Pretzel nuggets are the ultimate snack—soft on the inside, golden on the outside, and perfect for dipping. They’re easy to make at home with frozen bread dough, and the result is just as tasty as anything you’d find at a concession stand. Serve them warm with your favorite dips for a simple, crowd-friendly appetizer that disappears fast.
These soft, golden pretzel balls are more than just a fun snack—they’re a fantastic addition to any appetizer spread. Serve them fresh from the oven alongside cheese sauce, grainy mustard, or better yet, dip in your fondue for an indulgent bite that everyone will rave about. Because they’re small and easy to grab, they work especially well as party-ready pretzel appetizers for game nights, holiday gatherings, or casual get-togethers. You can even switch up the toppings—try flake salt, everything seasoning, or a brush of garlic butter—for a batch that’s simple to make but full of flavor.
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Why We Love These Pretzel Balls
- These pretzel bites are a great way to get a mini pretzel fix without having to make your own dough from scratch. With ready-made dough in the freezer, you can make pretzel balls or pretzels at any time.
It just doesn’t get any easier than using frozen bread dough to make these soft pretzel appetizers. Follow these four easy steps: cut, shape, dip, and bake!
I love how Bridgford does all the prep, with quality non-GMO ingredients, so I don’t have to.
Thanks to the ready-made dough, this is a two-ingredient pretzel bite recipe. All you need is a bag of frozen bread dough and baking soda, and you’ll be baking up soft pretzel nuggets without yeast in no time!
Save on your next frozen dough purchase with this handy coupon. - You only need a few ingredients! And most of the ingredients can be found in your pantry.
- This recipe can be served for any gathering. Everyone would love this and if you have unexpected guests, these pretzels would be the perfect snack to serve!
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
- Bridgford Ready-Dough: You can also use Parkerhouse-style rolls for this easy recipe.
- Baking soda: This is the key ingredient for making pretzels, as it helps to create a chewy texture and brown color. This is the leavening agent, so don’t skip it.
- Optional – Egg wash and flake salt or rock salt for topping.
Ready-Dough comes with three 1-pound loaves in a package.
Where To Buy Frozen Bread Dough And Rolls
You will find frozen dough at your grocery store and retailers in the freezer section. Look next to frozen dinner rolls and frozen baked bread.
Recipe Variations
- Classic homemade pretzel dough: Skip the frozen dough and make your own by combining purpose flour, warm water, and a yeast mixture (active dry yeast) in a large bowl. Add a touch of vegetable oil for softness. After rising, shape into bite-sized pieces, dip in a baking soda solution, sprinkle with pretzel salt, and bake until golden brown. These are perfect if you love starting from scratch!
- Sweet cinnamon sugar nuggets: After baking, brush the warm pretzel nuggets with melted butter and toss them in a mixture of cinnamon sugar and brown sugar. The buttery coating helps the sugar blend stick, creating a sweet twist that’s great for dessert trays or snacking.
- Savory salted butter pretzels: Right out of the oven, brush each nugget with unsalted butter and sprinkle with coarse salt for a savory, snackable version. This variation enhances the soft dough’s flavor while giving it that classic, salty finish.
- Mini stuffed pretzel balls: Use your favorite dough (store-bought or homemade with flour) to wrap tiny pieces of cheese or sausage inside each nugget before boiling. Proceed with the baking soda solution, then bake until golden brown. These savory bite-sized treats are perfect as stuffed pretzel appetizers at any party.
Then serve the deliciously soft pretzel bites with a pretzel cheese dip that just takes 15 minutes to make!
Equipment Used in this Recipe
- Baking sheet with parchment paper
- Large saucepan
🎯 TFN Pro Tip
This recipe starts with thawed frozen dough.
- My preferred method is to defrost frozen dough overnight in the fridge. This method is almost effortless, and the dough will thaw overnight (or in about 8 hours).
- See this post for other ways to quickly thaw frozen bread dough.
Check out these recipes to use the other frozen bread dough loaves: braided lemon bread, apple fritter breakfast casserole, pesto cheese bread Twist, or easy bread bowls.
How to Make Pretzel Appetizers
Making these pretzel bites is as easy as cutting, rising, and baking or air-frying! (See below for air fryer directions).
- Cut the thawed ready-dough into 32 evenly sized pieces.
- To quickly do this, cut each bread dough loaf into two equal pieces, then each half into four pieces. Then cut into quarters. Each piece will weigh about .5 ounces. Roll into a ball and place it on a baking sheet.
- Cover pretzel balls with plastic wrap (spray the underside of the plastic wrap with cooking spray first). Let it rise for 20–30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, bring 5 cups of water and 1/2 cup of baking soda to a boil in a saucepan. Preheat the oven to 400ºF.
- Drop pretzel bites into the boiling water, 4-6 at a time, for 20–30 seconds. Drain and return to the baking sheet.
- Brush with egg wash and sprinkle with flaked salt, if desired.
- Bake the mini pretzel balls for 12–15 minutes, until dark golden or light brown.
- Serve warm with our Cheese Beer Dip, fondue cheese, or a mustard dip.
Make It With Your Air Fryer
During the holidays or family dinners, oven space is always at a premium.
