Author: Homemade vegan buttery soft pretzels, just like at the mall, but better! Soft pretzels take a bit of time to make, but each step is super easy, and the end result is totally worth it. Golden crust, soft and chewy, salty and buttery, everything a good pretzel should be, right in the comfort of your own home!
FEATURED COMMENT:
Hands down the best soft pretzels ever!! Have made these twice and now have my friends requesting them any time we get together. Also very simple to make! - Meaghan ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
These vegan pretzels are amazing still warm from the oven, but you can also just pop one in the microwave for a few seconds to warm it back up again so you can enjoy a warm pretzel whenever you like! Soft pretzels also freeze amazingly well so you can have them at the ready whenever a craving strikes.
Now here's a tip for some extra yum: brush some melted vegan butter right on the pretzel just before serving for that extra buttery flavour! Serve with mustard, enjoy plain, or one of my 3 pizza dips would also be great with these pretzels!
How to Make Soft Pretzels:
- To make vegan buttery soft pretzels: in a large bowl whisk together the sugar and yeast. Then add in the warm water and mix. Let sit for 10 minutes. After ten minutes the mixture should be very foamy. If it isn't foamy, your yeast is likely too old so you should purchase new yeast and try again.
- Add the flour and melted vegan butter to the yeast mixture and stir until a shaggy dough forms. Lightly flour a clean work surface and turn the dough onto the surface. Knead the dough for 3 - 5 minutes until it comes together into a nice firm ball of dough.
- Lightly grease a large clean bowl with more melted vegan butter. Put the dough into the greased bowl and cover with a clean dish towel. Let rise somewhere warm for 1 hour until doubled in size. The oven with just the light turned on is a great place to rise dough.
- Once the dough has doubled in size, you can punch it down and remove it from the bowl. Cut into 8 even pieces. Take one piece and roll into a long rope about 17" (43cm) long. Twist the ends of the rope together.
- Then fold the twisted ends over onto the middle of the rope to form a pretzel shape. Repeat with the remaining pieces of dough to make 8 pretzels.
- For the baking soda bath, heat the 4 cups of water in a medium pot until it reaches a light simmer. Stir in the baking soda, it will foam a lot. Place a pretzel on a slotted spatula then dip it into the baking soda bath for 5 seconds. Now place the dipped pretzel on the prepared baking tray and sprinkle with rock salt. Repeat with the remaining pretzels.
Note: The baking soda bath is what gives the pretzels that dark brown colour, without it, they would be white and doughy.
- Bake the pretzels for 12 - 15 minutes until the are dark and golden. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving then enjoy plain, with melted vegan butter, with mustard, or however you enjoy your pretzels.
If you try this recipe let us know by leaving a comment, rating it, and don't forget to tag @itdoesnttastelikechicken on Instagram.
Bon appetegan!
Sam Turnbull.
(click stars to vote)
Vegan Buttery Soft Pretzels
Golden crust, soft and chewy, salty and buttery, everything a good pretzel should be. Great for making ahead and freezing for later.
Servings: pretzels
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Ingredients
For the pretzel dough:
- 3 tablespoons white sugar, (sub maple syrup or agave if preferred)
- 2 ¼ teaspoon active dry yeast, (or 1 packet)
- 1 cup warm water, (think bath water temperature)
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon melted vegan butter, (plus more for greasing the bowl)
For the baking soda bath:
- 4 cups hot water
- ¼ cup baking soda
For garnish:
- 1 - 2 tablespoons rock salt
- melted vegan butter
Instructions
To make the pretzels:
- In a large bowl whisk together the sugar and yeast. Then add in the warm water and mix. Let sit for 10 minutes. The mixture should be very foamy. If it isn't foamy, your yeast is likely too old so you should purchase new yeast and try again.
- Add the flour and melted vegan butter to the yeast mixture and stir in until a shaggy dough forms. Lightly flour a clean work surface and turn the dough onto the surface. Knead the dough for 3 - 5 minutes until it comes together into a nice firm ball of dough. Lightly grease a large clean bowl with more melted vegan butter. Put the dough into the greased bowl and cover with a clean dish towel. Let rise somewhere warm for 1 hour until doubled in size. The oven with just the light turned on is a great place to rise dough.
To form the pretzels:
- Once the dough has doubled in size, you can punch it down and remove it from the bowl. Cut into 8 even pieces. Take one piece and roll into a long rope about 17" (43cm) long. To form a pretzel shape: twist the ends of the rope together...
- Then fold the twisted ends down onto the middle of the rope to form a pretzel shape. Repeat with the remaining pieces of dough to make 8 pretzels.
To cook the pretzels:
- Preheat your oven to 400F (200c). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- For the baking soda bath, heat the 4 cups of water in a medium pot until it reaches a light simmer. Stir in the baking soda, it will foam a lot. Place a pretzel on a slotted spatula then dip it into the baking soda bath for 5 seconds. Now place the dipped pretzel on the prepared baking tray and sprinkle with rock salt. Repeat with the remaining pretzels. (The baking soda bath is what gives the pretzels that dark brown colour, without it they would be white and doughy).
