This delicious homemade pretzel bites recipe is the PERFECT party or game day food! Don’t be intimidated by the cooking process. It’s way easier than it looks! You will not be disappointed.
Original recipe: February 2012 | Updated: January 2022
Why This Recipe Works
Back in my poor, single years, I was a waitron at Timberwolves games. Isn’t that a funny word? Waitron?
Anyhow, before the madness began each night, we had the option to eat either a free hot dog or a free soft pretzel. I usually opted for the pretzel, along with a container of warm, gooey cheese for dipping and never got tired of it.
I have not sunk my teeth into a soft pretzel since my waitron days, so when I bit into these my tastebuds did cartwheels! Reunited with the beloved soft pretzel!
Recipe Ingredients
- Dough ingredients – If desired, forego making dough with yeast by either purchasing no-yeast frozen pizza dough from the store or by making a quick no-yeast dough at home. Scroll down for instructions!
- Cheese – Use any variety of melty cheese, such as mozzarella, cheddar, cojack, provolone or muenster.
- Ham – If desired, replace ham with cooked bacon crumbles or cooked ground meat of any variety.
Check out our web stories to see Pip and Ebby “recipes in action!”
How To Make Soft Pretzel Bites
Step 1
In a small bowl, combine:
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 cup warm milk (110-115 degrees F)
Stir until the sugar is dissolved.
In a large bowl, combine:
- 2 1/2 cups flour
- Warm milk mixture
- 1 package (1/4 oz.) instant dry yeast
Stir until a soft dough forms. Add more flour as needed (up to 1/2 cup). Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and gently knead a few times, forming a smooth ball.
Step 2
Brush the inside of a large clean bowl with olive oil. Transfer the dough to the bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap.
Allow it to rise in a warm, draft-free area for about 2 hours, or until the dough has doubled in size and bubbles appear on the surface.
Step 3
Turn the pretzel dough onto a lightly floured surface. Divide it into 4 equal pieces.
Lightly dust a rolling pin with flour and roll each piece of dough into roughly a 12×4-inch rectangle. As you can see, my rectangles are not quite rectangles.
Step 4
With the long sides facing you, place the following ingredients onto the bottom third of each piece of dough:
- A quarter of 1/2 cup finely chopped ham
- A quarter of 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
Roll the dough as tightly as you, starting with the long edge holding the ham and cheese.
Cut each roll into 12 equal pieces.
Transfer the pieces to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Let them rest, uncovered, at room temperature for 30 minutes.
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F.
Step 5
Bring 6 cups of water to a boil. Add 4 teaspoons of baking soda to the boiling water and reduce the heat to a gentle simmer.
Boil the pretzels in batches, cooking for about 20 seconds each and turning once. It is totally normal to have a few casualties during this step in the process.
They should look slightly puffed when done. Use a slotted spoon to transfer them back to the baking sheet.
Step 6
Bake in the preheated oven until they are puffed and golden, about 15 minutes.
Brush with 4 tablespoons of melted butter and sprinkle with 1-2 tablespoons of coarse kosher salt.
Serve warm! Enjoy!
Recipe Notes
- Use a thermometer such as the Thermapen to ensure your milk reaches the proper temp (110-115 degrees F).
- Buy pre-cooked, pre-diced ham to make this recipe even easier.
- Any melting cheese works great. Mozzarella, cheddar or provolone are all delicious options.
- Simplify the recipe by making your own quick dough. Skip steps 1 and 2 in the recipe card entirely.
Easy No Yeast Pizza Dough Recipe
With just 20 minutes of prep and 5 ingredients, this no yeast pizza dough is ready to be put in the oven! No yeast, rising or waiting is required and it produces a perfect pizza (or pretzel bites!) every time.
