Pretzel Nuggets

4.97 from 26 votes

These homemade pretzel nuggets are chewy, buttery, and ready in under 30 minutes. Serve with cheese dip or mustard for a warm, savory treat.

Prep Time10

Cook Time12

30 minutes of rise time30

Total Time52

Course: Appetizer, Side Dish, Snack, Brunch

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Side Dish, Breads, Appetizers, frozen dough, frozen bread dough, Pretzel Balls

Servings: servings

Calories: 151kcal

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.

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.

Tips on thawing frozen bread dough. Check the package of frozen bread dough for how to thaw 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).
You can also thaw it on the countertop. It usually takes about 2 hours.
Thawed dough should be cool, but softened.

Recipe Variations:

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.

Reheating Instructions:

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.