Recipe

This post may contain affiliate links. Read our disclosure policy here.

Warm and fresh from the oven, these homemade cinnamon sugar pretzel bites are baked and dusted with cinnamon-sugar coating.

One bite into these fluffy, soft cinnamon sugar pretzel bites, and your family will be hooked!

Cinnamon Soft Pretzel Bites

My kids love the soft pretzels sold at the mall, so naturally, I had to make an easy homemade version. After testing this recipe a few times, I decided to make cinnamon sugar pretzel bites because they're easier eat, meaning a great treat for the lunchbox!

These pretzel bites with a delish cinnamon-sugar coating taste even better than those from the mall cart and are made completely from scratch. My kids beg me to make this recipe almost weekly and I don't blame them. These soft, sweet baked bites are perfect for little fingers and a delicious treat for kids and adults.

Ingredients

Time to gather everything you'll need to make these cinnamon soft pretzels. Measurements are in the printable recipe card below, but first, let me walk you through the ingredients:

Warm water: it should feel like a warm bath to activate the yeast.
Active dry yeast: makes these pretzel bites fluffy.
Bread flour: finer than regular flour for the softest bites!
Salt: to enhance all the tasty flavors.
Brown sugar: you can use light or dark brown sugar for this recipe.
Butter: the real deal. I like using unsalted, but you can also use salted.
Vegetable oil: a little to coat the dough before letting it rise.
Water: to boil the bites.
Baking soda: adding it to water gives the pretzel bites that tasty crust we all love.
Sugar: plain ole granulated white sugar for the cinnamon coating.
Cinnamon: the best part!!!

How to Make Soft Cinnamon Sugar Pretzels

If you've never worked with yeast, I'll walk you through the recipe, step by step- it's super easy. The hardest part is waiting for the dough to rise, but most of the time spent on this recipe is hands-off, so you can go get other things done while the dough rises.

Activate the yeast
Yeast activates by letting it stand for 10 minutes in warm water.
Make the dough
Combine flour, salt, brown sugar, butter, and activated yeast in your stand mixer. Then, switch to the bread hook attachment and mix for 5 minutes until the dough reaches an elastic consistency. Dust additional flour to make sure the dough doesn't stick to the bowl.
Let it rest
Shape the dough into a ball and let it rest overnight or 2 to 3 hours in a warm place. You can place it in the oven or microwave; just make sure both are turned off.
Prep for cooking
Preheat the oven and line the baking sheets. On the stove, bring water and baking soda to a boil.
Shape the dough
Meanwhile, divide the dough into quarters, then each one into 4 balls, the balls into ropes, and cut each rope into 6 pieces.
Baking soda bath
Boiling the bites for 30 seconds in water and baking soda gives them the classic taste and outer texture.
Bake
Transfer the bites to the baking sheets and bake for 8 to 10 minutes. For even cooking, switch the baking sheets between racks and rotate them halfway through.
Coat with cinnamon
Combine sugar and cinnamon, brush the pretzel bites with butter, and coat them in the cinnamon mixture. Enjoy!

Looking for more delicious snack recipes? Check out my cookbook, The Best Homemade Kids' Snacks on the Planet - I know you'll find something your kids will love!

Packing Them for School Lunches

These cinnamon sugar pretzel bites are a great kids' lunch box idea when you want to pack a treat. Trust me, your kid's face will light up to see a few freshly pretzel bites. To keep the bites intact until lunchtime, pack them separately in their own lunchbox compartment so they don’t absorb moisture or other flavors.

You can make them the weekend before and store them in the refrigerator for an easy snack or sweet treat later in the week. Just pop them in the oven to reheat and voila!

101 Packed Lunches eBook

All my best kid-friendly lunches from over a decade of creating meal plans. Add some variety to your child's lunchbox with these epic lunches, plus receive my Pack Meals Like a Pro ebook, free with purchase!

Grab the Book!

More School Lunch Sides & Treats

If you want to surprise your kids with other soft, sweet breads, these scones with cream are the best for the lunchbox. For the all-things-cinnamon lovers, these cinnamon sugar tortilla chips have all the deliciousness of churros in a portable version!

Other great school lunch sides are this blueberry yogurt parfait and this healthy recipe for homemade fruit leather. They are delicious, packed with good-for-you ingredients, and taste like a treat!

Cinnamon Sugar Pretzel Bites Recipe

Servings: 8

Prep Time: 10

Refrigerate:: 3

Cook Time: 10

Total Time: 3 20

Warm and fresh from the oven, these homemade cinnamon sugar pretzel bites are baked and dusted with cinnamon-sugar coating.

5 from 20 votes

Print Pin

Ingredients

For the pretzels:

1 cup of warm water, 100-110ºF
2 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast
3 cups bread flour, plus more for work surface
1 tablespoon salt
2 tablespoons brown sugar, packed
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
½ teaspoon vegetable oil
8 cups water
½ cup baking soda

For the cinnamon coating:

½ cup sugar
½ teaspoon cinnamon
3 tablespoons butter, melted

Instructions

Activate the yeast:

In a large bowl, stir together the warm water and yeast. Let stand for 10 minutes to activate the yeast.

Make the dough:

In the bowl of your stand mixer, combine the flour, salt, and brown sugar. Turn the mixer on low, and add the softened butter and activated yeast. Scrape the sides a few times to combine.
Switch the attachment to the bread hook and mix for another 5 minutes, dusting with a little more flour along the way to make sure it doesn't stick to the sides of the bowl.

Let it rest:

Once the dough is elastic, remove it from the mixing bowl, and shape it into a ball. Transfer it to a lightly greased bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover with a kitchen towel and let it rest overnight or 2-3 hours in a warm spot.

Prep for cooking:

Position one oven rack on the upper shelf and a second on the lower shelf. Preheat oven to 450F and generously grease 2 large baking sheets.
In a 5-quart saucepan, bring the water and baking soda to a boil.
Punch the down dough and divide into quarters. Form each quarter of dough into 4 balls. Roll each ball into a 12-inch long rope. Cut each rope into 6 2-inch pieces.

Cook:

Place a dozen pretzel bites into the boiling water and boil for 30 seconds. Using a slotted spoon, transfer onto the greased baking sheets.
Bake the pretzel bites in the preheated oven, switching baking sheets between racks and rotating the baking sheets halfway through baking, until browned, 8 to 10 minutes (watch closely toward the end of baking; bites brown quickly in the last few minutes). Immediately transfer pretzel bites to wire racks to cool.