• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Free Ebook!Subscribe to updates & get a recipe book!

Subscribe & Receive My Free Recipe Ebook!

The Chunky Chef

Comforting Family Recipes

  • All Recipes
  • Learn to Cook
  • Shop
    • My eBooks
    • Favorite Products
  • About
  • Contact
  • Trending:

    Slow Cooker

    Easy Dinners

    Desserts

    My Saved Recipe Box
  • Browse By:
  • Course
    • Appetizers
    • Breakfast
    • Main Dishes
    • Sides
    • Drinks
    • Desserts
    • Salads
    • Soups
    • Sandwiches
    • Healthy-ish
  • Ingredient
    • Chicken
    • Beef
    • Pork
    • Turkey
    • Seafood
    • Meatless
    • Pasta
  • Cuisine
    • Asian
    • Italian
    • Mexican
    • Hawaiian
    • Middle Eastern
    • Comfort Food
  • Method
    • One Pot
    • Crockpot
    • Instant Pot
    • Oven
    • Fried
    • Grilling/BBQ
  • Trending:

    Slow Cooker

    Easy Dinners

    Desserts

Home / Appetizers

Cinnamon Sugar Soft Pretzel Bites

5
/5
1 hour 47 minutes
7 Comments
Jump to Recipe Print Pin
By: The Chunky Chefpublished: 03/02/2022

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

These Cinnamon Sugar Soft Pretzel Bites are soft and chewy inside, with a crunchy, crackly exterior, dipped in butter and rolled in a mixture of cinnamon and sugar! Perfectly buttery and sweet, and amazing with a sweet cream cheese dip!
These Cinnamon Sugar Soft Pretzel Bites are soft and chewy inside, with a crunchy, crackly exterior, dipped in butter and rolled in a mixture of cinnamon and sugar! Perfectly buttery and sweet, and amazing with a sweet cream cheese dip!
These Cinnamon Sugar Soft Pretzel Bites are soft and chewy inside, with a crunchy, crackly exterior, dipped in butter and rolled in a mixture of cinnamon and sugar! Perfectly buttery and sweet, and amazing with a sweet cream cheese dip!

These Cinnamon Sugar Soft Pretzel Bites are soft and chewy inside, with a crunchy, crackly exterior, dipped in butter and rolled in a mixture of cinnamon and sugar! Perfectly buttery and sweet, and amazing with a sweet cream cheese dip!

This is one of my Appetizer recipes I know you’ll want to keep on hand!

closeup of a soft pretzel bite bitten in half
Pin this recipe for later!

As soon as I had my garlic butter soft pretzel bites recipe planned, I added this one, because cinnamon sugar soft pretzels have always been a favorite of mine.

There’s something about that amazing sweet and slightly salty combination, and the crust of sugar you get on your fingers from holding them.

This recipe uses the same base pretzel dough recipe as my soft pretzel sticks and the pretzel bites linked above, but with the addition of the buttery cinnamon sugar coating.

Working with yeast can be intimidating, but I promise it’s easier than you think to make pretzel dough, and you can even make it ahead and freeze it!

How to make cinnamon sugar soft pretzel bites?

This is just an overview; the full ingredients and directions are in the recipe card toward the bottom of this post.

step by step how to make soft pretzel bites
  1. Proof yeast. This step is necessary if using active dry yeast as indicated, but if you use instant yeast, you don’t need to wait for the yeast to proof.
  2. Combine and knead dough. Using a stand mixer is definitely the easiest way, but not absolutely necessary.
  3. Rise. Let the dough rise, covered, for about one hour.
  4. Divide the dough. The easiest way to do this is to cut it, like a pizza, into 8 sections.
  5. Roll and cut. Roll each section into a long rope, then slice the ropes into bite-sized pieces.
  6. Boil. Boiling the pretzel dough in baking soda and water is really important for the texture and color.
step by step how to make cinnamon sugar pretzel bites
  1. Egg wash. Brushing the pretzel bites with an egg wash helps them brown nicely.
  2. Bake.
  3. Dip in butter. You could also brush the baked bites with butter, but I find dipping them is faster.
  4. Roll in cinnamon sugar.
  5. Repeat with all pretzel bites.

