Amazingly easy soft pretzels with no complicated steps and no rising needed – they are ready to eat quickly, making them perfect for easy snacks and fun meals. Make sure to take a look at our other Best Bread Recipes!
These soft pretzels are really good tasting, but better yet they are the easiest homemade pretzels you’ll find. They were one of the most requested recipes from my kids when they were growing up – and all their friends.
Now I’m not going to pretend like they are the best soft pretzels anywhere – you know, like the ones from the stores that have made thousands from selling them. But they have the chewy and soft texture like all good pretzels should have (not just a roll shaped like a pretzel, a-hem) and straight out of the oven they taste amazing.
Without any boiling or long-rise steps, you can make for easy snacks or even to go with a fun dinner. After many years of making them, I have found that they are a great recipe to make with kids.
MY LATEST VIDEOSIn fact, they are so easy and yummy that making these with kids of all ages will make you their favorite mom, dad, babysitter, aunt, grandparent – or whatever you are to them. Your whole family will be pretty happy with the results, too. They are usually gone in a day at our house.
No Knead No Rise Soft Pretzels
Since there are only a few ingredients to mix up and no waiting for kneading or rising, the kids can move right to shaping their own pieces of dough. From there it’s another few minutes to bake and cool (a bit!) before tasting their creations.
I started making these when my kids were little as something fun to do when they had playdates. One of my friends and I organized bi-weekly play dates to give the other some time for errands and shopping and her girls surprised me by asking to make these every time they came over. They always wanted to make the pretzels- not anything else, even when I offered. Same with my nieces and nephews a few years later.
The littlest people can help pour in the ingredients and just pat the dough if rolling is too hard – all shapes are allowed, not just traditional pretzel shapes.
At about four and up, rolling is easy and all kinds of shapes become within reach. The dough is pretty easy to shape and doesn’t spring back like a lot of bread doughs can.
The kids always love the “painting” part. They brush on an egg wash and sprinkle the tops with some kosher salt.
By the way, the egg wash is crucial to giving this simple bread dough the chewy mouth feel of a pretzel- so don’t skip this step or use butter instead. While butter tastes good, it makes the pretzel more like a roll in texture.
Here are some ideas for different shapes:
Letters (a great crossover activity for preschoolers learning their letters!).
Hearts. Valentines, anyone?
Traditional pretzel shapes.
And even the “blob” for those little ones who just can’t grasp the “roll” technique yet. It’s fun to let them make whatever shape they want, helping only when they ask so that they have a feeling of accomplishment.
No matter what the shape, when anyone takes a first bite of one of these soft pretzels, the pretzel tastes that much sweeter from the hands that made it.
Click the arrow for the full recipe (with print options)!
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I have tried whole wheat pastry flour in yeast recipes in past without success. Those were for rolls though and they didn’t rise. Does it work here because they don’t rise as much as rolls or bread?
Yes, Jaclyn, it’s because they’re not a full rise recipe. I also make them with half all-purpose and half whole wheat and haven’t really noticed a difference between them. Definitely do what you’re comfortable with!
I’m planning to make these as “Friendship Pretzels” at my daughter’s Butterbean Cafe birthday party. What do you recommend for making them cinnamon sugar pretzels? Thanks! 🙂
I’d add cinnamon to the dough and then sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar instead of salt. Hope this turns out – sounds like a fun party. 🙂
Tried making these pretzels today not coming out dough is separating made these a bunch of times does the hot weather have anything to do with it?
How odd! Maybe the weather would, though I never noticed it. Hopefully it’s just a one-time thing!
Could this recipe be used to make pretzels dogs?
I haven’t done that, but you could sure try, Katrina.
Glad to find you ! Perfect idea to have fun in the kitchen with my son ! Thank you !
Hope you enjoy it!
Just stumbled on this recipe. I am thinking of doing this for a youth group event at my church. Can I prepare the dough in advance (like 2-3 hours before we roll it out)? Or will the consistency of the dough be too messy/difficult to work with if it sits too long? Would I leave it at room temp or put in the fridge? Thanks!
Sounds fun, Gail! I’ve never tried making it in advance, but because it’s a yeast dough, I think it would be fine. I’d keep it in the fridge, though, and bring it out about 45 minutes before rolling it.
I was wondering if I could use active dry yeast for this recipe, and if so how much would I use and would I have to proof it first?
