's ready to knead! Knead dough for 5 more minutes until smooth and pliable.
    2. Let the dough rest:  Shape dough into a large ball and place in a lightly-oiled bowl, cover with a damp towel, and let it rest for 15 minutes. This is not to be confused with rising, it does not need to be doubled in size, the dough is just "resting."
    3. Preheat oven: To 475°F, and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
    4. Prepare the baking soda bath:  Combine the water and baking soda in a large pot and bring mixture to a boil. Take off heat and allow it to come down to a lukewarm temperature.
    5. Shape the pretzels:  Flatten rested dough slightly with the palm of your hand into a circle. Cut dough into 8 sections (like a pizza). Roll each triangle into a long ¾ inch rope, about 19-20 inches long. Shape dough into pretzel shape and place in baking soda bath for 2 minutes. Carefully pick pretzel up either by hand or spatula and transfer to prepared baking sheets.
    6. Add salt: Sprinkle the pretzels with coarse salt while still wet. Repeat these steps until all 8 pretzels are prepared and on the baking sheets.
    7. Bake: You want to bake the pretzels until golden brown, about 8-9 minutes.
    8. Brush with butter: Straight from the oven, brush the pretzels with melted butter. I like to use salted but you may use unsalted.
    9. Best served warm: Enjoy them fresh and hot out of the oven! These pair perfectly with my easy beer cheese dip!
    Pretzel dough shaped on parchment paper before baking.

    Recipe FAQ

    How do I store homemade soft pretzels?

    Once cooled completely, wrap them up individually and tight in plastic wrap for up to two days. To reheat, pop them in the microwave for about a minute or so. Good as new!

    Can I make the pretzel dough ahead of time?

    I recommend preparing the dough only one day in advance. Prep the dough the day before following the recipe through to step 3 and store in the refrigerator until ready to use. When you are ready to make the soft pretzels, continue on with the recipe starting with shaping the dough then the baking soda bath, etc.

    What is the best way to freeze baked pretzels?

    Once baked and cooled completely, wrap each pretzel individually in a layer of plastic wrap and then a layer of foil. Be sure to cover them completely! For extra protection and to ensure freshness, place them in a large ziplock bag before freezing.

    Can I freeze raw pretzel dough?

    Yes! Place raw dough into an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight.

    Can I make this recipe into homemade soft pretzel sticks or bites?

    Yes, yes, yesssss. When you get to the shaping step of the recipe, when you roll the dough into long ropes, just cut them into 4 inch pieces instead of shaping into a pretzel shape to make homemade soft pretzel sticks. Cut them into 1 inch pieces for bites. Continue with the recipe as written. I also have this included in my recipe notes at the bottom of the recipe.

    Why do I need to boil soft pretzel dough in baking soda bath before baking?

    When you place the shaped pretzels into the baking soda bath, this causes the dough to puff slightly. This is what will help to create the chewy exterior that we associate with soft pretzels. Baking soda is an alkaline which will cause a browning reaction in the oven, creating perfectly browned pretzels. The baking soda bath also gives the soft pretzels their distinct flavor. Don't skip this step!

    Baked soft pretzel being dipped into beer cheese dip.

    More Recipes You'll Love

    • Baked soft pretzel being dipped into beer cheese dip.
      Creamy Beer Cheese Dip for Pretzels
    • Chewy Homemade Pizza Dough Recipe
    • Cheese Burger Pockets - These cheeseburger pockets are such a fun twist on the traditional cheeseburger, using super delicious and flaky Wewalka puff pastry dough for the bread!
      Bacon Cheeseburger Pockets
    • Italian sausage and provolone Stromboli on a piece of parchment paper.
      Italian Sausage and Provolone Stromboli

    Did you make this recipe?

    Please leave a ⭐️ review below and tag @sprinkle_some_sugar on Instagram!

    📋 Recipe

    Baked soft pretzel being dipped into beer cheese dip.

