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Air Fryer Soft Pretzels

Air Fryer Soft Pretzels are a quick and easy snack that are just as delicious as those soft and chewy pretzels from the mall food court. A quick homemade yeast dough with no required rising time and cooks in just 6 minutes!

Air fryer snacks are our favorite, we make Air Fryer Onion Rings, Air Fryer Tater Tots and Air Fryer Mini Pizzas for quick and delicious appetizers.

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platter of soft pretzels with cheese sauce in center

Air Fryer Soft Pretzels ~ Quick and Easy Homemade Recipe

Is there anything more comforting and delicious than warm baked bread dipped into cheese sauce? These easy soft pretzels are so simple to make that you’ll be making them again and again for a quick and easy snack. 

Ingredients Needed:

  • Warm Water
  • Dry Active Yeast
  • Sugar
  • Olive Oil
  • All Purpose or Bread Flour
  • Kosher Salt
  • Egg
  • Flake Salt

How to Make Air Fryer Soft Pretzels:

collage making soft pretzel dough

  • Add warm water – about 100° to a large bowl with yeast, sugar and olive oil. Stir to combine and set aside about 5 minutes.
  • Add 3 cups of flour with a teaspoon of kosher salt. 
  • Stir together with a dough whisk or wooden spoon until dough forms a ball. 
  • Turn dough out onto a floured surface. Knead for 3- 5 minutes until dough is no longer sticky. Add more flour 1 tablespoon at at a time as needed.

pretzel dough on a floured cutting board

  • Divide dough in half. Work with half of the dough at a time. 

dough balls for pretzels

  • Divide each dough half into 8 pieces. 

8 dough pieces - shaping for pretzels

  • Roll the dough into about a 18 inch rope. Dough can be rolled on the floured surface or between your hands. If dough is resistant to shape, allow it to rest a few minutes and try again. 

step by step shaping pretzels

To shape the pretzels:

  • Form the dough into a U shape. 
  • Twist the ends twice.
  • Fold the ends over the round part of the dough. I found this helpful video if you need further assistance in shaping the dough.

bowl of egg wash

  • In a small bowl, beat the egg with a tablespoon of water.

brushing pretzels in an air fryer with egg wash

  • Brush both sides of the pretzel dough with the egg wash. 
  • Lay the pretzels into the air fryer with space in between. 

pretzels in an air fryer

  • Sprinkle flake salt over the pretzels.

baked pretzels in an air fryer

  • Cook pretzels at 370° for 6-7 minutes or until golden brown.

soft pretzels on a wire rack

  • Remove to a wire rack to cool.
  • Repeat with remaining pretzels.

soft pretzels on a platter with cheese sauce

Recipe Tips and Variations:

  • Yield: 16 pretzels
  • Easy Cheese Sauce: Melt 12 ounces Velveeta cheese with 1/2 cup milk over medium heat, stirring until melted. 
  • Tips: Brush the egg wash over the pretzels just before adding to the air fryer for the easiest handling. 
  • Garlic Butter Pretzels: Brush baked pretzels with melted garlic butter. 
  • Cinnamon Sugar Pretzels: Skip the flake salt and brush the pretzels with melted butter after cooking. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar before serving.
  • Oven Directions: Bake pretzels on a lined baking sheet at 375° for 8 – 10 minutes or until golden brown. 
  • Storage: Store pretzels in an airtight container up to 24 hours at room temperature or up to 2 days in the refrigerator. 
  • Freeze: Cooked pretzels can be frozen in a single layer in a freezer bag up to 3 months.
  • Reheat: Reheat thawed pretzels in air fryer at 350° 1- 2 minutes. For frozen pretzels 3- 4 minutes.

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We have made soft pretzels before but this recipe was the best we’ve tried. The taste and texture was perfect and the best part is how easy the dough is to work with. 

This recipe is based off our our easy pizza dough and skips the boiling of the pretzels in a baking soda water bath. The egg wash gives these soft pretzels the golden brown color and adds a bit of crispness to the crust while the insides are light and fluffy. 

More Air Fryer Recipes to Try:

Soft pretzel dipping into cheese sauce

If you are craving a warm soft pretzel this easy recipe can be made in the air fryer or oven for a classic appetizer that everyone will love. A great game day snack or appetizer for family game night, these are the easiest pretzels ever.

