Our easy Air Fryer Pretzel Bites cook in under 10 minutes with that perfect chewy texture and buttery, salty crust! These are begging to be dipped in your favorite cheese sauce!
When most people think of making their own pretzels they are either thinking of busting out a packet of yeast and a lot of flour to make pretzels from scratch, or they are thinking of making our air fryer frozen pretzels. There’s not a whole lot of in between when it comes to making pretzels – it’s either a whole process or it’s popping a frozen pretzel in to be warmed up.
Not anymore! We’re making a cheater version of pretzel bites in the air fryer.
These are perfect for sharing with a group of friends at the next football game or for just snuggling up with on the couch next to your honey (provided they’re good at sharing snacks and won’t hog the cheese sauce).
We love to use refrigerated dough in our air fryer recipes, as evidenced by our buffalo chicken bombs, air fryer pizza balls, and even our air fryer biscuit donuts.
Today, we’re using refrigerated pizza dough as an easy way to make pretzel bites in the air fryer!
Ingredient Notes:
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Dough – Grab a can of refrigerated pizza dough to keep this easy. We used the Pillsbury brand, but any brand is fine.
Baking Soda – We’re dipping the pretzel bites in a baking soda bath to give the pretzel bites a chewy bite and help them brown nicely.
Salt – You’ll want either kosher salt or pretzel salt to coat these pretzel bites. The big flakes of salt add the perfect flavor to these.
Pretzel bites are delicious on their own, but they really shine when you serve them with a dip! Warm nacho cheese is favorite for many. This beer cheese dip is one of my favorite things on the planet. I’m also partial to a spicy mustard if I am having an adult beverage with my snacks. Honey mustard is a great option too!
How to Make Homemade Pretzel Bites in an Air Fryer:
- Shape – Crack open your package of pizza dough and cut it into 4 big chunks. Roll each of these into a long snake about an inch thick (like playing with playdough). Cut these snakes into 1-inch long pieces and you should end up with just under 50 1-inch pieces of dough.
- Dip – In a mixing bowl combine hot water and baking soda. Whisk well to combine the ingredients. Use a slotted spoon to dunk each pretzel bite into the water and then let it rest on a paper towel lined baking sheet while prepping the next step. This will only be 30 seconds to a minute.
- Egg Wash – Add milk and the egg to a shallow dish and whisk to smooth. Brush each of your pretzel bites in the egg wash on the baking sheet, then sprinkle your salt over the top to taste.
- Air Fry – Spritz your air fryer basket with an oil mist or brush oil onto the basket. Arrange the bites evenly, don’t stack them, in your air fryer basket. Air fry for 8 minutes at 350 degrees F.
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Serving Suggestions:
These pretzel bites go great with a variety of dips! Try them with:
- Honey Mustard
- Warm Queso
- Nacho Cheese Sauce
- Spicy Brown Mustard
- Spinach Artichoke Dip
- Strawberry Jam
- Warm Nutella
- Caramel Sauce
- Cheese Soup
FAQ:
You can go totally from scratch and use flour, butter, warm water, and yeast to make pretzel bites, but we wanted an easy, fast version. Our air fryer pretzel bites start with a tube of refrigerated pizza dough.
No, these pretzel bites are made with traditional pizza dough made of wheat flour. These are not a good low carb option.
A dip of your choice like cheese. You could also serve them with other appetizers and make a combo of snacks for people to eat while chatting or walking around at a gathering!
Recipe Tips!
If you’re using a pizza dough that comes rolled in a tube, such as Pillsbury, we find it easiest to cut the entire roll into 4 pieces and then unroll each section. Fold each roll in half to make one shorter piece and then roll that together to make a rounded ‘snake’ of dough.
Comments & Reviews
Debs says
Followed the recipe and wow these bites were great. Used Walmart pizza dough tube. Only dunk the dough bites briefly. Served with warned pub cheese and mustard. Big hit!
Karly Campbell says
You’ve got me craving pretzels and pub cheese at 6am! 🙂 Thanks for the review!