Pumpkin Spice Pretzel Bites with Cream Cheese Dip
Sweet, soft and chewy Pumpkin Spice Pretzel Bites are a delicious fall treat that are sure to rival anything you can find at your local pretzel kiosk. A buttery, pillowy soft treat with sweet and warming spices coating a tangy, yeasted pretzel dough.
Soft Pumpkin Spice Pretzels Recipe
Long-time readers know my daughter is an avid pumpkin spice fan and every year, about mid-May, I start having to fight off all pumpkin-related requests.
The state of our past negotiations has been that pumpkin-related recipes can commence after our last beach visit of the year. But this year, we’re visiting a few friends in Hawaii in mid-October, so negotiations have been re-opened…
And as you can see, that has resulted in today’s pumpkin spice pretzel bites being made in early September. Whatever, I can put up with developing a few pumpkin-related recipes knowing that I still have a Hawaiian vacation ahead of me. (First world problems, am I right?)
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.
These pumpkin spice pretzel bites are the perfect fall treat, especially for Halloween parties or Super Bowl get-togethers. The toothsome, chewy texture is so satisfying when paired with the sweet sugar and warm pumpkin spices coating the butter drenched pretzel bites.
Making your own pretzel bites might seem intimidating but I’ve tested this recipe multiple times and it is absolutely fool-proof. Even if you’ve never made a yeasted dough, I guarantee you’ll see success with this easy homemade pretzel recipe.
I have used this base recipe to make a variety of homemade pretzel bites:
- cinnamon sugar pretzel bites
- pecan crunch pretzel bites
- jalapeno pepper and cheese pretzel bites
- cheddar cheese pretzel bites
- and of course, salted pretzel bites
As always, if you run into issues, leave me a comment and I’ll get back to you as soon as I can. (As long as I’m not laid out on a Hawaiian beach – in that case, you’re on your own!)
Pumpkin Spice Pretzel Variations:
- make as classic twisted pretzels (view a video with full directions here) or pretzel twists (sticks)
- use cinnamon sugar instead of pumpkin spice
- form the pretzel dough to make pretzel-style bagels
- incorporate 2 Tablespoons of pumpkin puree, but for even more profound flavor, use a touch of pumpkin flavouring
- use boiled apple cider instead of water for the dough
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.
Can I use baking powder instead of baking soda for the baking soda bath? In a pinch, you can use baking powder for this step but you will need 2-3 times the amount to achieve the same result, about 3/4 cup of baking powder.
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 Pumpkin Spice Pretzel Bites:
Below I describe how to make a homemade cream cheese dip, but if you’d like a different dip to serve alongside out pumpkin spice pretzels, check out:
- Homemade Soft Caramel Dip
- Honey
- Homemade Nutella
- Chocolate Ganache from Sally’s Baking Addiction
- Salted Creme Brulee Sauce from H-E-B
Ingredients for Pumpkin Spice Pretzel Bites
- Yeast
- Warm Water (between 90-110F)
- Melted Butter
- White Sugar
- Salt
- All-Purpose Flour, as needed
- Water
- Baking Soda
For the Pumpkin Spice Coating:
- White Sugar
- Pumpkin Pie Spice <– grab our homemade pumpkin pie spice recipe here
- Melted Butter
For the Cream Cheese Frosting Dip:
- Cream Cheese, softened at room temperature
- Butter, softened at room temperature
- Powdered Icing Sugar, or more as needed
- Vanilla Extract
- Milk, as needed
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 Pumpkin Spice 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 the 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.
Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
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 roll pieces 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. Meanwhile, melt your butter and combine the white sugar and pumpkin pie spice (I prefer to do this in two batches as the mixtures can get messy).
Dip each pretzel bite in the melted butter then coat completely in the pumpkin spice mixture. Lay each pretzel bite on the prepared baking sheets and bake for 8-10 minutes until golden brown.
For the cream cheese frosting dip, beat together the cream cheese and butter until light and completely combined.
Beat in the powdered icing sugar for 2 minutes, then add the vanilla extract and milk. Adjust the consistency to your personal preferences with additional powdered sugar or milk.
Serve the pumpkin spice pretzel bites with the cream cheese dip.
Makes approximately 6 servings of 10-12 pretzel bites each.
Pin this Easy Crunchy Pumpkin Spice Pretzel Bite recipe for an indulgent fall treat:
Grab your free printable recipe card for our homemade pumpkin spice pretzel bite recipe:
Want to Save This Recipe?
Enter your email & I'll send it to your inbox. Plus, get great new recipes from me every week!
By submitting this form, you consent to receive emails from Sugar, Spice and Glitter.
Pumpkin Spice Pretzel Bites
Ingredients
For the Pretzel Dough:
- 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
- 2 cups Water
- 4 Tablespoons Baking Soda
For the Pumpkin Spice Coating:
- 1 cup White Sugar
- 4 Tablespoons Pumpkin Pie Spice
- 1 cup Melted Butter
For the Cream Cheese Dip:
- 4oz Cream Cheese, softened at room temperature
- 2 Tablespoons Butter, softened at room temperature
- 1 cup Powdered Icing Sugar, or more as needed
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 2 Tablespoons Milk, as needed
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine yeast, warm water, melted butter, sugar and salt. Stir and let yeast bubble for 5 minutes.
- Stir in the 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.
- Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- 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 roll pieces 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. Meanwhile, melt your butter and combine the white sugar and pumpkin pie spice (I prefer to do this in two batches as the mixtures can get messy).
- Dip each pretzel bite in the melted butter then coat completely in the pumpkin spice mixture. Lay each pretzel bite on the prepared baking sheets and bake for 8-10 minutes until golden brown.
- For the cream cheese frosting dip, beat together the cream cheese and butter until light and completely combined.
- Beat in the powdered icing sugar for 2 minutes, then add the vanilla extract and milk. Adjust the consistency to your personal preferences with additional powdered sugar or milk.
- Serve the pumpkin spice pretzel bites with the cream cheese dip.
- Makes approximately 6 servings of 10-
Recommended Products
As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
6Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 840Total Fat: 44gSaturated Fat: 27gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 13gCholesterol: 116mgSodium: 3230mgCarbohydrates: 104gFiber: 3gSugar: 53gProtein: 9g
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 loves this easy pumpkin spice pretzel bite recipe as much as mine does!
For more beautiful breads, check out our full bread recipe collection here:
For more decadent desserts, check out our full dessert recipe collection here:
Nice post
Thank you!
You have my deepest gratitude for the details and recommendations you have offered. For more, I shall try to get a better grasp on it.