Copycat Auntie Anne’s Pretzel Bites
Indulge in these irresistible homemade pretzel bites that capture the magic of Auntie Anne's! With a soft, chewy texture and a golden-brown crust, these little delights are made using simple pantry staples like warm yeast and a sprinkle of sea salt. Perfect for game day munching or a cozy snack, you'll have everyone reaching for seconds!
Prep
15
min
Cook
30
min
Serves
4
people
Level
intermediate
📝 Ingredients
Serves 4🥬Fresh Produce(2)
- ½ cup warm water (117mL) (120 ml)
- 2 cups warm water (473mL) (480 ml)
🥛Dairy & Eggs(8)
- 2 tbsp unsalted partially melted butter (29g) (28 g)
- 5 tbsp melted unsalted butter (70mL) (70 g)
- 1 ½ tbsp unsalted butter (23g) (21 g)
- 2 cups freshly grated sharp cheddar cheese (154g) (480 ml)
- 4 oz softened cream cheese (114g) (113 g)
- ¼ cup heavy cream (60mL) (60 ml)
- ½ cup warm whole milk (125mL) (120 ml)
- 1 cup + 1 tbsp whole milk (254mL) (240 ml)
🫙Pantry Staples(8)
- ½ tsp baking powder (2g) (2.5 ml)
- 2 tbsp baking soda (35g) (30 ml)
- 3 cups bread flour (426g) (375 g)
- 2 tbsp all-purpose flour (16g) (30 ml)
- 2 cups sifted powdered sugar (242g) (400 g)
- 1 tsp granulated sugar (4g) (5 ml)
- ⅓ cup dark brown sugar (lightly packed) (61g) (66 g)
- 2 ¼ tsp dry rapid/instant yeast (7g) (11.2 ml)
🧂Spices & Seasonings(6)
- ¼ tsp (OPTIONAL) ground black pepper (1g) (1.25 ml)optional
- cinnamon sugar to taste (this is just a combination of granulated sugar and ground cinnamon to taste)
- ¼ tsp garlic powder (1g) (1.25 ml)
- ½ tsp fine salt (3g) (2.5 ml)
- coarse sea salt or pretzel salt to taste
- ¼ tsp smoked paprika (1g) (1.25 ml)
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
In a small microwave-safe bowl, warm the milk and water for ~ 45 seconds.
- 2
Add the granulated sugar and instant yeast to the warm milk/water. Give it a quick mix and set that aside for ~5-8 mins. or until the yeast blooms.
- 3
In the bowl of your stand mixer, whisk all of the other dough ingredients (bread flour, brown sugar, salt, baking powder, and partially melted butter).
- 4
Place the dough hook on your stand mixer. Add the bloomed yeast to the dry ingredients and begin mixing the dough on low speed until a dough ball begins to form.
- 5
Sprinkle bread flour on a clean & dry counter and then place the dough ball on top of the counter.
- 6
Continue kneading the dough by hand for ~ 3 minutes until it's just slightly sticky & soft.
- 7
Form the dough in a tight ball and place in a well-oiled bowl.
- 8
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and a warm kitchen towel. Allow the dough to rise for 45 minutes – 1 hour or until it has doubled in size.
- 9
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and preheat your oven to 400℉.
- 10
After the first rise, place the dough back onto a lightly floured counter and gently roll it out using a rolling pin.
- 11
Cut the dough into 6 equal strips and then roll each strip out to ~ 22" long.
- 12
Cut 1" pieces from those dough strips.
- 13
In a medium mixing bowl, combine the warm water and baking soda for the water bath.
- 14
Dunk all of the dough pieces into the water bath for just a few seconds before taking them out, straining the excess water, and placing them on your baking sheet.
- 15
Bake at 400℉ on the center rack for 8-9 minutes until the tops are just slightly golden and the bottoms are a deeper brown. The baking time will vary depending on your oven so keep an eye on them as they bake.
- 16
Allow the pretzel bites to cool.
- 17
Melt 5 tbsp of butter.
- 18
If you would like to make both the salted pretzels as well as the cinnamon sugar pretzels, divide the pretzel bites in half between two separate mixing bowls.
- 19
Add the melted butter to the pretzel bites and then add the coarse salt or cinnamon sugar mixture (this is just granulated sugar mixed with ground cinnamon to taste).
- 20
Toss the pretzels to incorporate the melted butter and toppings.
- 21
In a saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter for the cheese dip.
- 22
Whisk in the all-purpose flour and continue whisking it until it's well incorporated and you don't have any flour lumps.
- 23
Slowly pour the milk into the saucepan as you gently whisk. Do not stop whisking as you don't want that flour to settle & burn.
- 24
Once the milk mixture thickens, take the saucepan off the heat.
- 25
Add in the freshly grated sharp cheddar cheese & all of the seasonings.
- 26
Gently fold in the cheese until it’s melted & smooth.
- 27
In a small bowl, combine all of the cream cheese frosting ingredients and mix very well using a rubber spatula until smooth.
