Soft Pretzels
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Fun to make and even more delightful to eat, these buttery, slightly sweet soft pretzels taste just like Auntie Anne’s.
Every parent and grandparent should have a go-to soft pretzel for those rainy days when you need a fun baking project—just be prepared for a light dusting of flour all over the kitchen! My kids adore these homemade soft pretzels. They’re slightly sweet, buttery, and almost identical to Auntie Anne’s famous mall pretzels. The real enjoyment for kids comes from rolling and twisting the dough into classic pretzel shapes, though can shape the dough into pretzel bites, too. While I prefer using a stand mixer, kneading the dough by hand is just as effective.
Homemade soft pretzels are easily customized. For those who love the traditional salted version, follow the recipe as is. If you’re in the mood for something sweet, skip the coarse salt, brush the pretzels with butter after baking, and then sprinkle generously with cinnamon sugar. And for the adults, pair these pretzels with mustard or beer cheese dip for extra flavor.
Table of Contents
“I made these for a party. They were amazing. I love Auntie Anne’s pretzels and these tasted just like them.”
What You’ll Need To Make Soft Pretzels
Step-by-Step Instructions
Warm the milk and 2 tablespoons of the butter in the microwave until the butter is just melted, about 90 seconds; do not boil. (Alternatively, warm the butter and milk in a small saucepan.)
Add the brown sugar and stir until dissolved; set aside.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the flour with the yeast and salt.
Mix on low speed until well combined, about 1 minute.
With the mixer on low, gradually add the warm milk mixture to the bowl.
When the dough forms a cohesive mass, switch to the dough hook.
Knead, adding more flour as needed, until the dough is smooth but still slightly tacky, about 5 minutes.
Shape the dough into a ball, place in a clean, lightly greased bowl, and cover with plastic wrap.
Let rise in a warm spot until doubled in size, 1 to 2 hours.
Punch the dough to deflate it, then turn it out onto a clean work surface. Shape the dough into a log and cut into six equal pieces.
Roll and stretch each piece with the palms of your hands into a 24-inch rope, holding the ends and slapping the middle of the rope on the counter as you stretch.
Combine the baking soda with warm water in a 2-quart baking dish and stir until dissolved. Gently dip each “rope” into the soda solution. This alkaline solution is what gives the pretzels their signature dark brown, shiny crust and distinctive flavor. The solution causes a chemical reaction called the Maillard reaction, which results in browning and a distinctive taste. Without this step, the pretzels would not have the same taste, texture, or appearance that we associate with them.
Let any excess liquid drip off, then form the dough into a pretzel shape directly on the prepared baking sheet (form a U-shape, then holding the ends of the rope, cross them over and under each other — making a twist in the middle — and press the ends onto the bottom of the pretzel). Sprinkle evenly with the coarse salt.
Bake until golden, 8 to 12 minutes. Melt the remaining three tablespoons of butter and brush on the baked pretzels.
Enjoy the pretzels warm out of the oven, or reheat them in an oven or microwave.
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Soft Pretzels
Fun to make and even more delightful to eat, these buttery, slightly sweet soft pretzels taste just like Auntie Anne’s.
Ingredients
- 1 cup milk
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
- 3 tablespoons light brown sugar, packed
- 2¼ teaspoons instant/rapid-rise yeast (1 package)
- 3 cups all-purpose flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled-off
- 1 teaspoon fine salt
- ¼ cup baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon coarse salt
Instructions
- Warm the milk and 2 tablespoons of the butter in the microwave until the butter is just melted, about 90 seconds; do not boil. (Alternatively, warm the butter and milk in a small saucepan.) Add the brown sugar and stir until dissolved; set aside.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the flour, yeast, and salt. Mix on low speed until well combined, about 1 minute. With the mixer on low, gradually add the warm milk/butter mixture to the bowl. When the dough forms a cohesive mass, switch from the paddle attachment to the dough hook. Knead on medium-low speed until the dough is smooth but still slightly tacky, about 5 minutes. (Alternatively, the dough can be mixed and kneaded by hand.) Shape the dough into a ball, place in a clean, lightly greased bowl, and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm spot until doubled in size, 1 to 2 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 450°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and spray lightly with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a 2-qt baking dish, combine the baking soda with 2¼ cups warm water. Stir until the baking soda is dissolved; set aside. (Dipping the pretzel dough in a baking soda solution gives the pretzels a nice golden brown crust.)
- Punch the dough to deflate it, then turn it out onto a clean work surface. (If the dough seems sticky, you can dust it with a bit of flour as needed.) Shape the dough into a log, then cut into 6 equal pieces; cover with a damp dishtowel so the dough doesn't dry out. Roll and stretch each piece with the palms of your hands into a 24-inch rope, holding the ends and slapping the middle of the rope on the counter as you stretch.
