Tired of the same old chips and dip? Get ready to upgrade your snack game with homemade soft pretzel bites with cheese dip! Soft, salty pretzel bites and a zesty cheesy, creamy dip make the ultimate combination for movie nights, game day, and get-togethers with friends and family.
When I go to the mall, I can’t resist getting delicious and warm soft pretzels from the food court. There’s just something about mall food, to begin with, that is yummy but the pretzels, to me, are the best.
Recently, I decided to make these homemade pretzel bites and they have become addicting! Not only are the bites just fun to eat, but they are also the perfect party food! The pretzels are soft, chewy, salty, and so good dipped in a two-ingredient zesty cheese sauce!
Homemade Soft Pretzel Bites with Cheese Dip
You have to try these homemade chewy soft pretzel bites with cheese dip! Combining that classic, crunchy pretzel texture with an easy homemade cheese sauce, this treat is the perfect way to satisfy your cravings. Using simple ingredients you likely have in your pantry and a little bit of prep, you are only a few steps away from enjoying warm, savory pretzels with this easy, homemade pretzel bites recipe.
You’ll need a stand mixer with a dough hook for this recipe to help prepare the pretzel dough easier and for this soft pretzel recipe, you will be boiling the dough pieces in a baking soda bath before baking them in the oven. If it sounds complicated, I promise you it is not, just a little bit of time is all it takes. The recipe will make about 64 pretzel bites and they will go fast!
Even easier is the zesty cheese dip which is a staple in our house for all things that you can dip from nachos to cut-up fresh vegetables. It’s just two ingredients – Rotel tomatoes and Velveeta cheese. Don’t be too quick to judge the delicious processed cheese product – just enjoy it with tomatoes and green chilies. Ooey, gooey, zesty cheesy sauce that coats those pretzel bites for the perfect bite of deliciousness. It’s the perfect pretzel cheese dip.
Homemade pretzel bites are great for parties, tailgating, movie night, and whatever occasion that calls for snacks or appetizers! They are also the perfect food to make for National Pretzel Day which is April 26!
What goes good with soft pretzel bites?
Besides the delicious cheese dip in this recipe, you can dip the pretzel bites in something as simple as yellow mustard or spicy mustard. Or, if you prefer these are wonderful to also have with the homemade pretzels:
- Slow Cooker Vegetarian Spicy Cheese Dip
- Hot Baked Taco Dip
- Slow Cooker Creamy Potato soup or broccoli soup
- Pizza sauce
- Beer cheese sauce
- and more!
Can you make the soft pretzel bites ahead?
Yes, homemade soft pretzel bites can be made ahead. After baking, cool pretzel bites before storing in an airtight container. They will stay fresh for up to 3 days but may lose some softness.
To freeze the baked pretzel bites, I like to flash freeze the cooled bites before storing them in a freezer-safe bag or container. To flash freeze: place pretzel bites on a parchment or wax paper lined tray with a space between each. Place the tray in the freezer for about an hour or until the pretzels are frozen. Then toss it in a resealable freezer storage bag and place back in the freezer. To serve, let thaw then reheat in a 300-degree oven until warmed through.
Ingredients
For the pretzels:
- 1 cup warm water
- 1 packet active dry yeast
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 3 cups all purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
- 8 cups water
- 1 cup baking soda
Egg Wash and topping:
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon water
- 1-2 teaspoons regular table salt (or coarse salt)
For the cheesy dip:
- 12 ounces Velveeta cheese, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 10-ounce can Original Rotel
How to make this homemade easy pretzel bites recipe
Step 1
Combine the 1 cup water, yeast, and melted butter in the bowl of a stand mixer and mix with the dough hook attachment for about 30 seconds, until combined. Allow the yeast mixture to sit for 5 minutes.
Step 2
Add 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and flour to the bowl, and mix on low speed until combined. Then mix on medium speed, and knead for 4 minutes, until the dough is smooth.
Step 3
Remove the dough from the mixing bowl, form into a ball. Grab a large mixing bowl and grease it, then add the dough and coat the dough with the oil. Cover with plastic wrap and set the bowl in a warm place for 1 hour to allow the dough to rise double in size.
Step 4
Once the dough is ready, preheat the oven to 425 degrees, and spray a baking sheet with cooking spray.
Step 5
Bring the 8 cups of water to a boil in a large pot. Slowly, and very carefully add the baking soda to the large pot of water. If you’re not slow and careful, it will boil over.