    Homemade Soft Pretzels

    Jessica
    These Homemade Soft Pretzels are so soft and buttery, they're better than any food chain. Not to mention, they are incredibly easy to make!
    5 from 77 votes
    PRINT RECIPE PIN RECIPE
    Prep Time 25 mins
    Cook Time 10 mins
    Total Time 35 mins
    Course Appetizer, Snack
    Cuisine American
    Servings 8 soft pretzels
    Calories 263 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    Pretzel dough

    • 2 ¼ teaspoon active dry yeast 1 standard packet
    • 1 cup warm water
    • 1 tbs unsalted butter melted
    • 1 teaspoon sugar
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • 3 cups all-purpose flour + up to ¾ cup more if needed

    Baking Soda Bath

    • 2 cups water
    • 2 tbs baking soda

    Topping

    • 1 tbs coarse salt for sprinkling on top
    • 6 tbs salted butter melted

    Instructions
     

    • Preheat oven to 475°F and line a large baking sheet or two baking sheets with parchment paper.
    • Combine yeast with warm water and sugar in the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with hook attachment. Once mixture becomes "frothy" your yeast is ready. Stir in salt and 1 tbs of melted butter.
    • Add flour 1 cup at a time and knead on lowest setting until a dough forms and is no longer very sticky. You may need more or less depending on temperature differences. If you press your finger into the dough and it bounces back, it's ready to knead. Knead dough for 5 minutes or until smooth and pliable.
    • Form dough into a ball by hand. Lightly grease the bowl used previously and place the dough back in to rest for 15 minutes. Cover with a damp towel.
    • In a medium sized pot, boil 2 cups of water with 2 tbs of baking soda. Once the baking soda is mostly dissolved, take mixture off heat and pour into a shallow dish.
    • After 15 minutes, take dough out of the bowl and flatten slightly with the palm of your hand. Cut dough into 8 sections (like a pizza). Roll each triangle into a long rope, about 19-20 inches long. Shape dough into pretzel shape and place in baking soda bath for 2 minutes. If the whole pretzel isn't covered by the water, spoon it on top of the areas is doesn't reach. Once the 2 minutes is up, carefully pick pretzel up either by your hand or with the help of a fork or spatula and place on prepared baking sheet. You may have to re-shape slightly.
    • Sprinkle the pretzels with coarse salt while still wet. Repeat these steps until all 8 pretzels are prepared and on the baking sheets.
    • Bake pretzels for 8-9 minutes or until golden brown. Immediately from the oven, brush (heavily) with 6 tbs of melted butter.
    • These homemade soft pretzels are best served hot and fresh out of the oven but will keep for about 2 days stored at room temperature in an airtight container. Pop them in the microwave and they're good as new!

    Notes

    1. Make Ahead Instructions: Prepared dough can be made one day in advance. Shape the pretzels and allow them to rest for 10 minutes before popping them into the oven. Prepared dough can also be frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw frozen dough overnight in the refrigerator.
    2. Freezing Instructions: Freeze baked and cooled pretzels for up to 3 months. To reheat, bake (frozen) at 375 degrees for 15-18 minutes or until center is warmed through. You can also microwave for a few minutes until heated through.
    3. Pretzel Bites: When rolling dough into a long rope in step 4, instead of shaping pieces into a large pretzel, cut the dough into 1-2 inch pieces. Follow the rest of the recipe instructions.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 263kcalCarbohydrates: 37gProtein: 5gFat: 10gSaturated Fat: 6gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0.4gCholesterol: 26mgSodium: 2057mgPotassium: 62mgFiber: 2gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 307IUVitamin C: 0.003mgCalcium: 14mgIron: 2mg

    The provided nutritional information is an estimate per serving. Accuracy is not guaranteed.

    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was! Leave a comment below & tag @sprinkle_some_sugar on instagram!
    Share
    Pin35.9K
    Tweet
    35.9KShares

    See more

    • Meatballs in sauce on a bed of spaghetti.
      The BEST Authentic Italian Meatballs (with sauce recipe!)
    • Slice of creamy chicken pot pie on a black plate
      The BEST Creamy Chicken Pot Pie
    • Jalapeno popper pinwheel appetizers on a plate stacked.
      Cheesy Jalapeño Popper Pinwheel Appetizers
    • Grilled Caprese Flatbread after baking.
      Caprese Flatbread Pizza

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      Leave a Reply Cancel reply

      Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

      Recipe Rating




    1. Tamara says

      August 26, 2023 at 10:08 pm

      Your ingredients list measurements differ in the instructions…
      You say I need 2tbs of baking soda, but in the directions you say to add 6tbs.
      You say I need 1tbs butter but then tell me to melt 1 in the beginning then to melt 6tbs butter

      Reply
      • Jessica says

        August 28, 2023 at 8:14 am

        Good morning Tamara, for this recipe you need 2 tbs of baking soda for the baking soda bath. As for the butter, yes, there is 1 tbs of melted butter in the dough and then you will melt 6 tbs of butter at the end to brush onto the pretzels so butter is used twice in this recipe.

