How to Make Pretzel Bites (Easy!)

Step by step directions for how to make Pretzel Bites! These Easy Pretzel bites are a delish snack for the kids, and fun party food, too. Make them for game day and they're sure to be a big hit!

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 30

Total Time 45

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How to make semi homemade Pretzel Bites! These are a delicious snack you can make with the kids. With this super easy shortcut recipe you don’t even need to make any dough because this recipe starts with frozen dinner rolls.

Pretzel bites and cheese dipping sauce on a sheet pan.

Pretzel Bites are the perfect snack on game day, and an easy appetizer for parties and family gatherings.. They’re fun to make with the kids, too. Serve them with honey mustard dip for a classic pretzel taste, or mix it up and serve with other fun dipping sauces like marinara.

They are so good – I dare you to eat just one!

I made these one afternoon with my daughter, Olivia. There are a lot of steps to this recipe that are good for kids to help with, and a few that should be adult only. Be sure to watch your kids carefully whenever they’re helping in the kitchen.

Olivia had a lot of fun cutting the dough balls with the kitchen shears. She also enjoyed sprinkling the salt on after the pretzel bites were done baking (that may be why the salt appears a little irregular in my photos!)

It couldn’t be me…. right? 😁

Sounds like a riddle, right? Pretzels are made from a yeast dough, but before baking, the dough is boiled. In the hot water, the starches on the outside of the dough gelatinize.

This is what forms that chewy outside crust. Baking then cooks the dough through and, of course, gives pretzels their golden brown color.

Horizontal image of pretzel bites topped with salt on a sheet pan.

💭 Frequently Asked Questions

Here are some questions (and answers) people often as about making a soft pretzel bites recipe.

What gives pretzels their flavor?

Pretzels are made from a yeast dough, but before baking, the dough is boiled. In the hot water, the starches on the outside of the dough gelatinize. This is what forms that chewy outer crust. Baking then cooks the dough through and, of course, gives pretzels their golden brown color.

How do you get salt to stick to pretzels?

Dip in a baking soda and water solution and sprinkle salt immediately.

What can I use instead of pretzel salt?

I use sea salt because I almost always already have it on hand. If you do not have sea salt or pretzel salt, you can use any edible coarse salt.

What sauce goes well with pretzels?

Soft pretzels are often served with honey mustard dipping sauce (recipe below). However, there are so many tasty dipping sauces you could serve with these pretzel bites. Here are a few suggestions besides honey mustard:
Sweet: Caramel, Melted Chocolate, Powdered Sugar Glaze
Savory Melted Cheese, Marinara, Pesto, Ranch

Can I boil pretzels without baking soda?

Yes. But I find that if you do, you miss out on that classic pretzel texture that you love!

Why are my pretzels bitter?

You may have left them in the baking soda and water solution too long.

How do you keep pretzels warm for a party?

Wrap them in foil and then either place them in a slow cooker on warm or in an oven on warm.

🧂 Ingredients

This is meant to be a brief overview of how to make pretzel bites. For step-by-step instructions and a full printable recipe card with ingredients, please scroll down to the teal box below.

Frozen bread dough, thawed
Baking Soda
Coarse Sea Salt

Ingredients to make pretzel bites - butter, salt, and frozen dough on a sheet pan.

Raw dough topped with salt on a parchment lined sheet pan.

🍴 Serving Suggestions

Although pretzels are normal served with either honey mustard or cheddar cheese sauce, here are a few more ideas:

📖 Variations

We recommend that you try our recipe for the first time just as it is written for the best results because that is how the recipe has been tested. However, the next time you make it, you might consider one of these different ways of making this great recipe.

Instead of adding salt to your homemade pretzels, you can make a sweet version – cinnamon sugar pretzels! Combine 1 cup granulated sugar with 1 tablespoon of ground cinnamon in a small bowl. Brush the baked pretzel bites with melted butter and roll them in the cinnamon sugar mixture.

You can also use bread dough or pizza dough to make these easy homemade soft pretzel bites. Turn the ball of dough out onto a floured surface and roll it into a long rope. Then, use a bench scraper or pizza cutter to cut it into equal pieces – about 1 inch pieces.

Pizza dough on a cutting board rolled into a rope and cut into 1 inch pieces for soft pretzel bites.

😋 Similar Recipes

Here are some more recipes using crunch bite-size pretzels that you might enjoy. They are perfect for parties!

Peanut Butter Pretzel Bites
White Chocolate Dipped Pretzel Rods

More Party Recipes

Time in the kitchen with your kids is a great way to add a lot of teachable moments to your day. From math to science, there are a ton of learning opportunities.

Of course, there’s a lot of fun to be had, too. I hope you enjoy making these Quick Pretzel Bites with your family soon!

⏲️ Storage

To keep your pretzel bites fresh, wrap them in plastic and then aluminum foil WITHOUT the salt on them. Add the salt only when you are ready to serve. Pretzels will keep for 1-2 days.

To freeze, take the double wrapped pretzels and put them into a labeled freezer bag. They will keep in the freezer for a couple of weeks.

When you want to impress with a yummy snack, these easy pretzel bites are just the thing! Because this recipe is semi-homemade, you don’t have to worry about making dough from scratch!