Helpful Tip!

Don’t skip the baking soda bath! The boiling and baking soda do two things; puffs them up, and increases the pH of the exterior of the dough. That helps the pretzel bites get deeply golden and crackly on the outside. Essentially, the baking soda bath is what turns these bites of bread dough into soft pretzel bites! Without it, the texture and color just won’t be the same.

baking sheet full of pretzel bites with a ramekin of dip

Variations of this recipe

  • Cinnamon sugar ratio – I’ve written this with the ratio of cinnamon and sugar that we like, but feel free to adjust that to your tastes.
  • Sugar – we like to use granulated sugar for the coating, but feel free to swap that out for light brown sugar if you’d like.
  • Shape – you can use this dough to make pretzel sticks and the classic pretzel shape as well. Just know this will change the cooking time, so you’ll need to experiment a bit.
  • Other cooking methods – as written, this recipe is for baked soft pretzel bites, and while I haven’t specifically tested this recipe in an air fryer, I have loose guidelines down below in the FAQ section.
ramekin of sweet cream cheese dip with two pretzel bites dipped in it

FAQ’s

Why do you have to boil the pretzels in a baking soda bath?

I know it may seem like a lot of work and hassle for such a quick boil, but trust me, it’s necessary. The boiling and baking soda do two things; puffs them up, and increases the pH of the exterior of the dough. That helps the pretzel bites get deeply golden and crackly on the outside. Essentially, the baking soda bath is what turns these bites of bread dough into soft pretzel bites! Without it, the texture and color just won’t be the same.

Can these pretzel bites be made in an air fryer?

I haven’t tested it specifically, but I believe they could be. I would try baking them in a preheated 390°F air fryer for about 6-7 minutes. But know that this is just an educated guess, and you’ll need to do a bit of experimenting.

Can you make soft pretzel dough without a stand mixer?

Sure can! You can combine the dough with a whisk, wooden spoon, or your hands, then knead by hand the old fashioned way. This may take a bit longer, and will take a bit of elbow grease, but it’s entirely possible.

Can these cinnamon sugar pretzels be made with frozen pretzels?

Sure can! If you’d rather not take the time to make the pretzel bites from scratch, you can bake up some of the frozen soft pretzels/bites from the store. Once they’re baked, dip them in butter and roll in the cinnamon sugar mixture.

These Cinnamon Sugar Soft Pretzel Bites are soft and chewy inside, with a crunchy, crackly exterior, dipped in butter and rolled in a mixture of cinnamon and sugar! Perfectly buttery and sweet, and amazing with a sweet cream cheese dip!

Making soft pretzel bites ahead of time

We find soft pretzel bites are best served fresh, and even a bit warm from the oven.

However, they can be made entirely ahead of time, and reheated using the reheating tips below in the “storage” section.

Storage

Leftover pretzel bites should be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2-3 days, or up to a week in the refrigerator.

To reheat and retain crispness, bake in a preheated 350°F oven for 4-5 minutes, or until hot and crispy.

The dough itself can be made and kept in the refrigerator (in an airtight container) for 24 hours. You can roll the dough and cut into bites while cold, but let the bites puff up and come to room temperature for a bit before proceeding with the recipe.

plate of cinnamon sugar pretzel bites with dip

Freezing

Pretzel bites can also be frozen for longer storage!

To freeze the dough:

  • Complete making the dough, including rolling and cutting into bites if desired.
  • Freeze for up to 3 months.
  • Thaw dough overnight in the refrigerator, then let the dough come to room temperature and puff up a bit before proceeding with the recipe.