- Bake the pretzels for 12 - 15 minutes until the are dark and golden. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving then enjoy plain, with melted vegan butter, with mustard, or however you enjoy your pretzels.
Notes
Make Ahead & Freezing:
Once completely cooled, store the pretzels in an airtight container or bag at room temperature for up to 2-3 days (do not refrigerate, as this can dry them out). Pretzels also freeze well. Once cooled, freeze in a freezer-safe bag or container for up to 2 months. Oven Reheating:
If you’d like to reheat a full batch (or a few pretzels), preheat the oven to 300°F (150°C) and warm the pretzels on a baking sheet or directly on the oven rack for 8–10 minutes, until heated through. For extra softness and a fresh-baked finish, lightly spritz with water or brush very lightly with melted vegan butter before reheating, then brush with melted vegan butter just before serving. Reheat from Frozen:
Reheat frozen pretzels at 325°F (165°C) for 12–15 minutes, until warmed through, then brush with melted vegan butter before serving. Microwave Reheating:
A single pretzel can be microwaved for a few seconds until warm, but oven reheating gives the best texture when reheating multiple pretzels.
Once completely cooled, store the pretzels in an airtight container or bag at room temperature for up to 2-3 days (do not refrigerate, as this can dry them out). Pretzels also freeze well. Once cooled, freeze in a freezer-safe bag or container for up to 2 months. Oven Reheating:
If you’d like to reheat a full batch (or a few pretzels), preheat the oven to 300°F (150°C) and warm the pretzels on a baking sheet or directly on the oven rack for 8–10 minutes, until heated through. For extra softness and a fresh-baked finish, lightly spritz with water or brush very lightly with melted vegan butter before reheating, then brush with melted vegan butter just before serving. Reheat from Frozen:
Reheat frozen pretzels at 325°F (165°C) for 12–15 minutes, until warmed through, then brush with melted vegan butter before serving. Microwave Reheating:
A single pretzel can be microwaved for a few seconds until warm, but oven reheating gives the best texture when reheating multiple pretzels.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 pretzel (recipe makes 8 pretzels) | Calories: 181kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 2632mg | Potassium: 74mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 65IU | Calcium: 7mg | Iron: 1.9mg
Kay says
Has anyone successfully turned these gluten free yet?
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Hi Kay, I haven’t tested this recipe with gluten-free flour, and I think it would be quite challenging, especially with the kneading, rising, and boiling steps. Gluten-free dough doesn’t have the same structure as regular dough, and it may not hold up as well for this recipe. I hope that helps!
Amanda Sabo says
These are so delightfully tasty. I always thought soft pretzels were made with witchcraft but Sam managed to deconstruct the mystery. My absolute favourite pretzels. I enjoy them as bites and as full blown knotted pretzels.
Barbara says
Would these work with 00 flour for pizza?
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Hi Barbara, I wouldn't recommend it as your pretzels will turn out softer and less chewy than if you used all-purpose flour. So it won't really be the same soft pretzel texture that we know and love. I hope that helps! 🙂
Helen says
What fun these were to make! I always enjoy your recipes but these were so quick and easy and turned out exactly as described: soft and fluffy!
I used bread flour as that's all that I had, and didn't know any better anyway. They were like pretzels on steroids- super puffy and fluffy. My mind is turning to different toppings already.
I don't think they're going to last as long as your recipe says!
Thanks for another fabulous recipe that is easy for the amateur baker to get right.
Jess @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Wonderful! We're happy to hear it!
Arnie says
After seeing so many five star ratings, I decided to give this recipe a try, but the water to flour ratio is way off. The listed ratio creates a dough that is way too wet to be formed into pretzels (it's around 80% hydration!). A quick search of better-tested recipes (e.g. NYT Cooking or Alton Brown) shows that most pretzel recipes have a hydration of 53-59%.
Another glaring error is the omission of salt in the dough. While pretzels do get extra salt sprinkled on top, all dough-based recipes should include some salt in the dough itself for
I understand that this blog is a much smaller operation than big food organizations like the New York Times, but recipes should nevertheless be tested more than once, with accurate measurements provided.
A shame because I would have loved to support a vegan recipe, and have heard good things about Sam's book.
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Hi Arnie, this recipe has been a fan favorite recipe since 2019 and has many tests both by me and by the hundreds of thousands of fans who have made it, as well as being published in a bestselling cookbook. Sorry you didn't enjoy it.
Jules says
Cool story, bro. Now run off back to the “New York Times”. The recipe came out fine for everyone else. Must be an “operator error” lmao.
Shelley says
I live in New Zealand but I'm from New York so I occasionally get a hankering for a good old soft street vendor pretzel. I thought I was going to have to book a trip back to NY to have an authentic pretzel again but, once again, you've saved the day (and my bank account). Thanks so much for all of your amazing recipes; especially this one. These are superb and supremely easy to make.
Jess @ IDTLC Support says
Wonderful! We're so happy you enjoyed it and we're saving you the travel time! 🙂
Alyssa says
Amazing! 10/10, would make again
Jess @ IDTLC Support says
Hooray!
