Cinnamon Sugar Soft Pretzels (Printable)

Warm, soft pretzels coated with cinnamon sugar and served alongside a vanilla cream cheese dip.

# What You'll Need:

→ Dough

01 - 1 1/2 cups warm water (110°F)
02 - 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
03 - 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
04 - 4 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting
05 - 1 teaspoon salt
06 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

→ Baking Soda Bath

07 - 1/2 cup baking soda
08 - 9 cups water

→ Cinnamon Sugar Coating

09 - 1/2 cup granulated sugar
10 - 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
11 - 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

→ Vanilla Cream Cheese Dip

12 - 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
13 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
14 - 1 cup powdered sugar
15 - 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
16 - 2 tablespoons milk

# How-To Steps:

01 - Combine warm water, yeast, and 1 tablespoon sugar in a large bowl. Let sit until foamy, about 5 minutes.
02 - Add flour, salt, and melted butter to yeast mixture. Stir with a wooden spoon until a shaggy dough forms.
03 - Knead dough on a floured surface for 5 to 7 minutes until smooth and elastic.
04 - Place dough in a greased bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm spot until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
05 - Preheat oven to 450°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
06 - Bring 9 cups water and baking soda to a boil in a large pot.
07 - Punch down dough and divide into 8 equal pieces. Roll each into a 20-inch rope and shape into pretzels.
08 - Dip each pretzel in the boiling baking soda bath for 20 to 30 seconds, then transfer to prepared baking sheets.
09 - Bake pretzels for 12 to 15 minutes until golden brown.
10 - Brush warm pretzels with melted butter and toss in the cinnamon sugar mixture.
11 - Beat cream cheese and softened butter until smooth, then add powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and milk. Beat until creamy.
12 - Serve pretzels warm alongside the vanilla cream cheese dip.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • These pretzels are soft inside, gently crisp outside—the baking soda bath does something magical that regular boiling water can't replicate.
  • The vanilla cream cheese dip makes them feel fancy enough for company but casual enough to eat straight from the pan.
  • They come together in under two hours and fill your kitchen with the kind of smell that makes people stay longer.
02 -
  • The baking soda bath is not optional—boiling water alone won't give you that pretzel texture or color, no matter how long you boil them.
  • Don't skip letting the dough rise fully; rushing this step means dense, gummy pretzels instead of the pillowy softness that makes them crave-worthy.
  • Brush the pretzels with butter while they're still warm so the cinnamon sugar actually adheres instead of sliding off your hands.
03 -
  • If your kitchen is cold, warm the bowl before adding dough, or set the dough to rise in your oven with just the light on—yeast loves warmth and rises predictably in consistent heat.
  • Make the dip while the pretzels bake; it takes five minutes and tastes better when you've just finished something warm and are about to dive into something cool and sweet.

Return