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Soft Cinnamon Sugar Pretzel Bites with Salted Caramel Sauce

These Soft Cinnamon Sugar Pretzel Bites are to die for, and they go so well with my salted caramel dipping sauce. This simple snack is sweet, sweet bliss.

Soft Cinnamon Sugar Pretzel Bites with Salted Caramel Sauce

Oh my gosh you guys. I cannot even begin to tell you how IN LOVE I am with these AMAZING pretzels!! Oh. My. Word. They’re soft, they’re chewy, they’re buttery. They’re perfect little pillowy pretzel bites covered with a fabulously crunchy cinnamon sugar crust and finally — the pièce de résistance — they’re dipped in THE most heavenly salted caramel sauce ever. Seriously. I ate this caramel sauce right out of the jar with a spoon. Maria had to wrestle the jar away from me. We had words. I tried to sneak it home with me. The combo of these two together is 100% perfection. If you want the BEST mini appetizer-dessert-snack EVER… This is it. So insanely good. I am jealous of past-Amanda for getting to eat these, since present-Amanda currently doesn’t have any. I kind of hate her. Let’s make these right away before I get too bitter. You have, have, have to make these. ASAP. They are so good! :)

Okay, let’s get started. :) I always love getting together with bloggy friends, but I especially love it when we can get together and bake!! :) I had so much fun baking with Maria and Josh in the Two Peas and Their Pod Kitchen. Maria asked what I wanted to make, and I knew it had to be their famous homemade soft pretzels! They were so easy and fun to make. I am definitely making these at home ASAP!! :) Here’s what all you’ll need — just a few basic ingredients. Nothing too complicated. We used bread flour, but you can easily use all-purpose flour as well.

Here’s the kind of yeast we used.

How to Make The Best Soft Pretzel Bites

To start, combine warm water from the tap, yeast, sugar, and butter in the bowl of a stand mixer.

Mix for about 30 seconds until just combined.

And let sit for about five minutes until the yeast “blooms” and it looks like this.

Next add the flour and salt and mix on low speed until just combined.

Like so.

Switch to the dough hook and knead on medium speed for 3-4 minutes until the dough is smooth and begins to pull away from the side of the bowl.

Perfect! Remove the dough from the bowl and knead into a ball.

Coat a bowl with a little vegetable oil, add the dough, and turn to coat the dough with oil. Cover with a clean towel or foil and place in a warm spot until the dough doubles in size, about an hour. You can use the bread proofing setting on your oven, or just set it in a regular oven turned off. The oven is a great place for dough to rise because it’s generally free from drafts.

Meanwhile, we’ll make the salted caramel sauce. Yay! Salted caramel party time! All you need is sugar, butter, cream, and salt for the most perfect, most pure, most delicious caramel sauce ever. Be sure to measure your ingredients out ahead of time so you have them ready while you’re making the sauce (it goes quickly), and it helps if the butter and cream are at room temperature.

How to Make Salted Caramel Dipping Sauce

To begin, heat 2 cups of sugar over medium to medium-high heat in a heavy 2-3 quart saucepan.

Whisk constantly. The sugar will start to melt and clump up as it transforms, just keep whisking.

It’s starting to melt! Keep whisking. :) This is the most heavenly fragrance in the entire world. You know the saying warm vanilla sugar? This is so much better than that.

Keep whisking, keep whisking… :)

Once the sugar is completely smooth and melted, add 12 tablespoons of butter, piece by piece. Three Land O’ Lakes half-sticks are exactly 12 tablespoons.

Whisk after each addition until fully incorporated.

When the butter is fully incorporated into the sugar, remove the pan from the heat.

Slowly pour in one cup of heavy cream.

Whisk until the cream is fully incorporated and the caramel is smooth.

And finally, whisk in one tablespoon fine sea salt.

That’s it!! See how easy that was?? :) Pour the sauce into a jar and cool to room temperature. You’re going to need to taste-test SEVERAL times with a spoon though. Several. See? That jar was full before I got to it. ;)

I seriously need to have this on hand at ALL times. It’s so good on everything!! :)

Meanwhile, our dough has doubled in size! It’s pretzel time, baby!

