Vegan Soft Pretzel Bites With Cheese Dip
If you’re here, it probably means you are already daydreaming of making these incredible vegan soft pretzels. Let’s face it: soft pretzels are what dreams are made of! Salty and spongy and delicious. This vegan version will rock your world.
So where are soft pretzels from? These delicious treats are the result of an Americanized German tradition, and we couldn’t be happier it took place. Life is much better with pretzels in it. Don’t you think? Let’s dive right into these soft pretzels from the Cravings Made Vegan cookbook!
Table of Contents
How Are Soft Pretzels Made?
Ok, it’s not exactly the quickest recipe, but I promise it is so worth it! Be prepared to follow this recipe to the T because baking the soft pretzels alone won’t cut it. Two vital steps are uber important to make a pretzel a pretzel.
First, you have to let the dough shapes grow for a few hours, and then you boil the soft pretzels in water with baking soda. Sounds like a lot, but if you plan ahead and calculate a few hours in between you start until you put them in the oven, it won’t seem so daunting.
Can you imagine what your house will smell like after baking these? Buttery and salty dough heaven! These soft pretzels would be perfect for making before a get together with friends or to take them for a picnic day out. I am sure they wouldn’t last an hour! They are truly irresistible! You’ll know what I’m talking about once you make them.
Ingredient Notes
You don’t need much to make these tasty vegan pretzels! Here are the key ingredients:
- All-Purpose Flour (and a bit more for dusting)
- Instant Yeast -This quick-acting yeast contributes to the soft and fluffy texture of the pretzels, allowing for a shorter rise time.
- Salt – Enhance the flavor of the pretzels with a small amount of salt in the dough.
- Olive Oil – Extra oil is used to coat the dough, preventing it from drying out during the rising process.
- Baking Soda – Essential for the alkaline bath, baking soda gives the pretzels their distinctive chewy exterior and helps in achieving the classic pretzel color during baking.
- Coarse Salt – Don’t forget to sprinkle coarse salt on top of the pretzels before baking!
For exact measurements and details on the optional vegan cheese dip, scroll to the recipe card below!
What To Dip Soft Pretzels In?
These soft pretzels would be amazing with the cider cheese dip but, to be honest, they are amazing on their own! Skipping this dip makes the recipe simpler, and you’ll need a lot fewer ingredients. So enjoy the bites alone (or with some mustard) if you prefer.
If you choose to dip them but don’t want the hustle of making the cheese sauce you can try to get a store bought vegan dip or create your own simple sauce.
Frequently Asked Questions
The basic ingredients for traditional pretzels include flour, water, yeast, sugar, and salt. However, soft pretzels are more likely to contain butter or dairy than hard pretzels. This is because some recipes use milk instead of water. Always check the ingredient list, as variations exist between brands and types of pretzels.
Most traditional pretzel snacks are vegan such as Rold Gold and Snyder, as long as you get one without dairy and honey. Stick to plain to keep it safe as the honey or cheddar varieties most likely contain animal products. For soft pretzel options, try the Pretzel Baron Pretzel Bites from Kroger, SuperPretzel found in the frozen section of most large chain supermarkets, and Hanover Bake Soft Pretzels.
The pretzels themselves at Auntie Anne’s are vegan, however, they’re often coated in a spray of butter. When they are preparing your pretzel, ask them to use vegetable spray instead of butter to make it vegan.
More Vegan Appetizer Recipes to Try
- Football Puff Pastries
- Colorful Hummus Crostini
- Vegan Pizza Roll-Ups
- Super Easy No-Wait Vegan Cheese Log
- Epic Hummus Board
- Vegan Cauliflower Wings
Vegan Soft Pretzel Bites with Cheese Dip
Ingredients
for soft pretzels
- 1¼ cups all-purpose flour, and a bit more for dusting
- ½ teaspoon instant yeast
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon olive oil , and a bit more to coat the dough
- ⅓ cup water + 3 cups divided
- 1½ tablespoons baking soda
- 2 teaspoons coarse salt
for cheese dip
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil melted, or vegan butter
- ¼ teaspoon salt, to taste
- ⅛ teaspoon turmeric powder
- ⅛ teaspoon curry powder
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
- ¼ cup cider, if you don’t have any, mix apple juice and sparkling water
- ½ teaspoon maple syrup
Instructions
For soft pretzels
- Combine the flour, instant yeast, and salt in a mixing bowl. Add olive oil and 1⁄3 cup water. Mix and knead by hand until a soft dough forms or put all the ingredients in a kitchen machine and let the machine knead the dough for you. This will take 4 to 5 minutes. Fine-tune the mixture: If it’s too sticky, add more flour. If it’s too crumbly, add more water.
- Coat the ball of dough with a drizzle of olive oil. Cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel and let the dough rest in a warm spot for 2 to 3 hours (depending on room temperature) until it doubles in size.
- Preheat the oven to 400°F/200°C.
- Divide the dough into 4 equal parts, roll them into ropes, and cut them into bite-sized pieces.
- In a medium-sized pot, bring the remaining 3 cups water to a boil. Add in the baking soda and stir to combine.
- Work in batches to cook all the pretzel bites in the baking soda bath for 1 minute. Then, transfer them to a baking tray lined with parchment paper and sprinkle them with pretzel salt.
- Bake them in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes until golden and serve with a side of cider cheese dip. You’ve waited long enough. Dig in!
For cheese dip
- Heat the coconut oil or butter in a small pot over low heat. Add the salt, turmeric powder, and curry powder. Add in the flour and whisk. Add nutritional yeast and whisk again until clumpy.
Nutrition
About The Authors
Cravings made vegan is Bianca Haun & Sascha Naderer’s second vegan cookbook. This vegan foodie couple is passionate about sharing their amazing recipes with the world. Bianca started by sharing her vegan ideas on the Elephantastic Vegan Blog, and her creations are seriously addictive! Sascha, on the other hand, is a fan of easy recipes that cook themselves, which makes him Bianca’s perfect cooking partner in crime, complementing each other so well.
This book seriously is fantastic! All of the vegan versions of your dream comfort non-vegan foods are in here. I promise! Philly cheesesteak, lasagna, corndogs, pannacotta… should I stop? You will fall in love with these creations.
Go get your own copy of the book here!
We want to thank our amazing recipe testers, J.J Steele, Taylor Gillespie, and Anne Sparks.
Vegan soft pretzels with cheese dip recipe excerpted from Cravings Made Vegan: 50 Plant-Based Recipes for Your Comfort Food Favorites by Bianca Haun and Sascha Naderer with permission from Skyhorse Publishing, Inc. Photos by Bianca Haun and Sascha Naderer.
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Leave a Comment
I used to be addicted to the Auntie Ann’s pretzel chain in our local mall. Just walking by would be torture after going vegan. I’m so excited that I can finally make my own! The house smells amazing while they’re cooking and the texture is perfection. Everyone loved the sauce, too. Divine!!
My husband LOVES vegan soft pretzels, so these are a win in our house!
These are so much fun to serve and everyone enjoys dipping them in the creamy cheese sauce.
These pretzels are chewy and have a great texture.
I never thought I would even consider making pretzels at home but these soft mini pretzels changed my mind! They are so good! I need to make more!