Let’s be honest – most gluten-free snacks feel like a backup plan. They’re dry, they’re crumbly, and halfway through chewing, you’re already missing the real thing. But these? These soft pretzels hit differently. They’re warm, chewy, a little crispy on the outside, and taste exactly how you want a pretzel to taste. Salty, soft, and begging to be dipped in something delicious.

I’ve burned through enough bags of failed gluten-free flour mixes to know how rare it is to get this right. Most recipes either fall apart or come out gummy. This one’s solid. No eggs. No dairy. No mystery ingredients. Just a few basics, a little patience, and some old-school twisting.

Active Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings: 8 warm, salty pretzels

Ingredients

No chasing down fancy flour blends or ordering things off the internet. This is stuff you can grab on your regular grocery run.

• 2 1/4 cups gluten-free flour (make sure there’s xanthan gum in the mix)
• 1 tablespoon white sugar
• 1 packet (2 1/4 tsp) instant dry yeast
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup warm water (around 110°F is your sweet spot)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/3 cup baking soda (this is for the water bath, not the dough)
• Coarse sea salt (for sprinkling over the top)

Instructions

Preparation

Start by mixing the warm water and sugar in a large bowl. Sprinkle in the yeast and walk away for about 6 minutes. If it’s not foamy after that, toss it and start again. Lifeless yeast means lifeless pretzels.

Once it bubbles up, stir in the flour, salt, and olive oil. Mix until you’ve got a sticky ball of dough. Knead it for a good 6 minutes by hand or with a dough hook. It won’t be as smooth as regular dough, but it should hold together.

Cover the bowl with a clean towel and set it in a warm spot. Let it sit for 45 minutes. Don’t expect it to rise like wheat dough – it just needs a bit of puff.

Cooking

Crank the oven to 425°F and line a baking sheet with parchment. Don’t skip the parchment, trust me.

Split the dough into 8 even pieces. Roll each one into a rope – somewhere around 18 inches – then shape them into pretzels. They don’t have to be bakery-level pretty.

Boil 6 cups of water, then carefully stir in the baking soda. It’ll fizz like crazy. Drop each pretzel in for about 30 seconds, then scoop it out with a slotted spoon. Set them on the lined baking sheet.

Sprinkle with salt and bake for 15 to 18 minutes, or until they’re deeply golden and smell like heaven.

Serving

These are best right out of the oven. The kind of snack you break apart with your hands and eat before it even hits a plate.

Try them with:

• Spicy Dijon
• Vegan queso
• Roasted garlic hummus

They reheat better than most gluten-free baked goods. Wrap in foil and toss in a 350°F oven for 8 to 10 minutes. Done.

Nutritional Value Per One Serving

Nutrition Facts

• Calories: 180
• Total Fat: 4g
• Saturated Fat: 0.5g
• Cholesterol: 0mg
• Sodium: 480mg
• Total Carbs: 34g
• Fiber: 2g
• Sugars: 1g
• Protein: 3g

Tips and Variations

Little things make a big difference:

• Don’t skip the baking soda bath. That’s what gives you that classic crust.
• Use parchment paper. Seriously. You’ll regret it if you don’t.
• Want more flavor? Sprinkle garlic powder or onion powder before baking.

Sweet idea? As soon as they’re out of the oven, brush with melted vegan butter and coat with cinnamon sugar. Dessert pretzels. You’re welcome.

Conclusion

Most gluten-free baking feels like a compromise. These don’t. They feel like the version you should have been eating all along. Chewy, salty, satisfying – and just enough work to feel like you earned that first bite.

Try it once. It’ll become your go-to.

Craving more? Check out our curated lineup of mouthwatering appetizer recipes.