Air Fryer Pretzel Bites

Air Fryers are great for cooking because they are quick, and evenly cook food. I love using mine to make snacks like these pretzel bites.

If you are looking for a healthy alternative to your favorite deep fried snacks, then I recommend investing in an air fryer because it cooks well without oil.

Why I Love This Recipe

These Air Fryer Pretzel Bites are a great alternative to your favorite deep fried snacks, plus they are easy to make.

Easy to make
Fun to make
Always a hit at parties
Perfect for picky eaters

If you love easy air fryer recipes, next time give this Air Fryer Tortilla Chips recipe a try.

Ingredients

You only need a handful of ingredients to help you make this family-friendly snack. You will love this tasty recipe.

Dough:

water {~110 degrees F}
active yeast
all-purpose flour
sea salt
sugar
Coarse kosher salt for topping to taste

Baking Soda Bath:

water
baking soda

Substitutions

Water: For the dough, I sometimes use warm milk instead of warm water to add a bit more flavor to the dough.

Salt: Regular sea salt is fine with this recipe, although I strongly suggest using pretzel salt if you can get your hands on it.

Equipment Needed / Helpful Tools

You only need a few kitchen tools for this recipe. Gather these tools and get ready for a tasty snack.

Air fryer
Measuring cups
Measuring spoons
Bowl
Knife
Dough hook and electric mixer – used to make the dough. (Optional)
Weighing scale – used to divide the dough evenly. (Optional)

How to Make Air Fryer Pretzel Bites

Making homemade pretzel bites is so easy with this air fryer recipe. Follow the simple steps below and you will be enjoying this snack in no time at all.

Step 1: Bloom the yeast in a bowl

In a mixing bowl, combine the water and yeast and stir.

Step 2: Add flour and sugar to the yeast mixture 

Add flour, sugar, and sea salt, and mix until it is completely combined.

flour, sugar and yeast mixture in a white bowl

Step 3: Knead the dough to develop the gluten

With floured hands, knead the dough for 1 minute or use a dough hook in an electric mixer, until it forms into a ball. Divide the dough into eighths.

Step 4: Roll the dough into ropes

On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into ropes.

dough rolled into ropes and some cut pieces on a wooden cutting board

Step 5: Slice the dough into pieces and then put into baking soda bath

With a knife, slice the dough into 1-inch pieces and bathe the pieces in a baking soda bath for 30 seconds.

pieces of dough soaking in baking soda bath

Step 6: Spray the air fryer basket with oil

Spray the basket of the air fryer with oil. Place pretzel bites into the basket, giving them enough room to expand. 

Step 7: Air fryer until lightly browned

Cook for 6 minutes at 390 degrees F, or until lightly browned on top. Remove and brush with melted butter and sprinkle with kosher salt to taste.

cooked pretzel bites inside the air fryer

Variations / Options / Add-Ins

Do you want to change up this recipe? Here are a few of my tried and true swaps for this recipe.

Cinnamon pretzel bites: Upgrade your salted pretzel bites into delicious cinnamon pretzels by coating each pretzel with a mixture of melted butter, sugar, and cinnamon powder. A treat that the kids will love.

Store-bought dough: Don’t like making your dough? I feel you. Luckily, you can buy canned refrigerated biscuit dough for this recipe, so you won’t have to waste energy on making dough.

Extra flavor: I sometimes mix a dash of garlic powder into my melted butter before brushing it on top of the pretzel bites to add flavor to my dish.

Serving Suggestion

Dunk these easy pretzel bites in these dipping sauce suggestions for a more enjoyable snack:

Greek yogurt ranch
Beer cheese
Mustard
Peanut butter
Chocolate
Swiss Cheese Fondue

Air Fryer Pretzel Bites on a pink plate with dipping sauce on the side and an air fryer in the background

Tips

Here are a few tips and tricks I’ve learned from making this recipe multiple times.

Do not overcrowd the air fryer basket: This will ensure that each pretzel bite has enough room to expand and get crispy.
The baking soda bath is essential: The baking soda bath is key to getting that crisp outer crust. Without it, your pretzels will be doughy.
Use a pastry brush to evenly coat the pretzel bites: This will help ensure that each piece is evenly coated with the melted butter mixture.
Do not forget to salt: The kosher salt adds a nice flavor to the dish and takes it to the next level.
Additional tip: If you want to make more pretzel bites, double the recipe and keep cooking until they are all browned!

FAQs

Do you have questions about this Air Fryer Pretzel Bites recipe? Here are the answers to the most commonly asked questions about this snack.

How to store

Pretzel bites can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days. To keep them crispy, reheat them in the oven at 350 degrees F until they are warm.

How to reheat

To reheat these pretzel bites, place them on a baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees F until they are warm. They can also be reheated in the air fryer at 390 degrees F for 2-3 minutes.

Can you freeze pretzel bites?

You can freeze pre-made pretzel bites by placing them in a ziploc bag. Add approximately 1 tablespoon of water to the bag before putting it in the freezer.

a closeup of a hand holding an Air Fryer Pretzel Bite

More Air Fryer Recipes

If you like air fryer recipes, give these recipes a try:

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📋 Recipe

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Air Fryer Pretzel Bites

Air Fryer Pretzel Bites

Why I Love This Recipe