Air Fryer Pretzel Bites

Looking for a new snack? I’ve got you covered. These Air Fryer Pretzel Bites are so easy to make and they taste absolutely amazing! Who needs frozen pretzels or store-bought ones when you can make your own, in a matter of minutes?

They are crispy on the outside, and when you break into them, you will find a soft doughy texture, exactly the way a pretzel should be. Then top each one with pretzel salt, and oh my gosh, you are in for a real treat. This recipe is perfect for an after school snack, game day treat, or anytime you need the perfect party appetizer!

Top 5 reasons why you need an air fryer!

1. You can make almost ANYTHING in the air fryer. And that is the number one reason on this list that you need one. You heard me right. You can make almost anything. You can air fry fruit; you can cook chicken and even steak; make meatballs! You can cook all your veggies in the air fryer, and because you aren’t dousing them with oil, they are healthier for you. There are so many air fryer recipes all over the internet, use google and find them. One of my favorite recipes to make in the air fryer (besides this one) is Trader Joe’s Cauliflower Gnocchi!
2. There’s no preheating necessary when using an air fryer. For example, suppose you wanted to make baked chicken breasts. To do so, you’d need to preheat the oven to 350 degrees (or more) which usually takes around 10 minutes before baking the chicken for an additional 18-20 minutes. In an air fryer, you can make perfectly cooked chicken breasts in 10 minutes, from start to finish.
3. Your food cooks evenly, every single time! The concept of an air fryer is very similar to a convection oven that uses forced, heated and circulated air to cook foods faster, and also ensures the ingredients are cooked more evenly, compared to traditional gas or electric ovens.
4. Easy cleanup! Here’s the thing—when you fry food, oil splatters everywhere and the kitchen stinks! With the air fryer, since there’s no oil being used, there’s no smelly, hot grease and mess to clean up afterward. In addition, the basket has a non-stick surface, so I usually just rinse it out and give it a quick scrub after each use, and it’s good to go for the next use.
5. Air fryers are environmentally friendly. Think about it, using an air fryer instead of a traditional oven uses less electricity.

So which air fryer should you get?

There are so many air fryers on the market, and they range in price. Here’s what I will tell you. You don’t need the most expensive one; but I do recommend getting a LARGE or EXTRA LARGE one. Why? Because the standard air fryers are pretty small. They are good if you are making food for just yourself, or maybe one other person. But if you have a family to feed, that will get annoying because you have to air fry your food in batches. I’m a gal that likes to do things once and call it a day.

So below are two air fryers that I wholeheartedly recommend, both my Philips, because I own a Philips and I have been so happy with mine!:

1. Philips Premium Airfryer XXL with Fat Removal Technology. Remember when I said that you should invest in a BIG one, if you can? This is one of the best ones on the market. Although it’s pricey, considering the number of times you are going to use your air fryer in this lifetime, I think it’s a fantastic investment, and cannot recommend it enough — especially if you have more than 2 mouths to feed.
2. Philips HD9220/29 Airfryer, 1.8lb/2.75qt. Here is a less expensive option, while keeping that same high Philips quality. This one is 2.75 quarts, which I’d say is great for 1-2 people. For perspective, the air fryer above is 4 quarts — a much larger appliance, but quicker when feeding a family.

But let’s get back to this recipe and talk about making pretzels at home! It is so easy! There are many different ways that I’ve seen others make pretzel bites in the air fryer. Some require you to boil the pretzel dough in a baking soda / water mixture before putting them in the air fryer. I tried it that way, and to be honest, I didn’t notice any big difference doing it that way, versus skipping that step all together. And look, I am a busy mama, if I can skip steps I will.

So to make it my way, it is so easy! All you have to do is go to the grocery store and purchase a little packet of quick rise yeast, and follow my instructions below. You heat up your water so it’s warm — NOT HOT, because you don’t want to kill the yeast. I always recommend for the water to be 100 degrees F, but if you don’t have a thermometer, it’s ok. WARM WATER, not cold and not hot. I hope that helps :).

Once you have your warm water, you add the yeast, give it a quick whisk, and set it aside. Then you grab another bowl and mix together the flour, salt, and sugar, and then pour the yeast-water mixture on top and mix it all together into a ball of dough. That’s when I sprinkle some flour on my counter, divide the dough into 8 parts, and then form ropes. Cut the pieces into one inch square/rectangles. Then all you have to do is spray the inside of the air fryer basket, line up the dough pieces, rub the tops with the melted butter, and air fry! When they come out of the air fryer, I like to rub them with more melted butter and sprinkle pretzel salt on top.

These pretzel bites are best enjoyed right away, but feel free to reheat in the air fryer for about one minute if need be. If you are making these as a game day snack or for guest, I recommend serving with mustard on the side, ranch dressing, or even sprinkling some parmesan cheese on top — YUM!!!!

Speaking of pretzel salt, it’s totally optional, but if you can’t find it at the store, I just order it from Amazon.

If you make this recipe, please be sure to leave a comment and rating for me below! And since I practically live on Instagram, be sure to tag me in your creations so I can repost them on my IG stories. ENJOY! xx