Erin’s Recipe Rundown

Soft, warm pretzels are such a tasty and nostalgic comfort food. If you grew up getting pretzels at the mall, you know what I’m talking about!

These pretzels are just as delicious as the classic soft pretzels you know and love. Dip them in cheese sauce or mustard, or roll them in melted butter and cinnamon sugar. There’s no wrong way to enjoy these gluten-free pretzels!

Why You’ll Love It: The gluten-free dough is SO easy to work with and turns out deliciously chewy every time. They’re the perfect make-ahead appetizer to take to parties and events!

Top Tip: Only King Arthur Gluten-Free Bread Flour creates the perfect soft pretzel texture and structure! No other flour will produce the same results.

xoxo erin

gluten-free soft pretzel bites spilling out of the gluten-free bread flour bag.
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This post is sponsored by King Arthur Baking Company.

Featured Comment

From Sharlene: “I was blown away by these gluten-free soft pretzel bites! They’re absolutely delicious—perfectly soft, chewy, and full of that classic pretzel flavor. You’d never guess they’re gluten-free! They’re great for snacking or serving at gatherings, and they pair wonderfully with dips like cheese or mustard. If you’re gluten-free and missing soft pretzels, these are a must-try!”

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Ingredients You’ll Need

Here are a few notes on some of the key ingredients to make these gluten-free soft pretzels. Jump to the recipe card below for the exact measurements.

soft pretzel ingredients measured and labeled.
  • Gluten-free flour: King Arthur Gluten-Free Bread Flour is a must for the perfect rise and texture! No other flour blends will work the same with this recipe.
  • Yeast: I like to use instant yeast. This recipe is unique in that boiling the pretzels activates the yeast so you don’t have to take time to let the dough rise.
  • Whole Psyllium husk: It is important to use whole psyllium husks (not psyllium husk powder) to get the right homemade pretzel dough consistency.
  • Brown sugar: Brown sugar gives these pretzels an irresistible, yet mild sweetness and adds to the overall depth of flavor.

How to Make Gluten-Free Soft Pretzels

Here’s an overview of how to make this recipe. You can jump to the recipe for the full instructions!

Dry ingredients poured in a glass bowl, and all ingredients mixed together.

Using a stand mixer: Add in all of the dry ingredients.

Combine: Mix on medium-low until evenly combined.

Water mixed into the pretzel batter in a glass bowl, and pretzel batter cut into pieces on a baking tray.

With the mixer on low: Slowly add in the melted butter and water, then increase the mixer to medium-high and mix for 5 minutes. You want thick cookie dough consistency! The key is to add just enough flour so it’s reasonably workable without making it dense.

Divide the dough: Form a dough ball, then transfer it to a lightly greased or floured surface. Divide the dough into 6 pieces.

Strips of pretzel dough on a baking tray, and pieces of pretzel dough on a baking tray.

Make strips: Roll each of the six pieces into thick 1-2″ strips.

Cut the pretzel bites: Cut each strip into 1-2″ pieces. You don’t have to measure the pieces, but aim for making them all roughly the same size.

Baking soda and water boiling in a pot, and pretzel dough bites dropped into the boiling water.

Prep the bath: Bring the water and baking soda to a boil in a large pot. This step makes a big difference for the color and texture!

Boil the bites: I like to add about 8-10 pretzel pieces at a time. Boil them for just 10-15 seconds, then remove. You don’t want to boil them too long or they’ll taste metallic!

Boiled pretzel bites on a baking tray, and egg wash in a bowl.

After boiling: Let the extra water drip off the pieces, then place them a couple inches apart on a baking sheet. Cut a diagonal slit across the top of each pretzel. Want to freeze to finish later? This is where you’ll stop for now and freeze the pretzel bites.

Prepare the egg wash: Whisk together the egg and water until combined.

Unbaked pretzel bites on a baking tray with egg wash and salt, and baked pretzel bites on a baking tray.

Top the pretzels: Brush each pretzel bite with egg wash, then sprinkle coarse salt on top.

Bake: You want to bake the pretzels until they’re golden brown (about 15-18 minutes). These are best served warm straight out of the oven. Enjoy!

a close-up photo of gluten-free soft pretzel bites.

Gluten-Free Soft Pretzel Tips

  • Don’t overdo it with extra flour: This recipe won’t look like typical pretzel dough! You want the dough to be thick enough to roll and work with, but also light, like thick cookie dough. It’s tempting to add extra flour, but adding too much can create stiff dough and dense pretzels.
  • Don’t skip the baking soda bath: This step helps give the gluten-free pretzels a nice, golden-brown color and chewy texture. This step is a must!
  • Use whole psyllium husk: Whole psyllium husk is essential to the chewy texture of these pretzels. Psyllium husk powder will not give the same results!
a gluten-free soft pretzel with a bite taken out of it.

