A moment happens to nearly everyone walking through a mall—that instant when the warm, buttery scent of Auntie Anne’s pretzels wafts through the air and stops you mid-stride. It’s almost impossible to resist following that aroma to its source and watching as pretzel artisans twist dough into perfect shapes behind the counter.
My first Auntie Anne’s experience happened during a teenage shopping trip with my Grandmother. We splurged on a batch of cinnamon sugar pretzels that we devoured while sitting on a bench near the fountain. Years later, that distinctive taste still brings back memories of laughter, shopping bags, and the simple joy of sharing good food with friends.
Table of Contents
Why This Copycat Recipe Beats a Trip to the Mall
- Family Activity: Get everyone involved in the fun of shaping and decorating
- Fresh From Your Oven: Enjoy pretzels at their absolute freshest, still warm from baking
- Cost-Effective: Make an entire batch for less than the price of two mall pretzels
- Customize Your Flavors: Create exactly the toppings and variations you love
- Impressive Skill: Amaze friends and family with your pretzel-twisting technique
- No Mall Required: Satisfy your pretzel craving without leaving home
Ingredients
Here’s a list of what you need:
- Active dry yeast – The leavening agent that creates the pretzel’s signature texture and helps it rise Water – Activates the yeast and forms the base of the dough
- Brown sugar – Provides food for the yeast and adds subtle sweetness and color
- Table salt – Enhances overall flavor and strengthens the dough’s structure
- Bread flour – Contains higher protein content for superior chewiness and structure
- All-purpose flour – Balances the bread flour for the perfect texture
- Baking soda – Creates the alkaline bath that gives pretzels their distinctive flavor and glossy exterior
- Coarse salt – Adds the classic salty pretzel topping and textural contrast
- Butter – Brushed on after baking for that unmistakable Auntie Anne’s rich finish and aroma
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How to Make Auntie Anne’s Pretzels:
Making homemade pretzels is easier than you think. Follow these simple instructions:
- Start with mixing the yeast with the water.
- Add the remainder of the dough ingredients and knead until smooth.
- Let rise for at least 1/2 hour.
- While the dough is rising, prepare a baking soda water bath.
- After the dough has risen, pinch off bits of the dough and roll into a long rope.
- Shape dough rope into a pretzel.
- Dip the pretzel into the soda water bath and place on a greased baking sheet.
- Let dough rise again.
- Bake and brush with melted butter.
See how easy that is!
Homemade Auntie Anne’s Style Soft Pretzel
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups warm water
- 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 1/8 teaspoons salt
- 1 cup bread flour
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cups warm water
- 2 tablespoon baking soda
- To taste, coarse salt
- 4 tablespoons melted butter
Instructions
- Sprinkle yeast on lukewarm water in mixing bowl; stir to dissolve. Add sugar, salt and stir to dissolve; add flour and knead the dough until smooth and elastic. Let rise at least 1/2 hour.
- While the dough is rising, prepare a baking soda water bath with 2 cups warm water and 2 tbsp baking soda. Be certain to stir often.
- After the dough has risen, pinch off bits of dough and roll into a long rope (about 1/2 inch or less thick) and shape. Dip pretzel in soda solution and place on a greased baking sheet. Allow pretzels to rise again. Bake in the oven at 450 for about 10 minutes or until golden. Brush with melted butter and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Do I Have to Use Bread Flour?
Bread flour does work better than all-purpose flour. I should add, I use King Arthur Bread Flour and King Arthur All-Purpose Flour for the regular flour. I think I have been using King Arthur now for about thirteen years and I love this flour. It’s definitely amazing stuff, and once you’ve started using King Arthur you won’t go back.
Notes
- When working with the dough, sometimes flour needs to be added. The amount required can vary quite a bit depending on the type of flour and the humidity. Just add enough flour to make the dough work well.
- The baking soda water bath gives the pretzels that smooth, glossy finish. It’s just enough to get the outsides to have that delightful sheen on them, but not enough to cook them all the way through. So once you bake them, you get a soft middle with a wonderful chewy exterior. It’s the same step that gives bagels their smooth, shiny surface.
Variations
- If you would like to try Auntie Anne’s famous Cinnamon Sugar pretzels, try melting a stick of butter in a shallow bowl (big enough to fit the entire pretzel). In another shallow bowl, make a mixture of cinnamon and sugar. Dip the pretzel into the butter, coating both sides generously. Then dip again into the cinnamon mixture.
- If you want salted pretzels, salt the pretzels before baking and they will be amazing. Shake on the salt right after dipping and before you put them in the oven. The salt sticks much better this way. Sea salt tastes just as great as pretzel salt and is much better for you. When they’re done, take them out and butter them to death!
Recommended Special Equipment
- Pastry Brush – for brushing on the butter
- Kosher Salt – to sprinkle on the pretzels
- SAF Gold Yeast will give you a much sweeter bread; it is typically not found in most grocery stores.
Can’t get enough pretzels? Try these recipes!
- Cinnamon Sugar Pretzels
- Ranch Pretzels
- Beer Cheese Dip for Pretzels
- Pretzel Brats
- Chocolate Pretzel McFlurry
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Be sure to check out more of my easy snack recipes and the best fast food copycat recipes.
Did you make and love this recipe? Give your review below and make sure you share your creations by tagging me on Instagram!
How long should the second rise be?
Until they double in size.
Easy and delicious! You can’t eat just one!
Stephanie, I remember using your recipe around 2010 or 2011 and remember it being more complex than it is now. Am I just remembering incorrectly or is this recipe the same as it’s always been? The pretzels did not come out the way I remember, it was a lot softer when I made it years ago and more similar to Auntie annes, but this time they were a lot harder (still good, but more bread like than pretzel)
Did you happen to use bread flour?