To freeze the baked pretzel bites:

  • Let baked bites cool completely, but skip the cinnamon sugar coating for now.
  • Line a baking sheet with wax or parchment paper, then add pretzel bites and freeze the whole thing for an hour.
  • Transfer flash frozen pretzel bites to a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 3 months.
  • Bake frozen bites in a preheated 300°F oven for 12-15 minutes, until heated through and crisp.
  • Dip in butter, then roll in cinnamon sugar mixture as directed in full recipe.

Recipes to go with cinnamon sugar soft pretzel bites:

bowl of creamy sweet cream cheese dip
Sweet Cream Cheese Dip
caramel sauce
Salted Browned Butter Caramel
bowl of pumpkin dip surrounded by dippers
Butterscotch Caramel Pumpkin Dip
brownie batter dip
Baileys Brownie Batter Dip
spider

My Favorite Spider!

Spiders are such a great tool to have in the kitchen. I use mine for frying, straining pasta and veggies, and to boil these soft pretzel bites! The inexpensive price point is great too.

Get on amazon

Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @the_chunky_chef on Facebook and Instagram!

closeup of a soft pretzel bite bitten in half

Cinnamon Sugar Soft Pretzel Bites

5 from 7 votes
Author: The Chunky Chef
Prep Time: 1 hour 35 minutes
Cook Time: 12 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 47 minutes
Calories: 191
Servings: 20 servings
(hover over # to adjust)
Print Rate Pin
These Cinnamon Sugar Soft Pretzel Bites are soft and chewy inside, with a crunchy, crackly exterior, dipped in butter and rolled in a mixture of cinnamon and sugar!

Ingredients

Pretzel dough

  • 1 1/2 cups warm water warm to the touch, like a baby's bath water
  • 1 Tbsp granulated sugar
  • 1 (1/4 oz) package active dry yeast
  • 4 1/2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
  • 4 Tbsp unsalted butter melted

Baking soda bath

  • 8 – 10 cups water
  • 2/3 cup baking soda

Egg wash

  • 2 large egg yolks beaten with 2 Tbsp cold water

Cinnamon sugar topping

  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter melted
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 Tbsp ground cinnamon

Instructions

Proof the yeast

  • To the bowl of a stand mixer, add warm water, sugar, and yeast.  Stir and let sit for 5-10 minutes.  After that time has elapsed, it should look foamy and smell “yeasty”.

Combine and knead dough

  • Add flour, salt, and melted butter.  Using the dough hook attachment, mix on LOW speed until combined. 
  • Increase speed to MED and knead for about 4 minutes, until the dough is smooth and pulls away from the side of the bowl.

Let dough rise

  • Spray a separate large bowl with cooking spray, and transfer dough to the bowl.  Cover with plastic wrap and let sit in a warm spot for 1 hour.
  • Towards the end of the hour, bring a large stockpot with 10 cups of water to a boil.

Prepare

  • Preheat oven to 450°F.  Line a large baking sheet, or two baking sheets, with parchment paper.  Lightly spray the parchment paper with cooking spray.  Set aside.

Shape dough

  • Lightly spray a work surface with cooking spray and turn out the dough.  Shape it into a ball, and divide in half.  Divide each half into fourths, so you have 8 sections of dough.
  • Roll a section into a long rope, approximately 20” long.  Slice the rope into roughly 1 1/2 inch pieces to make bites.  Set aside and repeat with remaining sections of dough.

Baking soda bath

  • Once the water is boiling, carefully add the baking soda.  It will bubble up like crazy, so add it slowly.
  • Boil about 15 bites at a time in the baking soda water, for just 15 seconds, then remove with a slotted spoon or frying spider and place on prepared baking sheet.  Repeat with remaining pretzel bites, boiling in batches.

Bake

  • Whisk together egg yolks and water, and brush over pretzel bites. 
  • Bake for 12-15 minutes, until deeply golden brown.  Let cool for 5 minutes.

