Celery Free Air Fryer Pretzel Bites
Chewy on the inside, deeply golden on the outside, and finished with a satisfying crunch of coarse salt — these little bites deliver everything you love about a classic soft pretzel in snackable form. The baking soda bath is the secret weapon here, giving each piece that signature dark, slightly chewy crust before it ever hits the air fryer. The air fryer then does the heavy lifting, producing that rich mahogany color and firm exterior in a fraction of the time a conventional oven would take. Every ingredient in this recipe is straightforward pantry staple territory — flour, butter, yeast, egg, salt — so there's nothing hidden or unexpected to navigate. That makes this a genuinely stress-free snack for anyone avoiding celery or celery-derived ingredients, since so many store-bought pretzels and seasoning blends can sneak in celery seed or celery salt without much fanfare. Serve them straight from the air fryer with yellow mustard and watch them disappear before the next batch is even done.
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Learn more →Ingredients
6 servings
For the dough
- 1 cup warm water (about 110°f / 43°c)
- 2 ¼ tsp active dry yeast (1 standard packet)
- 1 tsp granulated sugar
- 3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
- 1 tsp fine salt
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
For the baking soda bath
- 6 cups water
- ⅓ cup baking soda
For finishing
- 1 large egg, beaten
- 1–2 tbsp coarse pretzel salt or flaky sea salt
For serving
- ½ cup yellow mustard (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Combine the warm water, yeast, and sugar in a large bowl and let stand for 5–7 minutes, until the surface is foamy and the mixture smells yeasty.
- 2
Add the flour, fine salt, and melted butter to the yeast mixture. Stir until a shaggy dough forms, then turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 4–5 minutes, until the dough is smooth, slightly tacky, and springs back when poked. Return to the bowl, cover with a clean kitchen towel, and rest for 10 minutes.
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