Gluten-Free Soft Pretzel Bites

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!

Course Appetizer

Cuisine American

Diet Gluten Free

Prep Time 40

Cook Time 20

Total Time 1

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. (Amount of flour can vary based on what brand you use, the weather that day, etc.) 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. So 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.

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.)

Preheat the oven to 450F. 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!

RECIPE NOTES

Don't skip the baking soda bath: It may be tempting to skip the the baking soda bath, but this step helps give this gluten free pretzel recipe a nice, golden-brown color and chewy texture. Don’t skip this step!
Use whole psyllium husk: Remember that whole psyllium husk is essential to the chewy texture of these pretzels. Psyllium husk powder will not give the same results!
Gluten-free 1:1 baking flour: Use high-quality 1:1 gluten-free baking flour for the best results. I recommend using a flour blend that contains xanthan gum.
Instant yeast: I like to use highly active, instant yeast for gluten-free baking. Unlike traditional bread doughs, gluten-free dough only needs one rise.

MAKE-AHEAD

Follow the recipe through boiling the pretzels. After cutting the slit in each pretzel, place them in a single layer on a parchment-lined plate or small baking sheet. Freeze for a few hours and then transfer to a Ziplock bag and freeze for up to 2 months. To bake, brush with the egg wash and sprinkle with salt. Add 3-5 minutes to the bake time.