Top and serve

  • In a small bowl, add 1/2 cup melted butter from the cinnamon sugar topping section.  In another shallow bowl, combine the granulated sugar and cinnamon.
  • Dip one pretzel bite in the butter, let the excess drip off, then roll in the cinnamon sugar mixture.  Place on a wire cooling rack and repeat with remaining pretzel bites.
  • Serve warm alongside sweet cream cheese dip if desired.

Want to save this recipe for later? Click the heart in the bottom right corner to save to your own recipe box!

Chef Tips

  1. We love to serve these with a Sweet Cream Cheese Dip.
  2. Recipe serves approximately 20 people, assuming each person has around 5 pretzel bites.
  3. Recipe makes approximately 100-106 bites.
  4. Instant yeast can be used, and you can skip the “proof the yeast” step (but you’ll still use all the ingredients, you just combine them and move forward, rather than waiting 5-10 minutes).

Nutrition Disclaimer

The Chunky Chef is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.

Did You Make This?Tag @the_chunky_chef on Instagram and hashtag it #thechunkychef so I can see what you made!
Tag on Insta! Leave a Rating Save for Later Saved!

You May Also Like...

  • These Baked Soft Pretzel Bites are soft and chewy inside, with a crunchy, crackly exterior, and are absolutely fabulous dipped in beer cheese or mustard! Easier to make than you think, pretzel bites are so much better than anything store-bought! #softpretzels #pretzelbites #baked
    Baked Soft Pretzel Bites
  • Soft Chocolate Chip Pretzel Cookies
  • Soft Vanilla Bean Sugar Cookies | These vanilla bean sugar cookies are rolled in sugar for a sparkling appearance and a soft, light and chewy texture that will make these your new favorite!
    Soft Vanilla Bean Sugar Cookies
  • Baked Soft Pretzel Sticks - Soft, tender, buttery and brushed with a garlic and herb butter... these soft pretzel sticks from scratch taste amazingly good!
    Baked Soft Pretzel Sticks
Previous Post
Next Post

Meet The Chunky Chef

Hey there! I'm Amanda. Wife, mother, photography nerd, and bacon lover! I believe that delicious meals should be easy to make. Now that you’re here, stay a bit, browse a few recipes, and let’s get cookin’!

Learn More

Reader Interactions

Leave a Comment Cancel reply

Have a question? Submit your question, comment, or review below.

Recipe Rating




  1. Catalina says

    Posted on 3/7 at 8:56 am

    This will be for sure our new favorite treat! Looks amazingly delicious!

    Reply
  2. Sandra says

    Posted on 3/7 at 3:35 am

    My kids couldn’t stop eating these!! They were so good!

    Reply
  3. Vikki says

    Posted on 3/5 at 8:09 pm

    So soft and yummy! What a great snack

    Reply
  4. Beti | easyweeknightrecipes says

    Posted on 3/4 at 2:15 pm

    I love, LOVE these! They are SO delicious!

    Reply
  5. katerina @ diethood.com says

    Posted on 3/4 at 1:53 pm

    These are incredible! I can’t wait to try them out!! YUM!

    Reply
  6. Juliane says

    Posted on 3/4 at 6:47 am

    Looks delishhh 🙌 I can’t wait to give this a try!

    Reply
  7. Beth says

    Posted on 3/3 at 4:08 pm

    I absolutely love soft pretzels, and I have a major sweet tooth. I can’t wait to make these!

    Reply

Primary Sidebar

welcome!

Hey there! I'm Amanda. Wife, mother, photography nerd, and bacon lover! I believe that delicious meals should be easy to make. Now that you’re here, stay a bit, browse a few recipes, and let’s get cookin’!

New! Save Recipes To Your Own Account!

Free eBook!

Subscribe & receive my most popular recipes compiled into an easy ebook format!

download now!

Subscribe & Receive My Free Recipe Ebook!

Game Day Recipes!