Lillian Voss says
Hi! How long do these pretzels keep in the freezer?
Jess @ IDTLC Support says
They should keep well for 1-2 months in the freezer.
Katia says
Sam! Thank you so much for introducing me to the wonderful world of fresh pretzels. I saw your recent pretzel bun recipe, which happily led me here.
I made the pretzels with whole wheat flour and olive oil instead of butter. A bit healthier, in theory, and all I have on hand. And... I'm so delighted with them! They tasted amazing and were so pillowy! Very comforting. I made half with cinnamon sugar as suggested by Alice in an earlier comment. The only downside is that this makes you want to eat even more of them!
I do have a few questions. When you submerge them in the baking soda bath, is the water still simmering, or do you turn off the heat?
Is rock salt the same thing as course sea salt? I used the latter and found it a bit too intense. Easy to fix though- just brushed some off.
Should we brush with anything before putting on the salt? This recipe doesn't mention it, but the pretzel buns recipe did.
I hope you get a chance to see my comments, if only to feel my excitement. Thank you so much for everything! 🙂
sabrina t malkovich says
Can these be made with sour dough starter instead of yeast? I would love to try and see if they would taste good. not sure how much to use.
Pd says
Thank you, thank you for this. I was nervous but this really was quite easy to do. My 9yo who doesn't like pretzels says they are the best things he's ever tasted. They did completely stick to the parchment after baking. Going to try to fix that next time. I can't wait to make another batch!
Sam Turnbull says
So happy you loved them!! A silicon baking mat would work well if your parchment isn't super non-stick 🙂
Analise says
I doubled the recipe so I baked each batch a bit different. Batch 1, I did the baking soda bath and I personally just wasn’t quite as big a fan. Batch 2, I skipped the bath and instead brushed the pretzels with vegan butter and lightly salted them before I baked them which I liked better because it left them more golden all around.I will say, the dough is quite sweet and I even added about 1-2 tsp to the dough.
Lynn says
Can you make these into a pretzel bun? I’d love a pretzel bun but all the vegan ones aren’t gluten free…
Maggie says
Followed the recipe exactly as written and they came out so delicious, chewy, and soft. Everyone loved them! Thank you so much!!
Alice says
Made this recipe about 10x now, my boyfriend is OBSESSED with them (I love them too!).
A couple of things I've altered over time:
- I've found that kneading a lot longer helps them get more chewy and less delicate, which we prefer, so I knead for like 10 mins.
- I always end up adding about 1/2 cup extra flour while kneading (a couple tbsp at a time) because it is still too wet and sticky.
- I recommend using one of those silicon/rubber flexible pastry brushes for handling the vegan butter (greasing the bowl and buttering the pretzels).
- We now make half the batch sugar-cinnamon which I HIGHLY RECOMMEND! Dip it in the mix after buttering then spoon it over onto the other side so it's well coated.
- I've found the best tool (which I bought specifically for making pretzels LOL) to submerge in the baking soda water is a fish spatula because it's delicate and has huge holes and minimizes mess.
Sam Turnbull says
Amazing, love the cinnamon sugar idea 🙂
Alicia says
Has anyone tried to make these with coconut or almond flour?
Clara says
I made these as a gift for a friend's birthday as well as just for my family to enjoy (all not vegan) and they were FANTASTIC! I did forget to put salt on them (I don't like salt on my pretzels, so I think that's why haha) but we ate them with vegan butter on top so those who wanted salt could add it that way. Anyways, 10/10, will be making this many times in the future:)
Ally says
Made these with my Grand Kiddos. They turned out Awesome !
Emma says
I followed this recipe exactly using the metric calculations but the dough was really wet, sloppy and almost impossible to form into the shapes despite me adding more flour. I was wondering if the flour to water ratio was correct for the metric ingredients list? When I put them in the oven they spread out like rolls. Tasted okay though.
Kate says
Hi, depending on where you live this might not be the fault of the recipe but of the ingredients, namely the flour... Protein content can vary a lot depending on where the wheat was grown, which affects
moisture-absorption. I currently live in the Netherlands and Dutch flour always seems to need a lot less liquid than most of my old UK recipes call for, if I use the full amount I get an unusable 'dough' (= batter!) and have to add a ton more flour. I've heard Americans say similar about Canadian flour. Even in the same region or with the same brand the protein content can vary, so it's a good idea to get in the habit of never adding the full amount of liquid right away, leave some back (say 10 - 15%?) and add more only if it really needs it.
Kim says
I had the same problem! My dough was very wet and sloppy. I used King Arthur Unbleached AP Flour, which I normally have great success with. I had to add a ton of flour as I was rolling out the pretzels and even then they stuck to everything and did not want to hold any sort of shape. They still tasted okay, but I will have to play with the ratios next time.
Josh F says
These are amazing! The tastiest pretzels I've ever eaten! Plus they are vegan! Plus I made them!
Can't fault them. Super easy, super tasty! What's not to like!