Auntie Annes Pretzels - CopyKat Recipes (2024)

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by Stephanie Manley, Last Updated 40 Comments

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Enjoy the taste of Auntie Anne’s Pretzels at home with this easy copycat pretzel recipe. These soft pretzels are made to perfection, you’ll love every chewy bite of the best pretzel recipe ever!

Auntie Annes Pretzels - CopyKat Recipes (1)

Table of Contents

Why we love Auntie Annes Pretzels

Auntie Annes Pretzels can be found in shopping malls and airports everywhere. I don’t know about you, but I find Auntie Anne’s Pretzels to be irresistible. It really is the best pretzel recipe ever! With just one bite, these soft pretzels transport you back in time to those Saturdays at the mall with your friends.

Now you can make these timeless Auntie Annes pretzels at home with this copycat soft pretzel recipe. Many, many thanks to Adrienne for this one!

Ingredients

Here’s a list of what you need:

  • Active dry yeast
  • Water
  • Brown sugar
  • Table salt
  • Bread flour
  • All-purpose flour
  • Baking soda
  • Coarse salt
  • Butter
Auntie Annes Pretzels - CopyKat Recipes (2)

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Do I Have to Use Bread Flour?

Bread flour really 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. Ithink 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.

How to Make Auntie Anne’s Pretzels:

Making homemade pretzels is easier than you think. Follow these simple instructions:

  1. Start with mixing the yeast with the water.
  2. Add the remainder of the dough ingredients and knead until smooth.
  3. Let rise for at least 1/2 hour.
  4. While the dough is rising, prepare a baking soda water bath.
  5. After the dough has risen, pinch off bits of the dough and roll into a long rope.
  6. Shape dough rope into a pretzel.
  7. Dip the pretzel into the soda water bath and place on a greased baking sheet.
  8. Let dough rise again.
  9. Bake and brush with melted butter.

See how easy that is!

Auntie Annes Pretzels - CopyKat Recipes (3)

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!
Auntie Annes Pretzels - CopyKat Recipes (4)

Recommended Special Equipment

  • Pastry Brush – for brushing on the butter
  • Kosher Salt – to sprinkle on the pretzel
  • SAF Gold Yeast – will give you a much sweeter bread, this 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

Popular Snacks

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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!

Auntie Annes Pretzels

Enjoy the taste of Auntie Anne's Pretzels at home with this easy copycat recipe.These soft pretzels are made to perfection and you'll love every chewy bite!

5 from 11 votes

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Course: Snack

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Pretzels

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes minutes

Servings: 6

Calories: 392kcal

Author: Stephanie Manley

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

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) and 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!

Nutrition

Calories: 392kcal | Carbohydrates: 67g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 20mg | Sodium: 1608mg | Potassium: 109mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 235IU | Calcium: 22mg | Iron: 3.1mg

About Stephanie Manley

I recreate your favorite restaurant recipes, so you can prepare these dishes at home. I help you cook dinner, and serve up dishes you know your family will love. You can find most of the ingredients for all of the recipes in your local grocery store.

Stephanie is the author of CopyKat.com's Dining Out in the Home, and CopyKat.com's Dining Out in the Home 2.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Karen Yang

    Auntie Annes Pretzels - CopyKat Recipes (6)
    Easy and delicious! You can’t eat just one!

    Reply

  2. Valerie

    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)

    Reply

    • Stephanie

      Did you happen to use bread flour?

      Reply

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Auntie Annes Pretzels - CopyKat Recipes (2024)

FAQs

What is the secret ingredient in Auntie Anne's pretzels? ›

Experts at The Daily Meal (via Fox News) suspect the secret ingredient is sugar. This makes total sense, not because we're some sort of band of dough geniuses over here, but because sugar obviously makes everything better — and because Auntie Anne's pretzels are definitely sweeter than your average pretzel.

What is the secret ingredient which makes a pretzel taste like a pretzel? ›

The answer lies in a brief dip in an alkaline water bath before baking. This bath essentially gelatinizes the outside of the pretzel, preventing it from fully “springing” during baking (as bread does) and giving pretzels their signature chewy crust. It also gives them their unique and indelible “pretzel” flavor.

What makes Auntie Anne's pretzels so good? ›

Auntie Anne Pretzels are somehow more delicious than your average pretzel. A healthy dose of sugar makes for a tasty dough, and a topping of melted butter and salt makes them positively addictive. Another reason the popular pretzels are so good is they are made and served fresh and warm.

