Air Fryer Pretzels
Soft and chewy on the inside, with a crispy golden brown crust, Air Fryer Soft Pretzels taste just like the concession stand favorite. SO much better than frozen and you won’t believe how easy they are to make!
Homemade Soft Pretzels in the Air Fryer
Growing up, it was always a treat to get an Auntie Anne’s pretzel at the mall. Sometimes I craved those sweet cinnamon sugar crusted pretzels. Other days I wanted a plain salted pretzel to dip in their zippy honey mustard. My mouth is watering just thinking about it!
Now you can create that same mouth-watering pretzel snack at home, with an Air Fryer!
Yes, you’ve always been able to buy frozen soft pretzels to bake, but they’re nowhere near as delicious as a homemade soft pretzel from scratch.
And believe it or not, it’s actually pretty easy to make them yourself! So why not give it a try?
Why an Air Fryer is the Best Way to Make Pretzels
The air fryer comes in to save the day yet again with these air fryer pretzels. Now you can have a better version, made right in your own kitchen, whenever you want! Simple ingredients and simple steps make this recipe the best way to enjoy soft pretzels any time!
Air fry soft pretzels are a great way to make homemade pretzels at home. The pretzels cook inside the air fryer, allowing them to stay warm and soft after being cooked.
Here are some of the reasons why an air fryer is perfect for pretzel-making:
- Air fryers have a faster cooking time than a conventional oven. They preheat faster too!
- The air flow in an air fryer allows for even cooking on all sides of the pretzel, creating that perfect golden brown crust.
- It’s more energy efficient to use an air fryer!
Ingredients
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- 1 1/2 cups warm water (110°F)
- 1 1/4 Tbsp Active Dry Yeast — If using 0.25 ounce packets, you’ll need 2 1/2 of them
- 1 1/4 tsp salt
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
For the Baking Soda Bath
- 2 cups warm water
- 2 Tbsp baking soda
For Topping
- 4 Tbsp butter
- Coarse kosher salt
Kitchen Tools Used
- Air Fryer
- Aluminum Foil
- Large Mixing Bowl
- Paper Towels
Instructions
When making this recipe, you’ll want to factor in a couple hours total time. Because we’re working with yeast dough, it needs at least an hour to rise.
Most air fryers will have space for 1 pretzel per batch, so keep in mind that the cooking time of 5 minutes shown in the recipe card is per pretzel.
To Make the Pretzel Dough
- Stir together warm water and yeast in a small bowl. Allow to sit for five minutes to proof.
- After proofing, pour the yeast mixture into the bowl of your stand mixer.
- Add salt and flour and knead with the dough hook attachment for 7 to 8 minutes. You could also hand-knead on a floured surface instead. This will take slightly longer; 10-12 minutes.
- Cover your bowl of dough with a clean kitchen towel and allow to sit at room temperature to rise. It should take about an hour for the dough to double in size.
To Form the Pretzels
- Divide the dough into portions that weigh about 7 ounces each. When you roll and stretch out each portion into a rope, it will allow you to make a circle that is about 8 1/2 inches in diameter.
- Take one end of the dough rope in each hand, allowing the middle of the dough to rest on the countertop.
- Wrap the ends of the dough to form a loose twist.
- Flip the twist so that it is inside the circle and gently pinch the ends of the dough rope to seal them to the outside of the pretzel.
How to Make Soft Pretzels in an Air Fryer
Line the air fryer basket with foil and preheat to 380°F — this should take about 5 minutes.
Fill a large bowl (or a bowl that is big enough to fit an entire pretzel inside) with 2 cups warm water and baking soda. Whisk until the baking soda is completely dissolved.
Next to this bowl, set up a plate or baking sheet that is lined with paper towels.
Here’s How to Cook the Pretzels:
- Dip each pretzel in the baking soda water until it is fully submerged.
- Place the pretzel on the towel-lined plate to dry a bit.
- Once the excess liquid has been soaked up, move the pretzel to the foil-lined basket inside the air fryer. Sprinkle with coarse salt.
- Cook each pretzel, one at a time, for 5-6 minutes (or until golden brown).
While you’re making the pretzels is a good time to melt butter. Be sure to use a microwave-safe bowl!
