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    Home » Recipes » Appetizers

    Homemade Vegan Pretzel Bites

    Published: Mar 24, 2022 by Emily This post may contain affiliate links

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    Pin for recipe for the best soft vegan pretzel bites on Resplendent Kitchen blog.
    pin soft and chewy pretzel bites

    These homemade vegan pretzel bites are chewy and soft with a classic pretzel flavor. This recipe is perfect for feeding a crowd for game day festivities, parties, or snacks! Serve these pretzel bites up and watch them disappear!

    These bite-sized pretzels are amazingly delicious with garlic or vegan horseradish aioli, spicy mustard dip, or vegan queso.

    white tray with vegan pretzel bites and horseradish aioli
    Jump to:
    • Ingredients
    • How to make vegan pretzel bites
    • How to serve
    • Substitutions & Variations
    • Equipment
    • Storage
    • Expert tip
    • FAQ
    • Related recipes
    • Recipe

    I love this soft pretzel bites recipe any time of the year, particularly when entertaining. They are simple, tasty, and please a crowd!

    What led me to create this recipe? My husband and I visited Alsace, France, years ago. While we were there, we visited Basel, Switzerland. We walked by a vegan pretzel shop as we strolled by the markets. We each got a different type of pretzel, and after we finished them, we went back for another round!

    I'd been dreaming about making a fresh pretzel recipe ever since. I had no idea how easy it was to make pretzels!

    This recipe was inspired by Peter Reinhart's recipes for white breads (he has three variations) in The Bread Baker's Apprentice. I skipped the egg and milk, substituted vegan butter, and adapted the recipe and method to suit my preferences.

    These pretzel bites are like classic pretzels, only bite-sized with a nice salty bite! They are firm on the outside, soft on the inside, and have a good chew.

    Ingredients

    Here are the ingredients you will need to make these homemade soft pretzel bites:

    Ingredients for vegan pretzel bites on marble background
    • Melted vegan butter - you can use oil if you prefer
    • Fine sea salt - to bring out flavor
    • Pretzel salt - or a pinch of coarse salt to sprinkle on the pretzel bites after the baking soda bath.
    • Bread flour - all-purpose flour is fine too (organic if possible)
    • Organic cane sugar - The sugar feeds the yeast to help the dough rise.
    • Active dry yeast - you can use instant yeast also. Make sure your yeast is not past its expiry date.
    • Warm water - approximately 85°F to 90° F. It should feel warm to touch, not hot. If you are not sure, flick some warm water on the inside of your wrist to check the temperature.
    • Baking soda bath: I don't have the ingredients pictured for the baking soda bath. You will need at least a couple of quarts of water and baking soda. You will be boiling the dough briefly in this water.

    See the recipe card for the exact quantities.

    How to make vegan pretzel bites

    Prepare the yeast

    • Pour warm water into a large bowl and stir in the sugar. Make sure your yeast is not past its expiry date. Sprinkle the yeast on top and let rest for 15 to 20 minutes, after which you will likely see small bubbles on the surface.
    • If you are using instant yeast, you can skip waiting 15 to 20 minutes.
    • Melt the vegan butter and let it cool for 5 minutes. Add it to the bowl with the yeast and water mixture, and add salt.
    bowl filled with yeast, water, and sugar
    Bowl with liquid ingredients for pretzel dough bites on marble surface

    Stir the bread flour in slowly. I use a dough whisk for this purpose. Mix until everything is combined.

    Bowl with pretzel dough and wooden dough mixer
    pretzel dough ball resting on wooden board on marble backround

    Knead the dough and let rise

    • Knead the dough on a clean surface such as a wooden board or a marble countertop for five to eight minutes. If you're not sure how to knead the dough, take a look at this instructional video.
    • If the dough is too sticky to handle, add more flour, two tablespoons at a time. Fold, press, and turn the dough, adding more flour as needed.

    If you prefer, you can use a KitchenAid mixer at the lowest speed with a dough hook to do the kneading.

