Go Back
+ servings
Cheese and chocolate Stuffed Pretzel Bites served in a brown bread basket with some chocolate on the side

Air Fryer Soft Pretzel Bites

Air Fryer Soft Pretzel Bites are an addictive after-school or party snack with a crisp outside and soft inside. They can be baked in an oven or an air-fryer.
5 from 1 vote
Print Pin Save
Course: Appetizer, Snacks
Cuisine: European
Keyword: Bread, Kids Food, MakeAheadPartyIdeas, PartyFood, Toddler Food
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Resting Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings: 60 Pretzel Bites
Author: Renu Agrawal-Dongre

Equipment

Ingredients

Dough for Soft Pretzels

  • 4 Cups - 630 grams - Whole Wheat Flour can be replaced with all-purpose or plain flour
  • 2.5 teaspoon - 10 grams - Instant Yeast
  • 1 tablespoon Light brown Sugar Or Sugar of choice
  • 1.5-2 Cups of Lukewarm Water
  • 1 teaspoon Salt
  • 2 tablespoon Melted Butter at room temperature
  • Baking Soda Bath
  • Cup Baking Soda
  • 9 Cups Water

Other Ingredients for brushing the pretzels before and after baking

  • ¼ Cup Milk
  • ¼ Cup Melted Butter

Cinnamon Sugar Coating

  • 1/4 Cup Butter Melted
  • 1.5 teaspoon Cinnamon
  • ½ Cup Powdered Demera sugar Or granulated or sugar of choice

For Cheese filling

  • Grated Cheddar Cheese

For chocolate Filling

  • Dark or Milk chocolate broken into small pieces
  • For Pizza Filling
  • Pasta sauce
  • Veggies of choice corn, pepper, etc

Instructions

  • Dough for Soft Pretzels

Activating the yeast

  • In a bowl add the yeast, sugar, and 1.5 cups of lukewarm water.
    Mixed Yeast Mixture
  • Mix it thoroughly.
  • Cover and let it rest for 10 minutes.
  • This will activate the yeast.
    Proofed yeast

Dough for Soft Pretzels

  • Once the yeast mixture is activated. In a wide bowl or the bowl of your electric stand mixer add the flour and salt.
    Flour
  • Now add the yeast mixture.
    Yeast mixture added to flour
  • Mix and start kneading it on slow.
  • If done by hands, start mixing and kneading the dough and form a ball shape
  • Once the dough is mixed start increasing the speed and kneading the dough.
  • Slowly add the butter and continue kneading the dough.
  • Continue kneading the dough by hand or by keeping on increasing the speed for 5-7 minutes.
  • The dough is done when it comes all together and has an elastic texture.
  • Shape it into a ball form and oil the dough lightly.
    Pretzel Dough ready to be proofed
  • Grease a wide bowl and let the dough rest for 1 to 1.5 hours until double in size.

Shaping and filling the Pretzels

  • Once the dough is double in size, knead the dough again with your hand to release all the air.
    Proofed pretzel dough
  • Divide the dough into 6-8 equal parts.
    Dough divided into equal portions
  • Dust your working surface with some flour.
  • Roll one dough into a log form, around 1 inch thick and 12 inches in length.
    Dough rolled into logs
  • Divide the log into equal size pieces, around 1 inch in thickness
    Log cut into uniform small bites
  • If you are doing a filling, for each small piece, flatten it in your hand.
    Pretzel bites ready to bath in soda water
  • Add filling of your choice.
    Chocolate Stuffed inside dough
  • Fill only in the center. Be careful with the pizza or cheese stuffing. Do not overfill or you would not be able to seal it.
    Chocolate stuffed inside the doug
  • Grab the edges and seal them.
  • Roughly shape it into a rectangular shape.
  • Finish the rest and keep aside

Baking Soda Bath

  • In a large pot add the water.
  • Add baking soda and let the water mixture come to a boil.
  • Be careful at times the boiling water might come out. Just stir everything and reduce the stove to medium.
    Water boiled along with baking soda
  • Now carefully add each of the pretzel bites to the water and water bath them for roughly around 45-50 seconds.
  • Do this in batches, say 8-10. Do not overcrowd the pot.
  • Keep aside or arrange it on a baking tray or air fryer basket.
    Pretzel bites just out of baking soda water

Baking in an Air Fryer.

  • Preheat the air fryer to 180 Deg C. This should take around 3-4 minutes depending on your Air fryer model.
  • Place the pretzel bites in the air fryer basket, giving enough space between each.
  • Brush each pretzel bite with a bit of milk. I do this for added color. One can egg wash too.
    Pretzel bites ready to be baked
  • Now, bake this in a pre-heated air-fryer for 8 minutes.
  • Once they are done, remove and brush the top with melted butter.
    Baked Pretzel Bites
  • They are ready to serve.

Baking in an Oven.

  • Preheat the air fryer to 200 Deg C.
  • Place the pretzel bites on the oven tray giving enough space between each.
  • Brush each pretzel bite with a bit of milk. I do this for added color. One can egg wash too.
  • Now, bake this in a preheated oven for 20 minutes.
  • Once they are done, remove and brush the top with melted butter.
  • They are ready to serve.

Cinnamon Sugar Coating

  • In a bowl mix in the cinnamon and powdered sugar.
  • Dip each of the pretzel bites in butter. Do this while the pretzel bites are still hot.
  • Remove and roll them in a cinnamon sugar mixture.
  • Shake off the excess sugar and serve.

Notes

  • Standard US Size cups and spoons are used. 1 cup = 237 ml, 1 teaspoon = 5 ml
  • One can replace whole wheat flour with All-purpose Flour / Maida / Plain Flour.
  • Flour measurements can differ depending on the flour texture
 
Tried this recipe?Share your feedback @cookwithrenu_ad or tag #cookwithrenu_ad
Disclaimer: I am not a nutritionist. The nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. It varies depending upon the product types or brands.