This Copycat Cinnamon Sugar Pretzel Bites recipe is soft, buttery, and fun to make! Grab the kids because they’ll love making this classic food court snack with you!
Pretzel Bites are an easy bite-sized treat that is perfect for game day snacks, after school snacks, holiday entertaining, or to avoid a trip to the mall! This recipe serves ten and costs about $2.56 to make, which is only $0.26 per serving.
For another bite-sized dessert, check out our Peanut Butter Bon Bons.
Cinnamon Sugar Pretzel Bites
When we go to the mall, my kids want to go to the food court and get pretzel bites every single time. There are only two problems with this. We do not enjoy spending an arm and a leg for a handful of those yummy soft pretzel bites, and we do not go to the mall very often.
We have the solution for you! Now you can make these sweet dessert bites at home and dip them into our creamy cream cheese sauce to put them over the top. Think cinnamon roll meets pretzel.
These pretzel bites are chewy on the outside, soft on the inside, and coated with buttery sugar. No more standing in line for a small carton of your favorite soft Pretzel bites as you can now make this recipe easily at home! Grab the kiddos and get to dipping!
How do you keep pretzels Soft and warm?
After making the pretzel bites, you can lightly wrap them in foil and then place them in a slow cooker on the warm setting. This will help keep the pretzels fresh and warm without drying them out.
To freshen up a stale pretzel, try placing them on a baking sheet in a single layer. Preheat the oven to 250 degrees and bake for about 10 minutes.
How much will this Pretzel Bites recipe cost to make:
RECIPE COST: $2.56
PRICE PER SERVING: $0.26
- 3 1/2 cups water – $0.00
- 1 1/8 teaspoon yeast – $0.04
- 2 Tablespoons brown sugar – $0.06
- 1 1/8 teaspoon salt – $0.01
- 3 3/4 cups flour – $0.72
- 2 Tablespoons baking soda – $0.06
- 7 Tablespoons melted butter – $0.70
- 1 cup granulated sugar – $0.23
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon – $0.08
- 1 ½ ounces cream cheese – $0.38
- 3/4 cup powdered sugar – $0.22
- 1 ½ teaspoon milk – $0.01
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract – $0.05
To find out more about how we price our recipes, check out Budget Recipes Explained.
How to make Pretzel Bites recipe:
STEP ONE: First, sprinkle the yeast in lukewarm water in a mixing bowl and stir to dissolve. Then add sugar and salt. Next, add flour and knead the dough until it is smooth. Cover and let rise until it is double in size.
STEP TWO: While the dough is rising, prepare a baking soda water bath by combining warm water and baking soda, stirring often. After the dough has risen, separate the dough into four sections.
STEP THREE: Roll each section into 1-inch thick by 2-feet long ropes.
STEP FOUR: Cut the rope into 1-inch sections. Then dip the pieces into the soda bath and place them on baking sheets.
STEPS FIVE AND SIX: Place the dough on a baking sheet. Let the pretzels rise for 15 minutes before baking for 8-10 minutes.
STEPS SEVEN AND EIGHT: Finally, make the sugar coating and roll the baked pretzel bites in melted butter and then in the cinnamon sugar. Place the cinnamon sugar bites on wax paper. Mix together the cream cheese dipping sauce. Serve!
Cook’s Tools:
- baking sheet
- stand mixer
- small mixing bowl
- measuring spoons
- large mixing bowl
- measuring cups
- liquid measuring cup
- dough cutter
- rolling pin
The Flavor and Recipe Variations
Instead of cinnamon, you can use pumpkin pie spice, apple pie spice, or a mixture of ground ginger and ground cloves.
Instead of the cream cheese dipping sauce, you can dip the pretzel bites into warmed Nutella.
How long is it good for:
Store: Keep the pretzels in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. Store the cream cheese dipping sauce in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Freeze: If you want to freeze the pretzel bites, you need to do so before rolling them into the butter and cinnamon-sugar mixture. You can freeze the pretzels for up to 6 months.