First, bring 3 quarts of water to a boil, and preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Once the water comes to a boil, add 2/3 cup baking soda.

While you’re waiting on the water to boil, divide the dough into 8 equal pieces.

Here’s where Maria and Josh took over. They are the perfect, cutest little team in the kitchen! Yes, we were all very comfy in our PJs this fine Saturday morning, lol! Roll each piece into a rope about two feet long.

Cut the dough into one inch pieces to make the pretzel bites.

Boil the pretzel bites in batches, about 15 at a time, for 30 seconds. Remove with a large slotted spoon.

Place pretzel bites on a baking sheet that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Make sure they are not touching.

Here’s where I forgot to take a picture! I must’ve been sneaking caramel out of the jar while Maria wasn’t looking. ;)

Bake the pretzel bites at 425 for 8 minutes, then remove from the oven and immediately place the pretzel bites on a cooling rack. You could also use a sheet of wax paper or foil if you do not have a cooling rack. Brush with the egg wash and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. You want to do this over a cooling rack and not on the pan you bake the pretzel bites on or else the sugar will stick to the bottom of the pan and burn. Then put the pretzel bites back on the first pan and continue baking for an additional 8-10 minutes until golden and cooked through.

Tada! The sweet, cinnamony, crunchy shell combined with the soft, pillowy, salty pretzel is absolute perfection.

But then you’re gonna wanna do this.

And this.

And this.

And basically just keep doing that over, and over, and over. And over.

The end.

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Image of Soft Cinnamon Sugar Pretzel Bites with Salted Caramel Sauce

Soft Cinnamon Sugar Pretzel Bites with Salted Caramel Sauce

  • Prep Time: 40 minutes
  • Cook Time: 18 minutes
  • Total Time: 58 minutes
  • Yield: 5 servings 1x
  • Category: Dessert
  • Method: Oven
  • Cuisine: American

Description

These Soft Cinnamon Sugar Pretzel Bites are to die for, and they go so well with my salted caramel dipping sauce. This simple snack is sweet, sweet bliss.

Scale

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups warm water
  • 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
  • 1 package active dry yeast (2 1/4 teaspoons)
  • 6 tablespoons (3 oz) unsalted butter, melted
  • 2 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 4 1/2 to 5 cups all-purpose flour
  • Vegetable oil
  • 3 quarts water
  • 2/3 cup baking soda
  • 1 whole egg, beaten with 1 tablespoon cold water (egg wash)
  • 2 tablespoons sugar mixed with 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Instructions

  1. Combine the water, sugar, yeast, and butter in the bowl of a stand mixer and mix with the dough hook until combined. Let sit for 5 minutes.
  2. Add the salt and flour and mix on low speed until combined. Increase the speed to medium and continue kneading until the dough is smooth and begins to pull away from the side of the bowl, about 3 to 4 minutes. If the dough appears too wet, add additional flour, 1 tablespoon at a time. Remove the dough from the bowl, place on a flat surface and knead into a ball with your hands.
  3. Coat a bowl with vegetable oil, add the dough and turn to coat with the oil. Cover with a clean towel or foil and place in a warm , draft-free spot until the dough doubles in size, about one hour.
  4. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Bring the water to a boil and add the baking soda.
  5. Remove the dough from the bowl and place on a floured surface. Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces, and roll each piece into a rope about 22″ long. Cut the dough into one inch pieces to make pretzel bites. Boil the pretzel bites in the water solution in batches, about 15 at a time, for 30 seconds. Remove with a large slotted spoon. Place pretzel bites on a well-greased baking sheet.
  6. Bake the pretzel bites at 425 for 8 minutes, then remove from the oven and immediately place the pretzel bites on a cooling rack. Brush with the egg wash and sprinkle the tops generously with cinnamon sugar. You want to do this over a cooling rack and not on the pan you bake the pretzel bites on or else the sugar will stick to the bottom of the pan and burn. Then put the pretzel bites back on the first pan and continue baking for an additional 8-10 mins until golden and cooked through.

