Cinnamon Sugar Pretzel Bites Recipe

Name: Cinnamon Sugar Pretzel Bites
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 80 min
Ingredients: 2½ cups All purpose flour; 2¼ teaspoon Instant Yeast; 1 teaspoon Sugar; 1 teaspoon Salt; 1 cup Lukewarm Water; 1 cup Water; 2 tablespoons Baking soda; As needed Sparkling Sugar; 6 tablespoons UnsaltedButter, melted; ¼ cup Granulated Sugar; 1 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon

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These Cinnamon Sugar Pretzel Bites are soft, fluffy and highly addictive. They are easy to make and are perfect after-school snack or for a movie night or as a game-day treat.

Green plate with a stack of cinnamon sugar pretzel bites

My daughter loves pretzels especially the samples given out before the pretzels stalls in the mall. Those little buttery sweet bites that leave your fingers with a fresh coat of sugar. Yup, you got that right – Aunt Annie’s pretzel bites. Who doesn’t like those.

This homemade sweet pretzel recipe is just as delicious. Also they are easy to make and very addictive.

The best part of this recipe is that they need about 30 minutes of hands on time and the rest is rising and baking. So you can have make and eat these yummy cinnamon sugar bites in no time.

Ingredients

Here’s what you need to make the dough:

Flour – All purpose, but I add some whole-wheat flour to make them a little less guilty to eat.
Instant Yeast – 1 sachet (2.25tsp)
Sugar & Salt
Lukewarm Water

Ingredients needed - details in recipe card

Since this is a pretzel recipe, the dough needs a baking soda bath after the first rise. You need the below to make the bath:

1 cup of Water
2 tablespoons of baking soda

Optionally, you also need sparking sugar, turbinado sugar to get the crunchy texture.

Instructions

Start with making the dough: Combine flour, instant yeast, sugar and salt in a large mixing bowl or the bowl of the stand mixer. Takes about 10~12 minutes by hand and 7~8 minutes on the stand mixer.

Add lukewarm water, mix and knead until a smooth, pliable dough forms. Cover and set aside to rise for 30 minutes.

Ingredients for the pretzel mixed in a bowl until a smooth dough forms

Make the baking soda bath: While the dough is rising, bring water to a boil in a medium size saucepan. Add the baking soda, mix well and turn off the heat. Let the mixture cool to lukewarm or cooler.

Make Cinnamon Sugar: Combine cinnamon and sugar in a small bowl and keep ready.

Make Cinnamon Sugar Pretzel Bites: Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and lightly grease the paper.

Divide the dough into 6 equal pieces. Roll each piece into 12″~15″ long log. Cut the log into 12 equal size pieces.

Dough rolled out into a 12" log and cut into 1" pieces

Pour the baking soda mixture into a large bowl and add all the dough balls. Swish them around for 2 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon onto the prepared baking sheet.

Pretzel bites dunked in baking soda solution, removed with a slotted spoon onto a greased baking sheet

Sprinkle the bites with the sparkling sugar and bake for 12~15 minutes or until the pretzel bites are golden brown.

Pretzel bites sprinkled with sparking sugar and baked until golden brown

Remove from the oven and roll them in melted butter. Immediately take them out and roll them in cinnamon sugar. Place them on cooling rack.

Mini bites coated with melted butter and rolled in cinnamon sugar

Enjoy them warm or store them in an airtight container for up to 2 days. Warm them briefly in microwave before serving.

Taste Test:

These pretzel bites are soft, sweet and absolutely delicious. They were very similar in taste and texture to Aunt Annie’s bites, if I may say so myself.

Hand holding a cinnamon sugar covered sweet pretzel

FAQ

So what does the baking soda bath do to the pretzels?

Pretzels have a signature chewy, brown crust and that is possible only with the baking soda bath. The brief dip in the alkaline water makes the outside of the pretzel gelatin-like and helps it to brown at lower temperatures. So, they don’t spring like breads but have a chewy texture.

Tips

Substitute some of the all purpose flour with whole-wheat, spelt or other whole grain flours. I use up to 1 cup of whole grain flour.
To make vegan pretzel bites, use melted vegan butter.
Instead of making bites, you can make mini pretzels instead. Simply cut each log into 4 equal parts and roll into pretzel shape.
Here are a few ideas to make pretzel bites with different flavors:
- plain savory – sprinkle the dough with coarse kosher salt, bake and roll in the melted butter.
- sprinkle buttered bites in some everything bagel seasoning.
- sprinkle parmesan cheese or Italian herbs or even ranch seasoning.
These are best eaten warm, but leftovers can be stored in an airtight container for up to 2 days. Reheat them briefly in the microwave before serving.

Few more delicious game day treats

I love hearing from you!! If you’ve tried this or any other recipe on the blog, tag in your creations on Instagram @cook_hideout. I love sharing photos when people make my recipes. You can use the hashtag #cookshideout too.