        Reply
    2. E says

      June 14, 2023 at 12:58 pm

      5 stars
      These were so unbelievably good! They were gone in minutes and Im making more today!

      Reply
    3. Sharon says

      May 11, 2023 at 12:16 am

      5 stars
      these were quick, easy and delicious. Will absolutely make them again. I did use instant yeast .

      Reply
    4. Sarah says

      January 13, 2023 at 11:20 pm

      5 stars
      Made these today and they lasted about 15 minutes! Will definitely make again 🙂

      Reply
    5. LSB says

      August 27, 2021 at 8:24 am

      5 stars
      We’ve tried so many recipes, and this is hands down the best soft pretzel recipe. It is delicious. We have been making it for a while now. Thank you!

      Reply
    6. Susan M Baker says

      August 21, 2021 at 4:16 pm

      5 stars
      These pretzels were absolutely delicious.
      My family loves them.
      Very easy to make
      I made the classic pretzel shape the first time and the second time I made big bite size. Will keep this recipe!

      Reply
    7. Kaitlyn says

      August 16, 2021 at 12:22 am

      5 stars
      Just made these and they came out great! Have you made these before without butter? I’m going to try a batch with plant based butter to see how they come out (friend’s allergic) —fingers crossed!

      Reply
      • Jessica says

        September 06, 2021 at 1:12 pm

        I have not, I hope they came out delicious for you!

        Reply
    8. Mike says

      July 13, 2021 at 11:58 am

      5 stars
      Great tasting very soft pretzel. It is also a very quick recipe start to finish.

      The only negative is in the directions. It said to prepare the baking sheet by putting parchment on it. I was helping my granddaughter make them and I tried to teach her to follow the recipe. But every pretzel stuck to the parchment. In getting them off everyone of them had the back tore off. The directions should have said the spray the parchment.

      Reply
      • Jessica says

        September 06, 2021 at 1:16 pm

        5 stars
        Interesting. Parhcment is not supposed to stick like that.

        Reply
    9. Alicia Pinto says

      June 06, 2021 at 7:13 am

      Hey do I need to let the dough rise like a usual bread dough?

      Reply
    10. Mary says

      April 07, 2021 at 1:59 am

      5 stars
      I have made many soft pretzels but this recipe is by far the best if you like a soft chewy pretzel.
      I used to get these at out Main Exchange in Texas and they were the best, but very hard to find a recipe like that until yours. Most that I had tried were the really chewy crunchy kind, which I didn’t like. Thank you for your explanation about what to expect and that is the reason I tried the recipe. This is a true keeper if you like the soft center and just the right amount of chewy on the outside.

      Reply
    « Older Comments
    Newer Comments »

    Primary Sidebar

    About Jessica

    I'm so excited you're here! I’m Jess, a self-taught baker, recipe developer & food photographer in New Jersey! Here you will find easy and delicious family recipes that anyone can make. Take a look around and I hope you stay a while! ❤️

    Learn more about me →

    Fall Favorites

    • Pumpkin spice cupcakes on a piece or brown parchment paper.
      Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
    • Slice of pumpkin streusel coffee cake on a piece of brown parchment paper on a metal spatula.
      Pumpkin Streusel Coffee Cake
    • Slice of banana walnut bread with cream cheese frosting
      Banana Nut Bread
    • Plate full of apple cider donuts.
      Baked Apple Cider Donuts

    Trending Recipes

    • Baked soft pretzels on plate.
      How to Make Easy Homemade Buttery Soft Pretzels and Pretzel Bites
    • Soft and Fluffy Cinnamon Rolls after baking and slathering icing on top.
      Soft and Fluffy Cinnamon Rolls
    • The best peanut butter cookies stacked on top of each other.
      The BEST Soft and Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies
    • Meatballs in sauce on a bed of spaghetti.
      The BEST Authentic Italian Meatballs (with sauce recipe!)

    Footer

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • Work With Me
    • About
    • Newsletter