OMG. You guys will NOT believe what Maria did with her pretzel bites!!! They are stuffed with peanut butter AND dipped in chocolate!! Swoon! Visit TwoPeasandTheirPod.com and get the recipe for these Peanut Butter Filled Pretzel Bites! :)

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81 Responses
  1. Letronne

    the recipe’s i’ve been looking for! Thanks for sharing. :)
    By the way, is there any chance that i could make more batch to bake for some later? If so, how can i do it? skip the second bake or else?

  2. Kara

    There is a sauce not very different to the salted caramel here in Europe (though you can only get it in a very very small area of Normandy, France, as I found to my great dismay this past fall) called ‘Le caramel de pomme de dieppois’ Beurre salé (salted butter) is the kind I got, but there was another kind that I didn’t like, so didn’t buy. It is made, as the name suggests, from Normandy apples, and it is oh so good. *melts at the thought* I had to go and retrieve the jars of it from the bedroom cuz someone keeps eating them on me. *narrowed eyes at eldest son*

    I will have to try and make these pretzel bites and eat with the caramel de pomme de dieppois and see how it compares… :D Thanks for the recipe. (I hope it translates well to European measurements! hehehe)

  3. Nimi

    Hi,

    Tried to make these today but I found it impossible to remove the bites from the baking sheet. I oiled the sheet and tried to remove them immediately after removing them from the oven but nadda. Any thoughts what I may have done wrong!

    Thanks!

  4. Lola

    I’ve always thought you should let the sugar melt and caramelize without stirring/whisking otherwise it will crystallize. But looking at the pics, yours didn’t seem to have any problem.

  5. Mimi

    What if you’re out of heavy whipping cream and can’t get any. Is there a substitute I could use? Other than that, these look delicious. I can’t wait to make them. :D

  6. Ofis Mobilyas?

    These look delicious. I would love to make them…however I do not have a stand mixer. Will my handheld mixer with beater attachment work?

  7. Sabrina Wadden

    Hi there
    I just tried making the caramel sauce three times with no success at all. Each time it ended up thin and burnt. HELP!! I followed your direction exactly but the melted sugar went from white to clear to dark nasty brown. I tried lower temp, different whisk, more whisking. Nothing is working!!
    Any tips, suggestions, anything would be helpful at this point!!

  8. Tanya

    This was the easiest recipe i have ever made. Even if you have never baked before, you can do this one. The second sheet of pretzels is about to come out of the oven. Must be time to taste the caramel sauce again!

  9. Kori

    These look delicious. I would love to make them…however I do not have a stand mixer. Will my handheld mixer with beater attachment work?

  10. leanne harrop

    what was the carmel thing in your picture? Do you use wrapped carmel? Please clarify about the carmel part. Thanks. in the ingredients, it did not say about adding carmel.

    Leanne

  11. Corinna

    Wow, this looks amazingly good! Is the caramel sauce the same as what my Argentinian friends refer to as dulce de leche? Because when I make that, I just boil cans of condensed milk in a pot of water for like 4 hours. This seems less dangerous!

  12. Martha

    I just made the pretzels and caramel sauce. I haven’t baked the pretzels yet because I was also wondering if I could freeze part of the dough? My caramel sauce came out great and I added a little more salt!! My sauce did come out a bit darker than the picture. Should I have taken it off the stove earlier?
    Thanks so much for this recipe!! You have so many recipes that I want to try!!!

  13. Kyle

    Thanks for going to all the trouble to post this, they look amazing. :) Your photography certainly does those bites justice.

  14. Sophie H

    Hi! These bites look sooo good! I was wondering if there is any way that these bites could be wholly cooked in the oven?

  15. Natalie

    These look fab, BUT I must ask what is your countertop made of. It looks fab as we’ll! Thanks for the recipe. I can not wait to try it!

  16. Asma Kamal

    Thank you so much for this recepi ! I’ve make it twice cause my family like it so much. It was a big hit. I love you ?? PERFECT

  17. Alexandra

    I love this recipe. Thanks so much for sharing it!! Just wondering can I fry the pretzels instead of baking them? Also can I freeze the pretzels bites after they been boiled in the hot water?

