Air Fryer Cinnamon Pretzel Bites
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These air fryer cinnamon pretzel bites are an easy snack or dessert to whip up when you have a sweet tooth. Made from frozen pizza dough, water, baking soda, egg, unsalted butter, sugar, and brown sugar, these soft pretzel bites are going to be your new favorite treat!
It takes less than a half-hour to make this perfect little treat. This recipe makes about 40 bites, enough to feed a crowd!
I have found that making desserts in the Air Fryer, like Air Fryer Doughnuts or Chocolate Chip Cookies, is a fun way to make your classic dessert favorites without having to heat up your main oven.
Plus, the air fryer proves to be the perfect method for making soft pretzel bites as you will see when you give this recipe a try.
If this cinnamon sugar snack sounds like something you’d fall in love with, you should try my Air Fryer Cinnamon Roll recipe, Cinnamon Roll Apple Upside Down Cake, Churro Ritz Bites, and Cinnamon Sugar Chex Mix as well.
Ingredients
This section includes ingredient notes and substitution options. Get all measurements, ingredients, and instructions in the printable recipe card at the end of this post.
- Frozen pizza dough— let it get to room temperature so it’s easier to use
- Baking soda— be sure to use fresh stuff, opened within the last 6 months.
- Egg— to mix with water to make your egg wash. The egg gives the bites their golden color.
- Butter— melted butter helps the cinnamon sugar stick to the warm pretzel bites.
- Cinnamon— I like to use high-quality cinnamon like this Korintje cinnamon.
- Sugar— to mix with cinnamon to create the sweet factor
Supplies
- Air Fryer
- Saucepan – for baking soda bath
- Measuring cups and measuring spoons
- Slotted spoon
- Small bowls
- Pastry brush
- Pizza cutter– helpful for cutting the dough into smaller pieces
- Parchment paper
How to Make Air Fryer Cinnamon Pretzel Bites
This section shows you how to make the recipe with step-by-step photos and instructions. For the full printable recipe, see the recipe card below.
Step 1: Add water and baking soda to a small saucepan. Heat on low, stirring until the baking soda dissolves. Keep the pot over low heat while preparing the dough.
Step 2: Separate the dough into 4 sections. Roll each section into ropes about 1 ½ inch in diameter, then cut into 1-inch pieces.
Pro Tip: If your dough is sticky you can add some flour to make it easier to work with.
Step 3: Drop several pieces of dough into the baking soda bath at a time and remove with a slotted spoon after 10-15 seconds. Set on plate or parchment paper, trying to keep them from touching each other and sticking together.
Step 4: Preheat your Air Fryer to 390° F. While the Air Fryer is heating. make an egg wash by beating an egg with 1 teaspoon of water in a small bowl. Brush the egg wash onto the dough pieces.
Step 5: Spray the airfryer basket with non-stick cooking spray and place the dough pieces into the basket with some space in between each. Air fry for 5-6 minutes at 390° F, until lightly browned on top. Depending on the size of your air fryer you will likely have to cook them in a couple of batches.
Step 6: While the pretzels are cooking, prepare your cinnamon-sugar mixture by stirring together sugar and cinnamon in a shallow bowl.
Step 7: Once the pretzel bites are cooked, transfer them to a plate or parchment-lined baking sheet for easy cleanup. Dip each bite in butter, shake off excess, then roll in cinnamon sugar.
Pro Tip: When microwaving, cover the bowl of butter with a paper towel to prevent splatter.
Step 8: Serve warm or at room temperature, plain or with your favorite dipping sauce.
Storage
Room temperature. Leftover bites can be stored for 1-2 days in an airtight container or baggie at room temperature.
Freezer. You can also freeze pretzel bites before you coat them in cinnamon sugar. Allow them to come to room temperature after cooking then place them in a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before reheating and then coating in butter and the cinnamon and sugar mixture.
Reheating. To reheat your cinnamon sugar pretzel bites, pop them in the Air Fryer at 300° F for 2 minutes, or until warm.
Expert Tips and Tricks
- Room temperature dough works best. The dough needs to be thawed and room temperature so it can easily be rolled into ropes.
- Make the bites similar sizes. You can roll pieces into balls or leave them as cut bites for a more traditional pretzel bite shape. Just be sure they’re the same size so they all bake evenly.
- Don’t skip the baking soda bath step! It may seem a little unneeded, but the baking soda bath is necessary to get the chewy pretzel texture for making these cinnamon bites in the Air Fryer.
- Don’t be afraid to check on the bites as they cook. You want to make sure that you don’t overbake or burn the bites, so peek in on them as your near the end of the cook time.
Cinnamon Air Fryer Pretzel Bites: FAQ
I used a 4.2 quart air fryer and made my air fryer soft pretzel bites in three batches. You may need to adjust your batch size and cook time depending on the size, make, and model of your fryer.
If you don’t want to use frozen pizza dough, you can try crescent roll dough or pie crust dough. You may need to change the cook time on the air fryer depending on what dough you choose.
These Air Fryer Cinnamon Pretzel Bites are perfect all by themselves. But, you can also serve them with a yogurt or cream cheese dipping sauce. Alternatively, you can also serve with caramel sauce for a real decadent treat or a light sweet glaze made from melted butter, milk, powdered sugar, and vanilla.
No, you can leave your pretzels plain or sprinkle them with a bit of pretzel salt or kosher salt instead.
Grab the ingredients and make a batch and watch how both kids and adults will go crazy over these homemade Air Fryer Cinnamon Pretzel Bites every time you make them!
Air Fryer Cinnamon Pretzel Bites
Ingredients
- 16 ounces frozen pizza dough at room temperature
- ½ cup baking soda
- 4 cups water plus 1 teaspoon water
- 1 large egg
- ¼ cup unsalted butter melted
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Add water and baking soda to a small saucepan. Heat on low, stirring until the baking soda dissolves. Keep on low while preparing the dough.
- Separate the dough into 4 sections. Roll each section into ropes about 1 ½ inch in diameter, then cut into 1-inch pieces.
- Drop several pieces of dough into the baking soda bath at a time and remove with a slotted spoon after 10-15 seconds. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet or sheet of parchment paper.
- Preheat your Air Fryer to 390° F. While the Air Fryer is heating. make an egg wash by beating an egg with 1 teaspoon of water in a small bowl. Brush the egg wash onto the dough pieces.
- Spray the airfryer basket with non-stick cooking spray and place the dough pieces into the basket with some space in between each. Air fry for 5-6 minutes at 390° F, until lightly browned on top. Depending on the size of your air fryer you will likely have to cook them in a couple of batches.
- While the pretzels are cooking, prepare your cinnamon-sugar mixture by stirring together sugar and cinnamon in a shallow bowl.
- Transfer cooked pretzels to a sheet of parchment paper (for easy cleanup). Dip each bite in butter, shake off excess, and roll in cinnamon sugar.
- Serve warm or at room temperature, plain or with your favorite dipping sauce.
Notes
Nutrition
Did You Make This Recipe?
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Aren’t their options for making these recipes without an air fryer? Some of us don’t own one and don’t have room for yet another appliance in their kitchens.
Absolutely! You can bake the soft pretzel bites in the oven for at 425 F for 12-16 minutes, or until golden brown.