Cheddar Rosemary Pretzel Bites
Soft and chewy pretzel bites filled with cheddar cheese and rosemary and served with a homemade honey mustard dipping sauce is the ultimate party appetizer or snack!
I’m not a big sports fan, but I’m always a fan of a good appetizer and finger food spread! And whether you’re “just here for the food” like me or not, these soft and chewy pretzel bites are sure to be a big hit at your next party!
These cheddar and rosemary pretzel bites require a little time an patience, but they are honestly easy enough for anyone to make! And believe me, they are well worth the effort! They’re soft and chewy, with delicious salty flavor and a little extra flair from the cheese and rosemary, and the honey mustard sauce just sends them over the top!
What you’ll love about these pretzel bites
They’re less fussy than traditional soft pretzels, and these little nuggets are very forgiving and hard to mess up!
Biting through that signature golden chewy exterior reveals a soft, fluffy and buttery center.
Cheddar cheese and fresh rosemary give these pretzels even more flavor.
The honey mustard dipping sauce is a must! And such a delicious pairing with these homemade pretzel bites.
Ingredients you’ll need
All-purpose flour, salt and a little sugar are the primary dry ingredients in the pretzel dough.
Active-dry yeast or instant/”quick rise” yeast will both work for this recipe, the only difference is the rise time.
Melted butter gives the doughflavor and richness,
Fresh rosemary and shredded cheddar cheese both add a punch of savory flavor, making these pretzel bites stand out from other recipes.
Baking soda is required for the water bath that pretzels need before baking (more on that below!).
Coarse salt for sprinkling is also a must!
Mayonnaise, both Dijon mustard and whole-grain mustard, and honey make up the quick homemade dipping sauce.
How to make homemade pretzel bites
Prepare yeasted pretzel dough. Combine 3 cups of the flour, yeast, salt, sugar and rosemary in a large bowl (of an electric mixer, if you’re using one!). Add warm water and melted butter and mix until it forms a very wet dough, then stir in the cheese. Continue to mix while adding more flour 1/4 cup at a time and only add enough flour to make a soft and tacky dough that clears the side of the bowl.
Let the dough rise. Put the dough in a warm place and rise about 1 hour until doubled (about 30 minutes if you use instant yeast).
Cut into bites. Pinch off small portions of the dough and use your hands to roll the dough into a rope about 1/2-inch wide, then use kitchen shears to cut the rope into 1/2-inch long pieces.
Boil in a baking soda solution. While you’re cutting the dough, bring a pot of water to a boil, then add baking soda and let it dissolve. Drop the pretzel bites into the solution in small batches and boil them for about 30 seconds, stirring so they’re evenly treated with the solution. Remove with a slotted spoon or spider strainer and tap off as must water as you can. Transfer to a sheet pan lined with parchment paper and sprinkle generously with salt.
Bake. Bake in a 450°F oven until puffed and golden brown, about 10-12 minutes.
Make the honey mustarddipping sauce. Whisk together the mayonnaise, both kinds of mustard and honey until smooth. Taste and add salt and pepper if desired. Store in the fridge until ready to use.
Serve and enjoy! The pretzel bites will be their best the day they’re baked but will keep for several days stored at room temperature.
Ingredients
For pretzel dough:
▢3 ½ – 4 cups (435-500 grams) all-purpose flour
▢1 package (7 grams) active-dry yeast (2 ¼ teaspoon)
▢2 teaspoons (5 grams) coarse salt
▢1 tablespoon (13 grams) granulated sugar
▢1 tablespoon (2 grams) chopped fresh rosemary (or 1 teaspoon dried)
▢1 ½ cup (340 grams) warm water (between 110-130°F)
▢¼ cup (56 grams) butter , melted
▢1 cup (113 grams) grated cheddar cheese
▢Additional coarse salt , for sprinkling
For baking soda bath:
▢½ cup (144 grams) baking soda
▢10 cups (2.27 kg) water
For honey mustard sauce:
▢½ cup (113 grams) mayonnaise
▢1 tablespoon (15 grams) dijon mustard
▢1 tablespoon (15 grams) whole grain mustard
▢2 tablespoons (42 grams) honey
▢Salt and pepper , to taste
Instructions
Prepare pretzel dough:
In the bowl of stand mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment (or in a large bowl if you plan to knead by hand), combine 3 cups of the all-purpose flour, yeast, salt, sugar, and rosemary, and cheese. Add the warm water and melted butter and mix until combined to form a wet dough. Stir in the cheese.
With the mixer on medium low, add the remaining flour ¼ cup at a time until dough clears the bowl but is still slightly sticky to the touch. You may not need to use all of the flour (and adding too much flour will result in dry, dense pretzels). Continue to knead until dough is smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes.
Place dough in a grease bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 450°F and line a few sheet pans with parchment paper.
Gently punch down dough and knead a few times to bring it all back together. Tear a small handful of dough off with your hand and roll into a long thin rope about ½ inch wide. Use a sharp knife or kitchen shears to cut into 1-inch pieces. Repeat with remaining dough.
Boil in baking soda solution:
While you roll and cut pretzel bites, bring the 10 cups of water to a boil in a large pot. Stir in the baking soda and stir to dissolve. Drop the dough pieces into the boiling water in small batches (10-20 bites at a time depending on the size of your pot). Let them cook for about 30 seconds, stirring so they turn over and are evenly coated in the baking soda solution.
Remove with a slotted spoon or spider strainer and tap off as much liquid as you can. Place on the prepared sheet pans, spacing them ½-1 inch apart. Sprinkle generously with salt.
Bake and serve with dipping sauce:
Bake the pretzel bites until golden brown, about 10-12 minutes for each batch (if baking a few sheet pans at a time, make sure to rotate the pans so they baked evenly). Let cool completely.
To make the dipping sauce, whisk all ingredients together in a small bowl and store in the fridge if not serving right away.
Pretzel bites are best the day they are made but will keep for a few days in an airtight container at room temperature.
Notes
You can use either active-dry yeast or instant/quick rise yeast. The only difference will be rise time, if using instant yeast rise time will be about 30 minutes.
Makes about 120 pretzel bites, or 10 (1-dozen) servings.
Feel free to use other cheese and herbs, or leave the cheese and herbs out completely for a more “plain” flavor.
Calories: 230kcal, Carbohydrates: 15g, Protein: 5g, Fat: 17g, Saturated Fat: 6g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g, Monounsaturated Fat: 4g, Trans Fat: 0.2g, Cholesterol: 28mg, Sodium: 2334mg, Potassium: 41mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 5g, Vitamin A: 270IU, Vitamin C: 0.1mg, Calcium: 94mg, Iron: 1mg
