Posted Sep 08, 2019, Updated May 07, 2024 It’s no secret that I’m mildly famous for my pretzel bread recipe, so I decided to take it up a notch by turning our favorite bread into cute little bites full of melty cheddar cheese! These pretzel bites are fairly easy to make, and the results are out-of-this-world delicious and totally worth the time it takes! Plus they’re a great appetizer or side dish to serve to really “WOW” your guests!
Cheesy Pretzel Bites: Ingredients & Substitutions
Light Brown sugar. Dark brown sugar is a great substitute. Whole Milk. 2% milk or half and half are the best substitutes. Salted Butter. Unsalted butter works well. All-purpose flour. Bread flour is the only other flour I have used to make this recipe. I do not recommend making any other flour substitutions. Cheddar cheese. For the best results use a high-quality cheddar cheese. Coarse sea salt. this is sprinkled on top and should not be omitted or adjusted.
How to Make Cheese Pretzel Bites
Let’s discuss how to make this recipe, and don’t forget to watch the video.
Make the Dough
Start this pretzel bites recipe by making the dough. It’s a, soft, pliable dough that turns out perfectly every single time. Check out this pretzel bread post for more detailed instructions, and don’t forget to watch the video. Here are a few tips:
Assemble
I suggest using a food scale to ensure each pretzel bite is the same size. The weight of the entire recipe is around 800 grams, divided into 16 bites each one should be around 50 g. You can make more/smaller bites as well, just be sure to use enough dough to completely wrap the cheese on the inside! Cut the cheese into cubes, about 1/2″ to 1″ in size. Then form each portion of dough into a flat round discs large enough the fit the cheese cubes you cut! This step is very important to ensure the cheese stays inside the pretzel bites and doesn’t leak out! Take the flat disc of dough and wrap it around the cheese. Pinch the seams together and roll the dough ball between your hands until it’s smooth.
Boil in a Baking Soda Water Bath
Just before you start rolling the pretzel bites, bring a pot of water to a boil. Once it’s boiling slowly add the baking soda. Be careful not to add it all at once, or the mixture will boil over and make a mess. Boil the pretzel bites for 60 seconds, flip and boil 60 seconds more. Remove them with a slotted spoon, gently shaking off any excess water. Note: I use a skimmer spoon like this to take the dough out of the boiling baking soda bath and remove excess water.
Top with Salt
Transfer the boiled soft pretzel bites to a greased baking sheet. Immediately sprinkle them with coarse sea salt and bake. I like to bake them 8 at a time, so that they don’t have a chance to rise too much. There is not a second rise in this recipe, you do not want them to rise after the boiling process or else they will become fluffy instead of dense and chewy like a soft pretzel.
Bake
Bake for 12-15 minutes, rotating the baking sheet once halfway through. The homemade pretzel bites are done when the outside is nicely browned.
Brush with Butter
After baking immediately brush the soft pretzel bites with melted butter. Then transfer them to a wire rack to cool slightly.
Serve
These cheesy pretzel bites are best served warm, because you get that ooey gooey cheese factor. Here are some suggestions for serving:
Serve with a variety of dipping sauces: your favorite mustard variety, more cheese sauce, etc. With your favorite chili (like this easy chili, or this slow cooker chicken chili) or soup (like this sausage kale soup). Dipping these beauties in some tomato soup will change your life.
Store
Store these soft pretzel bites in an airtight container at room temperature for 24 hours, or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Freeze
Freeze leftovers in an airtight container for up to 2 months. Reheat covered in an oven set to warm. If you make and love our recipes, it would mean so much to me if you would leave a comment and rating! And don’t forget to follow along with us on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, and Youtube – be sure to tag @joyfoodsunshine and use the hashtag #joyfoodsunshine so we can see your creations!
