Air Fryer Pretzel Bites {Soft Pretzel Bites}
These Air Fryer Pretzel Bites are so easy to make and taste amazing! Chewy, soft, and perfectly salty, you’ll love this pretzel bites recipe. No air fryer? Don’t worry because I have oven-baking instructions too!
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There’s nothing like the taste of fresh doughy pretzels – soft and chewy and topped with crunchy salt!
Just like my Air Fryer Ravioli, Easy Air Fryer Pickles, Fried Artichoke Hearts and Air Fryer Zucchini Chips, this recipe takes something simple and turns it into a health(ier) appetizer or game-day snack. All thanks to the magical air fryer.
Besides mustard or Greek Yogurt Ranch, these bites are amazing with some homemade Pub Cheese. Want a sweet version of these bites? Check out these Cinnamon Pretzel Bites With Apple Syrup.
Air Fryer Pretzel Bites Ingredients
- Flour, some all-purpose is lovely!
- Yeast – rapid rise
- Sugar, just a little bit. You can also use honey.
- Salt – sea salt for the dough, and pretzel salt for the top. Don’t have pretzel salt? You can use kosher or flaky sea salt like Maldon.
- (optional) Egg or baking soda if you want to try one of the methods described below
If you have extra dough, try your hand at making these incredible Air Fryer Pretzel Dogs. They’re so good and freeze very easily!
Use any leftover yeast to make Easy No-Knead Dutch Oven Bread, Honey Wheat Bread, or Whole Wheat Pizza Dough.
I tried three methods when cooking these – baking soda water bath, egg wash, and butter. All three turned out great with just slight differences in the flavor. You can see in the photo below that they all look super tasty!
Please note, the baking soda water bath is the only vegan option.
Egg wash – mix 1 egg with 1 tbsp of water. Brush over the dough balls and sprinkle with salt prior to cooking.
{vegan} Baking soda bath – just like when making Homemade Pretzel Rolls, dipping the bites in 4 cups of boiling water mixed with 1/3 cup of baking soda will give them a perfectly chewy exterior. But…I didn’t find the taste any better when doing this method and it took more time. And um, dirtied an extra dish.
Butter – Probably the easiest (and tastiest) option, simply brush melted butter over the bites once they’re done cooking and sprinkle with salt. It’s best to work in batches of 3-4 pretzels at a time so the salt sticks to the butter before it dries.
Can You Freeze Pretzel Bites?
Yes! Place uncooked dough on a parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze for ~3 hours. Transfer to freezer-safe storage for up to three months. We love and use these reusable silicone bags.
You do not need to thaw them prior to baking, and we found that even frozen, you only need 6 minutes of cooking time.
Pro Tips/Recipe Notes
- Every air fryer will be different and may need a slightly different cooking time. The bites will be done when the outsides are lightly browned.
- If you only have active yeast and not quick-rise, allow the dough to rest for 15 minutes before rolling.
- Your dough does not need to look perfect before cooking! It will puff up in the air fryer.
More Easy Air Fryer Recipes
- See all our Air Fryer Appetizers here!
- Air Fryer Egg Rolls
- Air Fryer Chicken Quesadillas
- Air Fryer Biscuits
- Air Fryer Potato Skins
- Air Fryer Chicken Taquitos
- Air Fryer Okra
- Air Fryer Meatballs
- Air Fryer French Bread Pizza
- Air Fryer Potstickers
- Mac and Cheese Egg Rolls
- Air Fryer Pizza Rolls
- Crispy Air Fryer Potatoes
- Bacon and Egg Rolls
- Air Fryer Fries
- Crispy Fried Onions
Air Fryer Pretzel Bites {Soft Pretzel Bites}
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups water {~110 degrees F}
- 2 1/4 tsp quick rise yeast
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1 tbsp sugar {or honey}
- pretzel salt {optional}
{Optional} Baking Soda Bath
- 4 cups water
- 1/3 cup baking soda
{Optional} Egg Wash
- 1 egg {beaten}
- 1 tbsp water
{Optional} Butter topping
- 3 tbsp butter {melted}
Equipment
Instructions
Make the Dough
- In a medium mixing bowl combine the water and yeast. Stir.
