10 Minute Fluffy Air Fryer Pretzel Bites

If you’re looking for the ultimate snack that is crispy on the outside, and soft, chewy, and buttery on the inside, then look no further because I’ve got you covered. My 10 Minute Fluffy Air Fryer Pretzel Bites are a delicious, melt-in-your-mouth snack that is way better than any store bought pretzels. Plus, they come together in only 10 minutes, making them perfect to throw together for game day, or any celebration!

Friends, if you’re looking for a new snack, then you are guaranteed to fall in-love with this recipe. When I tell you that these pretzel bites are absolutely to die for, I mean it. They’re perfectly crispy on the outside, and soft and pillowy on the inside. 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!

I love serving these pretzel bites alongside my vegan queso for a healthier alternative to pretzels and cheese dip, or with my quick & easy blender salsa for a bold and unique appetizer.

Five Reasons Why You Need an Air Fryer

This recipe calls for an air fryer, and if you have ever wondered if you needed an air fryer, the answer is yes… you DO! There are so many amazing reasons to add an air fryer to your kitchen, but these are just a few of my favorite reasons.

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.

My Favorite Air Fryers

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.

How to Make These Pretzel Bites in Only 10 Minutes

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 review and rating below! To see more recipes and behind the scenes, follow along on Instagram, TikTok, and Youtube! I’m also now on Pinterest, so stop by and take a look at what’s new.

** Photography by Gayle McLeod