When the pretzels come out of the air fryer, immediately brush them with melted butter. You can add another sprinkle of sea salt if you like. Or if you’re making sweet pretzels, this would be the time to coat them in a cinnamon sugar mixture.
Serve with your favorite dipping sauce. If you like honey mustard, try our Copycat Chick-Fil-A Honey Mustard recipe!
Frequently Asked Questions
Can You Cook Frozen Soft Pretzels in an Air Fryer?
While this recipe is to make from-scratch pretzels, you may be wondering if you can save time and start with pre-made frozen pretzels.
Yes, you absolutely can cook frozen soft pretzels in the air fryer. In fact, this is easier and faster than using a traditional oven!
To do so, preheat your air fryer to 320°F and line the basket with foil. When the air fryer is ready, place the frozen pretzel in the basket. Cook for 3 minutes and check — if the pretzel is golden brown and soft, it is ready. If it still feels hard or frozen, cook another 1-2 minutes.
The air fryer cooking time may vary from what is listed on package directions, because those instructions are usually for a conventional oven.
Keep in mind that the above steps specifically are for reheating pre-cooked frozen pretzels that you’d find in the grocer’s freezer section (not uncooked dough).
Why Do You Need to Soak Soft Pretzels Before Baking?
You may notice in the recipe there is a step where you briefly soak each pretzel in a baking soda bath.
This “alkaline bath” is what gives soft pretzels their distinct chewy crust — it reacts with the outside of the dough and prevents it from puffing up during cooking.
So while the insides of the pretzels are soft and fluffy, the outsides have that fabulous bit of chewiness that we love.
More of our Favorite Air Fryer Recipes
- Air Fryer Fried Ice Cream
- Air Fryer Brussel Sprouts
- Air Fryer Cheesy Breadsticks
- Air Fryer Double Chocolate Chip Muffins
- Air Fried Lasagna Roll-Ups
- Air Fryer Strawberry Chimichangas
- Air Fryer Homemade Chicken Pot Pies
- Crispy Air Fryer Zucchini Fries
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Air Fryer Soft Pretzels
Equipment
- Air Fryer
- large bowl
- Paper Towels
- Aluminum foil
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups warm water 110°F
- 1 1/4 Tbsp active dry yeast
- 1 1/4 tsp salt
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cups water
- 2 Tbsp baking soda
- 4 Tbsp butter
- Coarse salt
Instructions
To Make the Pretzel Dough
- Add 1 1/2 cups warm water and active dry yeast to a small bowl. Stir briefly and allow to sit for 5 minutes to "puff" up.
- After proofing, pour the yeast mixture into the bowl of a stand mixer. Add salt and flour and knead with the dough hook attachment for 7 to 8 minutes. Instead of a stand mixer, you can also knead by hand for 10 to 12 minutes on a lightly floured flat surface.
- Cover the dough bowl with a clean kitchen towel. Allow to sit at room temperature until the dough has doubled in size (about an hour).
To Form the Pretzels
- Separate dough into portions that weigh about7 ounces. When you roll it and stretch it into a rope, the dough should be able to make a circle that is about 8 1/2 inches in diameter.
- Take one end of the dough in each hand. Leave the middle of the dough on the counter and twist the ends around each other.
- Flip the twist so that the twist is now inside the circle and you have a pretzel shape. Pinch to seal the ends of the twist to the round part of the pretzel.
To Cook the Pretzels
- Line the air fryer basket with foil and preheat air fryer to 380°F.
- Mix together 2 cups warm water and 2TB baking soda in a large bowl. Dunk each pretzel in this alkaline water, then move to a towel lined plate or baking sheet to dry briefly before cooking.
- Place one pretzel in the air fryer, sprinkle with salt, and cook for 5-6 minutes, until golden brown.
- Remove from air fryer and brush with melted butter.
- Repeat until all pretzels are cooked.
Notes
- Cook time of 5 minutes is per pretzel.
- Nutrition information is an estimate only; your actual values will vary based on exact ingredients used and serving size.
Nutrition
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Would this recipe also work for the cinnamon pretzels? Love those!!
I haven’t tried that, but I figure it would!