My favorite part of shopping is the delicious smell of soft-baked mall pretzels. They’re smothered (maybe dipped) in butter and covered in salt. As you bite into the warm pretzel, you break through a slight crust before reaching the tender, airy inside.
These Peppadew Pepper Pretzel Bites are inspired by the most famous of mall food, but they’re bite-sized, packed with sweet heat from piquanté peppers and topped with a playful combination of salt, sugar and pepper.
Table of Contents
Easy Baked Pretzels
You can use any pepper in these bites (green chiles or pimentos would work well), but I prefer the Peppadew. The bright red small peppers have a unique sweet flavor with a mild bit of heat for a perfectly balanced flavor profile.
You can usually find piquanté peppers on the olive bar at your grocery, and the recipe only calls for 5 peppers, so it’s a great way to try an exotic fruit on the cheap. You can also typically find them alongside jarred pickles and hot peppers at the grocery store.
The secret to bringing out the peppadew pepper in every bite is using plenty of salt on top. To add a pop of color, I like to combine pink salt, pink sugar and ground pink peppercorns. You can find all of those at Whole Foods.
I like pink peppercorns because they have a fruitier flavor than traditional black pepper. No worries if you don’t have them on hand, though. You can also use kosher salt, sugar and fresh ground black or white pepper. The flavors will be essentially the same.
Once you bake these bad boys, cover them in butter and sprinkle more pink magic on them; they’re ready to be popped right from the pan and into your mouth. Trust me, it’s so hard to stop! The sweet salt and butter dance on your tongue, the dough is so airy and the peppers add a little “hello world” to each bite.
If you love pretzels, this first batch will blow you away—and ensure that you can have mall-style pretzels whenever you want.
Soft-Baked Peppadew Pepper Pretzel Bites
Ingredients
- 1 cup milk, 250 grams
- 1 packet dry yeast, or 20 grams of fresh cake yeast
- 3 tbsp. brown sugar, 40 grams
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp. salt
- 2 tbsp. melted butter, 30 grams
- 5 peppadew peppers, minced
- 2 tbsp. baking soda
- 1 cup water
- 1 tsp. pink salt
- 1 tsp. pink sugar
- 1/2 tsp. ground pink pepper
- 3 tablespoons butter
Instructions
- Heat: Microwave milk in a small bowl for 45 seconds. Stir in the yeast and brown sugar and let it proof for 5 minutes.
- Knead: Add the flour, 1 teaspoon salt and 2 tablespoons melted butter to the stand mixer bowl. Pour in the proofed yeast and milk. Using a dough hook attachment, knead on speed 6 for 7 minutes.
- Add: Stop the mixer and add in the minced peppedew peppers. Slowly increase the speed back up to 6 and knead for 3 minutes.
- Proof: Cover with a damp towel and let rise for at least 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 425 F (220 C) degrees.
- Form: Cut off a piece of dough and roll out a long rope about 1-inch thick. Using a pastry cutter, cut off 1-inch pieces. Continue with the remaining dough.
- Dip: In a large bowl, mix 1 cup water and 2 tablespoons baking soda (Note: it won’t fully dissolve). Dip each piece of dough into the baking soda bath and place on a silpat-lined baking sheet.
- Sprinkle: Combine pink salt, sugar and pepper in a small bowl. (Note: It's fine to use regular salt, sugar and pepper.)Sprinkle the salt mixture onto each piece of dough.
- Bake: Cook in a 425 F (220 C) degree oven for 8-10 minutes. Remove from oven and brush with melted butter. Sprinkle with more of the salt, sugar and pepper mixture.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Ingredients for homemade soft pretzel bites
- Milk
- Dry instant yeast or fresh cake yeast. You can find these in the baking aisle.
- Brown sugar
- All-purpose flour
- Salt
- Butter, melted
- Peppadew peppers. Found in the grocery store with jarred pickles and peppers or at the olive bar.
- Baking soda
- Water
- Pink salt
- Pink sugar
- Ground pink pepper
- Butter
Substitutions: You can use any salt, pepper and sugar you have on hand. If you’re looking for something that resembles Auntie Anne’s at home, coarse sea salt or flaky pretzel salt can be found in your local grocery store.
See the full recipe card for servings and a full list of ingredients.
How to make soft pretzels
- HEAT: Microwave milk in a small bowl for 45 seconds. Stir in the yeast and brown sugar and let it proof for 5 minutes.
- KNEAD: Add the flour, 1 teaspoon salt and 2 tablespoons melted butter to the stand mixer bowl. Pour in the proofed yeast and milk. Using a dough hook attachment, knead on speed 6 for 7 minutes.
- ADD: Stop the mixer and add in the minced peppedew peppers. Slowly increase the speed back up to 6 and knead for 3 minutes.
- PROOF: Cover with a damp towel and let rise for at least 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 425 F (220 C) degrees.
- FORM: Cut off a piece of dough and roll out a long rope about 1-inch thick. Using a pastry cutter, cut off 1-inch pieces. Continue with the remaining dough.
- DIP: In a large bowl, mix 1 cup water and 2 tablespoons baking soda (Note: it won’t fully dissolve). Dip each piece of dough into the baking soda bath and place on a silpat-lined baking sheet.
- SPRINKLE: Combine pink salt, sugar and pepper in a small bowl. (Note: It’s fine to use regular salt, sugar and pepper.)Sprinkle the salt mixture onto each piece of dough.
- BAKE: Cook in a 425 F (220 C) degree oven for 8-10 minutes. Remove from oven and brush with melted butter. Sprinkle with more of the salt, sugar and pepper mixture.
✔️ PRO TIP
If you have active dry yeast at home, ensure it isn’t expired; otherwise, your homemade pretzels won’t rise properly. Once mixed with warm water, the yeast should start to foam and bubble; if it doesn’t, you may need to get new yeast.
How to serve buttery pretzel bites
The best part of these easy pretzel bites? You can eat them as is or use them as mini sandwich buns for game day spreads, afterschool snacks or hors d’oeuvres at your next dinner party. One of my favorite ways to eat them is to slice them in half, spread each side with cream cheese and raspberry vinaigrette and then layer the bottom with turkey slices, Swiss cheese and radicchio. They’re great toasted with a little extra butter, too!
Try serving them alongside a dipping sauce like this beer cheese dip,
You can also use this homemade pretzel dough to make larger buns, pretzel rolls or even mall-sized pretzels. You can switch things up here, too! Try sprinkling them with parmesan cheese and fresh basil for a savory version or use cinnamon sugar in the dough and sprinkle it on top for a sweet version.
Storage
Leftover pretzel bites can be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 3 days. They will also keep in the freezer in a sealed freezer bag for a couple of months. Just pop them in the oven or microwave and enjoy whenever the craving strikes.
Frequently Asked Questions
While some recipes may call for boiling dough ahead of time, but dipping the dough bites into a baking soda bath works just as well.
Like making bread, you want to ensure you don’t over-flour or mix the dough. This can cause the dough to become too heavy. While still delicious, it won’t have the same airy, light texture we’re looking for.
Hi,
Wanted to let you know that your images and recipe have been taken, without your permission I assume, by a marganine brand.
here is their site. https://www.numar.net/recetas/panes-y-galletas/bocaditos-de-pretzel-con-chile-dulce