Share this recipe
Prep
15
min
Cook
30
min
Serves
4
people
Level
intermediate
Share this recipe
Copycat Auntie Anne’s Pretzel Bites
Indulge in these irresistible homemade pretzel bites that capture the magic of Auntie Anne's! With a soft, chewy texture and a golden-brown crust, these little delights are made using simple pantry staples like warm yeast and a sprinkle of sea salt. Perfect for game day munching or a cozy snack, you'll have everyone reaching for seconds!
📝 Ingredients
Serves 4🥬Fresh Produce(2)
- ½ cup warm water (117mL) (120 ml)
- 2 cups warm water (473mL) (480 ml)
🥛Dairy & Eggs(8)
- 2 tbsp unsalted partially melted butter (29g) (28 g)
- 5 tbsp melted unsalted butter (70mL) (70 g)
- 1 ½ tbsp unsalted butter (23g) (21 g)
- 2 cups freshly grated sharp cheddar cheese (154g) (480 ml)
- 4 oz softened cream cheese (114g) (113 g)
- ¼ cup heavy cream (60mL) (60 ml)
- ½ cup warm whole milk (125mL) (120 ml)
- 1 cup + 1 tbsp whole milk (254mL) (240 ml)
🫙Pantry Staples(8)
- ½ tsp baking powder (2g) (2.5 ml)
- 2 tbsp baking soda (35g) (30 ml)
- 3 cups bread flour (426g) (375 g)
- 2 tbsp all-purpose flour (16g) (30 ml)
- 2 cups sifted powdered sugar (242g) (400 g)
- 1 tsp granulated sugar (4g) (5 ml)
- ⅓ cup dark brown sugar (lightly packed) (61g) (66 g)
- 2 ¼ tsp dry rapid/instant yeast (7g) (11.2 ml)
🧂Spices & Seasonings(6)
- ¼ tsp (OPTIONAL) ground black pepper (1g) (1.25 ml)optional
- cinnamon sugar to taste (this is just a combination of granulated sugar and ground cinnamon to taste)
- ¼ tsp garlic powder (1g) (1.25 ml)
- ½ tsp fine salt (3g) (2.5 ml)
- coarse sea salt or pretzel salt to taste
- ¼ tsp smoked paprika (1g) (1.25 ml)
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
In a small microwave-safe bowl, warm the milk and water for ~ 45 seconds.
- 2
Add the granulated sugar and instant yeast to the warm milk/water. Give it a quick mix and set that aside for ~5-8 mins. or until the yeast blooms.
- 3
In the bowl of your stand mixer, whisk all of the other dough ingredients (bread flour, brown sugar, salt, baking powder, and partially melted butter).
- 4
Place the dough hook on your stand mixer. Add the bloomed yeast to the dry ingredients and begin mixing the dough on low speed until a dough ball begins to form.
- 5
Sprinkle bread flour on a clean & dry counter and then place the dough ball on top of the counter.
- 6
Continue kneading the dough by hand for ~ 3 minutes until it's just slightly sticky & soft.
- 7
Form the dough in a tight ball and place in a well-oiled bowl.
- 8
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and a warm kitchen towel. Allow the dough to rise for 45 minutes – 1 hour or until it has doubled in size.
- 9
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and preheat your oven to 400℉.
- 10
After the first rise, place the dough back onto a lightly floured counter and gently roll it out using a rolling pin.
- 11
Cut the dough into 6 equal strips and then roll each strip out to ~ 22" long.
- 12
Cut 1" pieces from those dough strips.
- 13
In a medium mixing bowl, combine the warm water and baking soda for the water bath.
- 14
Dunk all of the dough pieces into the water bath for just a few seconds before taking them out, straining the excess water, and placing them on your baking sheet.
- 15
Bake at 400℉ on the center rack for 8-9 minutes until the tops are just slightly golden and the bottoms are a deeper brown. The baking time will vary depending on your oven so keep an eye on them as they bake.
- 16
Allow the pretzel bites to cool.
- 17
Melt 5 tbsp of butter.
- 18
If you would like to make both the salted pretzels as well as the cinnamon sugar pretzels, divide the pretzel bites in half between two separate mixing bowls.
- 19
Add the melted butter to the pretzel bites and then add the coarse salt or cinnamon sugar mixture (this is just granulated sugar mixed with ground cinnamon to taste).
- 20
Toss the pretzels to incorporate the melted butter and toppings.
- 21
In a saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter for the cheese dip.
- 22
Whisk in the all-purpose flour and continue whisking it until it's well incorporated and you don't have any flour lumps.
- 23
Slowly pour the milk into the saucepan as you gently whisk. Do not stop whisking as you don't want that flour to settle & burn.
- 24
Once the milk mixture thickens, take the saucepan off the heat.
- 25
Add in the freshly grated sharp cheddar cheese & all of the seasonings.
- 26
Gently fold in the cheese until it’s melted & smooth.
- 27
In a small bowl, combine all of the cream cheese frosting ingredients and mix very well using a rubber spatula until smooth.