    • After five to eight minutes, shape your dough into a ball with your hands. It should be smooth at this point.
    • Place the round dough ball into a clean large, lightly oiled bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a slightly damp kitchen towel. Let the dough rise in a warm place for an hour and a half until the dough has doubled.
    Pretzel dough ball in large bowl on marble background
    pretzel dough ball after proofing in large bowl on marble background

    While waiting for the dough to rise, preheat the oven and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

    While you're waiting, it would be a good time to make this vegan horseradish aioli to serve with the pretzel bites!

    Prepare the baking soda bath

    • Once your dough has doubled in size, like in the photo above, make the baking soda bath. Heat a large pot with over two quarts of water. Once it's boiling, slowly add the baking soda and reduce the heat to a gentle rolling boil.
    • The baking soda bath is what gives pretzels their characteristic color and flavor. Traditionally, lye has been used to dip the pretzels in, but I prefer to use baking soda as I feel it is safer for home use.

    Shape the dough and briefly boil

    With a bench scraper (my preference) or a sharp knife (on a cutting board, not on marble or granite or you'll dull your knife), cut the dough ball in half, then cut each half into three pieces. You will get six pieces of dough in total.

    Hint: Do not flour your surface or the dough will slide around, making it hard for you to roll it out. A bit of moisture on the surface is okay, as you can see on my cutting board.

    • Take a small ball of dough and roll it into a long rope, approximately the length of your cutting board.
    • Cut the rope into 2-inch pieces. If your rope of dough is 16 inches long, like mine, you will get approximately 8 pieces or more, depending on how big you cut the pieces.
    Wooden board with 5 pretzel dough balls and one ball rolled into rope length
    wooden board with 5 pretzel dough balls and dough cut into eleven bite sized pieces
    • Place the cut pieces of dough from one rope into the baking soda bath you have boiling on the range. Boil for approximately 30 seconds. I recommend setting a timer for this.
    • After thirty seconds, scoop out the puffy dough pieces with a frying ladle or a slotted spoon and line them up on your prepared baking sheet, being careful not to crowd them.
    • Repeat with another length of dough until your baking sheet is full. For example, I can usually fit three cut lengths of dough (half the total amount) on a large rimmed baking sheet.

    Tip: Sprinkle the pieces of dough with pretzel salt before they go into the oven.

    Metal tray with parchment paper with boiled pretzel bites before baking
    metal tray with parchment paper with baked vegan pretzel bites

    Bake

    Bake for 15 minutes. You want the tops of the pretzel bites to be golden brown. While the first batch is baking, prepare the rest of the dough, usually half.

    How to serve

    Let the pretzel bites cool for at least 5 to 10 minutes before enjoying them with your favorite mustard, vegan queso, vegan horseradish aioli, or roasted beet hummus with horseradish.

    This recipe makes approximately 75 bites, approximately 12 servings. However, if you serve other food, you may get more servings from this recipe. That said, these pretzel bites will disappear fast. And if you lose your modicum of self-control, I won't judge!

    Substitutions & Variations

    • Bread flour - You can use all-purpose flour instead. The result is a slightly softer pretzel that is super delicious. I haven't tried this recipe with 100% whole wheat. I would recommend doing a 1:1 mixture if you wish to try it out.
    • Organic cane sugar - You can use brown sugar instead.

    Equipment

    • Dough whisk - I find this essential to mix the dough by hand. I love using it to mix the dough for these pretzel bites and overnight artisan bread.
    • Bench scraper - I find this essential to cut the dough and clean the work surface.
    • Fry ladle - This fry spoon is essential for scooping the pretzel bites out of the baking soda water. This spoon, also known as a spider strainer, is also handy when you boil dumplings or gnocchi.
    • Baking pan - I recommend a rimmed baking pan.

    Storage

    These pretzel bites freeze well. And you can take out what you need and quickly bake them in the oven or the toaster oven. They come out just as good as freshly baked! Freeze any leftover bites in a single layer in a freezer-safe ziplock bag.

    Reheat frozen bites (no need to thaw) at 350°F for approximately 15 minutes on a rimmed baking sheet, do not crowd them.