  18. Rachel

    I would just like to say how amazing this recipe is. I made this last night and it was a huge hit. The only problem I had was adding the baking soda to the boiling water because the water somewhat exploded on me, I believe it is because I added the baking soda all at once and it caused the water to explode. Other then that, everything else went perfectly. I would like to say thank you for this recipe because I will no longer have to go to auntie annes, when I’m craving pretzels!

  19. Kamille

    I followed your recipe for the salted caramel sauce because I was craving for it! And I don’t even have anything to dip in it right now.

    I thought I turned the heat on medium-high. BUT I guess the heat bordered MORE on the high rather than medium. All the sugar, butter and heavy cream (dont care much about the salt) went to the trash. I should have stopped adding the butter when the melted sugar became TOO dark than what’s shown on your picture.

    I remade the whole thing but I halved all the ingredients (I was low on heavy cream) and I was careful about the heat this time. And true enough, I finally got the golden brown color of the caramel. When I tasted it, IT’S PERFECT!!!

    Thanks so much for this awesome recipe! Will try the pretzel next time when I grab some cinnamon from the store. =)

  20. Nadine

    In my local shopping mall (Westfield London) there’s a pretzel stall that let’s you try before you buy & my daughter always asks to stop by. Well, no more detours for me as I’ve found the perfect recipe! They look ridiculously delicious & come pay day I’ll be making them with my daughter. Thanks for yet another stunning treat! :)

  21. Grace

    Okay I made these and I followed the directions exaxctly! After they were finished they looked so yummy! But as soon as I took a bit of one with no caramel they were disgusting! I think it might be because I added to much baking soda to the water could that be the reason?

  22. Mel

    These look delicious! And the caramel dip OMG!!! I will try to make them today and see what I get hehehe. I was just wondering if the step of boiling with baking soda it’s completely necessary or if I can omit it. Many thanks for your help and for posting amazing recipes like this one ;)

  23. Melanie Fetterhoff

    Oh my. I’m in love!

    Question, how long would the caramel last in the jar? I mean, something tells me I won’t let it last long ;) but how long is too long?

  24. Danielle

    Hey Amanda! I’m dying to try this recipe, but was wondering if you know how to convert the measurements from cups into grams or ounces! That would really help! Thanks!!

  25. Sarah Lynn

    Oh my! These look amazing!! I definitely want to try them sometime. I found your blog from the Hello Cupcake group on Facebook and the cookie dough cupcake recipe. You have so many great recipes on here. New follower!

  26. Erin

    ok i must be having a super blonde moment or was just so excited to make these with the kiddos, but i am missing where/when you add the baking soda?? i would assume with the original dough mixture but it only says flour and salt :(

  27. Jennifer

    I made just the caramel sauce. I followed directions exactly and it looked fine, but when I tasted it, it was horrible! My only conclusion was that I burned the sugar or butter, and that my heat settings on my stove are hotter than on yours.

  28. Jessica

    Oh yummmm! Those seriously look amazing! How long would the pretzels keep? Could I make the day before my daughter’s party and they’d still taste great or would they turn into hockey pucks?

    1. Amanda

      Hi Jessica! You could make the dough a day ahead. (Do not cut it yet.) Make sure it is well oiled and covered tightly in plastic wrap. Store it in the fridge overnight. The next day take it out of the fridge, let it warm to room temperature, cut, boil, and bake. Hope this helps! :)

  29. Lisa

    Dear lord this looks amazing and your step by step is perfect. I will admit that I completely suck at anything that requires yeast and proofing but I will try it again because I WANT to eat these pretzel bites:)

  30. Madeline Kruger

    Wow. I cannot get over how absolutely amazing those look. And they didn’t seem too hard to make either! This summer, me and my boyfriend started compiling a list of recipes to make when were hungry and I am definitely adding this to the list. The pictures are definitely a bonus (can you believe some blogs don’t post any?) because now I know what it’s supposed to look like when I make the pretzel bites! Thanks again for the recipe. I am dying to try it out.

    Thanks,
    Madeline Kruger

  31. Erin @ Texanerin Baking

    Love the gif!