How to get the kids involved with this recipe:
Ages 2-3: Let your little one help roll the bites in the butter and cinnamon sugar. They will love getting their hands messy for this!
Ages 4-5: Have your kiddo help measure out and pour in the ingredients to make the dough. They can also help you make the cinnamon sugar mixture and cream cheese dipping sauce.
Ages 6-8: Teach your child to roll out the dough and cut the dough into 1-inch pieces.
Ages 9-11: Supervise them while they prepare the entire recipe. Remember to have them read it twice before beginning the recipe.
Ages 12+: Let them prepare the entire recipe, unsupervised, while you do the happy dance in the corner!
More $5 Recipes:
- Buttermilk Sheet Pan Pancakes
- Cake Mix Banana Bread
- Chick-Fil-A Copycat Frosted Lemonade
- Chocolate Wacky Cake
- Green Smoothie
- Homemade Lemonade
- Mango Banana Smoothie
- Olive Garden Lemon Cream Cake
- Overnight Cinnamon Rolls
- Overnight French Toast
- Quick Monkey Bread from Scratch
- Red Velvet Buttermilk Waffles
- Soft Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
Cinnamon Sugar Pretzel Bites
Recipe Cost $2.56 Recipe Serving Cost $0.26Equipment
- baking sheet
- stand mixer
- small mixing bowl
- Measuring spoons
- large mixing bowl
- measuring cups
- Liquid measuring cup
- dough cutter
- rolling pin
Ingredients
DOUGH:
- 1 ½ cup warm water
- 1 ⅛ teaspoon active dry yeast
- 2 Tablespoons light brown sugar
- 1 ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 3 ¾-4 cups all purpose flour
WATER BATH:
- 2 cups warm water about 90 degrees F
- 2 Tablespoons baking soda
SUGAR COATING:
- 6 Tablespoons melted butter
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
CREAM CHEESE DIPPING SAUCE:
- 1 ½ ounces cream cheese softened
- 1 Tablespoon unsalted butter softened
- ¾ cup powdered sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoon milk
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
MAKE DOUGH:
- Sprinkle yeast on lukewarm water in a mixing bowl; stir to dissolve. Add sugar, salt and stir to dissolve; add flour until desired consistency is reached. Knead dough until smooth and elastic. Cover and let rise for at least ½ hour.
MAKE WATER BATH:
- While dough is rising, prepare a baking soda water bath by combining warm water and baking soda. Be sure to stir often.
PREP PRETZEL BITES:
- After the dough has risen, separate the dough into 4 sections and roll each section into approx. 1 inch thick by 2 ft long ropes. Cut rope into approx 1 inch sections.
- Dip bites into the soda bath and place on 2 greased baking sheets. Do not cover. Allow pretzels to rise for about 15 minutes.
BAKE:
- Bake in a 450 oven for about 8-10 min until a golden brown.
MAKE SUGAR COATING:
- Melt butter in a bowl. Combine sugar and cinnamon in a second bowl. Roll freshly baked bites in butter then roll them in the cinnamon sugar. Place sugared bites on wax paper to cool.
MAKE CREAM CHEESE DIPPING SAUCE:
- Whip cream cheese and butter until combined.
- Add powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla and mix for 1 minutes.
SERVE:
- Serve the pretzel bites with the cream cheese dipping sauce.
Notes
Nutrition
Josie
Yummy! I love how delicious this is. My kids always want the pretzels from the kiosk at the mall. But I’d NEVER pay that much for bread, water, and salt, right?? So this was the BEST find for us. My kids love them and it’s an inexpensive and delicious treat. Thanks!
Jess Jankowski
Oh yeah Josie, we are right there with you! Thanks so much for your feedback!
wilhelmina
I didn’t have to worry about how long these bites would stay fresh, they were gone in a flash! So delicious!
Jess Jankowski
LOL Love it Wilhelmina!