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These homemade Pretzel Dogs are easy to make and taste incredible! You’ll love these pretzel hot dogs in the air fryer or oven for a fast dinner, afterschool snack, or game day treat.
Pretzel dogs are the ultimate comfort food that will be enjoyed by kids and adults alike. Though to be honest, if there is only one left on the tray, I’m totally elbowing my kids to get to the last one.
These make such a fun dinner or snack and they freeze like a dream.
Ingredients
- Hot dogs! Use your favorite, including veggie dogs.
- Pretzel dough – flour, salt, a pinch of sugar, quick-rise yeast
- Melted butter for the top, but if you’re dairy-free, vegan butter or olive oil will work too.
- Topping suggestions – sesame seeds, pretzel salt, Everything But the Bagel seasoning
how to make homemade pretzel dogs
*I’ll walk you through it here with some photos and tips, and you’ll also find a printable recipe card at the bottom of the post with exact measurements, etc. You can also click “jump to recipe” to skip down.
The first step is to make the dough. It’s the same dough that we use for our super-popular Air Fryer Pretzel Bites. Between you and me, I recommend doubling the dough and using the extras for pretzel bites.
This recipe uses instant yeast so that you’re not waiting for the yeast to proof. If you only have active yeast and not instant, I’ll walk you through how to use that in the recipe card.
Grab a medium mixing bowl and combine the water and yeast. Give it a stir and then add the flour, sugar, and sea salt. Stir it until it is mostly combined. A few shaggy bits of under-mixed dough is fine.
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 about 14-20 inches long depending on the size of the hot dog.
Starting at one of the end hot dog, wrap the dough around the entire length, rolling as you go. Gently pinch the dough at each end so they’ll stay together.
how to make air fryer pretzel dogs
Brush the basket of the air fryer with olive oil. Place pretzel dogs into the basket, giving them enough room to expand slightly.
Cook for 7 minutes at 390˚F, or until lightly browned on top. Brush melted butter on top of hot pretzel bites and sprinkle with pretzel salt and/or sesame seeds.
how to make pretzel dogs in the oven
Bake in a preheated oven at 425˚F on a parchment-lined sheet for 10-12 minutes, or until lightly browned on top.
Brush melted butter on top of hot pretzel bites and sprinkle with pretzel salt and/or sesame seeds.
Variations
You can easily change the base recipe to suit your tastebuds.
Try slicing the hot dog horizontally down the middle, to make a slice but not cut them fully in half. Add a few bits of the cheese to the opening, and then wrap the hot dog in dough to create pretzel cheesy dogs.
You can top the dough with pretzel salt, sesame seeds, poppy seeds, Everything But the Bagel Seasoning, or just leave the dough bare.
You can use smaller hot dogs/cocktail sausages if desired. The cooking time will remain the same.
I’m not here to tell you how to live your life, but putting two candy eyeballs on each cooked pretzel dog, to make “mummy dogs”, will be a hit around Halloween.
Frequently asked questions
Yep! If you only have active yeast and not instant/quick-rise, allow the dough to rest in the bowl for 15 minutes before kneading and rolling.
You can, but please note the breading/pretzel portion will likely be a lot thicker once baked.
Bread flour has a higher concentration of gluten compared with all-purpose flour and results in “fluffier” baked goods.
Absolutely! Use your favorite pre-cooked hot dog or sausage of choice in this recipe.
You bet! These can be prepared up to 24 hours in advance.
Wrap the hot dogs with the unbaked dough and place a piece of parchment or waxed paper between layers if stacking dogs in a container for fridge storage.
Nope! Almost all hot dogs are already cooked, and don’t need to be cooked separately before wrapping them with the pretzel dough.
How to store and reheat
Storing Leftovers: Allow the pretzel dogs to cool and store covered leftovers in the fridge for 2-3 days. Don’t put the lid on the container until they’re fully cooled. This will prevent condensation from forming, which will make the dough gooey.
Reheating Leftovers: To reheat, air fry at 350˚F for 2-3 minutes.
Freezing Leftovers: To freeze, place uncooked pretzel dogs on a parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze for three hours.
Transfer to freezer storage and freeze for up to 3 months. Bake from frozen at the normal cooking temp and time.
What to Serve With Pretzel Dogs
What’s a pig in a pretzel blanket without an awesome dip? Sad, that’s what.
You can go classic with plain mustard, or mix it up with Gluten-Free Cheese Sauce, Pub Cheese, Yogurt Ranch Dressing, Pesto Mayo, or White Pizza Sauce.
To balance everything out, I like to serve these with a big plate of veggies. They’re great with Garlic Butter Green Beans, Air Fryer Asparagus, Blistered Shishito Peppers, Cucumber and Onion Salad, or Roasted Frozen Broccoli.
Pro Tips/Recipe Notes
- If desired, you can do a baking soda bath to create a deeper brown pretzel texture on the dough. Gently dip the wrapped dogs in 4 cups of boiling water mixed with 1/3 cup of baking soda for 30 seconds prior to cooking in the air fryer.
- There is no need to flip halfway through cooking unless you desire.
- If you have any leftover bits of dough, consider making a batch of Cinnamon Apple Bites if you’re craving something sweet.
More Air Fryer Snacks You’ll Love
- See all our Air Fryer Appetizers here!
