Air fryer soft pretzels are a great snack for your next family get-together. Pretzels are super soft, chewy, and delicious when served with cheddar cheese sauce. A perfect snack that is easy to make in an air fryer at your home.
Homemade air fryer soft pretzels are the best. I love the environment of my house while making these pretzels. It’s super fun and adorable people around you simply add the charm to the moment. Well if you have kids at your home they are the one who enjoys helping around a lot.
Personally, I love baking and learning to bake with my air fryer. And with my personal experience, I found with an air fryer baking is much easier than in the oven. However, everyone has their personal choice. If you love baking, be sure to check, the air fryer banana bread and air fryer vanilla cake.
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How to make air fryer soft pretzels?
Making these super soft and chewy air fryer pretzels is easy and fun. I enjoy making the knots while shaping them. You might not get it right on your first try but keep trying as I did and finally made those pretty-looking pretzels.
Ingredients for air fryer soft pretzels:
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon dry yeast
- 1 cup of warm water
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter (melted)
Egg Wash:
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 tablespoon water
Soda Bath:
- 10 cups water
- ⅔ cup baking soda
Instructions for air fryer soft pretzels:
- Take a large mixing bowl to add, warm water, salt, and sugar. Mix them until the salt and sugar are completely dissolved. After that add the dry yeast stir and let it sit for about 5 minutes.
- Now add the melted butter and all-purpose flour to the yeast solution. Gradually stir them together with a wooden spoon or dough whisk until form a ball.
- Transfer the dough to the working place and knead until the dough is smooth. If you feel the dough is a little sticky you can add 1 tablespoon of flour at a time and knead the dough until it forms a softball.
- Place the pretzel dough in a well-greased bowl, and cover with a lid or a plastic wrap. Let the dough sit for an hour or until the dough has doubled in size.
- Sprinkle some flour on the working surface, place the dough and divide the dough into 6-7 equal pieces.
- Roll out each dough into a long rope of approximately 15-inches and wrap it into the pretzel shape.
- Take a large pot that can hold 10 cups of water at a time and add baking soda into the water and bring it to a boil.
- Drop the pretzels one by one into the boiling water for 15-20 seconds.
- Remove the pretzels from the soda bath and place them on a plate.
- Preheat your air fryer at 160C/350F for 5 minutes.
- Prepare the egg wash for the pretzel. Mix the egg yolk and water.
- Brush the top of the pretzels with the egg wash and sprinkle some sugar over them.
- Place the pretzels in the air fryer basket and bake them at 160C/320F for 8-10 minutes or until the pretzels turn dark golden brown in color.
- Remove the air fryer soft pretzels and serve them with cheddar cheese sauce.
You can find the air fryer soft pretzels recipe in the printable card below
How to shape Homemade Soft Pretzels?
Shaping the pretzels is quite easy than you may think. Here’s how you shape your soft pretzels:
- Sprinkle some flour on your work surface and take a portion of dough. Start rolling the dough with your palm into a rope-like shape.
- Once the dough is long enough approximately 15-inches, shape it in an upside-down U shape.
- Grab both ends, braid them around twice and bring both of the ends up to the top, and press firmly.
Tips for making the best homemade air fryer soft pretzels
- Don’t skip the preheating process before making any type of food in an air fryer.
- Try to make similar sizes and shapes of the pretzels for the evenly cooked result.
- Knead the pretzels dough till it’s not sticky, don’t over-knead them. Over kneading makes them lose their softness.
- Egg wash really helps the pretzels acquire that dark golden brown color.
- Don’t pile the pretzels on top of each other in the air fryer basket.
Our other easy baking recipes you’ll love:
Soft pretzel dip ideas
You can serve these air fryer soft pretzels with your favorite dipping sauce and enjoy. Here are some of the dip ideas you can try.
- Mustard Pretzel Dip
- Beer Cheese Dip
- Cheddar Pretzel Dip
- Mustard Dip
- Blackberry Honey Mustard
- Creamy Bacon Ranch Dip
How long does it take to cook a soft pretzel in an air fryer?
Every air fryer works differently depending on its brand. The total cook time for air fryer soft pretzels was 10 minutes in my air fryer. Check them in between the cooking process and adjust the cooking time accordingly.
Can you freeze soft pretzels?
Yes, place the leftover air fryer soft pretzels in a freezer bag and store them in the freezer for up to 2 months. Or you can place the leftover pretzels in an airtight container and store them in the refrigerator. They are good for 4-5 days.
How to reheat pretzels in an air fryer?
Reheat soft pretzel in air fryer at 160C/350F for 4-5 minutes or until warm.
Here are some of the frequently asked questions
Why do pretzels need a baking soda bath?
The soda bath actually helps to maintain the texture of the pretzels. It helps to keep the pretzels signature chewy crust.
Can you air fry soft pretzels?
Yes, you can make frozen pretzel in air fryer or make them from scratch.
How long do you cook frozen soft pretzels?
Frozen pretzel in air fryer takes 10-12 minutes to cook at 200C/400F.
How do I get salt/sugar to stick to the pretzels?
Brush the pretzels with egg wash and sprinkle salt/sugar on top before baking them. The egg wash helps salt/sugar to stick to the pretzels.
What makes a soft pretzel different from bread?
Soft pretzels are different from bread because pretzels are dunked in the baking soda before baking which makes the pretzels signature chewy crust.
Can I make this recipe without an air fryer?
Of course, you can make air fryer soft pretzels without an air fryer. Follow the steps from the above and make them in an oven. If you would like to use an oven convert the time and temperature using our air fryer calculator.
If you like the air fryer soft pretzels recipe, look what else you can air fry:
If you’ve tried this recipe, please let me know how it turned out in the comments below.
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📖 Recipe
Air Fryer Soft Pretzels
Equipment
- air fryer
Ingredients
Ingredients for air fryer soft pretzels:
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon dry yeast
- 1 cup of warm water
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter (melted)
Egg Wash:
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 tablespoon water
Soda Bath:
- 10 cups water
- ⅔ cup baking soda
Instructions
- Take a large mixing bowl to add, warm water, salt, and sugar. Mix them until the salt and sugar are completely dissolved. After that add the dry yeast stir and let it sit for about 5 minutes.1 tablespoon sugar, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 cup of warm water, 1 tablespoon dry yeast
- Now add the melted butter and all-purpose flour to the yeast solution. Gradually stir them together with a wooden spoon or dough whisk until form a ball.3 cups all-purpose flour, 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- Transfer the dough to the working place and knead until the dough is smooth. If you feel the dough is a little sticky you can add 1 tablespoon of flour at a time and knead the dough until it forms a softball.
- Place the pretzel dough in a well-greased bowl, and cover with a lid or a plastic wrap. Let the dough sit for an hour or until the dough has doubled in size.
- Sprinkle some flour on the working surface, place the dough and divide the dough into 6-7 equal pieces.
- Roll out each dough into a long rope of approximately 15-inches and wrap it into the pretzel shape.
- Take a large pot that can hold 10 cups of water at a time and add baking soda into the water and bring it to a boil.10 cups water, ⅔ cup baking soda
- Drop the pretzels one by one into the boiling water for 15-20 seconds.
- Preheat your air fryer at 160C/350F for 5 minutes.
- Prepare the egg wash for the pretzel. Mix the egg yolk and water.1 egg yolk, 1 tablespoon water
- Brush the top of the pretzels with the egg wash and sprinkle some sugar over them.
- Place the pretzels in the air fryer basket and bake them at 160C/320F for 8-10 minutes or until the pretzels turn dark golden brown in color.
- Remove the air fryer soft pretzels and serve them with cheddar cheese sauce.