I’ve used it in the past, Elaina – I just let it sit for about 5 minutes in step one instead of adding the flour right away. It’s sort of proofing anyway, isn’t it? They turned out fine. 🙂
it looks yummy and i love them so much. i can eat it all 😀 is it safe for 2 y/o baby?
It’s just bread, Maya, so as long as your 2-year old is eating all types of foods, it should be fine. The pretzels are a little chewy, though, so I’d just break of little pieces and give them to the baby.
thanks jami she’s my first baby so i ask alot 😀 its soooo yumm by the way we tried it and i gave it to her with a small cup of milk
We are on a quest to eliminate processed foods (really we have done so with almost everything). I don’t like to use regular sugar either so these are perfect for us. Just made them with my 8 and 5 year old boys and they said they were the best pretzels ever so I guess they were a hit. Helping to make them was educational for them too. Thanks for the great recipe. My husband will appreciate it tonight also as he missed his “processed” foods lol.
So nice to read, Andrea – they really have been a hit with all the kids I’ve ever made them with. Kind of amazed me, actually, as they aren’t that hard. 🙂
You say in the first step to combine all the dry ingredients, including sugar, but there is no sugar in the ingredient list- is the first 1 Tb salt supposed to be sugar, or do you mean the honey? Thnx
Well, Amber, you’re the first in all these years to catch that! I adapted the original recipe to use honey and didn’t make it consistent in the directions – I’ve fixed it now to say honey (though it’s not all dry ingredients – it’s the first 4, which includes water). You should be good to go now. 🙂
making them as we speak, excited about making the letters! when my son wakes up from his nap will surprise him
Made these with my son this evening using whole wheat flour and they turned out great! We had so much fun making different shapes. Thanks for posting! Love your site =)
I can’t wait to try this but my daughter can’t have egg. Would brushing it with soy-milk work?
I don’t know- it’s just to get the salt to stick, so you can experiment with different things and see how it goes!
you can use water instead of egg just need something to help the salt stick
Thanks, Angela, that’s a good tip!
Just wanted to let you know that I made these tonight with my 9 & 4 year old little neighbor boys and they LOVED them! Such an easy, quick and fun recipe. Thanks so much for sharing!
Hope they become a family favorite for you, too, Mindy!
:J
How did I miss this the first time around? Will definitely need to do these with the kids!
those look soo yummy!! looking forward to trying this one and the french baguettes recipe! Happy Monday:)
These look so yummy!
I can’t wait to make them.
Thanks for sharing
Nancy
Jami,
I’ve been wanting to try to make my own pretzels for a long time, thanks for inspiring me!
The first time I considered doing this is when I saw an episode of Good Eats where they made pretzels.
Check it out. http://www.goodeatsfanpage.com/season11/EA1102.htm
The one thing in this that you might find interesting is the baking soda boiling water bath. I guess the alkalinity is supposed to give the pretzels that characteristic outside.
I haven’t tried it yet, but as Alton Brown is rarely wrong, I thought I’d share.
Thanks,
Jason
Jason- I’m sure the soda-water-bath would give that chewy texture just like it does to bagels. That would surely be the way to go if you’re trying to make the best soft pretzels, but since I’m usually just trying to please the kids, I don’t bother. 🙂
Let us know if you do and how it comes out!
Yummy! We love pretzels and I’ve been searching for the perfect recipe. I will definitely have to try yours.
I LOVE this. Thank you! My boys love soft pretzels, so we are definitely going to do this!
Thanks for sharing this. Looks simple to put together and I can’t wait to try it.
What a fun idea! The kids would love making these ♥ Thanks for sharing.
Oh, I have all the ingredients except honey. Oh, this looks easy. I LOVE pretzels. When I lived in Germany, I’d buy soft pretzels all the time at the grocery store..like the ones here and ones that looked like rolls too..so yummy. I’d even go to the local bakery and buy a soft pretzel sliced in half with nice butter on it 😉 🙂 Oh so yummy…now I can make this at home for myself!!!! Thank you, thank you 🙂 🙂 Love and hugs from Oregon, Heather 🙂
Thanks for the post. My kids are shaping as I type! I may post and link to you.
i love this! i am going to try it soon. no really! 🙂
Thanks for posting this. I remember making these with my mom and will have fun doing this with my kids.