    I don't recommend storing them at room temperature or in the fridge. The texture changes, and they're just not the same.

    vegan soft and chewy pretzel bites with creamy horseradish aioli

    Expert tip

    Before baking, briefly boil the dough in the hot baking soda water, as instructed in the recipe, resulting in chewy pretzels with a golden brown exterior.

    Eat these pretzel bites when they are fresh out of the oven!

    FAQ

    Can I make these ahead of time?

    You can refrigerate the dough overnight and make it the next day. Cover the dough on the counter for about 30 minutes before making your pretzel bites.

    Do I have to knead the dough by hand?

    You can use a KitchenAid mixer with the dough hook attachment instead of kneading by hand. Knead for 5 to 8 minutes at the slowest speed while adding the flour slowly until you get a smooth and elastic dough. However, if you are a beginner with dough, I highly recommend kneading by hand to get accustomed to the look and feel of the dough.

    Related recipes

    • Vegan Horseradish Aioli
    • The Best Air Fryer Breakfast Potatoes
    • Roasted Beet Hummus with Horseradish
    • Chunky Vegan Marinara Sauce

    If you make these Vegan Pretzel Bites, please take a moment to ★ star rate it and leave a comment below. Follow me on Instagram and Facebook and share your creation with me! Tag me @resplendentkitchen and hashtag #resplendentkitchenrecipes.

    Recipe

    vegan pretzel bites with zesty horseradish aioli

    Homemade Vegan Pretzel Bites

    Emily Miller
    These homemade Vegan Pretzel Bites are chewy and soft with a classic pretzel flavor. They are amazingly delicious and pair perfectly with vegan horseradish aioli, mustard, or vegan queso! This recipe yields about 75 bites, making them perfect for parties, game days, or snacks!
    5 from 119 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 30 mins
    Cook Time 15 mins
    Dough resting time 1 hr
    Course Appetizer, Snack
    Cuisine American
    Servings 12 servings
    Calories 193.4 kcal

    Equipment

    • large mixing bowl
    • 2 metal rimmed baking sheets
    • parchment paper
    • Medium saucepan
    • Wooden cutting board
    • Fry ladle
    • Bench scraper
    • Bread whisk
    • Small bowl

    Ingredients
      

    • 3 ¾ to 4 cups unbleached bread flour or all-purpose flour
    • 1 ½ cups warm water
    • 1 tablespoon organic cane sugar
    • 2 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast or 1 package active dry yeast
    • ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt
    • 2 tablespoons plant-based butter melted
    • Extra virgin olive oil for oiling the mixing bowl
    • Pretzel salt sprinkle on dough before baking

    Baking soda bath

    • 10 cups water
    • ¼ cup baking soda

    Instructions
     

    • In a large bowl, pour the warm water and stir in the sugar. Sprinkle the yeast on top and let rest for 15 to 20 minutes to activate the yeast.
    • Stir in the fine sea salt and melted and cool plant-based butter. Slowly stir in the bread flour until combined.
    • On a clean lightly floured surface, knead the dough for 5 to 8 minutes. If the dough is too sticky to handle, add more flour, 2 tablespoons at a time.
    • Shape the dough into a ball and place in a clean and lightly oiled large bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a damp kitchen towel and place the bowl in a warm area to rise for 60 to 90 minutes or until the dough has doubled.
    • While the dough is rising, line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside. Preheat oven to 400ºF.
    • Once the dough has risen, heat the water to boiling and slowly add the baking soda to make baking soda bath.
    • Cut the dough into 6 pieces; start by cutting the dough ball in half, and then cut each half into 3 pieces with a bench scraper.
    • Roll a piece of dough out to a 16 to 18-inch long rope, or however long your cutting board is. Cut each rope into 2-inch pieces with the bench scraper. You will get 8 to 11 pieces.
    • Place the pieces of dough you get from one rope in the baking soda water for approximately 30 seconds. Scoop them out with a frying ladle and carefully line them up an inch apart on your parchment-lined baking sheet. Repeat this process until the baking sheet is full. Sprinkle each piece with pretzel salt.
    • Bake at 400ºF for 15 minutes, or until the tops are brown. While the first batch is baking, I work on the remaining half of the dough.
    • Let cool for 5 minutes and serve immediately with vegan horseradish aioli (link below), mustard, or vegan queso.