Step 6
Cut the dough into 8 equal pieces. I find it easiest to cut it like a pie.
Step 7
Roll each piece into a 12 inch rope, then using a sharp knife, cut each long rope into 8 pieces.
Step 8
Carefully add the pieces of dough to the pot of boiling water in batches of about 1 ½ dozen, and boil for about 30 seconds. Remove with a large slotted spoon, and place on the baking sheet, slightly spacing them apart.
Step 9
Add the egg and 1 teaspoon of water to a small bowl, beat, then brush the egg wash over the tops of the pretzel bites. Lightly salt with table salt or coarse salt.
Step 10
Transfer the baking sheet to the oven and bake for 15 minutes, flipping halfway through, until golden brown. Remove from the oven, and allow to cool for 5-10 minutes before eating.
Step 11
To make the cheese dip, add the Velveeta and Rotel to a microwave-safe bowl, and heat in one minute increments, stirring between each heat session, until the cheese is melted; about 3-4 minutes. Serve with pretzel bites.
This is such an easy recipe to make!
Tips, Tricks, and FAQs
- Be sure your yeast is fresh and not expired.
- If your dough is sticky after mixing together, add a tablespoon at a time of flour to help.
- Add the baking soda slowly to the boiling water or the water will boil over and could burn you.
- You can use table salt, coarse salt, or pretzel salt to sprinkle on the pretzel dough bites before baking.
- Add diced jalapenos to the cheese dip to make it even spicier.
- A pizza cutter is a great tool to cut the dough into pieces easily.
Printable Homemade Soft Pretzel with Cheese Dip Recipe
Homemade Soft Pretzel Bites with Cheese Dip
Ingredients
For the pretzel dough
- 1 cup warm water
- 1 packet active dry yeast
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 3 cups flour
- 1½ teaspoons salt
- 8 cups water
- 1 cup baking soda
Egg Wash and Topping
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon water
- 1 – 2 teaspoons table salt or coarse salt
For the cheese dip
- 12 ounces Velveeta cheese, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 10 ounce can Rotel tomatoes (tomatoes with green chilies)
Instructions
- Combine the 1 cup water, yeast, and butter in the bowl of a stand mixer and mix with the dough hook for about 30 seconds, until combined. Allow the yeast mixture to sit for 5 minutes.
- Add the salt and flour to the bowl, and mix on low speed until combined. Then mix on medium speed, and knead for 4 minutes, until the dough is smooth.
- Remove the dough from the bowl, form into a ball.
- Add the dough to a greased bowl, and coat the dough with the oil. Cover with plastic wrap and set the bowl in a warm spot for 1 hour, until the dough has doubled in size.
- Once the dough is ready, preheat the oven to 425 degrees, and spray a baking sheet with cooking spray.
- Bring the 8 cups of water to a boil in a large pot. Slowly, and very carefully add the baking soda to the water. If you’re not slow and careful, it will boil over.
- Cut the dough into 8 equal pieces. I find it easiest to cut it like a pie. Roll each piece into a 12 inch rope, then cut into 8 pieces.
- Carefully add the pieces of dough to the pot of boiling water in batches of about 1 ½ dozen, and boil for about 30 seconds. Remove with a large slotted spoon, and place on the baking sheet, slightly spacing them apart.
- Add the egg and 1 teaspoon of water to a small bowl, beat, then brush the egg wash over the tops of the pretzel bites. Lightly salt with table salt or coarse salt.
- Transfer the baking sheet to the oven and bake for 15 minutes, flipping halfway through, until golden brown. Remove from the oven, and allow to cool for 5-10 minutes before eating.
- To make the cheese dip, add the Velveeta and Rotel to a microwave safe bowl, and heat in one minute increments, stirring between each heat session, until the cheese is melted; about 3-4 minutes. Serve with pretzel bites.
Other delicious recipes to celebrate National Pretzel Day
Pretzel Perfection!
- Alton Brown’s Soft Pretzels from Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
- Chocolate Chip Soft Pretzels from That Recipe
- Jalapeno Pretzel Crusted Chicken Strips from A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures
- Pretzel Buns (Laugenbrötchen) from Karen’s Kitchen Stories
- Sourdough Pretzel Bagels from The Spiffy Cookie
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Enjoy!
One of my favorite snacks but I’ve never made the cheese dip myself! Definitely trying soon!
Love these with cheese dip! I have a version too! So fun to make.
If pretzel bites are on the menu I will always order them. They’re one of my fave appetizers.
Mine too!