The first time I attempted to recreate TGI Friday’s pretzel sticks at home, I was convinced I’d need professional baking skills. I’d spent countless happy hours at my local Fridays, always ordering their warm, pillowy pretzel sticks with that irresistible beer cheese dip that disappeared before I’d even made a dent in my cocktail.
One Friday evening, when the craving hit but I couldn’t make it to the restaurant, I decided to try making them myself. To my surprise, the process was far less intimidating than I’d imagined! The transformation of simple ingredients into those perfect golden-brown pretzel sticks felt like culinary magic happening right in my kitchen.
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Table of Contents
Making TGI Friday’s Pretzel Sticks and Beer Cheese Dip
The secret to these pretzel sticks lies in the baking soda bath before baking. This step creates that distinctive chewy interior and golden exterior that makes restaurant pretzels so special. The dough itself is enriched with a touch of sugar that helps achieve the perfect color and flavor during baking. For the beer cheese dip, using American cheese might seem unconventional, but it melts beautifully into a smooth sauce that doesn’t separate when heated. The beer adds depth without overpowering the cheese, creating the perfect balance for dipping.
Recipe Ingredients
For the Pretzel Sticks:
- Instant yeast – Provides quick, reliable rising without proofing
- Sugar – Feeds the yeast and adds subtle sweetness to the dough
- Water – Creates the right moisture content for chewy pretzels
- All-purpose flour – Forms the structure of the pretzel dough
- Salt – Enhances flavor throughout the dough
- Vegetable oil – Prevents dough from sticking during rising
- Baking soda – Creates the alkaline bath that gives pretzels their distinctive texture
- Egg white – Helps achieve a glossy, golden-brown exterior when baked
- Coarse kosher salt – Provides the classic pretzel topping with perfect crunch
For the Beer Cheese Dip:
- American cheese – Melts smoothly to create the perfect dipping consistency
- Beer – Adds depth and complexity to the cheese sauce
What Beer to Use in Beer Cheese Sauce
I am using Molson for my cheese dip, but you can use any brand of beer you like. I like a hearty beer so this was my choice for this recipe.
I have done a similar beer cheese dip with Coors Light, Spaten Oktoberfest, and some others, all with good results.
If you don’t drink beer, replace the beer with milk and you will have a tasty cheese sauce.
How to Make Pretzel Sticks
- Proof yeast in warm water with a pinch of sugar. Pour the proofed yeast in the bowl of a mixer fitted with a dough hook.
- Add flour and salt. Mix while slowly streaming warm water into the flour until a ball of dough forms then another minute to knead the dough.
- Place the dough ball in an oiled bowl. Cover with a towel and let rise until doubled.
- Punch down and knead the dough on a floured work surface. Divide the dough into 16 pieces and roll them into small logs. Cut 2 or 3 slits in each.
- Cover the dough logs with a towel and let them rise for another 25 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees while the dough is on the second rise.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add baking soda and sugar.
- Drop a few pretzel sticks at a time into the boiling water and cook for 1 minute, turning over halfway through. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the sticks to a baking sheet.
- Brush the tops with the egg wash and sprinkle generously with coarse kosher salt.
- Bake at 375 degrees until brown, about 25 minutes.
- Transfer the pretzel sticks to a wire rack and let them cool for 10 minutes.
- Serve warm or at room temperature with beer cheese dipping sauce.
How to Make Beer Cheese Sauce
- Chop the cheese into cubes and place them in a small saucepan with ½ cup of beer.
- Cook over low heat, stirring often, until the cheese has melted.
TGI Friday’s Pretzel Sticks and Beer Cheese Dip
Ingredients
- 1 1/8 teaspoon yeast 1 package instant yeast
- 1 cup water plus 2 tablespoons warm water (125 to 130 degrees)
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour plus more for rolling
- 1 teaspoon salt
- vegetable oil for the bowl
- 8 cups water
- 1/4 cup baking soda
- 1 egg white lightly beaten with 1 teaspoon water, for glaze
- 1 tablespoon coarse kosher salt for sprinkling
Beer Cheese Sauce
- 8 ounces American cheese
- 4 ounces beer
Instructions
Pretzel Sticks
- Proof the yeast by combining it with 2 tablespoons warm water and 1 teaspoon sugar in a small bowl. Once the yeast begins to foam and bubble, it is ready to use.
- Transfer the yeast mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook.
- Add flour and salt. Begin to mix on low and slowly stream 1 cup of warm water into the flour until a ball of dough forms. Continue to mix for another minute to knead the dough.
- Grease a bowl with vegetable oil and place the dough ball in the oiled bowl. Cover with a towel and let rise until doubled, approximately 35 minutes.
- Dust a cutting board with flour and place the dough on the board.
- Knead and then divide the dough into 16 portions.
- Roll each portion into a cigar shape and use a sharp knife to cut 2 or 3 slits into the top.
- Cover the rolled dough pieces with a towel and let rise for another 25 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees while the dough in on the second rise.
- Bring 8 cups of water to boil in a large saucepan. Add the baking soda and the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar (the water will foam for a moment).
- Drop 4 pretzel sticks at a time into the boiling water and cook for 30 seconds per side. Use a slotted spoon to remove the sticks and place them on a baking sheet.
- Whisk together the egg white and 1 tablespoon of water to make an egg wash.
- Brush the pretzels with the egg wash and sprinkle generously with coarse kosher salt.
- Bake at 375 degrees until brown, about 25 minutes.
- Transfer the pretzel sticks to a wire rack and let cool for 10 minutes.
- Serve warm or at room temperature.
Beer Cheese Sauce
- Chop American cheese into 1-inch cubes and place them in a small saucepan with 4 ounces of beer.
- Cook and stir over low heat until the cheese has melted.
Video
Nutrition
Storage and Make-Ahead Tips
- Dough preparation: Can be made up to 24 hours ahead and stored in refrigerator; bring to room temperature before shaping
- Pretzel sticks: Best served fresh but can be stored in an airtight container for up to 2 days
- Reheating pretzels: Warm in a 300°F oven for 5 minutes to restore softness
- Beer cheese dip: Can be made 2 days ahead and refrigerated; reheat slowly over low heat with a splash of milk to thin if needed
Love TGI Fridays? Try these copycat recipes!
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- Mini Corn Dogs
- Onion Blossom
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Check out my easy bread recipes and the best appetizer recipes here on CopyKat!
We made this for the Superbowl, we really liked it.
It didn’t seem to be enough water. My dough was crumbly so I added a few more tablespoons. Did anyone else have that problem?
Hi Lyn: I live in the Denver CO area and I’ve found that most recipes for sea level or higher humidity areas will require noticeably more moisture than called for (perhaps the flour dries out too much). I add enough liquid to make a very slightly tacky dough, and knead a little longer to properly hydrate the dough. Hope this helps…
The amount(s) of water listed is very confusing.
For the American Cheese, is it the Velveta brick? Or is a chunk of American Cheese cut from the deli? White or Yellow if it is deli American you are recommending? Thanks!
I would use a chunk of American cheese. I am recommending deli American cheese that is yellow.
Out of curiosity, what do the baking soda and sugar do in the boiling water? And why do you boil before baking?
The baking soda and sugar are for browning. Pretzels are always boiled before they are baked, this is what gives these the chewy crust we all love.
I could DRINK that Beer Cheese Dip! 🙂 Mmmm!!!
I know that feeling 😉
What is your favorite restaurant appetizer?
Olive garden’s salad
I love that one too!
Applebee’s beer cheese pretzels
Thank you for your suggestion.