Jalapeño Cheddar Pretzel Bites
Today’s homemade pretzel bites recipe is salty, buttery, cheesy and just a bit spicy! Homemade Jalapeño Cheddar Pretzel Bites are the perfect snack for enjoying while watching the game or just a delicious way to satisfy a serious carb craving.
Jalapeño Pretzel Bites Recipe
I think my daughter’s favorite appetizer has to be jalapeño poppers while I am a serious carb craver. So, the best way to keep us both happy? These jalapeño cheddar pretzel bites!
They are chewy, buttery and cheesy with the perfect amount of zingy, tangy, acidic bite from pickled jalapeños. They taste like they came straight from a restaurant – or everyone’s favorite mall pretzel kiosk.
Once you get the hang of making this super easy yeasted dough, you’ll be able to give it your own twist and come up with a variety of unique ways to enjoy it.
I have used this base recipe to make a variety of homemade pretzel bites:
- cinnamon sugar pretzel bites
- pecan crunch pretzel bites
- cheddar cheese pretzel bites
- pumpkin spice pretzel bites
- and of course, salted soft pretzel bites
Don’t skip the baking soda bath or you will just end up with jalapeño cheddar bread bites! It is the key to not only imparting that signature salty pretzel taste, but also the golden, chewy crust that is the best part of a pretzel (to me, at least).
Jalapeño Cheddar Pretzel Bite Variations:
- for this recipe, you can use fresh or pickled jalapeños – pickled doesn’t have the same heat as fresh and adds an extra hit of tang
- top with some freshly grated Parmesan for an extra hit of salt and umami flavor
- add a sprinkling of seasoning – Italian herbs or cajun seasoning would be delicious
- use different cheese – for added spice, use a monterrey jack (pepper jack) cheese
- can make into longer pretzel twists (sticks) or traditional twisted pretzels
- for a spicier pretzel, add red chile flakes or a different, spicier chopped pepper
Just like with the pretzels you can get at the mall, homemade pretzel bites are best enjoyed soon after making – ideally within a couple of hours, or at least the same day.
However, they can be stored at room temperature for up to 2 days. I recommend storing them in a paper bag as the bag doesn’t trap moisture in like a sealed plastic or glass container would. Trapped moisture will cause these pretzel bites to become soggy quickly.
Your best bet if needing to make ahead of time is to either freeze the baked pretzel bites OR to pre-make the dough and refrigerate that for up to 2 days before baking.
How to freeze pretzel bites: Pretzel bites can be frozen for up to 2 months in airtight ziptop freezer bags or your favorite freezer containers. (This set of freezer containers is a crazy bargain.)
How to make vegan pretzel bites (or dairy-free pretzel bites): Swap out the butter called for in our recipe for margarine (or your favorite “plant-based butter”) and use water instead of milk. The texture will be slightly different, but only slightly.
Is active dry yeast the same as instant yeast? You can use either yeast in this recipe. Active dry yeast needs to be dissolved in water or a liquid to activate, while instant yeast does not. Instant yeast then removes the need to proof the yeast for 5 minutes in the warm water – but I still always allow it to sit and bubble while I work on measuring out and preparing my other ingredients.
What to Serve with Jalapeño Cheddar Pretzel Bites:
I give a recipe for homemade honey mustard dip below (my personal preference to serve with these pretzel bites) but if you’d like something else, here are a few recommendations:
- Bacon Ale Cheese Dip
- Hot Spinach Dip
- Creamy Jalapeño Ranch Dip
- Rotel Dip
- Blue Cheese Dip from Kylee Cooks
- Spicy Brown Mustard Sauce from Food Republic
Jalapeño Cheese Pretzel Bites Ingredients
- Yeast
- Warm Water (between 90-110F)
- Melted Butter
- White Sugar
- Salt
- All-Purpose Flour, as needed
- Shredded Cheese
- Diced Jalapeño Peppers
- Water
- Baking Soda
Honey Mustard Dip Ingredients:
Scroll down to the printable recipe card for full measurements.
Tip: read the recipe fully before making the pretzels – note that the baking soda is not meant to be added to the pretzel dough, it is used to make a baking soda bath to soak the pretzels before baking.
