No need to choose a flavor with these sweet & salty vegan soft pretzel bites. A simple and easy to make party food that's ready in about an hour! These kid-friendly (and adult-friendly) snack bites will be everyones favorite appetizer on the table. Watch how quickly they disappear!
Soft pretzel bites have always been a favorite snack food of mine.
I didn't leave the mall unless I got an order of bites. But choosing between savory salty pretzel bites or sweet cinnamon and sugar bites was hard. I usually opted for salty bites, but still craved the sweet. So I would go home and bake a loaf of sweet vegan banana bread for a 'healthier' option. No Joke!
Fast forward to a few year later and I've found the perfect solution–I make my own and satisfying both cravings in one batch! Now I'm able to enjoy endless homemade soft vegan pretzel bites.
This recipe makes a lot–roughly 64 bites last time I counted! But that means plenty of soft pretzel bites to share! Take them to parties, enjoy them on game day, or make a batch family movie night and they will all disappear quickly!
How to make pretzel bites
It's a pretty easy 4 step process.
- Prep the dough: Activate the yeast, then mix in the remaining ingredients until a slightly sticky dough forms. Cover and set aside to rise for 15-20 minutes.
- Make the bites: Divide and roll the dough into ropes. Cut the ropes into bite sized pieces.
- The baking soda bath: Give them a quick dip in the baking soda bath then transfer them to a baking sheet.
- Bake the bites: 10-12 minute in the oven at 450ºF and they're done.
What is the baking soda bath?
The baking soda bath is what give the pretzel bites their golden shell during baking.
The dough takes a quick 30-second dip in a mix of hot water and baking soda just before going into the oven. It's definitely a step you shouldn't skip if you want a crisp/chewy pretzel-like outside and a soft, pillowy inside.
Dip ideas for salty pretzel bites
I decided not to pair the cinnamon and sugar bites with a dip. I thought they were sweet enough on their own.
However, I did have leftover jalapeño nacho cheese, which was one of my inspirations for this recipe. It paired perfectly with the salty pretzel bites. But you can use a sweet or spicy mustard dip or anything else you'd like.
For another delicious flavor option top the pretzel bites with vegan parmesan and dip them in marinara sauce for pizza style bites.
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Soft Pretzel Bites (vegan)
Vegan soft pretzel bites are ready in about an hour. Recipe yields about 64 bites making them perfect for parties, game day, or to share with the family! These kid-friendly (and adult-friendly) snack bites will be everyones favorite appetizer on the table. Watch how quickly they disappear!
Ingredients
Pretzel Bites Dough
- 3 and 1/2 to 4 cups all purpose flour
- 1 and 1/2 cups water, warm
- 1 Tablespoon coconut sugar, or granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons active dry yeast, or 1 package
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons Himalayan pink salt
- 3 Tablespoons refined coconut oil, melted
Baking soda bath
- 5 cups water
- 3 Tablespoons baking soda
Sweet, Cinnamon & Sugar Coating
- Heaping 1/4 cup coconut sugar
- 2 and 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
Salty Topping
- Coconut oil for brushing
- Coarse sea salt
Optional Dip for Salty Pretzels
Instructions
Pretzel Bites Dough
- Start by warming your water. You want it to be warm to the touch, but not hot.
- Pour the warm water into a large bowl and mix in the sugar. Then sprinkle the yeast on top. Cover and let sit for 10 min to activate the yeast.
- Once the yeast is foamy, mix in the salt and coconut oil.
- Now, slowly mix in 2 cups of flour. Once it is well blended, mix in the 3rd cup of flour. If the dough is too sticky to handle, mix in enough flour from the 4th cup until you can handle the dough.
- On a clean lightly floured surface, knead your dough for 3-5 min adding more flour as needed. You shouldn't need more than the 4 cups.
- Once the dough has been kneaded shape it into a ball and place in a large oiled bowl. Cover and set in a warm place to rise for 15-20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside. Then preheat your oven to 450ºF and heat the water for the baking soda bath.
- Once the dough has risen a bit, cut it into 8 triangles, as you would a pizza.
- With your hands, roll each triangle out to an 18 inch long rope. Cut each rope into 8-9 (2 inch) bites.
Baking Soda Bath
- Once the water is boiling, add in 3 Tablespoons baking soda.
- Place about 10 bites in the bath. (I used a large soup pot and impatiently gave about 20 bites a bath) Let soak for about 30 seconds. Once they "puff up" a bit remove the bites from the bath and place on your parchment lined baking sheets until it's full. Be sure not to crowd your baking sheet.
- Bake at 450ºF for 10-12 minutes, or until the tops are nice and brown. Keep an eye on them at about half way through because they will darken quickly.
Cinnamon & Sugar Coating
- In a bowl mix the cinnamon and sugar. Set aside.
- Lightly brush each bite with just enough coconut oil to allow the sweet coating to stick.
- Roll in the cinnamon and sugar mix until coated.
Salty Topping
- Brush the tops of each bite with coconut oil, then sprinkle with coarse sea salt.
Notes
To Store: If you don't plan on eating all the bites right away, I suggest topping only what you're going to eat. Store leftover, cooked bites in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 10 days. Or the freezer for up to 3 months. When ready to eat, preheat your oven to 400ºF and bake for 5-10 min. Add sweet or salty toppings to the bites after baking.
