This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy.
Easy homemade Soft Pretzels are gluten free and taste just like the original jumbo pretzels you’d find at the mall! These fluffy and golden, oven baked pretzels are chewy and salty on the outside and soft on the inside. Perfect for dipping in your favorite cheese dips and sauces!
Soft Gluten Free Pretzels Made From Scratch
I’ll admit, there’s something about the texture of the authentic soft pretzels you find at the fair or the mall that is ultra comforting. I think we can all agree that there needs to be a perfect balance of chewy and salty on the outside, fluffy and soft on the inside, that makes these baked treats just so good. With this easy recipe, you’ll be able to make your own delicious, soft and fluffy pretzels from scratch!
Don’t get it twisted (pun very much intended) – homemade soft pretzels are actually super straightforward. You wouldn’t believe they’re gluten free! Not only does this recipe deliver the best golden baked pretzels you’ve ever tasted, but homemade pretzels = gluten free soft pretzels whenever the craving strikes. That’s a cause I’ll totally get behind.
What You’ll Need
With only a small list of ingredients, these soft pretzels are quick and easy to make in an afternoon. Here’s what you’ll need:
- Flour: Gluten-free all-purpose flour works best for this recipe. I recommend Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 Gluten Free Baking Blend.
- Instant Yeast: Make sure to check the expiration date and pick up an extra packet, just in case!
- Baking Powder: For leavening.
- Xanthan Gum: Acts as a thickener and helps bind the ingredients in these homemade gluten-free pretzels.
- Honey: Brings a little natural sweetness to the dough.
- Butter: Unsalted, softened.
- Coarse salt: For sprinkling.
- Eggs
- Milk
How to Make Gluten Free Pretzels
I really love how simple this pretzel recipe is. You can even get the kids involved when it comes to rolling and twisting the dough! Here are the steps:
Make the Dough: Mix your dry and wet ingredients separately, and then combine them in a stand mixer to form the pretzel dough.
Leave the Dough to Rise: Leave the dough to rise in a greased bowl covered with a dish towel, until it’s about doubled in size.
Roll Out the Pretzels: While the oven preheats, divide the dough and roll the pieces into equal sized ropes (aim for about half an inch thick). Twist the ropes into pretzels and then place them onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Finally, brush the tops of the pretzels with melted butter and give them a sprinkle of coarse salt.
Bake: Pop the pretzels into the oven to bake until the tops are golden and the centers are still soft. Enjoy warm or cool on a rack if you are going to save them for later.
Can I Make These Ahead of Time?
You can prepare and store the pretzel dough ahead of time! Homemade pretzel dough will keep for about a week in the fridge, until you’re ready to bake it. The same goes for shaping the dough in advance, just keep the pretzels chilled until you’re ready to bake.
Baked pretzels are also easy to store and reheat, or keep frozen. See more guidance on this below!
Tips for Success
- If Your Dough Is Sticky: If you find that the dough is sticky while handling, place it in the fridge or freezer to chill for a bit. Another trick is to coat your hands with a little bit of oil (like canola oil) to make it easier to roll out the dough.
- Leave Enough Space on the Baking Sheet: These doughy soft pretzels will expand while baking, so use a large enough pan and leave decent space between the pretzels to prevent them running together.
Variation Ideas
These soft pretzels are delicious as is, or you can change up the toppings and ingredients to your preference. Here are some fun variations for homemade soft pretzels:
- For cinnamon sugar pretzels, bake the pretzels first and only brush on the butter afterwards, then sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.
- Try these pretzels topped with sesame seeds.
- Sprinkle the tops with Everything Seasoning for an everything bagel-inspired twist.
- Make garlic bread soft pretzels, by adding minced garlic and herbs into the melted butter before brushing it over the pretzel tops.
Serving Suggestions
Anyone familiar with pretzels of the mall variety knows that when it comes to serving, cheese dip is a classic! Luckily, there are tons of easy make-at-home dip recipes that go great with these homemade pretzels.
Here are some of my favorite savory and sweet pretzel dips:
- Easy Cheese Dip
- Homemade Honey Mustard
- Chocolate Sauce or Nutella (for a grown-up twist, try my 5-minute recipe for Bailey’s Chocolate Sauce!)
- Marinara Sauce
- Cranberry Dijon Dipping Sauce
Storage and Reheating
Store leftover soft pretzels in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days. If you’d like to reheat them, I’d recommend popping them in the microwave for a few seconds until warmed through.
Can I Freeze Homemade Soft Pretzels?
You can freeze soft pretzels either before or after baking. To freeze the dough, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and store until you’re ready to bake it. Thaw the dough completely and then roll out the pretzels and bake as usual.
You can also bake the pretzels, allow them to cool and then store them wrapped or otherwise airtight in the freezer. Whenever a pretzel craving strikes, just bake them straight from frozen for a few minutes at 400 degrees.
More Easy Gluten Free Recipes
- Gluten Free Garlic Butter Dinner Rolls
- Gluten Free BBQ Chicken Pizza
- Honey Mustard Chicken Bites
- Vegetarian Bell Pepper Nachos
- Bacon Cheddar Baked Polenta Fries
Gluten Free Soft Pretzels
Ingredients
- 1 3/4 cups gluten-free all-purpose flour (recommended: Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 Gluten Free Baking Blend)
- 1 tsp instant yeast
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp xanthan gum
- 1/2 cup water
- 2 tbsp honey
- 2 eggs, room temperature
- 2 tbsp softened unsalted butter, divided
- 1 tbsp milk
- coarse salt
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the flour, yeast, salt and baking powder. Blend with a paddle attachment. With the mixer running, sprinkle in the xanthan gum. Turn the speed to medium-high for a few seconds to make sure the gum is very well combined.
- Place the water in a glass measuring cup. Add the honey and microwave for 30-60 seconds, until warm. Add the eggs to the measuring cup and whisk with a fork to combine. Add the butter and milk.
- Pour the liquid ingredients into the mixing bowl and blend for 3-4 minutes, until the dough comes together into a smooth ball. Add another 1-2 tablespoons of milk if the dough is dry.
- Remove the dough from the bowl, grease the bowl with nonstick spray, then return the dough to the bowl. Cover with a dish towel and place somewhere warm to rise for 45 to 60 minutes, until doubled in size.
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Divide the dough into 6 equal pieces. Roll the pieces into ropes about ½-inch thick. Shape the ropes into pretzels and place the shaped pretzels on a baking sheet. Melt the remaining tablespoon of butter and brush the pretzels with the butter. Sprinkle with salt.
- Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, until soft in the center and golden on top.
Notes
Did you make this?
Leave a rating below and tag @cupcakesandkalechips on Instagram and hashtag it #cupcakesandkalechips
Hi Brianne,
Thank you so much for writing this recipe, it looks really good! My sister has been craving soft pretzels, and this seems like something easy to make for her (I’m definitely a beginner baker) I was wondering if you had a suggestion for what to substitute for the honey (my sister is allergic), if anything. Thank you!
You could try agave syrup or maybe even maple syrup.