Soft Pretzel Bites with Smoked Gouda Cheese Dip. (2024)

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This Soft Pretzel Bites with Smoked Gouda Cheese Dip recipe = pure happiness. 🥨

Dip those buttery, pillowy soft (baked) pretzel bites into the smooth and creamy smoked gouda (and American) cheese dip. SO good!

As a kid, I remember loving frozen soft pretzel bites. One night Jon and I wanted pretzels, so I ordered them (Instacart to the rescue)! Let’s just say they weren’t as enjoyable as I had remembered. Our snack that we were so excited about was a complete letdown. We decided to try making our own recipe and it worked! Fresh, fluffy, buttery, salty soft pretzel bites; and now I will never, ever go back.

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As you can see, on this day, I chose mess (and fun). If my husband, Jon, were home he may have killed me (or just looked at me with disappointment 🤣) since I make enough of a mess as it is in the kitchen. He’s the type to clean along the way and keep everything spotless as he cooks, and I’m the opposite; especially if I’m extra hungry. I just want to get the cooking process done quickly so I can eat, then I’ll clean after. I take after my mom in that sense!

The soft pretzel bites recipe is so simple. Warm the milk, three tablespoons of butter, and brown sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat until the butter is melted, and the sugar is dissolved. In the bowl of your KitchenAid stand mixer, add the flour, yeast, and salt. Make a well in the center and be sure to have your dough hook attached. Turn to speed two and slowly stream in the warm milk mixture.

The dough should form into a ball and start hitting against the sides of the bowl. Turn your KitchenAid to speed four and let it run for eight minutes. Once finished, form the dough into a rounded ball with your hands. It should be quite easy to form. Place the dough back into your KitchenAid bowl and cover with plastic wrap.

Let the dough rest on the counter for at least an hour. It should triple in size quickly!

After the dough rises, it should feel almost hollow. It looks heavy and dense but it’s so light and airy! Divide the dough into four equal parts and roll each into a long rope shape. We like to cut them into bite-sized pieces using a dough scraper or knife, but you can form them into a traditional pretzel shape if you prefer.

Just be sure to adjust the cooking time, as necessary. 🥨

Drop your soft pretzel bites into the boiling water in batches, approximately twenty at a time, and swish them around periodically; I use a fine mesh strainer to swish, and remove them from the water (after about a minute of soaking them).

Transfer the soft pretzel bites to a cooking rack to allow them to air-dry for a minute or so, then onto an oiled baking sheet (you can line the baking sheet with parchment paper too). These steps help the pretzels release from the pan a bit easier, as they tend to stick because of the baking soda.

Melt the remaining two tablespoons of butter in the microwave, brush each pretzel bite with butter, then sprinkle with coarse Kosher salt.

Bake in a preheated four hundred fifty-degree oven for eight to twelve minutes. The cooking time will depend on the size you cut your pretzels. Also, every oven is different! Cook the pretzels until golden brown and fluffy on the inside.

You could also bake the pretzel bites in your air fryer.

My smoked gouda cheese dip is so simple, creamy, and delicious. Here’s how I make it:

In a saucepan over medium heat, warm the milk with the butter just until it melts. Sprinkle in the cumin, garlic powder, and cayenne and stir to combine. Turn the heat to low. Break up the American cheese straight into the pot, stirring in between. Once that’s almost melted, add in the smoked gouda and keep stirring until the cheese is completely melted. Stir in your Rotel (I use hot, but you can use any kind you like), if using.

Serve immediately with your soft pretzel bites!

To keep soft pretzel bites warm for a party, you can use a few methods:

1. Slow Cooker: Place the pretzel bites in a slow cooker on the “warm” setting. This will keep them warm without overcooking.

2. Oven: Set your oven to its lowest temperature setting (around 200°F or 93°C) and place the pretzel bites on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Keep them in the oven until ready to serve.

3. Chafing Dish: If you have a chafing dish, you can use it to keep the pretzel bites warm. Place them in the dish and light the fuel underneath to maintain a consistent temperature.

4. Covering with Foil: If you’re serving the pretzel bites on a platter, cover them loosely with aluminum foil to help retain heat. Whichever method you choose, be sure to check the pretzel bites periodically to ensure they stay warm and don’t dry out!

I’d love to hear from you! About your experience with this dish, any alterations you may have made and loved (or didn’t love), or just life and cooking in general. Please leave a question, comment, and/or review below, or get in touch via email.

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I hope you love these soft pretzel bites with smoked gouda cheese dip as much as we do!! 🥨🫕 – Jenna G.