    Notes

    While the oven is preheating, make this easy vegan horseradish aioli.
    You can use a KitchenAid mixer with the dough hook attachment instead of kneading by hand. Knead for 5 to 8 minutes at the slowest speed while adding the flour slowly until you get a smooth and elastic dough.
    Freeze the baked pretzel bites, after they have cooled, for up to 1 month. Place them in freezer-safe ziplock bags in a single layer so they don't stick together.
    Reheat at 350°F, from frozen, for about 15 minutes. I don't recommend storing them in the fridge or at room temperature since this will affect the texture. These pretzel bites are best enjoyed fresh out of the oven.
    This recipe was inspired by Peter Reinhart's recipes for white breads in The Bread Baker's Apprentice.
     

    Nutrition

    Serving: 6piecesCalories: 193.4kcalCarbohydrates: 35.6gFat: 1.8gSaturated Fat: 0.6gSodium: 89.6mgFiber: 0.8gSugar: 1g
    Keyword entertaining, game day, party
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

    Resplendent Kitchen offers nutritional information for recipes contained on this site as a courtesy. Although resplendentkitchen.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information from online calculators, these figures are estimates.

    More Vegan Appetizers

    • 4 Ingredient Guacamole Recipe
    • Vegan Walnut Pesto
    • Easy Baked Sweet Potato Fries
    • Pink Beetroot Hummus
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Erica

      March 25, 2022 at 7:32 am

      5 stars
      My kids love these pretzels! Yum!

      Reply
      • Emily

        March 25, 2022 at 8:45 am

        Thank you for the review, Erica!

        Reply
    2. Emily

      March 25, 2022 at 6:36 pm

      Yes, you can knead the dough in a KitchenAid. I suggest putting the mixer at low speed with a dough hook for 5 minutes and adding the flour gradually.

      Reply
    3. Chantry

      March 26, 2022 at 12:48 pm

      5 stars
      This is a dangerous recipe to have around! Yum! These turned out so good.

      Reply
      • Emily

        March 26, 2022 at 1:29 pm

        Thank you for the great review, Chantry! We're glad to hear that you enjoyed these! They don't last long, do they? 😉

        Reply
    4. Nancy

      March 26, 2022 at 1:54 pm

      5 stars
      What a fantastic snack~ we love this and would recommend it!

      Reply
      • Emily

        March 26, 2022 at 8:29 pm

        Thank you for your 5-star review, Nancy! I'm so glad to hear that you enjoyed this recipe!

        Reply
    5. Katie

      March 26, 2022 at 6:40 pm

      5 stars
      Pretzels are my absolute favorite! I am so excited to have found a delicious vegan recipe for them!

      Reply
      • Emily

        March 26, 2022 at 8:31 pm

        Hi Katie, thanks for the review!

        Reply
    6. Sam

      March 26, 2022 at 7:37 pm

      5 stars
      I'm totally hooked on these!! Wow, they are so yummy. Thanks!

      Reply
      • Emily

        March 26, 2022 at 8:30 pm

        Thanks for your review, Sam! I'm so glad you like them!

        Reply
    7. Jacqui

      March 27, 2022 at 9:28 am

      5 stars
      These turned out absolutely amazing! 10/10 recommendation!

      Reply
      • Emily

        March 27, 2022 at 9:38 am

        Thank you for the kind words, Jacqui! I'm so glad to hear that you enjoyed this recipe!

        Reply
    8. Michelle

      March 27, 2022 at 3:39 pm

      5 stars
      These are totally yummy, and way less intimidating to make than I'd imagined!

      Reply
      • Emily

        August 27, 2022 at 3:14 pm

        Thank you, Michelle, I'm so glad to hear it!

        Reply
    9. Anaiah

      March 28, 2022 at 10:58 am

      5 stars
      Yay for finally finding the best vegan pretzel bites recipe! This is a MUST to make for any get together.

      Reply
      • Emily

        March 28, 2022 at 1:01 pm

        Thank you for your review, Anaiah! We're so happy to hear your feedback!