Dips For Pretzel Bites
- Seasoned sour cream
- Ketchup
- Honey mustard dipping sauce
- Cheese dip
- BBQ sauce
- Marinara sauce
- Cilantro lime sauce
- Ranch dressing
FAQ About Pretzel Bites
Pretzel bites are bite-sized version of that delicious, salty soft pretzel snack we all know and love.
Making pretzel bites without yeast is easy! Simply create your own easy no-yeast pizza dough and substitute for any dough called for in the recipe.
Pretzel bites can be reheated in a 350-degree oven for 15 minutes or in the microwave on 1-minute bursts.
What is a Pretzel?
There are two ways to prepare pretzels, but our version is similar to the original breaded treat from Germany. Maybe you’re familiar with them from a street cart vendor or a mall shop that entices you to buy one from the smells wafting around you.
While it can be served in a variety of ways, the treat was often twisted into a knot and salted with a chewy exterior and a soft bread interior. Using lye was one way to prepare pretzel’s and a baking soda bath is a more simpler way, that we use in our recipe.
Pretzels can be prepared with salt, sugar, dipped into cheese or chocolate and also served hard like a chip or soft like the bread made in this recipe. It is fun to create different shapes and flavors to enjoy this old school treat!
Party Food Recipes
- Instant Pot Cake made with a BOX MIX is super moist and flavorful and much less porous than its oven-baked counterpart. Make this easy dessert for your next party!
- Fries or chips served with Seasoned Sour Cream makes the perfect party food.
- This EASY 3 can chili recipe requires is a super comforting dish that is packed with flavor and requires only 30 minutes of your time. Great for gatherings!
- Pickle Rollups are most perfect appetizer for any type of gathering! Only THREE ingredients, ten minutes of your time and guests will be raving!
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Homemade Pretzel Bites Recipe with Ham and Cheese
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 cup warm milk (110-115 degrees F)
- 2 1/2-3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 package instant dry yeast 1/4 oz.
- 1/2 cup ham finely chopped
- 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese shredded
- 6 cups water
- 4 tsp baking soda
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter melted
- 1-2 tbsp coarse kosher salt
Instructions
- In a small bowl, stir together the brown sugar and warm milk until dissolved. In a large bowl, combine 2 ½ cups flour, the milk mixture and the yeast. Stir until a soft dough forms. Add the remaining flour as needed. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and gently knead a few times, forming a smooth ball.
- Brush the inside of a large clean bowl with olive oil. Transfer the dough to the bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Allow to rise in a warm, draft-free area for about 2 hours, until dough has doubled in size and bubbles appear on the surface.
- Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Divide into 4 equal pieces. Lightly dust hands and rolling pin with flour. Roll one of the four sections into a 12×4-inch rectangle. With the long side facing you, gently press ¼ of the ham and cheese into the bottom third of the dough, and roll as tightly as possible, starting with the end that has the filling. Cut into 12 1-inch pieces and transfer to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Repeat with remaining 3 portions of dough.
- Let rest, uncovered, at room temperature for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Bring 6 cups of water to a boil. Add the baking soda and reduce heat to a gentle simmer. Boil pretzels in batches, cooking about 20 seconds each, turning once. They should be slightly puffed. Use a slotted spoon to transfer them back to the baking sheets. Bake until puffed and golden-brown, about 15 minutes. Brush warm pretzel bites with melted butter and sprinkle with salt. Serve warm.
Notes
- Use a thermometer such as the Thermapen to ensure your milk reaches the proper temp (110-115 degrees F).
- Buy pre-cooked, pre-diced ham to make this recipe even easier.
- Any melting cheese works great. Mozzarella, cheddar or provolone are all delicious options.
- Simplify the recipe by making your own quick dough. Skip steps 1 and 2 in the recipe card entirely.
Bethany
can't wait to try them!
Bethany
I can't wait to try these out!My kids will love them!
Lisandra
I think I found my Christmas morning recipe! It's going to be a nice savory alternative. There is a lot of value in reading through your comment section; I was hoping I would find a way to make ahead and I'll definitely try boiling before cutting. Thanks!