Here is how easy it is to make these pretzel bites in the air fryer:
- Preheat the air fryer to 375ºF (if needed).
- Bake for 10–12 minutes, or until the pretzels are deep golden or light brown.
- Bake in batches, leaving 1/2″ of space between the mini pretzel balls for a basket-style air fryer.
Serving Suggestions
These pretzel nuggets are a great addition to snack tables and appetizer boards, especially when you want something warm and shareable. Serve them fresh from the oven alongside cheese dip, spicy mustard, or even a batch of new recipes like beer cheese fondue or jalapeño ranch. They pair well with other bite-sized favorites like cookies or sliders, making them perfect for game days or casual get-togethers. A medium bowl of dipping sauce in the center turns these simple bites into a fun, interactive snack everyone will love.
Recipe FAQs
Though pizza dough and pretzel dough aren’t identical, the former is a bit wetter. Both are made from the same basic ingredients. When boiled in water & baking soda baths before baking, the pizza dough will be similar to pretzel dough.
Boiling the dough causes it to instantly puff, and the baking soda bath creates a chewy interior and a crisp crust.
Yes, but the resulting pretzels won’t be what you’re used to. They will be similar to bread rolls instead of pretzels.
Reheat these soft pretzel bites, so they taste just like freshly baked pretzels.
Reheating in the oven: Cover tightly with foil and bake at 350ºF for 5 to 7 minutes.
Using the air fryer. Wrap in foil and crimp the edges. If your air fryer has a bake mode, select that, and bake at 325º F Fahrenheit for 3-5 minutes.
More Easy Snack Recipes To Love…
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Pretzel Nuggets
Equipment
- 9×13 inch baking sheet
- large saucepan
Ingredients
- 1 loaf Bridgford Ready-Dough (frozen bread dough)
- ½ cup baking soda
optional
- 1 tablespoon salt flakes (I prefer Maldon)
- 1 egg
Instructions
- Cut the thawed Ready-Dough into 32 pieces evenly sized pieces. To quickly do this, cut each bread dough loaf into two equal pieces, then each half into four pieces. Then cut into quarters. Each piece will weigh about .5 ounces. Roll into a ball and place on a baking sheet.
- Cover pretzel balls with plastic wrap (spray the underside of the plastic wrap with cooking spray first). Let rise 20-30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, bring 5 cups of water and 1/2 cup of baking soda to a boil in a saucepan. Preheat the oven to 400ºF.
- Drop pretzel bites into the boiling water, 4-6 at a time for 20-30 seconds. Drain and return to the baking sheet.
- Optional egg wash and salt: Mix together egg yolk and 1 tablespoon of water for the egg wash. Brush on pretzel bites and sprinkle with flake salt or rock salt.
- Bake the mini pretzel balls for 12-15 minutes, until dark golden or light brown in color. (See below for how to air fry pretzel bites). Serve warm with our Cheese Beer Dip, fondue cheese, or a mustard dip.
Air Fryer Instructions
- Preheat the air fryer to 375ºF (if needed).
- For a basket-style air fryer, bake in batches leaving 1/2" of space between the mini pretzel balls.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the pretzels are deep golden or light brown in color. Serve warm with our Cheese Beer Dip, fondue cheese, or a mustard dip.
Notes
- My preferred method is to defrost frozen dough overnight in the fridge. This method is almost effortless, and the dough will thaw overnight (or in about 8 hours).
- You can also thaw it on the countertop. It usually takes about 2 hours.
- Thawed dough should be cool, but softened.
- Classic Homemade Pretzel Dough: Skip the frozen dough and make your own by combining purpose flour, warm water, and a yeast mixture in a large bowl. Add a touch of vegetable oil for softness. After rising, shape into bite-sized pieces, dip in a baking soda solution, sprinkle with pretzel salt, and bake until golden brown. These are perfect if you love starting from scratch!
- Sweet Cinnamon Sugar Nuggets: After baking, brush the warm pretzel nuggets with melted butter and toss them in a mixture of cinnamon sugar and brown sugar. The buttery coating helps the sugar blend stick, creating a sweet twist that’s great for dessert trays or snacking.
- Savory Salted Butter Pretzels: Right out of the oven, brush each nugget with unsalted butter and sprinkle with coarse salt for a savory, snackable version. This variation enhances the soft dough’s flavor while giving it that classic, salty finish.
- Mini Stuffed Pretzel Balls: Use your favorite dough (store-bought or homemade with flour) to wrap tiny pieces of cheese or sausage inside each nugget before boiling. Proceed with the baking soda solution, then bake until golden brown. These savory bite-sized treats are perfect as stuffed pretzel appetizers at any party.
- Reheat these soft pretzel bites, so they taste just like freshly baked pretzels.
- When reheating in the oven, cover tightly with foil and bake at 350ºF for 5 to 7 minutes.
- When using the air fryer, wrap in foil and crimp the edges. If your air fryer has a bake mode, select that, and bake at 325º F Fahrenheit for 3-5 minutes.
Nutrition
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Harriet Young says
Oh yum! These were amazing. Definitely add the sea salt! They make a perfect appetiser.