- Using two hands, gently dip each "rope" into the soda solution. Let any excess liquid drip off, then form the dough into a pretzel shape directly on the prepared baking sheet (form a U-shape, then holding the ends of the rope, cross them over and under each other -- making a twist in the center -- and press the ends onto the bottom of the pretzel). Sprinkle evenly with the coarse salt. Bake until golden, 8 to 12 minutes; watch the bottoms carefully as they can burn.
- Melt the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter and brush on the baked pretzels. The pretzels are best enjoyed warm out of the oven or fresh on the same day (reheat in the oven or microwave).
- Note: Active dry yeast may be used instead of instant yeast, however, the dough will take longer to rise. To give active dry yeast a boost, you can dissolve it in the warm milk and butter, let it sit until frothy, about 10 minutes, and then proceed with the recipe.
- Note: If you prefer a cinnamon sugar topping, omit the coarse salt. Brush with butter after baking and sprinkle generously with cinnamon sugar (½ cup sugar plus about ¾ teaspoon cinnamon)
- Make-Ahead Instructions: After the dough has risen, it can be refrigerated for up to three days or frozen for a few months. Thaw the frozen dough in the refrigerator before using. The dough can be shaped into pretzel bites while still cool, but allow about 30 minutes for the bites to puff up a bit before dipping and baking.
Nutrition Information
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- Serving size: 1 pretzel
- Calories: 331
- Fat: 12 g
- Saturated fat: 7 g
- Carbohydrates: 49 g
- Sugar: 9 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 7 g
- Sodium: 2540 mg
- Cholesterol: 30 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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I made these pretzels tonight for our movie night and they were fabulous! My kids inhaled them so fast I only got a taste. I sprinkled minced garlic and parmesan cheese and one and the flavor was great. Thank you for a great recipe.
These pretzels are amazing! They are the best pretzels I’ve ever had, hands down. We made half the recipe sweet and the other half salty. The pretzels were fluffy, not too dense. We will definitely be making these again.
I just have to say we loved these pretzels! I just made them an hour ago and they turned out awesome! I was a little scared to roll out the dough too skinny and being my first time ever making pretzels, although I bake on a regular basis, I didn’t want them to turn out to thin and crunchy. But they absolutely turned out amazing I have to say. So soft! They were more on the thick side which I do prefer anyways. My son loves pretzels and he really enjoyed these! I made garlic and herb on some and a few plain and the rest cinnamon! Oh yes! I doubled the recipe to make a DOZEN because 6 is not enough! Thanks for sharing this wonderful recipe. I will be making these again and again. I even passed it on to my friend as she was impressed with them!
This recipe was easy to follow and so so delicious! Thank you!
Hi Jenn,
I love your site and all the recipes that I have tried, thus far (and let me tell you, that is a lot!!!) Quick question, I don’t have parchment paper to bake these pretzels on, can I use aluminum foil, instead?
Thank you,
Amy
So glad you like the recipes! 🙂 Non-stick foil would work if you don’t have parchment paper on hand.
Hi Jenn, Thank you for your quick response, we made them yesterday, and they were fantastic!!! They were a lot easier than I thought it was going to be. Your recipes and pictures are so easy to follow. Thank you so much!! We have been cooking a lot and your blog is such a great thing to be armed with! 🙂
Thank you for sharing your love of cooking and baking with us!!!
Amy
Could this recipe be made with a sourdough starter? If so, what would be the adjustments to the ingredients?
Hi Jessica, I don’t have any experience with sourdough starter so I can’t confidently weigh in — sorry!
WOW!!!! I had to use active dry yeast and dark brown sugar but it was a huge hit! My teenagers 18 and 15 were like mom these taste like “Auntie Anne’s”! My daughter wanted to know how to make them herself. I did bites and only 2 pretzel shapes, which were actually easy as well.
Thanks!
Can I use active dry yeast?
Sure – I’d add it to the warm, wet ingredients and then proof for 15 minutes. Hope you enjoy!
Can I omit butter for vegetable oil or olive oil? Thanks
Sure, Anna, either of those should work. Hope you enjoy!
This recipe was great! I made it on a whim with the help of my kids for National Pretzel Day since soft pretzels aren’t easy to find these days. My family loved them! I don’t bake breads so I had to borrow some yeast but I will definitely be making them again soon. Thank you so much for your delicious recipe!
Hi,
I love your recipes. Will it work if I make pretzel bites instead?
Thanks,
Sure, Melanie, that should work. Please LMK how they turn out! 🙂