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Easy-to-make soft vegan pretzel bites. This recipe yields the fluffiest bites to dip into your favorite "cheese" dip for an appetizer or snack.
Ingredients
This recipe for vegan soft pretzel bites calls for basic pantry staples. You can find the full recipe including ingredient amounts in the recipe card below.
- Non-dairy milk: You will need 1½ cup to make the dough and another quarter cup for an egg wash substitute. My go-to vegan milk is oat milk, but you can use your favorite as long as it is plain and unsweetened.
- Brown sugar: Adds a touch of sweetness and flavor depth. You can use regular sugar or maple syrup instead. Not all sugar is vegan, so make sure to get organic if possible.
- Salt: Mixed right into the dough for flavor.
- Yeast: Use one packet of active dry yeast (if you have the kind in a jar, use 2¼ teaspoons.)
- Flour: All-purpose flour works best for fluffy, soft pretzel bites.
- Oil: A simple cooking oil like canola or olive oil.
- Coarse salt: For sprinkling on top of the pretzels before baking.
- Baking soda & water: You'll be bringing these two ingredients together to a boil and boiling the pretzel bites before baking. Curious about the chemistry behind this? Read here!
How to Make
The printable recipe is in the recipe card below.
I use my Kitchenaid mixer with the dough hook to make these pretzel bites, but you can use a regular mixing bowl, a wooden spoon, and your hands, too.
Mix together the warm non-dairy milk, yeast, brown sugar, and salt. Let the yeast proof for about 5 minutes. At this point, you should see it getting foamy. (If you don't see any little bubbles forming on top, this means that your yeast is dead.)
Stir in the oil, then mix in the flour 1 cup at a time until the dough is no longer sticky. Knead for 5 minutes. Let the dough rest for 15 minutes. In the meantime, bring the water and baking soda to a boil in a large pot. Turn the dough out into a cutting board or your counter and divide into 8 even sections. Roll the sections into ropes then slice into 1-inch pieces.
Drop the dough pieces into the water 10-12 pieces at a time. Let cook for 15 seconds, then remove from the pot with a slotted spoon. I usually put them on a large plate, then place them on a baking sheet when they are all ready to go. For an "egg wash," we are just using some more non-dairy milk. Brush on each bite before sprinkling with coarse salt.
Bake 'em according to the recipe card instructions. Let cool for about 5 minutes.
Storage
Store any leftovers in an airtight container for up to:
- Room temperature: 2 days
- Fridge: 4 days
- Freezer: 1 month
Variations & Substitutions
- You can use warm water in place of the dairy-free milk.
- Toppings: Sprinkle some cinnamon sugar on top for sweet bites! You can also try the garlic parmesan topping I use on these breadsticks.
Serving Ideas
My favorite way to enjoy vegan pretzel bites is with beer cheese dip. You can also enjoy them with some maple mustard sauce, spinach dip, or any dip that you love!
Did you enjoy this recipe? Please leave a comment and a ⭐ star review below!
Recipe
Vegan Pretzel Bites
Ingredients
- 1½ cups non-dairy milk warm (but not hot)
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 package active dry yeast or 2¼ teaspoon
- 4 - 4½ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons oil like canola or olive oil
- ¼ cup non-dairy milk for "egg wash"
- 1-2 tablespoons coarse salt for sprinkling
- 3 quarts water
- ½ cup baking soda
Instructions
- In a stand mixer or large bowl, stir together the milk, sugar, salt, and yeast. Let sit for 5 minutes, or until foamy (if it doesn't foam, this likely means your yeast is dead.)
- Use a dough hook or wooden spoon, mix in the oil and 4 cups of flour 1 cup at a time. If the dough is still sticky, add 2 tablespoons of flour at a time until no longer sticky.
- Knead for about 5 minutes with the dough hook or by hand.
- Let the dough rest for 15 minutes in an oiled bowl.
- Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper (I use two 9x13 baking sheets.)
- Bring 3 quarts of water and baking soda to a boil in a large pot.
- While waiting for the water to reach a boil, remove the dough from the bowl and set on a clean counter. Cut into 8 equal pieces.
- Roll each piece into 14 inch long ropes. Cut into 1-inch pieces.
- Drop 10-12 pieces into the boiling water at a time. Let cook for 15 seconds, then remove from the pot with a slotted spoon and place on a baking sheet.
- Brush each piece with non-dairy milk (this is a vegan egg wash substitution) and sprinkle with coarse salt.
- Bake at 425°F for 12-15 minutes, or until golden brown. Let cool for at least 5 minutes before removing from the pan.
Notes
- Makes about 60-70 pretzel bites.
- I use either soy milk or oat milk for this recipe. You can also use water in a pinch.
- To warm up cold milk, I typically microwave for 30-40 seconds, until warm to the touch but not hot
- Recipe adapted from and inspired by Gimme Some Oven and Sally's Baking Addiction.
- This recipe can be halved. Click on the servings number and adjust accordingly.
Aeryn M. says
This recipe is great! I never made pretzels from scratch before and these turned out beautiful. The only place I did not follow the recipe was the plant-milk wash; I used an aquafaba wash and followed it with an unsweetened almondmilk wash. Would make again!