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air fryer soft pretzels
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4.56 from 27 votes

Air Fryer Soft Pretzels

Air Fryer Soft Pretzels are a quick and easy snack that are just as delicious as those soft and chewy pretzels from the mall food court. A quick homemade yeast dough with no required rising time and cooks in just 6 minutes!
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time6 minutes
Total Time21 minutes
Course: Air Fryer
Cuisine: American
Keyword: homemade pretzels, soft pretzels
Servings: 16 pretzels
Calories: 450kcal
Author: Milisa

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups warm water 100°
  • 1 tablespoon dry active yeast
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 3 1/2 - 4 cups all purpose or bread flour
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 tablespoon water
  • flake sea salt

Instructions

  • Add warm water - about 100° to a large bowl with yeast, sugar and olive oil. Stir to combine and set aside about 5 minutes.
  • Add 3 cups of flour with a teaspoon of kosher salt. 
  • Stir together with a dough whisk or wooden spoon until dough forms a ball. 
  • Turn dough out onto a floured surface. Knead for 3- 5 minutes until dough is no longer sticky, adding flour 1 tablespoon at a time if needed.
  • Divide dough in half. Work with half of the dough at a time. 
  • Divide each dough half into 8 pieces. 
  • Roll the dough into about a 18 inch rope. Dough can be rolled on the floured surface or between your hands. If dough is resistant to shape, allow it to rest a few minutes and try again. 
  • Form the dough into a U shape. 
  • Twist the ends twice.
  • Fold the ends over the round part of the dough. 
  • In a small bowl, beat the egg with a tablespoon of water.
  • Brush both sides of the pretzel dough with the egg wash. 
  • Lay the pretzels into the air fryer with space in between. 
  • Sprinkle flake salt over the pretzels.
  • Cook pretzels at 370° for 6-7 minutes or until golden brown.
  • Remove to a wire rack to cool.
  • Repeat with remaining pretzels.

Notes

Tips and Variations:
  • Easy Cheese Sauce: Melt 12 ounces Velveeta cheese with 1/2 cup milk over medium heat, stirring until melted. 
  • Tips: Brush the egg wash over the pretzels just before adding to the air fryer for the easiest handling. 
  • Garlic Butter Pretzels: Brush baked pretzels with melted garlic butter. 
  • Cinnamon Sugar Pretzels: Skip the flake salt and brush the pretzels with melted butter after cooking. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar before serving.
  • Oven Directions: Bake pretzels on a lined baking sheet at 375° for 8 - 10 minutes or until golden brown. 
  • Storage: Store pretzels in an airtight container up to 24 hours at room temperature or up to 2 days in the refrigerator. 
  • Freeze: Cooked pretzels can be frozen in a single layer in a freezer bag up to 3 months.
  • Reheat: Reheat thawed pretzels in air fryer at 350° 1- 2 minutes. For frozen pretzels 3- 4 minutes.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 450kcal | Carbohydrates: 88g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 12mg | Sodium: 123mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 1g

19 Comments

  1. Sent this link to my daughter who has an air fryer, likes to use it and has friends over to her house frequently!!

        1. Hi Mel,
          The recipe card is at the very bottom of the post. You can use the “jump to recipe” button at the top to take you right to the printable card with the ingredients list and instructions.

          ~ Milisa

          1. Your recipe card needs to be corrected. It does not list how much water is needed. 1 Tbs of water is not enough. I did see this comment in the reviews. “1 1/2 cups warm water”.

  2. I don’t like to buy ingredients that I can’t use for something else.
    The salt flakes? I know table salt won’t cut it. What about margarita salt?

  3. I have yet to master homemade pretzels, despite a few tries. I can totally see how an air fryer would help them rise and crisp and turn out amazing, and I am so excited to try this recipe! Fingers crossed I can finally scratch homemade pretzels off my culinary bucket list!!!

  4. My kids loved them! I can’t wait to make them again. The outside is perfectly crispy with a soft inside.

  5. This tasted so amazing! Thanks a lot for sharing this super easy to make soft pretzel recipe! Fam really loves it! Will surely have this again! Highly recommended!

  6. I had never made pretzels in air fryer before. These turned out prefect, and will be a regular in our snack rotation now. Thank you.

  7. My kids are always wanting to buy pretzels, so making these made them so happy!! They even love to help make them! It’s the easiest & quickest pretzel recipe!

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