How to Make the Best Gluten Free Soft Pretzels

Recipe Video

These gluten free soft pretzels are everything you'd want them to be and more. Chewy outside, soft inside, salty and ever so slightly sweet, they make a perfect gluten free snack! This recipe includes easy dairy free and vegan options, too.

Soft pretzels really are the ultimate snack, in my opinion. That combination of buttery, slightly sweet dough, the salt on the outside and a chewy, crisp texture makes them irresistible. I like to serve mine with a honey mustard dipping sauce, but I imagine there's no end to what you could pair with them - and they're pretty wonderful all on their own as well.

Tips for Making these Gluten Free Soft Pretzels

Shaping

I think the idea of trying to shape a pretzel without having done it before could make the most hardened army general sweat, but it's actually pretty easy once you get the hang of it. As you can see in the photos, I like to shape my pretzels with a thicker mid section and thinner ends. This gives you the most wonderful variation of textures; soft and pillowy in the middle and crisp and chewy on the ends!

While I've tried to be as clear as possible in my shaping instructions, I've also included a link below to a video of me shaping these pretzels to give you an idea of how to do it, and I'm sure the depths of the internet have a lot to offer on the subject as well. Once you've done a couple of them you'll wonder what you were worried about!

Poaching

Pretzels, along with bagels, are a curious bread. Unlike most breads where we prove and then bake, these need to be poached in a water and bicarb soda bath prior to baking to give them their wonderful chewy crust. Apart from the shaping, I think this is the most intimidating part of making pretzels - it's certainly the thing I was most nervous about the first time I made this recipe!

Thankfully, this bread holds up extremely well to the poaching. All the hard work you put into shaping them won't be destroyed when you put them in the water, they should come out just as good as when you put them in, just a bit puffier! Try not to worry about lifting them up, I find them surprisingly easy to handle. If you're really nervous to lift them try cutting the baking paper into individual squares around the pretzels and use the squares to help lift them into the water. I find the best way to poach these pretzels is to put them in upside down first for 30 seconds, then flip them right way up again for another 30 seconds. This just seems to help maintain the shape a bit better.

How to Store Gluten Free Soft Pretzels

These pretzels keep quite well for a couple of days in an airtight container at room temperature, and you could definitely freeze them for later too. On days one or two after baking them I like to refresh them in a 180ºC oven for 5 minutes to get that crisp and chewy crust back.

I really hope you give this recipe a go, the whole process of shaping the pretzels, watching them puff up in the water and then go deliciously dark golden in the oven is so much fun. The fact that they're completely delicious as well is almost just a bonus!