Air Fryer Soft Pretzels
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Air Fryer Soft Pretzels - Warm and salty soft pretzels made right in the air fryer! So amazing when dunked in your favorite cheese sauce!
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Is there anything better than walking through the mall and getting a whiff of the fresh giant pretzels being made in the food court? Those are some of my favorite memories from being a teenager!
This soft pretzel recipe lets you relive those memories in the comfort of your own home. Air Fryer Soft Pretzels make for a delicious snack and it's a fun recipe that you could make with your kids or grandkids. I love making air fryer pretzels with my kids for a snack when we have movie nights.
If you want to change things up a bit, you can sprinkle your finished pretzels with a little cinnamon sugar and use icing as a dip instead of cheese. You could also make them smaller and in stick shape to make them easier for dipping. That's what's so great about this air fryer pretzel recipe, it's so versatile!
HOW TO MAKE SOFT PRETZELS IN THE AIR FRYER
To make these delicious pretzels, you'll need:
- Warm water
- Active dry yeast
- Salt
- Sugar
- Flour
- Egg
- Coarse sea salt
Whisk together warm water in yeast until the yeast is mainly dissolved. A few chunks may remain, but for the most part, you are going to want to ensure the majority of the yeast is dissolved.
Add the salt and sugar to the warm yeast water and whisk it again.
Start adding the flour to the mixture one cup at a time and stir as you add. Stir with a wooden spoon until the dough is no longer sticky.
Poke the dough with your fingers and if it bounces back it's ready for kneading and if it doesn't you want to keep stirring.
Once it is ready for kneading, knead the dough for about 3 minutes on a floured surface and then cut the dough into 8 equal parts.
HOW TO SHAPE DOUGH INTO A PRETZEL
To shape each part of dough into a pretzel, follow these steps:
- Roll each piece into a rope that is about 20" long with an equal diameter throughout the whole rope.
- To shape the pretzel in the common pretzel form, hold one end of the rope in each hand and form a u-shape.
- Then, you will cross the end over each other twice.
- Lift the ends across to the bottom of the U shape and press into the bottom of the U to seal them there.
- Repeat the same shaping steps with the other 7 remaining ropes of dough.
Brush each pretzel with the egg wash.
Sprinkle the pretzels with the coarse sea salt.
Place the pretzels in a greased air fryer two at a time.
Air fry at 330º Fahrenheit for 6 to 8 minutes or until they are lightly browned.
Then, get ready to dip and enjoy!
HOW LONG DO I COOK PRETZELS IN THE AIR FRYER?
In most air fryers, 6 to 8 minutes at 330º Fahrenheit is all the time you'll need for your pretzels. However, just like ovens, everybody's air fryer can be a little bit different.
You'll want to keep an eye on your pretzels. Once they turn a little golden brown, that will mean they are done.
WHAT ARE THE BEST DIPPING SAUCES FOR PRETZELS?
It's hard to say which dipping sauce is best for soft pretzels because everybody has a personal taste preference, but here are some common ones that almost everybody loves.
HOW DO I STORE LEFTOVER SOFT PRETZELS?
Store your leftover air fryer pretzels in either a ziploc bag or an airtight container - and keep them in the fridge. They will last for about a week.
CAN I FREEZE AIR FRYER PRETZELS?
For best results, freeze your air fryer pretzels in a freezer bag for up to three months.
LOOKING FOR OTHER APPETIZERS TO MAKE IN THE AIR FRYER?
- Apple Fries
- Potato Chips
- Onion Rings
- French Fries
- Chicken Wings
- Carrot Fries
- Fried Pickle Chips
- Avocado Wedges
Air Fryer Soft Pretzels
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups warm water
- 1 packet (2 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 3 ¾-4 cups flour
- 1 egg (whisked)
- Coarse sea salt
Instructions
- Whisk warm water and yeast together until yeast is dissolved. A few chunks may remain.
- Add salt and sugar and whisk again.
- Add flour one cup at a time. Stir with a wooden spoon until the dough is no longer sticky.
- Poke the dough with your finger. if it bounces back, it is ready to be kneaded.
- Knead the dough for about 3 minutes on a floured surface.
- Cut the dough into 8 equal parts.
- Roll each piece into a rope (about 20 inches long) with equal diameter throughout.
- To shape the pretzel, hold one end of the rope in each hand and form a U-shape.
- Cross the ends over each other twice.
- Lift the ends across to the bottom of the U-shape and press to seal. Repeat with remaining 7 pieces.
- Brush each pretzel with egg wash and sprinkle with coarse sea salt.
- Place pretzels in a greased air fryer two at a time.
- Air fry at 330º Fahrenheit for 6-8 minutes or until they are lightly browned.
- Serve with your favorite cheese sauce or dip.
Notes
- Don't overlap your pretzels in the air fryer, or they may not cook evenly.
- Serve your pretzels with mustard, cheddar cheese sauce, honey mustard, or beer cheese dip.
- Store leftover pretzels in a Ziploc bag for up to a week.
I was excited to try this recipe as my husband loves fresh pretzels. While the recipe and execution were easy enough, the pretzels didn't turn out like pretzels. They didn’t brown - ended up putting them in longer, they were very dense, and tasted like regular bread.
Did you brush the pretzels with the egg wash? That step is what helps them brown and gives them more of that classic pretzel look and flavor. Also, be careful not to add too much flour, as that can make them dense. I hope you’ll give them another try!