The Best Buttery Soft Pretzel Bites – Better Than Takeout

Crispy on the outside, soft and buttery on the inside, these Buttery Soft Pretzel Bites are the best you’ll ever have. After making these many times, I’ve discovered the trick to getting that perfect texture every time. Keep reading for my best tips. If you love recipes like this, you’ll also enjoy Savory Garlic Pork Bites and Lemon Chicken Pasta.

What You'll Need for The Best Buttery Soft Pretzel Bites – Better Than Takeout

Choosing the right ingredients makes a big difference, but this recipe is forgiving enough to work with what you have.

• 1 1/2 cups warm water
• 2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 2 1/4 teaspoons salt
• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• Vegetable oil, for greasing the bowl
• 1/2 cup baking soda
• Coarse salt, for sprinkling
• Optional: Melted butter, for brushing

How to Make The Best Buttery Soft Pretzel Bites – Better Than Takeout

1. Make the dough: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine the warm water, yeast, melted butter, sugar, and salt. Add the flour and mix on low speed until the dough comes together. Increase the speed to medium and knead for 4 minutes.
2. Let the dough rise: Transfer the dough to a greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let it rise in a warm place for 1 hour, or until doubled in size.
3. Preheat the oven and prepare the baking sheet: Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
4. Cut the dough into pieces: Punch down the dough and divide it into 8 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a long rope, about 1-inch thick. Cut each rope into 1-inch pieces to form the pretzel bites.
5. Boil the pretzel bites: In a large pot, bring 2 quarts of water and the baking soda to a boil. Add the pretzel bites to the boiling water, in batches, and boil for 30 seconds. Remove the pretzel bites from the water with a slotted spoon and place them on the prepared baking sheet.
6. Sprinkle with coarse salt and bake: Sprinkle the pretzel bites with coarse salt. Bake for 15-18 minutes, or until golden brown.
7. Brush with melted butter: Remove the pretzel bites from the oven and brush them with melted butter. Serve warm.

Storing & Reheating The Best Buttery Soft Pretzel Bites – Better Than Takeout

Short-Term Storage

Store in an airtight container in the fridge. Store leftover pretzel bites in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. Make-ahead tip: Pretzel bites can be made ahead and frozen. See pro tip for details.

Freezing The Best Buttery Soft Pretzel Bites – Better Than Takeout

Freeze shaped pretzel bites on a baking sheet, then transfer to a zip-top bag. Bake from frozen, adding a few minutes to the baking time.

How to Reheat Without Drying It Out

Oven: Reheat in a 350°F (175°C) oven for 5-10 minutes. Microwave: Microwave for 15-20 seconds, but be careful not to overheat.

Recipe Notes

• Chef tip: For a chewier pretzel, let the dough rise for an additional 30 minutes after shaping.
• Best substitution: Active dry yeast can be substituted, but the rise time will be longer.
• Make-ahead: Pretzel bites can be made ahead and frozen. See pro tip for details.
• Scaling: This recipe can be doubled or halved as needed.
• Troubleshooting: If your pretzel bites are hard, you may have overcooked them. To fix, brush them with melted butter and let them sit for a few minutes to soften.

The Best Buttery Soft Pretzel Bites – Better Than Takeout

⏱

Prep

20 mins

🍳

Cook

20 mins

⏳

Total

1 hr 40 mins

🍽

Serves

8 servings

🥗

Diet

Vegetarian

Ingredients

Main Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups warm water
• 2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 2 1/4 teaspoons salt
• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• Vegetable oil, for greasing the bowl

Seasonings

• 1/2 cup baking soda
• Coarse salt, for sprinkling

Optional Toppings

• Melted butter, for brushing

Instructions

1. Make the dough: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine the warm water, yeast, melted butter, sugar, and salt. Add the flour and mix on low speed until the dough comes together. Increase the speed to medium and knead for 4 minutes.
2. Let the dough rise: Transfer the dough to a greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let it rise in a warm place for 1 hour, or until doubled in size.
3. Preheat the oven and prepare the baking sheet: Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
4. Cut the dough into pieces: Punch down the dough and divide it into 8 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a long rope, about 1-inch thick. Cut each rope into 1-inch pieces to form the pretzel bites.
5. Boil the pretzel bites: In a large pot, bring 2 quarts of water and the baking soda to a boil. Add the pretzel bites to the boiling water, in batches, and boil for 30 seconds. Remove the pretzel bites from the water with a slotted spoon and place them on the prepared baking sheet.
6. Sprinkle with coarse salt and bake: Sprinkle the pretzel bites with coarse salt. Bake for 15-18 minutes, or until golden brown.
7. Brush with melted butter: Remove the pretzel bites from the oven and brush them with melted butter. Serve warm.

Notes

• Chef tip: For a chewier pretzel, let the dough rise for an additional 30 minutes after shaping.
• Best substitution: Active dry yeast can be substituted, but the rise time will be longer.
• Make-ahead: Pretzel bites can be made ahead and frozen. See pro tip for details.
• Scaling: This recipe can be doubled or halved as needed.
• Troubleshooting: If your pretzel bites are hard, you may have overcooked them. To fix, brush them with melted butter and let them sit for a few minutes to soften.

Storage

• Fridge: Store leftover pretzel bites in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
• Freezer: Freeze shaped pretzel bites on a baking sheet, then transfer to a zip-top bag. Bake from frozen, adding a few minutes to the baking time.
• Oven reheat: Reheat in a 350°F (175°C) oven for 5-10 minutes.
• Microwave reheat: Microwave for 15-20 seconds, but be careful not to overheat.
• Make ahead: Pretzel bites can be made ahead and frozen. See pro tip for details.

Nutrition Per Serving

• Calories: 220
• Protein: 6g
• Fat: 3g
• Carbs: 42g
• Fiber: 1g
• Sugar: 3g
• Sodium: 1400mg
• Cholesterol: 5mg
• Sat. Fat: 1.5g

Nutritional values are estimates only. Actual values may vary by brand and portion size.

The Best Buttery Soft Pretzel Bites – Better Than Takeout FAQs

A Warm Final Note

I can’t wait for you to try The Best Buttery Soft Pretzel Bites – Better Than Takeout and see how effortlessly it comes together. When you make it, pop back here and leave a rating or share how it turned out — I love hearing from you!