These crowd-pleasing tender meatballs are smothered in a super flavorful honey garlic bbq sauce.  Perfect for parties, this crockpot meatball recipe couldn't be more simple to make! #meatballs #crockpot #slowcooker #honeygarlic #bbq #appetizer #party #honey #garlic #easyrecipe

Honey Garlic Crockpot Meatballs

2 hours 5 minutes

Smooth and silky queso dip, made using NO velveeta!  Packed with flavor, yet so easy to make, and party ready in just 20 minutes! #queso #dip #cheese #mexican #appetizer #party #cincodemayo #easyrecipe

Queso Dip Recipe

20 minutes

Creamy, cheesy, and oh so addicting, this bacon cheeseburger dip is just like your favorite gooey cheeseburger... but in a party-ready dip form! #bacon #gameday #cheesy #cheeseburger #party #appetizer #dip #easyrecipe

Creamy Bacon Cheeseburger Dip

32 minutes

Insanely tasty chicken wing recipe, dry rubbed, then hickory smoked to perfection.  And don't forget the homemade bourbon bbq sauce! #chickenwings #wingrecipe #smoked #smoker #smokedchickenwings #bourbon #bbq #crispy

Bourbon BBQ Smoked Chicken Wings

3 hours

Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Dip Recipe | Classic buffalo wing flavors in an easy dip made in the crockpot. Perfect for a party, serve it up with chips or celery sticks and watch everyone go back for seconds!

Buffalo Chicken Dip (Crockpot Recipe)

2 hours 10 minutes

Chicken Taco Mexican Pinwheels | These pinwheels are filled with a creamy chicken taco filling, which is easily customizable, and rolled up to make a perfect appetizer or party food! | http://thechunkychef.com

Chicken Taco Mexican Pinwheels

15 minutes

More Holiday Recipes >

Who doesn’t love free stuff?

Who doesn't love free stuff? Get an ad-free ebook of my most popular recipes, plus be the FIRST to know about new things coming to the site!

Looking for something?

As Seen On…

Stay Connected

subscribe to get new posts via email:

Quick & Easy

Dinner Favorites

Hearty and positively soul-warming, this beef barley soup simmers all day in the slow cooker, which makes for an incredibly rich soup recipe! #beefbarley #soup #slowcooker #crockpot #comfortfood #barley #beefsoup #easyrecipe #dinner
M

Crockpot Beef Barley Soup

white bowl of chicken and dumplings
T

Instant Pot Chicken & Dumplings

HONEY GARLIC SALMON - Succulent and tender salmon filets cooked in a mouthwatering simple honey garlic sauce, then broiled until sticky and caramelized.  Made with simple ingredients, in one pan, and in just 20 minutes! #salmon #honeygarlic #onepan #easyrecipe #dinner #seafood #fish
W

Honey Garlic Glazed Salmon

Light and filling, this Italian Wedding Soup is perfectly delicious comfort food, all year round.  Made in one pan, and ready in 30 minutes, this recipe is great for a weeknight meal! #soup #souprecipe #Italianweddingsoup #onepot #30minutemeal #weeknight #dinner #easyrecipe #homemaderecipe
R

Italian Wedding Soup

This Honey Garlic Chicken is one incredible weeknight dinner idea. Juicy chicken coated and cooked with a glorious sauce made with soy, hoisin, garlic, honey and more! Toss it all in the slow cooker and let it do the work for you! #dinner #chicken #asian #honey #garlic #honeygarlic #easyrecipe #weeknight #slowcooker #crockpot
F

Honey Garlic Chicken

S

Swedish Meatballs

Opens in a new window Opens an external site Opens an external site in a new window
free e-book!

Download MY Free Recipe eBook!

Subscribe & receive my most popular recipes compiled into an easy ebook format!

get my copy!

Subscribe & Receive My Free Recipe Ebook!

As Featured On:

Back to Top

Recipes

Dinners

Appetizers

Desserts

Slow Cooker

Learn to Cook

Start Here

Tips & Tricks

e-Cookbook

Easy Recipes

  • About
  • Work With Me
  • Privacy
  • Contact
© 2022 The Chunky Chef
Site Credits Designed by Melissa Rose Design Developed by Once Coupled
Back to Top