Cinnamon Crunch Soft Pretzels

[This post is sponsored by my foodie loves at Bob’s Red Mill! We’re using their fabulous Organic All-Purpose Flour for these Cinnamon Crunch Soft Pretzels.]

Some links used in this post are affiliate links, which means if you order a product through the link, Fooduzzi makes some money (at no cost to you). All money is put directly back into making delicious plant-based yum here on the blog!

You know those super tasty Cinnamon Crunch Bagels?

These are like those…but in PRETZEL FORM.

Is your mind blown? Because mine. is. too.

HI! This is quite the day, my friends. And that is because it is the big ol’ four year dating anniversary with my guy.

Yep. This time four years ago, we were grabbing dinner with friends (salads, olives, beer), walking around downtown (to Point State Park!), getting smoothies at Ben & Jerry’s (do not recommend), and signing our first apartment lease together.

Our story has never really been all that…conventional. Signing our lease the day we start dating. Then going on an “official” first date a month after that.

But all that lack of convention is very much “us.” We’re weird, we’re introverted, we make each other laugh with voices we make up for our cat, we love our little floofhead more than anything, we’re business owners, we’re whiskey drinkers, we’re saps, and we’re lovers of the ever-so-perfect cinnamon sugar pretzel.

IN FACT. We recently found out that, as kids, we both loved Auntie Anne’s cinnamon sugar pretzels with…wait for it…cheese dip dipping sauce.

I mean, have you ever heard of a more perfect couple? Or more bizarre? Who’s to say?

Regardless, I decided to pay homage to one of our favorite childhood snacks today, but of course, because I’m me and can’t leave anything alone…we’re elevating it with cinnamon crunch.

AHH. Yes. Those Panera bagels are life, right? Well, it’s totally replicable in pretzel form, and dare I say…better.

You’ve heard it here first, folks. Cinnamon Crunch Soft Pretzels are here to cure your carby cravings.

So, by definition, soft pretzels are a wee bit high maintenance. Not horrible, just…a little more time-consuming than making something like cookies.

But that’s okay. Once you sink your teeth into the soft, pillowy, chewy pretzel, studded with coffee cake-like crumbles and drizzled with vanilla glaze, you’ll forget about all the prep.

And here’s how it’s done:

How to make vegan soft pretzel dough

Oh the dough. I took a play out of Alton Brown’s book and leaned on him to lead me the way to soft pretzel nirvana.

You’ll need some flour, active yeast, sugar, salt, and some vegan butter.

Let’s chat about the flour, shall we? Because I was making these pretzels for a special occasion and because I want my baked goods to be the very best they can possibly be (aka. for you!), I use, trust, and love Bob’s Red Mill’s Organic All-Purpose Flour.

Lemme just say: they call it, “America’s Best Baking Flour” for a reason, okay? It hits that sweet spot of, “not too light,” and “not too dense.”

I love it and use it for everything. Cookies, cakes, and Cinnamon Crunch Soft Pretzels.

If you’ve never baked with yeast before, it’s nothing to fear! Promise. It’s very very simple to use. Just heat up some water so it’s warm to the touch, add some sugar, and then add your yeast. It’ll bloom and get foamy and delicious-smelling, and then it’s ready to use!

How to shape a soft pretzel

Once your dough has rested for, oh, an hour or so, it’s time to shape! This is my favorite part, because it kind of blows everyone’s mind how easy getting that “iconic pretzel shape” really is.

Well, at least it blew Mark’s mind. Not sure about everyone else.

Regardless! It’s as simple as 1, 2, 3!

• 

• 

• 

1. Make a U
2. Twirl the ends together twice
3. Fold the ends down on the bottom of the U

You’ve just made a soft pretzel, homie! Way! To! Go!

Why do you boil soft pretzel dough?

That’s a good question! Boiling is key to getting that…pretzel taste.

I think back in the day, people used a…not super safe ingredient to make that flavor happen, but you can easily achieve the same effect with one ingredient I know is in your kitchen: baking soda!

You add some baking soda to some water, bring it to a boil, and then boil your uncooked pretzels for 30 seconds each.

Just a quick dip in the baking soda hot tub will totally give your soft pretzels that pretzely edge.

How to make a vegan cinnamon crunch topping

And now the fun part! Mix together your crumble ingredients – Bob’s Red Mill’s Organic All-Purpose Flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, vegan butter, and a pinch of salt in a bowl.

You’ll want to make sure your vegan butter is cold, and that the chunks end up the size of small crumbs. Not like, teeny tiny. But small. It’s much better this way, trust me.

Brush your boiled soft pretzels with a bit of non-dairy milk, and sprinkle away! You want these babies coated, so I also hit them with a bit of cinnamon-sugar. Totally optional, but also kinda not, you know?

Last important note: any excess cinnamon crunch topping on the baking sheet will burn – we’re baking these at a hot temperature (450 degrees F, to be exact), so try and brush up as much of the excess as possible and put it on top of the pretzels. The more the merrier with this topping!

And then finally…in just 12-15 minutes, you, too, will be greeted with the aromas of fresh-baked, cinnamony-sweet bagels, ready for devouring.

We liked them with a simple vanilla glaze, but feel free to skip it if the pretzeling before was enough for ya.

If you’re a fan of:

• Chewy dough
• Cinnamon sugar
• Coffee cake-like crumbles
• Happiness

…you’ll love these pretzels. Guaranteed. Omg. Must go devour leftovers like a monster now. BYE!

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