Venus
They look delicious!! I'm definitely going to try them!!
lanaemarie
This is a lot easier if you make little balls instead of cutting them so filling stays put
Stacy
Jessi – You could also make them up until the point where you roll them. You can put them in the fridge rolled and then start the process of boiling them and baking them the day of the party (if you have time). They taste way better fresh out of the oven, but if you don't have time then reheating them in the oven will be good too! I wouldn't microwave them though….
On another note, I made some this past weekend with pepperoni and jalapeno's inside. They were a hit! I got so many compliments and nobody wanted the ham ones after they tried the pizza ones. I think that's because they all liked the spicyness of the pizza bites. SO YUMMY though. THANKS so much Megan for sharing the recipe! 🙂
Megan Porta
Hi Jessi! I would say go ahead and make them completely and then warm them up before serving. Put them on a baking sheet and pop them in the oven until the cheese is melty. Hope that helps!
Megan
Jessi W
I want to make these this weekend for a get together but I have to work all day the day of the get together, can I make them the day before? or just prep them? how far into the process should I go? They look like the perfect kind of appetizer to keep the guests from starving with out putting together a huge dinner. Hopefully you see this in time.
Megan Porta
Hi Stacy! Candi is right. They didn't really go anywhere in the boiling water like you might think they would. I LOVE your thoughts about adding jalapeños! YUM!
Megan
Candi
Stacy,
I have done this recipe and oh my were they soooo good! And I bet jalapeno and pepperoni would be amazing too, might try that myself now 😉
To answer your question, in my experience they did not flip by themselves. For one, they almost fill the circumferance of the pot o water . For two, they were pretty hefty buggers being filled with all that ham n cheese, they do float btw.
Hope that helped, I'm about to make another batch myself! And don't forget the baking soda in the water. It's essential to to making the prezels golden and gooey 😀
Stacy
The original recipe says after you put them in the boiling water to turn them once? Don't they automatically turn around with the pressure of the boiling water? I would think they would be moving around in the boiling water…?
Also, I'm definately going to try these with pepperoni and jalapeno's inside! Oh yeah!!!
Luis
Easy…simply use a strainer when boiling them and pinch the sides…no accidents and easy boiling!
Megan Porta
Hi Christa! This recipe yields 48 pretzel bites, give or take a few. Hope this helps!
Megan
Christa
How many does this recipe yield?
Jean Porter
These Ham and Cheese Pretzel Bites look so delicious that I plan to make them for our families Thanksgiving gathering this November…..We have family reunions with the entire clan attending this year…making over 30 of us. I will make them for my husband before then, and look forward to the taste test. I love pretzel bread and expect to have them often.
Thank you for the recipe. Jean
Joany
I made these for myself and my husband as a trial. I wanted to make them for my small group but wanted to test them first, they were amazing, I literally could not stop eating them! Thanks for sharing this amazing recipe! I had a question about pre-making them. Can I make them the day before and refrigerate them before boiling or baking them? At what point should I stop the cooking process and refrigerate? I was thinking before boiling, but am not sure if that would effect the dough. Please let me know if you've tried this, thanks : )
Janice groff
I did make these on 9/18/12 and they were a huge hit. I slathered them with a combination of mayo, Dijon mustard and thyme – then the ham and cheese. I boiled them and only baked them half way initially. Just before my company arrived I finished baking. They were FANTASTIC. Everyone asked for the recipe!!! Thanks!
Britt, Book Habitue
Candice Z.– we always have them with green smoothies.
Janice Groff
I'm going to try making these tonight but only baking them part way. I will finish baking them tomorrow night before my company arrives. I'll let you all know how it goes!!! Thanks to all who shared their interpretations along the way!
nichole suzette
This is so funny..I saw that recipe on pinterest too…and I wanted the recipe, so I google "ham and cheese pretzel bites"
and here I am!
Can't wait to try this recipe out!