- Add the flour, sugar, and sea salt and stir until it is mostly combined.
- Lightly flour your hands and knead the dough by hand for 1 minute, bringing it into a ball. Divide the dough into eighths.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into ropes.
- With a floured knife, slice the dough into 1-inch pieces. (see notes below for optional egg wash or baking soda bath prior to cooking)
- Lightly spray the basket of the air fryer with olive oil. Place pretzel bites into the basket, giving them enough room to expand.
- Cook for 6 minutes at 390 degrees F, or until lightly browned on top. If using the butter method, brush melted butter on top of hot pretzel bites and sprinkle with pretzel salt.
Notes
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Can the dough be made in a bread machine?
I have never used a bread machine so I don’t feel comfortable saying if it would work.
That being said, the rise time for this is almost zero, so I’m not sure why a bread machine would need to be used. For the mixing? Again, I’ve never used one before so I’m totally clueless on this!
I just finished making these! I did 1/3 with cinnamon and sugar and butter and the baking soda bath, 1/3 with baking soda bath and garlic herb seasoning, smoked paprika and butter and the last 1/3 is wrapped around cheese hot dogs for dinner tonight(no baking soda bath). They are so good, I’m probably going to have to make more later tonight! Thank you for the recipe!
Mmmmmm, I love all those variations! And I think smoked paprika is one of the most under-appreciated spices out there. I used it in everything.
So so so good! I have made these a couple times for my family and every time they are amazing. Even my brother who is very picky cheers when I tell him I’m making them. I have always used the egg wash and they are awesome
I LOVE winning over picky eaters because I used to be one. 🙂
So glad you all enjoy this so much!
Also we watched the video 10 times. Super helpful to have the video for the 9 year old! Thank you; they are such a pain to make, but so worth it.
I wish I could take actual credit for the video, but they’re made by a lovely lady in Australia. I do pay her though. HA!
What if I don’t have quick rise yeast?
Under the recipe notes, this is listed: If you only have active yeast and not quick-rise, allow the dough to rest for 15 minutes before rolling.
So you’ll be fine, but it will take 15 extra minutes.
Fabulous-such a fun recipe to make with my child; I used my regular yeast in my fridge (just brought it up to room temperature) and it worked just fine. Next time I want to use up some of my bread flour instead of all purpose. So much fun to make them in the air fryer-when they expanded they stuck to each other -so fun! Loved how simple the recipe was and how many it made-fun to cut on our pastry mat that has 1 inch markings!
My prediction with the bread flour is that they’ll definitely puff up a bit more. Still tasty, but maybe give them a bit more room to expand in the air fryer.
love them
I’m so glad Breanna! They’re one of our favorites. 🙂
I could not get my pretzel bites to brown! They looked like albino pretzel bites. They tasted okay but I think the appearance through me off. I baked them in the oven. Next time I will try our air fryer. Hopefully they will look as good as yours!
Leigh, was your oven rack in the middle position? Your oven may not want to brown them unless they are in a bit of a higher position.
These were amazing! They only took about half an hour to make including cooking. They tasted so good! I split the recipe in half and really enjoyed it. Will defiantly be making these again.
So glad you enjoyed them Sydney! Did you have any good dips for them? I’m nosy. 🙂
I have made homemade pretzels before and baked them and really wanted to try this.. but have been busy with life! New Years Eve is appetizer night in our house and although we have all the junk from the store the husband bought( Mama has been recovering from surgery) I really wanted pretzel bites! I whipped up the dough and let it sit about 8 minutes while I cleaned up the kitchen. We did the first batch just tossed into the air fryer and they were light brown and yummy… I did the baking soda method for the rest and they turned out dark brown and delish! We are loving them with yellow or grainy mustard to dip and I have tossed all of them into a bowl with melted butter and a few shakes of garlic salt.. SO FREAKING GOOD!
1) appetizer night is always fantastic, even if you’re not recovering from surgery.
2) I hope you’re feeling better.
3) pretzel bites rock, and I love that you created garlic butter for these. YUM!!
I have made the regular pretzel bread and these bites and they are both fantastic! My kids ask for the bites often because they are faster. Any recipe that is fast, delicious, and easy is a winner in my book.