A pretzel covered in powdered sugar, chocolate drizzle and sprinkles. There are more pretzels behind on a glass plate. There is a teacup and a small bowl with sugar behind.

Easy Sweet Pretzels Recipe – Top with Your Favourite Sweet Toppings

These homemade sweet pretzels are soft and delicious with an amazingly chewy crust. Just like their salty counterparts, these pretzels are temptingly addicting and as fun to eat as they are to make. Especially, when topped with your favourite sweet topping!

Two pretzels covered in powdered sugar. There are more pretzels on a glass plate in the background. There is a clue floral teacup and a green floral cream pitcher beside.

Set up a pretzel bar and let everyone mix and match and top their own sweet pretzel, for a fun snack the whole family will enjoy!

Easy sweet pretzels

This easy straightforward recipe doesn’t require you to boil the pretzels first and doesn’t require the baking soda bath or lye to colour or flavour the crust.

The added egg wash right before baking is optional, but it does give the pretzels that lovely shiny golden brown finish.

There is a glass plate stacked with soft pretzels. There is one off to the side with sugar, chocolate, and sprinkles on top.

How to store homemade sweet pretzels

At room temperature

Pretzels don’t last long! They tend to dry out and toughen quickly. To keep your pretzels fresh at room temperature,

  • wrap well in plastic wrap
  • Store in an airtight container
  • Store on the counter for 1 day.

The fridge

The fridge is not the best spot to store pretzels. They will quickly dry out and turn tough. If you want longer storage for your pretzels, it is best to use the freezer.

freezer

This is the best way to prolong the freshness of your homemade sweet pretzels.

  • Allow the pretzels to cool
  • Wrap in plastic wrap fresh
  • Wrap in tinfoil or an airtight container
  • Store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
a sweet soft pretzel on a piece of parchment paper. There is another pretzel on a glass plate beside. The pretzel is covered in cinnamon sugar.

The best toppings for sweet pretzels

Icing Sugar

The simplest topping, and the one included in the recipe, is icing sugar. A simple dusting of icing sugar, through a fine mesh sieve, as soon as they come out of the oven, is the perfect deliciously simple way of topping this snack.

Cinnamon sugar

Sweet pretzels dusted with cinnamon sugar is probably the most popular topping.

To help the cinnamon sugar stick to your pretzel, and not end up all over your clothes, either sprinkle the topping on top of the egg wash right before baking or immediately after it comes out of the oven dampen the top of the pretzel just lightly with water.

The pretzels will retain a little dampness to help the dusting stick and, since the pretzels are hot out of the oven, the water will evaporate, leaving you with perfectly stuck cinnamon sugar coating.

Add a squeeze of lemon to take this simple dusting to the next level. Or with an added drizzle of maple syrup for a cinnamon toast feel.

~ To make this simple topping mix ⅓ of a cup of brown sugar with 1 teaspoon of cinnamon.

Chocolate

A smooth spread of Nutella or homemade chocolate ganache turns this into a decadent treat!

~To make an easy spreadable chocolate ganache ~
1. Chop 120 g quality chocolate and place in a heat proof bowl.
2. Heat ½ cup of heavy cream in a sauce pan, until it starts to steam. Pour this into the bowl with the chocolate.
3. Allow to sit 2-3 minutes to melt the chocolate. Stir.
4. Allow it to cool and thicken about 30 minutes. Stir occasionally.

Cheesecake

A simple drizzle of cream cheese icing pairs with these sweet pretzels perfectly. Add an extra drizzle of jam or a dusting of Oreo crumbles to elevate your cheesecake inspired soft pretzels.

Click here for the perfect cream cheese icing to spread on top of your sweet pretzels!

A collection of sweet soft pretzels with different toppings on them. There is a stack of pretzels in the background. and some little containers with toppins.

Sweet pretzels with enriched dough

Bread dough can be made in it’s simplest form with water, flour, salt, and yeast. These types of doughs are perfect for things like a baguette when you want a more dry crusty bread.

An enriched dough is made using ingredients that contain more fat. In this case we use milk instead of water, add in eggs, and butter.

All of this added fat makes the pretzel dough soft, tender, and pillowy!

A wooden table with ingredients.

How to make Homemade Sweet Pretzels

Ingredients

3 ½ – 4 cups all-purpose flour 450 g

2 ¼ teaspoon dry active yeast (1 package) 7 g

1 cup warm milk 250 ml

1 Tablespoon sugar

2 teaspoons lemon zest 10 ml

½ teaspoon salt 2.5 ml

¾ cup butter, softened 175 g

2 egg yolks

2 eggs

3 Tablespoons icing sugar 30 g

Method

  1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, or in a large bowl by hand, add the milk, sugar, and yeast. Set a side a few minutes for the yeast to soften and become foamy.
  2. Add in the lemon zest, salt, butter, egg yolks, 1 of the whole eggs, and the flour.