Kitchen Tools You May Find Helpful
- Measuring Cups and Spoons
- Mixing Bowl
- Saucepan
- Wooden Spoon or Spatula <– I like these spatulas because they are one solid piece and don’t have removable heads for bacteria to get trapped underneath. Plus they are heat-resistant and have a lifetime warranty
- Spider Strainer
- Pastry Brush <– I like these for the same reasons I mentioned for the spatulas above (and they also have a lifetime warranty)
- Cookie Sheet
- Silicone Baking Mat
How to Make Jalapeño Pretzel Bites
In a large bowl, combine yeast, warm water, melted butter, sugar and salt. Stir and let yeast bubble for 5 minutes.
Stir in 2 1/2 cups of the flour plus 3/4 cup of shredded cheese.
Stir in additional flour, as needed to form a cohesive dough.
Fold the dough out onto a clean surface and knead for 5 minutes.
Place dough back in bowl and cover with a clean kitchen towel. Set in a warm spot of your kitchen and allow dough to rise until doubled, about 15-20 minutes.
Preheat oven to 475F.
Boil 4 cups of water and dissolve baking soda in it. Remove from heat and allow to cool until just warm.
Divide pretzel dough into 8 equal pieces, then knead the diced jalapeño peppers into each piece.
Roll each dough section into 1″ thick ropes.
Use a sharp knife to cut the ropes into 1 1/2″ long pieces.
Place pretzel bites in the warm baking soda water for 2 minutes then move to a lined baking sheet.
Sprinkle pretzels with remaining cheddar cheese and bake for 8-10 minutes until golden brown.
For the honey mustard dip, combine all ingredients and adjust to taste.
Grab your free printable recipe card for our jalapeño cheddar pretzel bites recipe:
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Jalapeno Cheddar Pretzel Bites
Ingredients
For the Jalapeño Cheddar Pretzel Bites;
- 2 1/4 teaspoons Yeast
- 1 cup Warm Water (between 90-110F)
- 1 Tablespoon Melted Butter
- 1 teaspoon White Sugar
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 3 cups All-Purpose Flour, as needed
- 1 cup Shredded Cheese
- 1/4 cup Diced Jalapeño Peppers
- 2 cups Water
- 4 Tablespoons Baking Soda
For the Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce:
- 1 1/2 Tablespoons Mayonnaise
- 1 1/2 Tablespoons Whole Grain Mustard
- 1 1/2 Tablespoons Honey Mustard
- 1 teaspoon Honey
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine yeast, warm water, melted butter, sugar and salt. Stir and let yeast bubble for 5 minutes.
- Stir in 2 1/2 cups of the flour plus 3/4 cup of shredded cheese.
- Stir in additional flour, as needed to form a cohesive dough.
- Fold the dough out onto a clean surface and knead for 5 minutes.
- Place dough back in bowl and cover with a clean kitchen towel. Set in a warm spot of your kitchen and allow dough to rise until doubled, about 15-20 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 475F.
- Boil 4 cups of water and dissolve baking soda in it. Remove from heat and allow to cool until just warm.
- Divide pretzel dough into 8 equal pieces, then knead the diced jalapeño peppers into each piece.
- Roll each dough section into 1" thick ropes.
- Use a sharp knife to cut the ropes into 1 1/2" long pieces.
- Place pretzel bites in the warm baking soda water for 2 minutes then move to a lined baking sheet.
- Sprinkle pretzels with remaining cheddar cheese and bake for 8-10 minutes until golden brown.
- For the honey mustard dip, combine all ingredients and adjust to taste.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
6Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 376Total Fat: 13gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 26mgSodium: 3098mgCarbohydrates: 52gFiber: 2gSugar: 3gProtein: 12g
Sugar, Spice and Glitter uses an auto-generate nutrition calculator. Nutrition information isn’t always accurate unless analyzed in a scientific lab, so these should be considered more of a guideline than medical information.
I hope your family and friends love this easy jalapeño pretzel bites recipe as much as mine do!
For more beautiful breads, check out our full bread recipe collection here:
For more amazing appetizers, check out our full appetizer recipe collection here:
