Homemade Soft Pretzel Bites with Cheddar Cheese Sauce Recipe
These Homemade Soft Pretzel Bites are golden, chewy, and full of flavor, perfect as a snack or appetizer. Made from scratch with a simple dough enriched with butter and brown sugar, boiled in baking soda water to achieve that signature pretzel crust, then baked to perfection and served with a creamy cheddar cheese sauce for dipping.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 45 minutes
- Yield: Approximately 8 servings 1x
- Category: Snack
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Scale
Pretzel Dough
- 1 1/2 cups warm water
- 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
- 1 package active dry yeast (2 1/4 teaspoons)
- 3 ounces unsalted butter, melted
- 2 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 4 1/2 to 5 cups all-purpose flour
- Vegetable oil, for coating
Boiling Solution
- 3 quarts water
- 1/3 cup baking soda
Topping
- 1 whole egg, beaten with 1 tablespoon cold water (egg wash)
- Coarse sea salt
Cheese Sauce
- 1/2 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1/2 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup milk
- 8 ounces Cheddar cheese, grated
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Activate Yeast: In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine warm water, light brown sugar, active dry yeast, and melted butter. Mix with the dough hook until combined and let sit for 5 minutes until the mixture becomes bubbly and proofed.
- Make the Dough: Add kosher salt and 4 1/2 cups flour to the yeast mixture. Mix on low speed until combined, then increase to medium speed and knead for 3 to 4 minutes until dough is smooth and pulls away from the bowl’s sides. Add additional flour 1 tablespoon at a time if too wet.
- First Rise: Remove dough from bowl, shape into a ball, lightly oil a clean bowl with vegetable oil and coat the dough. Cover loosely with a towel or plastic wrap and place in a warm spot to rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
- Preheat Oven: Set oven to 425°F (220°C) to preheat.
- Prepare Boiling Solution: Bring 3 quarts water to a boil in a roasting pan over high heat. Carefully add baking soda slowly to prevent overflow, creating an alkaline boil for the pretzels.
- Form Pretzel Bites: Transfer dough to a flat surface and divide into 8 equal pieces (~4 1/4 to 4 1/2 ounces each). Roll each piece into a 22-inch long rope and cut into 1-inch pieces to form pretzel bites.
- Boil Pretzel Bites: Boil pretzel bites in batches (about 15 at a time) in the baking soda water for 30 seconds each. Use a slotted spoon to remove them and place on a cooking-spray coated baking sheet ensuring they do not touch.
- Egg Wash and Seasoning: Brush each pretzel bite with beaten egg wash and sprinkle generously with coarse sea salt.
- Bake: Bake in the preheated oven for 15 to 18 minutes or until golden brown.
- Cool: Remove pretzel bites from oven and let rest on a wire rack for 5 minutes before serving.
- Make Cheese Sauce: In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt unsalted butter. Stir in flour and cook for 1 minute to form a roux. Slowly whisk in milk and cook until slightly thickened. Remove from heat and stir in grated Cheddar cheese until smooth and melted. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve: Serve the warm pretzel bites alongside the creamy cheese sauce for dipping.
Notes
- Ensure the water for the dough is warm but not hot to avoid killing the yeast (about 100-110°F).
- Boiling the pretzel bites in baking soda water is essential for creating their classic chewy crust and rich flavor.
- Use a slotted spoon to carefully remove pretzel bites from boiling water to avoid splashes and ensure excess water drains off.
- The cheese sauce can be customized with different cheeses like mozzarella or pepper jack for added flavor variations.
- For crispier pretzels, bake a few minutes longer but watch carefully to prevent burning.
- Leftover pretzel bites can be reheated in the oven to restore crispness.
Keywords: soft pretzel bites, homemade pretzels, snack, cheesy dip, appetizer
