Nutmeg Free Air Fryer Pretzel Bites
Soft, chewy, and golden-brown with a satisfying salt crunch on top, these air fryer pretzel bites hit every snack craving without a single complicated ingredient. The dough comes together with pantry staples — flour, yeast, butter, and salt — and a quick baking soda bath is what gives each bite that signature pretzel chew and deep mahogany color. Many store-bought pretzel snacks include unexpected spice blends or flavorings that can be hard to vet, so making them from scratch puts you fully in control of what goes in. The air fryer does the heavy lifting here, producing a beautifully firm, crackling exterior in just minutes without heating up your whole kitchen. A generous brush of egg wash before cooking is the secret to that glossy, bakery-style finish. Dip them in yellow mustard straight out of the basket and they disappear fast — so consider making a double batch.
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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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