More King Arthur Flour Recipe

a close-up photo of gluten-free soft pretzel bites with cheese dip
4.89 from 9 votes

Gluten-Free Soft Pretzel Bites

Author Erin Collins
Prep Time 40 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings 4 dozen
Who could resist these gluten-free soft pretzels? They're CHEWY, BREADY perfection and easier to make than you'd think!
Serve these pretzels with gluten-free cheese sauce or mustard for a delicious appetizer. (We also love rolling them in cinnamon sugar!)
Make them in advance and freeze to bake up later!
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Ingredients

For the Pretzel Dough:

For the Baking Soda Bath:

  • 1/2 cup (120g) baking soda
  • 9 cups (2160ml) water

For the Egg Wash:

  • 1 large egg
  • 1 tablespoon water
  • coarse salt, for sprinkling

Instructions 

MAKE THE GLUTEN-FREE PRETZEL DOUGH

  • In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the gluten-free flour, brown sugar, instant yeast, salt, baking powder and whole psyllium husk. Mix on medium-low speed until evenly combined.
  • With the mixer running on low speed, slowly pour in the melted butter and water. Increase the speed to medium-high and mix for 5 minutes.
  • NOTE: The dough should look like thick cookie dough. Add another couple tablespoons of flour to the dough if it looks too wet. You don’t want the dough to be too stiff or the pretzel bites will be dense, but you want it thick enough so you can roll it out. Basically you want to keep the dough as light as possible, but still rollable. Don't overdo it with adding more flour! Add just enough so you can reasonably work with it.
  • Use an oiled spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Form the dough into a ball.
  • Transfer the dough to a lightly greased or floured work surface, and cut the dough into 6 pieces.
  • Roll each chunk of dough into a 1-2 inch thick strip.
  • Cut each strip of dough into 1-2 inch pieces. It doesn’t have to be exact, but try to make the pieces even.

MAKE THE BAKING SODA BATH

  • Mix the water and baking soda together in a large pot. Bring to a boil.
  • Place 8-10 pretzel bites into the boiling water for a quick 10-15 seconds. (Any longer and your pretzels could take on a metallic taste.)
  • Let the excess liquid drip off before placing the pretzel bites a couple inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.
  • Cut a slit diagonally across each pretzel bite. (This is the point where you can stop and freeze the pretzel bites for later! See note.)

MAKE THE EGG WASH/BAKE

  • Preheat the oven to 450°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
  • Whisk together the egg wash.
  • Brush each pretzel bite with the egg wash and sprinkle with coarse salt.
  • Bake the pretzel bites for 15-18 minutes until golden brown. Remove from the oven and serve warm. Enjoy!

Notes

Gluten-Free: This recipe was specifically designed to work with King Arthur Gluten-Free Bread Flour. Unfortunately, no other flour can be substituted with the same results.
Dairy-Free: Use dairy-free butter.
To Make-Ahead: Follow the recipe through boiling the pretzel bites and cutting slits in each. Place them in a single layer on a parchment-lined plate and freeze for a few hours. Transfer to a freezer bag and freeze for up to 2 months. To bake, top with the egg wash and salt, then bake (add 3-5 extra minutes when baking from frozen).
To Store: Cool, then store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the fridge for up to 5 days, Reheat in oven at 350°F for 5-8 minutes to warm and soften.
To Freeze: Cool, then place in a freezer bag or airtight container and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature for 30-60 minutes. Reheat in oven to soften.

Nutrition

Calories: 643kcal | Carbohydrates: 129g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 63mg | Sodium: 5389mg | Potassium: 96mg | Fiber: 13g | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 322IU | Vitamin C: 0.003mg | Calcium: 108mg | Iron: 1mg

This post was originally published in November 2022. It was updated with new photos and instructions in March 2026.

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Hi, I'm Erin!

BS Food Science,

MS Nutrition

I believe you can make amazing, gluten-free food with everyday ingredients that everyone will enjoy. I'm here to share my tried-and-true recipes with you!

Read about Erin

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Comments

  1. 4 stars
    First of all, they taste great! I substituted Flax meal for the psyllium husk and it worked fine. As a first attempt, I will say my kitchen looked like a tornado hit! I only baked a few to see if I liked them and froze the rest. I will bake the rest tomorrow for a gathering along with a spicy mustard sauce. If I make them again I will probably try to find a mesh basket I could lower into the pot to boil the pretzel bites; I think that would be much easier to remove them from the pot. Thanks for the recipe

    Reply

    1. We’re so happy to hear you enjoyed the pretzels, Linda! Thank you for taking the time to share your experience with us. We hope they were a hit at your gathering!

      Reply

  2. When rolling in cinnamon sugar, would you bake these first and then after baking roll in melted butter and then dip in cinnamon sugar?

    Reply

    1. Yes, that’s right! Bake, then roll in melted butter and cinnamon sugar. We hope you enjoy them!

      Reply

  5. 5 stars
    I was blown away by these gluten-free soft pretzel bites! They’re absolutely delicious—perfectly soft, chewy, and full of that classic pretzel flavor. You’d never guess they’re gluten-free! They’re great for snacking or serving at gatherings, and they pair wonderfully with dips like cheese or mustard. If you’re gluten-free and missing soft pretzels, these are a must-try!

    Reply

    1. Thank you for such a kind review, Sharlene! We’re so happy to hear how much you loved this recipe!

      Reply

    1. Hi Annette, we haven’t tried them in the air fryer, but it might work! If you decide to give it a try, we’d love to hear how it goes!

      Reply

  9. I would like to use this dough to make mini pretzel dogs. Do you think it would work to wrap it around mini hot dogs, then put into the baking soda bath?

    Reply

  11. 5 stars
    These gluten-free soft pretzel bites are so good and really easy to make. They turn out so well and are perfect for someone that can’t have gluten but is craving soft pretzels.

    Reply

    1. You can use half the amount of psyllium husk powder. However the pretzels won’t be as fluffy and some brands of psyllium husk powder can make the dough look slightly purplish.

      Reply

  15. I’m confused on the psyllium husk powder. On ingredient list you call for it but in your article you say not to use powder be sure to use whole psyllium husk ?

    Reply

    1. Oh no! Thanks for catching that! Whole psyllium husk is what you want to use. I hope this helps! Glad you mentioned it 🙂

      Reply
4.89 from 9 votes (1 rating without comment)

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