One-Hour Chocolate and Cinnamon-Sugar Soft Pretzel Bites
Warm and fresh from the oven, these vegan pretzel bites are ridiculously good. They’re so easy to pop, one after another. The outside is firmer and chewy, while the inside remains soft and supple. The chocolate bites are dark and rich, and not overly sweet, while the cinnamon-sugar version has a nice pop of cinnamon flavor. The dough is easy to make and not sticky, making this a great recipe for newbie bread makers. I made half the batch as chocolate and half as cinnamon-sugar. Try simple buttery sea or Kosher salted bites, or use Parmesan cheese, garlic or onion powder for savory bites. They’re every bit as good as the pretzel bites you’ll find at the local mall, but cost less than a buck to make and are ready in an hour.
¼cupunsalted butteror vegan buttery spread melted for brushing/drizzling, divided
Chocolate Coating
½cupgranulated sugar
3tablespoonsunsweetened natural cocoa powder
Cinnamon-Sugar Coating
½cupgranulated sugar
3tablespoonscinnamon
Instructions
Pretzel Bites – To the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook (or large mixing bowl and hand-knead), combine flour, water, yeast, oil, sugar, optional salt, and knead for about 5 minutes, or until dough is soft, smooth, and has come together in a firm mass. If hand-kneading, you may need to knead a few minutes longer. Based brand of yeast used, water temperature will vary. Red Star Platinum yeast calls for a warmer temperature than most, 120 to 130F; other brands are lower, about 95 to 105F. Warm water according to the yeast manufacturer’s recommendations on the packaging. Taking the temperature with a digital thermometer is recommended, but if you’re not, make sure the water is warm, not hot. Err on the cooler rather than hotter side so you don’t kill the yeast.
Turn dough out onto a Silpat-lined countertop (provides nice traction) or just the bare counter. Divide dough in 4 equal-sized pieces.
Roll each piece of dough into a long rope spanning the length of a standard baking sheet (my baking sheet is 17 inches long).
Place the ropes onto a Silpat-lined or cooking sprayed baking sheet.
Score the dough with a pizza cutter into 1-inch pieces.
Separate the pieces so they’re not touching; set pan aside while oven preheats.
Preheat oven to 350F; this generally takes about 10 to 15 minutes and this is all the dough rises for.
Bake for about 16 to 17 minutes, or until barely golden, firm, and cooked through (taste one to make sure). Keep a watchful eye in the last few minutes of baking so they don’t burn.
Set pan aside while you melt the butter, about 30 seconds on high power in the microwave.
With the bites still on the baking tray (nicely contains the butter mess), brush generously with melted butter; set aside.
Chocolate Coating – In a small bowl, stir to combine the cocoa and sugar until well mixed. Turn mixture out into a gallon-sized ziptop bag.
Add about half the pretzels to the bag, seal the top, and gently shake to disperse coating mixture evenly over pretzels, continuing to tip the bag from side to side, upside-down, and back and forth. Open bag and serve.
Cinnamon-Sugar Coating – In a small bowl, stir to combine the cinnamon and sugar until well mixed. Turn mixture out into a gallon-sized ziptop bag.
Add about half the pretzels to the bag, seal the top, and gently shake to disperse coating mixture evenly over pretzels, continuing to tip the bag from side to side, upside-down, and back and forth. Open bag and serve.
Pretzels are best warm and fresh, but will keep airtight for up to 2 days. Before eating leftovers, heat for 5 seconds in micro to soften them up.