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Pretzel Bites with Cheddar Sauce
These homemade pretzel bites are perfectly salted, delicious, and great with easy to make cheddar dipping sauce.
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Soft, chewy pretzel bites aren’t just for snacking on while shopping at the mall! Pretzel bites are easy to make at home as well. Turn your kitchen into your own Auntie Anne’s and enjoy delicious, homemade pretzel bites with a gooey, cheesy, cheddar dipping sauce!
Warm, savory pretzels are just a few steps away with this easy, homemade pretzel bites recipe. If the yeasty smell of freshly baked pretzels wafting from your kitchen doesn’t make your mouth water, the creamy cheese sauce surely will. In fact, you may be finding excuses to dip everything in it!
Pretzel bites are universally yummy and are also great for snacking or serving as an appetizer. This recipe makes a ton and would also be great to serve up as part of a party spread. For game day, fans would cheer for a beer cheese sauce! Simply add ½ cup of your favorite lager to the sauce after whisking in the flour and before stirring in the milk.
Pretzel Bites with Cheddar Sauce Ingredients
- Water
- Instant rise yeast
- Butter
- Brown sugar
- Salt
- Flour
- Baking soda
- Egg
- Coarse salt
- Whole milk
- Mild Cheddar Cheese
- Pepper
- Ground mustard powder
Soft pretzel bites complement the warm, cheesy dipping sauce perfectly. This easy recipe makes a mild cheddar cheese sauce which you can experiment with, especially if you’re interested in adding more robust flavors. For example, consider adding a little cayenne, or even some diced up jalapenos. Maybe you’d like to use your favorite cheese instead, like a smoked gouda.
It's important to note that this recipe does make a large number of pretzel bites. In addition to savory pretzels sprinkled with coarse salt, try sprinkling some of the pieces with cinnamon sugar for a sweet treat. A sweet cream cheese dipping sauce would pair perfectly with the cinnamon pretzel bites!
How to Make Pretzel Bites with Cheddar Sauce
FIRST STEP: In the bowl of a stand mixer add warm water and instant yeast. Whisk together. Add the butter, brown sugar, and salt to the yeast mixture. Whisk until combined. Fit the dough hook on the mixer and turn on low speed. Slowly add in 3 cups of flour, ½ cup at a time until mixture is combined and pulling away from the sides. If dough is still sticky, add flour, and an additional ¼ cup at a time, until no longer sticky, and dough bounces back when poked with your finger.
SECOND STEP: Place the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead by hand for 2 minutes and then shape into a ball. Place in a large mixing bowl that has been lightly coated with cooking spray. Cover and let rest for 10 minutes.
THIRD STEP: While your dough is resting, bring a large pot of water and baking soda to a boil. Cut dough into six equal pieces. Roll each piece into 1 inch thick ropes. Cut each rope into 1 ½ inch bites.
FOURTH STEP: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
FIFTH STEP: Add each piece of cut dough into the boiling water (work in batches) and let cook for 20 seconds. Remove from the water with a slotted spoon and place pretzel bites on the baking sheets evenly spaced about an inch apart.
SIXTH STEP: In a small bowl combine egg and water. Beat together. Brush beaten egg wash over each pretzel bite and then sprinkle with coarse salt.
SEVENTH STEP: Place the baking sheet in the oven and let bake for 12-15 minutes, or until golden brown.
EIGHTH STEP: In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat the butter. Once the butter is melted add flour and whisk together until no lumps remain. Turn heat to medium and slowly whisk in milk. Let cook over medium heat whisking often for about 5 minutes. The mixture will thicken as it cooks.
NINTH STEP: Add cheese, salt, pepper, and ground mustard. Whisk to combine until smooth. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste.
Cooking Tips
This recipe makes a ton of pretzel bites. You may plan on freezing some or dividing the dough and making some savory and some sweet.
Serve the cheese sauce warm. If you are having a party where the sauce will be sitting out for a while, I would recommend using the Little Dipper Crockpot to keep the sauce evenly warm.
Boiling the pretzel bites in the water with baking soda is what creates the characteristic texture of a pretzel. Don’t leave them for too long though or the bites may take on a bitter taste - use a timer!
Storing this Recipe
Save the leftover sauce in a jar or airtight container and refrigerate. Reheat before serving.
Cool leftover pretzels completely before storing. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.
To freeze, let pretzel bites cool completely and spread them out on a baking sheet to freeze until solid. Then, place in a large freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months.
Pretzel Bites with Cheddar Sauce
These homemade pretzel bites are perfectly salted, delicious, and great with easy to make cheddar dipping sauce.
Prep Time 35 minutes
Cook Time 13 minutes
Total Time 48 minutes
Servings 10
Ingredients
Pretzel Bites
- 1 ½ cup water lukewarm
- 2 ¼ tsp instant rise yeast ¼ oz packet
- 2 tbsp butter melted
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 4 cup flour
- ½ cup baking soda
- 1 egg beaten
- ½ tbsp water
- coarse salt for sprinkling
Cheese Sauce
- 2 ¼ cup whole milk
- ¼ cup salted butter
- ¼ cup flour
- 2 cup mild cheddar cheese grated
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp pepper
- ¼ tsp ground mustard powder
Instructions
Pretzel Bites
- In the bowl of a stand mixer add warm water and instant yeast. Whisk together.
- Add the butter, brown sugar, and salt to the yeast mixture. Whisk until combined.
- Fit the dough hook on the mixer and turn on low speed. Slowly add in 3 cups of flour, ½ cup at a time, until mixture is combined and pulling away from the sides. PRO TIP: If dough is still sticky, add flour, and an additional ¼ cup at a time until no longer sticky and dough bounces back when poked with your finger.
- Place the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead by hand for 2 minutes and then shape into a ball. Place in a large mixing bowl that has been lightly coated with cooking spray. Cover and let rest for 10 minutes.
- While your dough is resting, bring a large pot of water and baking soda to a boil. Cut dough into six equal pieces. Roll each piece into 1 inch long ropes. Cut each rope into 1 ½ inch bites.
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Add each piece of cut dough into the boiling water (work in batches) and let cook for 20 seconds. Remove from the water with a slotted spoon and place pretzel bites on the baking sheets evenly spaced about an inch apart.
- In a small bowl combine egg and water. Beat together. Brush beaten egg wash over each pretzel bite and then sprinkle with coarse salt.
- Place the baking sheet in the oven and let bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until golden brown.
Cheese Sauce
- In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat the butter. Once the butter is melted add flour and whisk together until no lumps remain.
- Turn heat to medium and slowly whisk in milk. Let cook over medium heat whisking often for about 5 minutes. The mixture will thicken as it cooks.
- Add cheese, salt, pepper, and ground mustard. Whisk to combine until smooth. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste.
Video
Nutrition
Calories: 399kcal | Carbohydrates: 46g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 64mg | Sodium: 2168mg | Potassium: 180mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 551IU | Calcium: 237mg | Iron: 3mg
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Comments
Kim says
This was my very first attempt at making pretzels. They weren’t as pretty as yours but they were very good. I will definitely be making these again. Thanks for the recipe!