- Air Fryer Egg Rolls
- Air Fryer Zucchini Chips
- Air Fryer Chicken Taquitos
- Air Fryer Popcorn Chicken
- Air Fryer Potato Skins
- Air Fryer Quesadilla
- Air Fryer French Bread Pizza
- Fried Artichoke Hearts
- Air Fryer Pickles
- Homemade Air Fryer Pizza Rolls
- Air Fryer Ravioli
- Air Fryer Potstickers
Pretzel Dogs Recipe
Ingredients
- 8 hot dogs
- 1/2 cup warm water {-110˚F}
- 3/4 tsp quick rise yeast {see notes if you only have active dry}
- 1 1/3 cup all-purpose flour {plus more for dusting}
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 1/4 tsp sugar
- 2 tbsp butter {melted}
- pretzel salt {optional}
- sesame seeds {optional}
- olive oil {for air fryer basket}
Instructions
- In a medium mixing bowl combine water and yeast. Stir.1/2 cup warm water, 3/4 tsp quick rise yeast
- Add the flour, sugar, and sea salt and stir until it is mostly combined.1 1/3 cup all-purpose flour, 1/4 tsp sugar, 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 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 about 14-20 inches long depending on the size of the hot dog.
- Starting at one of the end hot dog, wrap the dough around the entire length, rolling as you go. Gently pinch the dough at each end so they’ll stay together.8 hot dogs
Air Fryer Baking Instructions
- Brush the basket of the air fryer with olive oil. Place pretzel dogs into the basket, giving them enough room to expand slightly.olive oil
- Cook for 7 minutes at 390˚F, or until lightly browned on top.
- Brush melted butter on top of hot pretzel bites and sprinkle with pretzel salt and/or sesame seeds.2 tbsp butter, pretzel salt, sesame seeds
Oven Baking Instructions
- Bake in a preheated oven at 425˚F degrees on a parchment-lined baking sheet for 10-12 minutes.
Notes
- If you only have active yeast and not instant/quick-rise, allow the dough to rest for 15 minutes before rolling.
- If desired, you can do a baking soda bath to create a deeper brown pretzel texture on the dough. Gently dip the wrapped dogs in 4 cups of boiling water mixed with 1/3 cup of baking soda for 30 seconds prior to cooking in the air fryer.
- These can be prepared up to 24 hours in advance. Wrap the hot dogs with the unbaked dough and place a piece of parchment or waxed paper between layers if stacking dogs in a container for fridge storage.
- To freeze, place uncooked pretzel dogs on a parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze for three hours. Transfer to freezer storage and freeze for up to 3 months. Bake from frozen at the normal cooking temp and time.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I have the hot dogs – just need to go and get some quick rising yeast. Made this with Cresent roll dough, and they came out fantastic; but now I want to try them with the pretzel dough. I have an XL Power Air Fryer Grill so this will be a snap. Thanks so much for posting this recipe. Oh – I also love all of your Air Fryer recipies – they are so each and delicious.
Kathi, if you have active yeast you can still make the dough. It will just require a rise time of ~15 minutes. That being said, the crescent rolls dough sounds fantastic too!
Seriously, the best camping dinner! I made these a day ahead and they were easy (and fast!) to make and and a definite kid favorite. We are always on the look out for easy less-mess and less-“things to remember” dinners for camping. Will be trying this at home next time we have hot dog night, which won’t be far off!
So glad you all enjoyed them and have a wonderful weekend of camping!!
These are a family favorite!!! We tend to use the pretzel dough recipe (same things just more dough) so that I make a batch of pretzel dogs and pretzels in one dinner. Bonus snacks with minimal extra effort = Win! Sarah’s recipes are so easy to follow and are just yummy!!
Confession: I totally do the same thing and make pretzel bites with extra dough. Mind meld! 🙂
Very easy, fast and super delicious!
So glad you enjoyed them! Thanks for taking the time to leave a review.
I made these for the 1st time past night, they were super easy to make and really tasty.
We got an air fryer recently and Im always on the look out for new things to try in it.
These will be a firm favourite in my house from now on 10 out of 10 🙂
So glad you enjoyed it, Hannah!! Make sure you freeze a batch next time. 🙂
I’m a truck driver and love to try new recipes but I don’t have the space to make dough from scratch can I use pre-made pretzel dough for these?
I don’t see why not! I’ve never seen pre-made pretzel dough before, but if you can find it, I bet it would be great.
I never serve hotdogs because, besides the fact that I don’t like them, the bun situation is super annoying (that the number of buns never matches the number of dogs and I don’t like them enough to want to DIY the buns). But my kid asked for them recently, so I made a batch of these and all parties were satisfied.
I actually made the full batch of the pretzel bites dough and used 1/3 for standard hotdogs, 1/3 wrapped around jalapeño-cheddar bratwurst (so much better than hotdogs!), and 1/3 in pretzel bites. All but two each of the dogs and brats went directly in the freezer for later.
I also subbed whole wheat for 1/4 of the AP flour, which worked swell. Oh, and I followed the oven directions since I don’t have an air fryer (yet…). Thanks for another great recipe!
Haha, YES to the buns never matching up to the dogs. It’s the weirdest!!!
I think that air fryer situation needs to change soon. 🙂
The 12 year old asked to help make dinner so we made these. They were easy enough for a kid to make and delicious! We made them in the oven because our tiny free air fryer would only fit one at a time. All 5 family members gave it 2 thumbs up, even the picky 4yo who only eats fruit snacks and goldfish. Definitely adding to our rotation! Kids have already requested this again. 🙂
They freeze really well so tell the kids to get prepping if they want them again. #momwin 🙂
These are ridiculously easy, quick, and delicious!
Yay! We love them and it makes me so happy to hear others feel the same. 🙂
We made the air fryer pretzel dogs last week and they were great! I really played them up to my picky eater, and he was so nervous to try them but gave them a big thumbs up.
I know how challenging it can be to feed picky eaters (I have two and I was one!), so I am thrilled these were a hit for you.