3. Mix and knead the dough until it is smooth and elastic. (About 5 minutes in a mixer or 8 minutes by hand.)

4. Cover and allow the dough to rise, in a warm spot, 1 hour.

5. Tip the dough out onto a lightly floured counter and split into 18 equal pieces.

6. Roll each piece of dough into a long strip about 12 in. (30 cm) long.

    7. Shape each into a pretzel shape and place onto a lined baking sheet.

    8. Cover and allow to rise, in a warm spot, until doubled, about 30 minutes.

    9. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 ºF (180 ºC).

      10. In a small bowl, lightly beat the remaining egg. Brush this egg wash on top of each pretzel

      11. Bake the in the preheated oven for 20 minutes or until golden.

      12. Remove from oven and dust with icing sugar.

        A pretzel covered in powdered sugar, chocolate drizzle and sprinkles. There are more pretzels behind on a glass plate. There is a teacup and a small bowl with sugar behind.
        Yield: 12

        The Best Homemade Sweet Pretzels

        Prep Time: 2 hours
        Cook Time: 20 minutes
        Total Time: 2 hours 20 minutes

        These homemade sweet pretzels are soft and delicious with an amazingly chewy crust. Just like their salty counterparts, these pretzels are temptingly addicting and as fun to eat as they are to make. Especially, when topped with your favourite sweet topping!

        Ingredients

        • 3 ½ cups all-purpose flour 525 g
        • 2 ¼ teaspoon dry active yeast (1 package) 7 g
        • 1 cup warm milk 250 ml
        • 1 Tablespoon sugar
        • 2 teaspoons lemon zest 10 ml
        • ½ teaspoon salt 2.5 ml
        • ¾ cup butter, softened 175 g
        • 2 egg yolks
        • 2 eggs
        • 3 Tablespoons icing sugar 30 g

        Instructions

        1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, or in a large bowl by hand, add the milk, sugar, and yeast. Set a side a few minutes for the yeast to soften and become foamy.
        2. Add in the lemon zest, salt, butter, egg yolks, 1 of the whole eggs, and the flour.
        3. Mix and knead the dough until it is smooth and elastic. (About 5 minutes in a mixer or 8 minutes by hand.)
        4. Cover and allow the dough to rise, in a warm spot, 1 hour.
        5. Tip the dough out onto a lightly floured counter and split into 18 equal pieces.
        6. Roll each piece of dough into a long strip about 12 in. (30 cm) long.
        7. Shape each into a pretzel shape and place onto a lined baking sheet.
        8. Cover and allow to rise, in a warm spot, until doubled, about 30 minutes.
        9. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 ºF (180 ºC).
        10. In a small bowl, lightly beat the remaining egg. Brush this egg wash on top of each pretzel
        11. Bake the in the preheated oven for 20 minutes or until golden.
        12. Remove from oven and dust with icing sugar.

        Notes

        Feel free to experiment with your favourite toppings!

        Sweet pretzels dusted with cinnamon sugar is probably the most popular topping.

        To help the cinnamon sugar stick to your pretzel, and not end up all over your clothes, either sprinkle the topping on top of the egg wash right before baking or immediately after it comes out of the oven.


        The pretzels will retain a little dampness to help the dusting stick.


        Add a squeeze of lemon to take this simple dusting to the next level. Or with an added drizzle of maple syrup for a cinnamon toast feel.

        ~ To make this simple topping, mix ⅓ cup of white sugar with 1 teaspoon of cinnamon


        Chocolate

        A smooth spread of Nutella or homemade chocolate ganache turns this into a decadent treat!

        ~To make an easy spreadable chocolate ganache~

        1. Chop 120 g quality chocolate and place in a heat proof bowl.

        2. Heat ½ cup heavy cream in a sauce pot, until it starts to steam. Pour this into the bowl with the chocolate.

        3. Allow to sit 2-3 minutes to melt the chocolate. Stir.

        4. Allow it to cool and thicken about 30 mins. Stir occasionally.

        Cheesecake

        A simple drizzle of cream cheese icing pairs with these sweet pretzels perfectly. Add an extra drizzle of jam or a dusting of Oreo crumbles to elevate your cheesecake inspired soft pretzels.

        Click here for the perfect cream cheese icing to spread on top of your sweet pretzels!

        Nutrition Information

        Yield

        12

        Serving Size

        1

        Amount Per Serving Calories 305Total Fat 14gSaturated Fat 8gTrans Fat 1gUnsaturated Fat 5gCholesterol 95mgSodium 163mgCarbohydrates 37gFiber 1gSugar 4gProtein 7g

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        A recipe card for homemade sweet soft pretzels. There are graphics for the ingredients and written instructions
        A pinterest pin for sweet pretzels. There is a collection of pretzels on a piece of parchment paper each with different toppings.

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