Skip the mall and make these easy Soft Pretzels at home! The prep time is short and sweet and they need just under 20 minutes to bake. Buttery, chewy, salty, and irresistible on their own or with cheese dip or mustard.
Enjoy a pretzel while sipping on an orange julius – another mall favorite!
Easy Homemade Soft Pretzels
Next time you get that craving for a big, chewy, salty soft pretzel, skip the mall and make them at home.
These soft pretzels – also called “cheater soft pretzels” or “shortcut soft pretzels” – are made with prepared pizza dough, which cuts the prep time down to minutes so they’re actually quite easy. You can have these ready to enjoy in just 25 minutes.
I think they’re delicious on their own, but it’s hard to resist a little swipe of mustard with each bite or with cheese dip.
Ingredients Needed
These easy soft pretzels are made with just a handful of simple ingredients.
(Scroll below to the printable recipe card for details and measurements.)
- Vegetable oil – For brushing on the pretzels.
- Water
- Baking soda – Added to the water the pretzels are immersed in.
- Kosher salt – For flavor.
- Refrigerated pizza dough – The key to making this cheater soft pretzels! Use our foolproof easy pizza dough or buy a 1 pound dough ball at the store.
- Egg wash – You’ll need one egg plus milk, which helps the pretzels turn golden brown in the oven.
- Pretzel soft – For sprinkling on top.
- Everything bagel seasoning – I love my homemade soft pretzels with a bit of everything bagel seasoning on top.
How to Make Soft Pretzels
Since we’re starting with pizza dough, these homemade soft pretzels are quick and easy to make.
(Don’t miss the detail printable recipe card below.)
- Prepare the baking sheet. Preheat the oven then brush a parchment paper-lined baking sheet with vegetable oil.
- Boil the water. Combine the water, baking soda, and salt in a large pot. Bring to a rapid boil then reduce the heat to a slow boil.
- Roll the pizza dough into ropes. Cut the pizza dough into 6 equal portions. Gently roll outwards to create a smooth, uniform 24-inch rope.
- Form the pretzels. Form a U with the dough rope, then cross one end over the other twice to make a double twist in the middle. Using a bit of water as “glue”, attach the ends of the rope at the bottom to make a pretzel shape.
- Add the pretzels to water. Add 1 to 2 pretzels at a time to the simmering water. Cook for 30 seconds until slightly puffed up then flip and cook another 30 seconds. Remove with a slotted spoon, allowing the excess water to drip off.
- Season the pretzels. Place the pretzels on the oiled baked sheet. Lightly brush with the egg wash then sprinkle half with the pretzel salt and half with the everything bagel seasoning (or all with one or the other, as desired).
- Bake. Bake at 400F for 13 to 17 minutes, until golden brown with stretch marks. Enjoy!
Tips for Making Soft Pretzels with Pizza Dough
Here are a few tips for making this easy soft pretzel recipe.
- Don’t add too much flour. If the pizza dough is super sticky, you can very lightly flour the work surface but avoid adding too much extra flour.
- How long should the dough rope be? The longer the rope, the larger and thinner your pretzel will be and it will have more of a classic pretzel “chew.” Thicker ropes will yield fluffy, bread-like pretzels that are more soft and puffy. I rolled mine to be 24 inches.
- Use water as glue. When forming the pretzel shape, you can use water as “glue” to secure the ends.
- Keep a close watch while baking. These pretzels bake between 13 and 17 minutes but all ovens run differently. After about 12 minutes, keep a close eye to prevent them from burning instead of browning.
Serving Suggestions
I usually serve these with cheese dip and/or mustard for dipping, but we also love them with our copycat Chick-Fil-A sauce! Dipping them in melted butter is good, too. These make a great afternoon snack but can also be enjoyed as lunch.
Proper Storage
- Storing leftovers. These easy soft pretzels can be stored in an airtight storage container for up to 2 days in the fridge. Reheat in the microwave and enjoy.
- Can I Freeze Homemade Soft Pretzels? Yes! If you end up with leftover soft pretzels, you can easily freeze them. Allow them to cool completely then freeze them in an airtight, freezer-safe storage container for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge then reheat in the microwave.
More Snack Breads:
I hope you love this delicious and easy recipe – be sure to give it a review below! Also don’t forget to follow Belly Full on TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube!
Easy Homemade Soft Pretzels
Ingredients
- vegetable oil , for brushing
- 9 cups water
- 1/2 cup baking soda
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 pound refrigerated pizza dough , homemade or store bought, at room temperature
- 1 egg + 1 tablespoon milk , beaten together for egg wash
- Pretzel salt , for sprinkling
- Everything bagel seasoning , for sprinkling
- Mustard , for serving
- Cheese dip , for serving
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment and then brush with vegetable oil (or use a silicone baking mat); set aside.
- In a large pot, combine the water, baking soda, and salt; bring to a rapid boil then reduce heat to a slow boil.
- Cut the pizza dough into 6 equal portions. Gently roll each one out with your hands, moving outward uniformly into a smooth 2-foot long rope. (You can very lightly sprinkle the work surface with flour, only if the dough is sticky.)
- Working with 1 rope at a time, form a U shape, then cross one end over the other twice to make a double twist in the middle. Attach the ends of the rope to the bottom of the U to make a pretzel shape – use a bit of water to act as a “glue” to secure the pieces down.
- In batches, use a slotted spoon to lower 1 to 2 pretzels at a time into the simmering water. Cook until the dough is slightly puffed up, about 30 seconds, then flip and cook another 30 seconds.
- Remove pretzels with the slotted spoon, and allow as much of the excess water to drip off. Transfer to the oiled baking sheet. Lightly brush with the egg wash and sprinkle with pretzel salt or everything bagel seasoning.
- Place on the center oven rack and bake until golden brown and stretch marks have formed, 13 to 17 minutes. (Watch them very carefully so they don’t over-brown.)
- Enjoy with some mustard and/or cheese dip.