        Reply
    10. Kayla DiMaggio

      March 28, 2022 at 12:19 pm

      5 stars
      I am LOVING these pretzel bites! They were so easy and delicious!

      Reply
      • Emily

        March 28, 2022 at 1:03 pm

        Thank you for the review, Kayla. I'm so glad you enjoyed them!

        Reply
    11. Daniela

      March 28, 2022 at 2:35 pm

      5 stars
      Thank you for the detailed instructions to make Vegan Pretzel Bites. Everyone loved them!

      Reply
      • Emily

        March 28, 2022 at 4:51 pm

        Thanks for the great review, Daniela! I'm glad everyone enjoyed these Vegan Pretzel Bites.

        Reply
    12. Jan

      March 28, 2022 at 3:18 pm

      5 stars
      Pretzel bites are a great idea. These were so good!

      Reply
      • Emily

        March 28, 2022 at 4:50 pm

        Thanks for your review, Jan! I'm so happy you enjoyed the pretzel bites!

        Reply
    13. Anna - Vegnfit

      March 29, 2022 at 6:50 am

      5 stars
      Such a cute and delicious snack. They go very well with good hummus or garlic dip.

      Reply
      • Emily

        March 29, 2022 at 10:01 am

        Thank you for your review, Anna! I'm glad you enjoyed these pretzel bites!

        Reply
    14. Kate

      March 29, 2022 at 10:18 am

      5 stars
      Emily - these pretzel bites are dangerous!!! i can't stop snacking on them!

      Reply
      • Emily

        March 29, 2022 at 10:22 am

        Kate, thank you for your review! I'm so glad to hear that you enjoyed the pretzel bites - they're a favorite of ours too. It's hard to stop at one, or a half-dozen! 🙂

        Reply
    15. Mirlene

      March 29, 2022 at 1:05 pm

      5 stars
      These are the perfect snack sized pretzel bites for my kids. I can make a bunch and store them in the freezer!

      Reply
      • Emily

        March 29, 2022 at 1:36 pm

        Mirlene, thank you for the five-star review!

        Reply
    16. Jill

      March 29, 2022 at 2:15 pm

      5 stars
      These are such an indulgent treat. Thank you for the fantastic recipe!

      Reply
      • Emily

        March 29, 2022 at 2:44 pm

        Thank you so much for your review, Jill! I'm happy to hear that!

        Reply
    17. sara

      March 29, 2022 at 2:53 pm

      5 stars
      My kids loved these! I used white whole wheat flour and they turned out great.

      Reply
      • Emily

        March 29, 2022 at 5:39 pm

        That sounds fantastic, Sara! Thank you so much for the 5-star review!

        Reply
    18. Katia

      March 29, 2022 at 3:30 pm

      5 stars
      I actually tried these with a vegan caramel sauce... OMG were they ever amazing!

      Reply
      • Emily

        March 29, 2022 at 5:38 pm

        Wow, that sounds amazing, Katia! Thank you so much for the review!

        Reply
    19. Cara

      March 29, 2022 at 4:10 pm

      5 stars
      We can't stop eating these! They are SO GOOD!! Thank you for sharing your recipe and easy directions.

      Reply
      • Emily

        March 29, 2022 at 5:41 pm

        Cara, I am so glad you found this recipe and that the directions are easy to follow! Thank you for the review!

        Reply
    20. Leah

      March 29, 2022 at 4:35 pm

      Oh these were too good! I have made them so many times, and they just keep getting better! Had to leave a review!

      Reply
      • Emily

        March 29, 2022 at 5:31 pm

        Thank you, Leah, for your review and feedback! I'm so glad to hear that!

        Reply

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    Emily Miller

    Hi, I'm Emily, the photographer, writer, and cook behind Resplendent Kitchen. My goal is to show you how easy it is to cook delicious seasonal vegan recipes that are healthy for you, the animals, and the environment!

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    Game Day Recipes

    • Homemade Vegan Pretzel Bites
    • 4 Ingredient Guacamole Recipe
    • Roasted Beet Hummus with Horseradish
    • Vegan Horseradish Aioli
    • Easy Baked Sweet Potato Fries
    • Tamarind Margarita Recipe

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