    And isn’t it fun to bake with other food bloggers?! So much better than other people you can’t gossip with. ;)

    And these pretzels! Pretzels are dangerous around me as is. But with caramel… that sounds even more heavenly.

  32. Maegan @ The BakerMama

    These look so fun and addicting! The picture of you dunking a little bite over and over again made me want to reach through the screen and dunk one myself. Yum!

  33. Tina

    I just made the caramel sauce, or tried to. It never got very thick, and I burned the sugar a bit. But even so, I tasted about five tablespoons or so – took that long to taste if I really did burn the sugar, you see. I did. But it stills tastes REALLY good. I can’t wait to try it when I don’t screw it up!

  34. Karen

    I made these today and while I was scrambling with the rolling, boiling, and baking, these were really good! My kids definitely were impressed. Oh, the kids insisted on a powdered sugar glaze over the caramel.

  35. Amanda @ Once Upon a Recipe

    These look downright dangerous! Hanging out in the kitchen with a friend to make these would be so fun! And having a partner in crime to eat them with sounds totally necessary.

  36. Nessie @ bakingequalslove

    This is totally swoonworthy!!! I wanna go out and make this right now! Question: how long will the pretzel bites keep for? Can you make them a few days ahead? Thanks heaps!

  37. Becky

    OMG….I’m sitting here sipping my coffee wishing I had one of these to go with it. What lavendar color and brand of fingernail polish does the person have on who was putting in the teaspoon of sea salt to the recipe ? It’s quite lovely. I have been hunting for a subtle lavendar polish color and can’t seem to find the right one but this one looks right on the money. Thanks…. ;) Becky

  38. Mary Brown

    What a fun life you enjoy. I am so happy when I find an email from you in the morning, makes my day. Thanks Amanda.

  39. Cookbook Queen

    Jon David and I LOOOVE getting cinnamon sugar pretzel bites and caramel sauce when we go to the mall. It’s our FAVORITE, so I think this recipe is just for me ;) Definitely trying this soon — with baby here, we don’t get out to the mall as often lately!!

  40. Anele @ Success Along the Weigh

    I would like a hot tub full of the caramel sauce and I’ll just eat my way out. I guess that’s not the greatest ideas if I want to keep the weight off so I’ll settle for the mason jar. Hmmph!! ;-)

  41. Rachel @ Baked by Rachel

    The dunking clip is awesome. And I’m completely obsessed with this variety. Can’t wait to try it!

  42. *christine*

    Those look yummy and easy! Could you use the same basic pretzel dough recipe and use different toppings at the point you put on the cinnamon sugar? (kosher salt, cheese, etc).
    Cooking with yeast always intimidates me but this looks so easy I’m going to try it.

    1. Amanda

      Definitely! This is a great basic pretzel recipe that you could have loads of fun experimenting with :) Maria stuffed hers with peanut butter, but you could also stuff them with cheese and pepperoni for pizza pretzel bites!! :)

  43. Carolyn

    My mouth is watering, I must try out this recipe. I wonder how you stay thin with all the yummy recipes you share here, surely you can’t resist.

  44. Gloria @ Simply Gloria

    When I first saw this caramel sauce Maria and Josh posted earlier this week…I seriously haven’t stopped thinking about it! And now…this! I need to take immediate action and make these TODAY for the kids’ after school snack. I loved ALL of your pictures…absolutely perfect!

  45. Averie @ Averie Cooks

    Amanda this is a beautiful, amazing, wonderful post! The detail you provided, all the pics, there is nothing left to the imagination. Well, except for how they taste but I can almost taste them now, and wow, how good they must be!!

    Cinnamon-and-sugar AND peanut butter are two favorites of mine. And caramel. You pretty much hit everything, all at once. You ladies were baking and cooking machines and it’s appreciated. These are the kind of posts,when you write food posts like this, that just make me so excited to get in my own kitchen and cook :) So inspiring!

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Meet Kevin & Amanda

Kevin and Amanda

We love to travel and to eat! Here we share our favorite quick and easy recipes, plus travel tips and guides for our favorite places around the world. If you have any questions about what camera I use or how I edit my photos, check out my photography tutorials.

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