Spicy Pretzels Recipe With Ranch Seasoning (2024)

FAQs

What do you put on top of pretzels? ›

For already-made pretzels, top with a mixture of melted butter, diced garlic, parsley, and parmesan cheese. If you're making your own, you can stuff them with mozzarella cheese, cook, and then top them with the garlic butter! Some people create pretzel logs around string cheese, while others opt for shredded cheese.

So what makes a pretzel into 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.

In addition to dip, you can also add toppings to your pretzels. Common toppings include parmesan, cinnamon sugar, raisin, jalapeno, ranch, garlic, and almond crunch. While most of these toppings are added before baking, you can also add them after.

Ways to Enjoy Your Homemade German Pretzels

While salt's usually the go-to topping, a typical pretzel will see a side of cheese sauce or mustard to dip. Other toppings for pretzels have expanded to include cinnamon, powdered white/brown sugar, glazes (typically sweet ones), seeds, and nuts.

Salt is the most common seasoning, or topping, for pretzels, complementing the washing soda or lye treatment that gives pretzels their traditional skin and flavor acquired through the Maillard reaction. Other toppings are mustard, cheeses, sugar, chocolate, cinnamon, sweet glazing, seeds, and nuts.

If you bust out a big-ass jar of pickles and start dunking them in ranch dressing, people might give you side eye. But dunking pretzels in a bowl of this creamy, delicious dressing delivers all that crunch and tang without the judgement.

When you place the nutritional information of pretzels and potato chips side-by-side, you'll notice why pretzels are the healthier choice. Pretzels have less calories than potato chips and less saturated fat. As we all know, excessive calories and saturated fat can ruin a diet.

Pretzels are dipped in food-grade lye before baking. It gives them a characteristic shine and flavor.

What is the best flour for pretzels? ›

Bread flour is best used for, you guessed it, breads. This is fine for pretzels, but if you don't plan to make that much bread, buying bread flour for just one thing can seem like a waste. All-purpose flour can be used for a wide variety of baked goods, including cookies, muffins, pie crusts, and breads.

Pretzels are a type of bread typically made from wheat or rye flour and a few other ingredients, such as yeast, sugar, salt, water, and butter.

Lye is primarily used to make pretzels, and it's the reason for their unmistakable shiny, mahogany color. To prepare, shaped pretzels are dipped in a lye bath, then baked in the oven. This method can also be used with rolls or buns.

The main thing that sets the pretzels served at Oktoberfest (and throughout Germany) apart from their soft American counterparts is the use of lye to form a dark chewy crust.

Pretzels may be better than some fatty chips, but four out of five nutrition experts surveyed by Time say if you're trying to eat healthy, pretzels shouldn't be your go-to snack. Although pretzels are low-fat, they are also pretty paltry on the protein and fiber front, and they can be quite high in sodium and carbs.

Decorate Your Pretzels!

You can leave your pretzels plain or drizzle them with a little extra chocolate, as I have done. If you want to get fancy, dress them up with candy sprinkles, coconut flakes or chopped nuts. Sprinkles are a great way to dress up these treats for Halloween, Christmas, or any holiday!

Freshly baked pretzels can be brushed or dunked in melted butter before topping (the butter will help the toppings to stick). Sprinkle over cinnamon sugar, or a blend of spices and grated dry cheese (such as Parmigiano-Reggiano).

Do you have to use salt on pretzels? Pretzels are best with some salt, but you can reduce the amount you use. For instance, our reduced sodium pretzels do no use salt in the dough and reduces the amount used on top. That way, you can still get the delicious pretzel flavor without taking in too much sodium.