Homemade Soft Cinnamon Sugar Pretzels are easy to make and perfect for enjoying with your family, especially during the holiday season. These warm, doughy, and sweet pretzels are super soft and buttery and coated with a cinnamon sugar topping.
I love this cinnamon sugar pretzels recipe so much! These delicious pretzels are so much better than the ones you'll buy in the mall, and are the ultimate comforting snack. My family and I love making these when the months turn cooler. They're so fun to eat with a big cup of hot cocoa, curled up next to a fire watching your favorite movie.
Why this Recipe Works
There are so many reasons this recipe is a keeper:
- Cinnamon-sugar flavor. This recipe delivers soft, doughy pretzels with a perfect balance of sweetness and cinnamon flavor. (Learn how to make the perfect cinnamon sugar ratio!)
- Crispy exterior and chewy center. Boiling the pretzels in a baking soda bath gives them a golden brown, crispy exterior and a chewy texture, just like the ones you'd find at your favorite pretzel shop.
- Perfect anytime! Whether you shape them into hearts for a special occasion or make little pretzel bites, these pretzels are a crowd-pleaser, perfect as either a delicious snack or dessert.
Ingredients
The simple ingredients for these homemade cinnamon sugar pretzels are easy to find, if you don't already have them in your kitchen. Here are the main things you'll need (see full list of ingredients in recipe card):
- Active dry yeast. This will help your dough to rise.
- Warm milk. This recipe uses milk instead of water to dissolve the yeast, lending a sweeter taste to the pretzels.
- Brown sugar. Using brown sugar gives these pretzels a deep sugary flavor.
- All-purpose flour. For that doughy texture.
- Baking soda. Giving the pretzels a baking soda bath before baking them is what gives the pretzels that crispy exterior.
- Cinnamon sugar mixture and melted butter. The best part! Melted butter will be brushed over the baked pretzels and will help the ground cinnamon and sugar mix adhere to the pretzels.
How To Make Homemade Soft Cinnamon Sugar Pretzels
Ok. So this recipe is easy, but it is a bit time-consuming and has several steps. Don't worry - I'll walk you through how to do it all!
- Make the pretzel dough. Start by creating the dough. Dissolve the yeast and granulated sugar into a small bowl with warm milk, allowing it to sit until it becomes frothy and bubbly. This should take about 10 minutes.
- Make the flour mixture. While you're waiting for the yeast mixture to do its thing, mix the dough ingredients by combining the flour with brown sugar and salt in a large bowl, carving out a small well in the middle. Once the yeast mixture is ready, pour it, along with vegetable oil, into the flour well and stir to combine. Using a stand mixer with a dough hook attachment can make this step easier. Let the dough rise in a covered, oil-greased bowl in a warm place (try using your oven with the light on) for about 1.5 hours until it doubles in size.
- Prep your oven. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees and line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Shape the pretzels. Roll the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface, then cut it into strips, approximately ¼-½ inch thick. A pizza cutter works well for this task. Shape the pretzels by crossing the top of each strip and wrapping them together, then aligning the bottom part of the strips and twisting them to form a heart shape. If you prefer a different shape, feel free to shape them accordingly.
- Give the pretzels a baking soda bath. Boil a large pot of water and add baking soda. This ingredient is crucial for achieving the characteristic golden color and texture of pretzels. Reduce the heat to low, then, using a slotted spoon, carefully dunk each heart-shaped dough piece into the baking soda solution for about 10 seconds. Remove and place the shaped pretzels in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake. Place the baking sheets in the oven and bake the pretzels for about 10 minutes, ensuring they don't overbake.
- Add the cinnamon sugar mix. Allow the pretzels to cool slightly after removing them from the oven, then brush them with melted butter and sprinkle them with a mixture of cinnamon and sugar before placing them on a cooling rack.
- Devour! Enjoy your homemade soft cinnamon sugar pretzels while they're still warm!
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can make the dough ahead of time and refrigerate it overnight. Shape and bake the pretzels when you're ready to enjoy them.
Nope! I get it, sometimes you just don't time to do all the twisting and manipulations of the pretzel dough. To make this super easy, simply roll the dough into strips, then cut into small pieces to make little cinnamon sugar pretzel bites. No shaping needed! (Making these into smaller bite-sized shapes also makes them an easy snack recipe for little hands!)
You can substitute some or all of the all-purpose flour with whole wheat flour for a slightly different texture and flavor.
These babies are delicious all on their own, but if you want to take this snack up a notch, try serving them with a sweet cream cheese dip! Simply mix 4 oz of cream cheese, 3 tablespoon butter, 1 cup powdered sugar, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract, and 2 tablespoon heavy cream in a mixing bowl until smooth. Delicious!
These classic homemade soft pretzels are best served hot and fresh. However, if you need to store them, here's how you do it. Like many quick breads, these are best stored in a container that has a bit of air flow. This will help to ensure they don't get too soggy or soft on the outside by the next day. So don't use an airtight container. A paper bag, or a container with a lid slightly ajar works well for these easy cinnamon sugar pretzels.
These Homemade Soft Cinnamon Sugar Pretzels are a delicious treat that your entire family will love. Be ready for this simple snack to become a staple in your home. Whether you're enjoying quality time with your kids, looking for a sweet snack, or adding a festive touch to your holiday season, these homemade pretzels are the best.
If you try these Homemade Soft Cinnamon Sugar Pretzels, please let me know what you think in the comments below. And don't forget to tag me with a pic on Instagram @frontrangefed.
More Great Snacks Recipes
- Maple Spiced Roasted Walnuts
- Apple Chips With Maple Tahini Dip
- Deviled Eggs With Bacon And Jalapeno
- Chunky Guacamole Recipe
- No Bake Peanut Butter Energy Balls
- The Best Cinnamon Sugar Ratio For Toast
Recipe
Homemade Soft Cinnamon Sugar Pretzels
Ingredients
- 1 packet active dry yeast
- 1 ½ cup warm milk
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 3-4 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- ½ cup baking soda
- 4 cups boiling water
- 4 tablespoon cinnamon sugar mix get the cinnamon sugar mix recipe here)
- 4 tablespoon butter, melted
Instructions
- In a small bowl, dissolve the sugar and yeast in the warm milk and let sit for about 10 minutes until the mixture is creamy and bubbly.
- Mix 3 cups of flour, brown sugar and salt together in a large mixing bowl or stand mixer. Create a well in the middle and add the milk/yeast mixture and the vegetable oil to the center. Stir to combine, and add extra flour if needed. Knead the dough well until it becomes smooth. (You can also use your hook attachment on a stand mixer for this.)
- Place the dough in a large, lightly oiled bowl covered with a towel. Allow dough to rise in a warm place for about 1.5 hours, or until doubled in size.
- Heat your oven to 450 degrees and line two baking sheets with lightly oiled parchment paper.
- Once the dough has risen, roll it out into a rectangle and cut it into strips.
- Shape strips of dough into hearts. (See step-by-step instructions for this in the photo above.)
- In a large pot, bring 4 cups of water to a boil and add the baking soda.
- Reduce heat to low and, using a slotted spoon, dunk your dough hearts into the water for about 10 seconds each, then place them onto the baking sheets.
- Bake pretzels for about 8-10 minutes, then remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly.
- While pretzels are baking, mix the cinnamon and sugar together, and melt your butter. (Learn how to make a big batch of the best cinnamon sugar ratio here.)
- Once out of the oven, brush the melted butter over the pretzels, then dredge them in the cinnamon-sugar mixture.
- Allow pretzels to cool slightly on a rack before eating (although these are best eaten when warm!)
Nutrition
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