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These cinnamon sugar soft pretzels are so soft and chewy, buttery and sweet, and amazingly delicious! The aroma of these guys fills the room. They definitely flew off of the pan when I made them for my family.
Every time I go to the Mall, I walk in and I smell the sweet aroma of cinnamon bites from Auntie Anne’s. One day I was craving these bad boys so bad that I decided to make them at home. And the best part is, it was SUPER easy! Enough talking about it, let’s get started, my mouth is already watering!
Here are all of the ingredients you’ll need:
- Milk (you can also make this with non-dairy milk)
- yeast
- brown sugar
- butter
- salt
- flour
- baking soda
- water
- cinnamon sugar
Make sure you have all of your utensils ready to go:
-
- Mixing Bowl
- Measuring Cups
- Measuring Spoons
- Liquid Measuring Cup
- Spatula
Preparation Steps:
Now we are ready to get started!
- You will begin by dissolving the yeast in the milk, which needs to be warmed to the touch. It just needs to be a little warmer than your body temperature to help the yeast activate. If the milk is too hot or too cold, the yeast will not activate properly!
- Next, adding sugar, butter, salt, and flour to make a soft pretzel dough. Be careful not to add too much flour, you’ll want to add it in sections because you’ll want the dough to be soft and pliable, this dough will be a tad bit sticky. Place the dough in a greased bowl to rise for one hour.
- After the dough has risen, divide it into 12 equal-sized pieces. If you want your pretzels a little smaller, you can divide the dough into 16 pieces. You decide!
- Here’s the fun part. Time to make the pretzel shape. Start by rolling each piece into a long skinny rope. Next, twist each rope into a “U” shape with a twist at the bottom. Next, bring the twist down onto the curve of the dough, like so. I will admit here that I am not the greatest at shaping pretzels, but guess what? It was fun and they turn out delicious either way!
- Next, bring your water to a boil and add the baking soda, dip the dough into the water and baking soda bath, for about 20 seconds, using a slotted spoon to fish them out. Let the excess water drain off and then they’ll go into the oven to bake for 8-10 minutes on 450F. Pull them out when they’re golden brown and beautiful.
- Next, you’ll brush the pretzels with melted butter, then roll them in a sweet cinnamon-sugar mixture. (Make sure you roll, because sprinkling the sugar doesn’t work as good as you think!)
- These pretzels are best within the first 24 hours, so make sure to eat them quickly. They tend to get a bit soggy or really hard depending on how you try to store them. Considering how delicious they are, though, I doubt that will be a problem. Just make them once, and you will be totally hooked!
I would love to see all of your wonderful creations! Enjoy!
Ingredients
- for the pretzels:
- 2 cups warm milk or non-dairy alternative
- 1½ tablespoons yeast
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 4 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted
- 1 teaspoons salt
- 4 ½ cups flour, more or less as needed
- Cinnamon Sugar Topping:
- ⅓ cup baking soda
- 4 cups boiling water
- 4 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 4 teaspoons cinnamon
Instructions
- Using a large bowl, dissolve the yeast in the warm milk. Feel free to use
non-dairy milk if you prefer. Let the mixture sit for 3-5 minutes. - Next, add in the brown sugar, salt, butter. Then, the flour (one cup at a time
until fully incorporated - Mix until smooth, the dough will be slightly sticky, but that is okay. Cover the
bowl with a kitchen towel or plastic wrap that you have perforated and let rise
until doubled in size, about 45 minutes to 1 hour - Preheat the oven to 450. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and
set aside. - Next, you will divide the dough into equal-sized pieces, about 12-16 and roll
each piece into a long skinny rope. Loop around itself and twist into a pretzel
shape - Boil your water in a medium to the large-sized pot, and once it reaches a boil,
add in the baking soda until dissolved. Dip each pretzel into the baking soda
mixture, letting it sit for 20 seconds, any more than this and they will taste
“metallic-y”, using a slotted spoon, place on the prepared baking sheets.
Bake 8 to 10 minutes, or until golden brown and smelling delicious. - Whisk together the sugar and cinnamon in a shallow baking pan or bowl.
Brush the pretzels with melted butter, then dip them in the cinnamon sugar
mixture, coating evenly - Enjoy while warm.
I have tried three times to get my yeast to bloom in almond milk without success. I’ve tried different milk temperatures and packets of yeast with different expiration dates (all freshly purchased. I’ve tried setting the cup with the milk and yeast in a bowl of warm water. I’ve added a pinch of sugar. Nothing works Is the almond milk too dense to allow the yeast to bubble? Can this recipe be made with water instead of milk?
Hi Linda
Yes, you can try using just water. Almond milk is just almonds and water. Be sure you are using active dry yeast. The liquid should be warm to the touch. But sure. Try water. And be sure you mixing the yeast into the liquid. Adding sugar will act as a catalyst helping the yeast to bloom. But, as long as there are a few bibles forming, the yeast is alive and you can continue on with your recipe.