Easy Air Fryer Soft Pretzel Bites

Craving some soft, bite size pretzels? This quick homemade recipe is the best way to get your fill of golden, soft buttery pretzels without having to leave home. Grab your air fryer and get ready to make these easily and quickly!

Ingredients you’ll need for soft pretzel bites

We all know about those yummy addictive pretzels from the mall, but if you want to skip the trip I’ll show you how to make pretzel bites from scratch using things you might already have at home.

No worries if you don’t have any of these ingredients, they are fairly easy to get at your local grocery store.

Ingredients you will need:

Dough

• ¾ cups water {~110 degrees F}

• 1 ⅛ teaspoon active yeast

• 2 cups all-purpose flour

• ½ tsp sea salt

• ½ tbsp sugar

• Course kosher salt for topping to taste

What do you dip pretzel bites in before baking?

Soft pretzel bites need to be dipped in a baking soda bath before they bake. Fortunately, this is super easy to make. 

You’ll just need 3 cups of water and ⅓ cup baking soda. 

To make things easier, mix your water and baking soda for the baking soda bath and set it aside.

How do you make pretzel bites from scratch?

If you are intimidated by making bread at home, there’s no need to be. We will be mixing these ingredients together and kneading them for just a minute!

First, mix the water and yeast together in a bowl.

Add the flour, sugar, and sea salt and mix everything until it’s completely combined and this will make your dough for the pretzel bites.

Knead the dough with your hands or using an electric mixer with a dough hook. 

Place the kneaded dough on a lightly floured surface and then roll into ropes.

Cut the dough into 1 inch pieces using a knife. Bathe the pieces in your baking soda bath mixture for 30 seconds. 

Spray cooking oil on the basket of the air fryer, add your pretzel bites. Be sure to space them so that they have room to expand. 

Cook at 390 for 6 minutes. Remove once done and brush with melted butter. Top with salt to taste! 

If you want sweet pretzel bites, swap the salt for cinnamon sugar. 

Can you cook soft pretzel bites in the air fryer?

Absolutely! Thats part of the reason this recipe for homemade soft pretzel bites is so easy!

Work in batches until you finish cooking all the dough.

The advantages to using the air fryer here is that you don't need to preheat the oven and the pretzel bites will cook evenly.

Don't forget the easier cleanup. All great reasons to use your air fryer to make these.

What gives pretzels their flavor?

So you want to know the secret to what makes a pretzel have that distinctive pretzel taste? It's the baking soda bath! 

It very important not to skip this step.

Baking soda is alkaline and changes the ph level of the dough. This is the reason pretzel dough has that golden brown color when baked and that soft but crispy texture.‘

Can you put pretzel dough in the fridge?

You can keep your pretzel dough in the fridge for up to 3 days. Frozen dough can stay in the freezer for 3 months.

Tips for making the perfect soft pretzel bites

What if my pretzel dough is sticky?

Slowly knead 1tbsp at a time into the dough until it’s smooth.

What if my pretzel dough is too dry?

Add water to your dough 1tbsp at a time until its elastic. 

How to tell if the dough is kneaded enough?

If your dough is smooth, holds it shape and and springs back when you lightly press it with your finger, you should be good to go! 

What To Pair With Soft Pretzel Bites

Now here comes the fun part! Of course you could find yourself eating these delicious golden pretzels plain with nothing on them, but who can resist dipping them?

Pretzel bites are great dipped in cheese. You dont have to make a homemade cheese dip, store bought is a easy short cut and tastes great!  Be sure to warm it up.

Then there’s mustard, which is an old favorite.

If you’re feeling adventurous and want something sweet, you can also try chocolate hazelnut dip.

Once you see how easy it is to make these pretzel bites in your air fryer, you’ll probably want to enjoy these as a snack all the time! Enjoy this comfort food snack at home, at a party or anytime!

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