What are the ingredients for Auntie Anne's pretzels? ›

ENRICHED WHEAT FLOUR (WHEAT FLOUR, MALTED BARLEY FLOUR, NIACIN, REDUCED IRON, THIAMINE MONONITRATE, RIBOFLAVIN, FOLIC ACID), WATER, BROWN SUGAR, CONTAINS 2% OR LESS OF THE FOLLOWING: DOUGH CONDITIONERS (WHEAT FLOUR, MALT BARLEY FLOUR, ASCORBIC ACID, ENZYMES, SALT, VEGETABLE PROTEIN [CORN-BASED]), YEAST, CALCIUM ...

Does Auntie Anne's use lye or baking soda? ›

That's kind of the point of this post, after all. Well, the cheery ladies were very clear with me: they do NOT use lye. No sodium hydroxide/poison/caustic soda—none whatsoever—in their pretzels. (They do, however, dip their pretzels in a baking soda solution.)

Does Auntie Anne's fry or bake their pretzels? ›

Products sold at Auntie Anne's franchise locations are baked fresh in-store. In order to provide you with a great Auntie Anne's experience at home, we use the same proprietary blend of flour used in our stores.

What makes pretzel dough taste different? ›

They're Boiled, Not Baked.

Pretzels are boiled, not baked. The dough is first shaped into a long rope and then boiled in water before being baked at a higher temperature than bread. This process creates a distinctive pretzel shape and gives them their unique taste.

What is the lie for making pretzels? ›

Lye is the secret ingredient that gives pretzels their characteristic look and taste. Without lye, you have a breadstick. When you dip raw dough into a hot lye bath, the lye breaks down proteins and starches on the surface.

Why do my homemade pretzels taste weird? ›

If your pretzels have any sort of a metallic, bitter taste, it all comes down to the baking soda bath.

Does Auntie Anne's put butter on their pretzels? ›

ORIGINAL PRETZEL

The original twist that started it all; a simple, buttery and salty soft pretzel that is better than the best.

What is Auntie Anne's real name? ›

Beiler. Anne F. Beiler is an American businesswoman and founder of Auntie Anne's pretzels.

Does Subway own Auntie Anne's? ›

Both Cinnabon and Auntie Anne's are part of Focus Brands, the Atlanta-based operator owned by Roark Capital, the private equity group trying to buy Subway.

What is the secret ingredient in pretzels? ›

According to King Arthur Baking, lye and caustic sodas are used in the process of baking pretzels because lye's reaction to the pretzels, much like baking soda, gives them that chewy texture, light interior, and brown crust.

Does Auntie Anne's use sesame? ›

auntieannes.com

Before placing your order, please inform your server if a person in your party has a food allergy. Some of our products contain food allergens and other ingredients that cause food sensitivities, such as egg, fish, milk, peanuts, sesame, shell fish, soybean, tree nuts, and wheat.

Who makes Auntie Anne's pretzels? ›

Auntie Anne's
Auntie Anne's at King of Prussia mall in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania
Company typeSubsidiary of Focus Brands
IndustryFood and beverage Pretzel Shop
Founded1988 Downingtown, Pennsylvania, U.S.
FounderAnne F. Beiler
9 more rows

What is the purpose of putting an egg wash on the pretzel? ›

Egg Wash – The egg wash on the pretzels gives them a little shine, and I find it softens the exterior a bit. For a more traditional taste, omit the egg wash and just use salt when the pretzels come out of the water bath.

Why does the Auntie Anne's pretzel have a halo? ›

Anne and Jonas Beiler were both raised Mennonite, and in her book Twist of Faith, Anne talks about how God helped her through a family tragedy and helped her build Auntie Anne's. But the halo over the pretzel in the company's logo was introduced in 2006 after Sam Beiler initiated a redesign and rebranding.

What is Auntie Anne's pretzel dogs made of? ›

PRETZEL DOUGH: ENRICHED WHEAT FLOUR (WHEAT FLOUR, MALTED BARLEY FLOUR, NIACIN, IRON, THIAMINE MONONITRATE, RIBOFLAVIN, FOLIC ACID), WATER, DARK BROWN SUGAR, YEAST (YEAST, SORBITAN MONOSTEARATE, ASCORBIC ACID), DOUGH CONDITIONER (GUM ARABIC, WHEAT FLOUR, MONO- AND DIGLYCERIDES, SALT, CELLULOSE GUM, GUAR GUM, ENZYMES), ...

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