**Nutritional info is provided as an estimate based on the ingredients I used and for convenience and as a courtesy only.**
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 32 Serving Size: 2 bitesAmount Per Serving: Calories: 75Total Fat: 1gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 1mgSodium: 381mgCarbohydrates: 14gFiber: 1gSugar: 2gProtein: 2g
**Nutritional info is provided as an estimate based on the ingredients I used and for convenience and as a courtesy only.**
Alli
These are absolutely phenomenal! Made them with my 12 year old doing most the work and we all loved them! Will definitely make again!
Where you get your protein
Yay! I’m so glad everyone love them! :)
Addisen
So easy to make! I made a batch yesterday, and had to make them again today. Thank you so much for this wonderful recipe!
Evan
These are great. I found that the seasoning doesn't stick well with the coconut oil though
Where you get your protein
I'm so glad you enjoyed them! Next time add the salt to the dough just before baking. That should keep it in place.
Megan Carriere
Are these still good after they cool down? I’m bringing them to a party where there is no oven but will heat them up at home first!
Where you get your protein
They are ideal warm, but definitely still super tasty at room temp. And they always get devoured when I bring them to parties. They should be fine for about 8-10 hours uncovered. Enjoy! :)
rachel
WE LOVE THEM. It's just my husband and I, and we eat a half a pan as soon as they come out of the oven! DELICIOUS.
I ran out of regular flour and used whole wheat. I found it was easier to manipulate, but had a drier taste. Still amazing. Will keep coming back to this recipe till I know it by heart!
Where you get your protein
Yay! That's awesome you and your husband love the recipe so much! I can see how whole wheat would make the dough easier to handle, but much drier. I add a bit of oat flour to my homemade tortillas and it makes the dough easier to roll and transfer to the pan without being dry. I may have to test these out by replacing a bit of oat flour and see if it has the same effect while handling the dough. Thanks for your feedback, Rachel! :)
Emily
I made these for a New Year’s Eve party and they were a big hit!
Now My husband is suggesting I use this recipe to make small pretzel buns for sandwiches we are making tomorrow but I’m wondering if I can make the dough and refrigerate overnight and do the bath and the baking tomorrow ?
Where you get your protein
Hi Emily! Sorry if I am too late! To answer you question, yes the dough should be fine to refrigerate overnight. Just allow it to come to room temp before cutting and rolling it. Also, you may want to "punch it down" a few times while it's in the fridge. I'm so glad you guys are loving the recipe!! :)
Jane2
We made these for our New Years Party buffet and they were a big hit! We substituted around a cup of the white flour with spelt flour, and added more flour than the recipe called for, until we had a dough that was soft but not too sticky to handle. We used a mixer with dough hooks and with two of us working together it went really fast. We had pizza sauce for those who wanted to dip them. The bites were perfect, a beautiful golden brown color and delish! Thanks for the recipe.
Where you get your protein!
Yay! I'm so glad to hear they were such a hit at your party, Jane! Yum, pizza sauce sounds like a wonderful dip for some salty bites! I'm actually working on a marinara sauce, I'll have to make some bites and try it out!
Natalie
Can I substitute normal sugar for the coconut sugar?
Where you get your protein!
Yes, any granulated sugar will work.
MICHELLE
I was able to fix it,!! All was not lost! I needed almost 2lbs of flour. That was way beyond the called for instructions.
Where you get your protein!
I'm so glad you were able to fix it, Michelle! I hope they were a hit at the Pot Luck!
michelle
I AM SO DISAPPOINTED! I have an office PotLuck tomorrow and this recipe was way off. I followed it exactly and the dough was way too wet. It was clinging to me and there was no way it could be kneaded or cut into anything. This does not seem to be a reliable recipe.
Dylan
would nutritional yeast work or is that not active? Have so many ingredients in the house but regular yeast is not one
Where you get your protein!
Active yeast is necessary for these bites. Nutritional yeast is an inactive yeast, therefore it won't make the dough rise. And non-rising dough means sad pretzel bites.
Ashley
Will this recipe work with coconut or brown rice flour?
Where you get your protein!
Hi Ashley! I have never tried using either of those flours for this recipe. My experiences with bread making using GF flours haven't been very successful. There is more to GF baking, than regular flour, that I have yet to master.
Teanna
I have a question on the pink salt... Is it pink curing salt or Himalayan sea salt? Also, good to know that the oil can be omitted. My uncle just recently turned vegan due to a strict diet, including eliminating certain omega fats (his body can't break them down causing blood clots), and coconut oil is a no for him. I definitely going to try these out for our family Christmas party so he'll be able to have munchies too.
Where you get your protein!
Hi Teanna! The pink salt I use in the dough is Himalayan pink salt. You can use sea salt or any other salt you have on hand with no problem. I hope your uncle enjoys them! :)
Jane
Can coconut oil be repaced with flaxseed, auqafaba or something elses that is not oil???
Where you get your protein!
Hi Jane! The oil in the dough can be omitted without a problem. To top the salty bites, I'd suggest sprinkling salt on them immediately after they come out of the soda bath. That way they have a bit of moisture on them still, which will allow the salt to stick. As for sweet bites, I've never experimented with anything other than oil. I'd say try brushing the bites with either aquafaba or a non-dairy/maple syrup mix (2 Tablespoons non-dairy milk and 1 Tablespoon maple syrup) then coat in cinnamon and sugar. Enjoy! :)