30 Minute Homemade Soft Pretzels

Make an EASY version of those soft, buttery mall pretzels at home in under 30 minutes (from start to finish!). No mixer needed - just a spatula and a few simple ingredients to make homemade soft pretzels!

Homemade soft pretzels are perfect for after-school snacks, late-night cravings, fun summer activities or party snacks. I don't go to malls often but when I do, a trip to the overpriced (but OMG delicious) Pretzel Maker or Auntie Anne's is in order.

I truly believe that there are few things better in this world than a soft, buttery homemade pretzel. So today I'm sharing with you my super quick & easy homemade pretzel recipe because keeping something this good to myself would be the crime of the century. While these aren't meant to be a copycat Auntie Anne's recipe (mine are a little more bread-like), they are pretty dang for 30 minutes!

Why These Homemade Soft Pretzels Are The Best

1. They don't take hours to raise; you can make them start to finish in under 30 minutes.
2. You can make these homemade soft pretzels without a mixer or bread machine.
3. They use all-purpose flour - no fancy bread flours needed.
4. Most traditional pretzels recipes require you dip the dough in a boiling baking soda/water mixture. But ain't nobody got the time or extra dishes for that. You can make these homemade pretzels without boiling.
5. Typical homemade pretzel recipes require vegetable oil, but these can be made without oil (real butter only!). And on that note, I recommend using salted butter!

Ingredients for Homemade Soft Pretzels

Soft Pretzel Dough:

• Warm water (1.5 cups)
• Active dry yeast (two 0.25 oz. packets, i.e. 4.5 teaspoons)
• Salted butter (3 tablespoons): while I usually bake with unsalted, salted is SO much better for these!
• Light brown sugar (2 tablespoons)
• All-purpose flour (4.5 cups)
• Table salt (½ teaspoon)

Water Bath

• Warm water (2 cups)
• Baking soda (  

Topping & dipping (optional)

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• Melted cheese

How to Make Homemade Soft Pretzels

Step 1: Mix Yeast, Water, Brown Sugar, and Butter

In a medium-sized bowl or measuring cup, stir together 1.5 cups warm water, 2 packets of yeast (i.e. 4.5 teaspoons), 3 tablespoons brown sugar and 3 tablespoons of melted salted butter. You can get the warm water directly from the faucet - no need to heat it up more. Let sit for 5 minutes or until you see bubbles and foam on the top.

Note: If your mixture doesn't foam or bubble after 10 minutes, your yeast is likely dead and you need to start over and with fresh yeast.

Step 2: Mix Together Flour & Salt

While the yeast is proofing, mix together the 4.5 cups all-purpose flour and ½ teaspoon table salt in a large bowl. Use your hand to create a crater in the middle of the bowl. This is where you'll pour the yeast mixture. After the 5 minutes are up, stir the yeast mixture and pour into the crater you created in the flour bowl.

Step 3: Stir & Knead Dough

Use a spatula to mix the dough until it's combined. Once all the flour is incorporated, use your hands to knead the dough into a solid ball. This should only take 1-2 minutes tops (any longer and you'll overwork the dough). Place the dough ball back into the bowl, cover the bowl with plastic wrap (or a clean dish towel) and let sit for 10 minutes. This will allow the dough to rest & rise a tiny bit (it won't rise much, which is fine).

Step 4: Cut & Roll

Using a knife, cut the dough into 12 even sections (you can make larger pretzels by cutting it into 6-8 sections). Once cut, use your hands to roll each ball into a long strip about ½ inch thick and 20 inches long (if making 8 larger pretzels, roll 1 inch thick and 24 inches long).

Tip: If making smaller pretzels & rolling ½ inch thick, the baking time will be around 7-8 minutes. For the larger 1 inch thick pretzels, bake for 9-11 minutes or until lightly golden brown.

Step 5: Dip in Water/Baking Soda and Twist

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a medium-sized bowl, mix together 2 cups of warm water and 2 tablespoons (not teaspoons) of baking soda. Dip each dough strip in the baking soda mixture for 1-2 seconds then quickly form into a pretzel and place on baking sheet. See video below on how to twist a pretzel.

Sprinkle with coarse sea salt or pretzel salt, if desired (while not as flavorful, you could also just use regular salt). If you're dipping these in salted butter, feel free to omit the salt.

Tip: For an even easier recipe, skip forming them into pretzels and just leave them as pretzel sticks or cut them into pretzel bites!

Step 6: Bake & Brush on Melted Butter

Bake at 425 degrees according to the times below. 

• Small Pretzels (if making 12): Bake 7-8 minutes or until pretzels are a light golden brown (my oven typically takes 8 minutes).
• Larger Pretzels (if making 6-8): Bake for 9-11 minutes or until lightly golden brown.

Step 7: Slather with butter & dip in cheese

Once baked, use a pastry brush or spoon to brush warm pretzels with melted, salted butter. This is what truly gives it that mall pretzel taste - don't skip the salted butter! You can also dip them in cheese sauce for the ultimate homemade mall pretzel.

Butter Tip: Where I normally use unsalted butter in baking, these need salted butter for dipping. Unsalted just doesn't taste good here!

Variation: For Cinnamon Sugar pretzels, mix together ½ cup sugar and 2 teaspoons cinnamon and then roll each pretzel (after you brush on the butter) in the mixture!

Frequently Asked Questions

How to reheat homemade soft pretzels?

These are best fresh, but can also be stored in an airtight container or bag for 1-2 days. I will say that after 1-2 days, they lose their fresh taste & soft texture, but they're still edible.

How to freeze homemade soft pretzels?

If you do not plan to eat them right away (which I highly recommend!), let them cool then freeze them in an airtight bag (for 1-2 months). To get them to taste the freshest again, pop them into the oven at 350 degrees for 5-10 minutes until they're heated through.

How to store homemade soft pretzels?

Store in an airtight container or bag for 1-2 days, then use the instructions above to reheat or freeze. I will say though, these are best served fresh and warm!