This Auntie Anne’s Pretzel Recipe is a long-standing go-to in my family. The buttery, chewy, slightly sweet pretzel dough that just melts in your mouth. These pretzels are by far one of our favorites. They never last long around here, I usually have to make a double batch just to keep hubby and the teens satisfied.
Have you ever taken a trip to the mall JUST for the warm chewy deliciousness of an Auntie Annes pretzel? You are not alone! There should be a secret support group for this addiction. The warm chewy center. The golden outer crust. The tangy sea salt perfectly placed around the top………… Ohhhh just heaven on a plate (or in a cup if you choose the wonderful little bites perfect for dipping!)
Helpful tools used to make this recipe:
Kitchen Aid Stand Mixer
| Glass Baking Bowls
| Baking Sheet Pan
| Kitchen Timer
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Now you can make this irresistible copycat recipe yourself and enjoy your pretzel addiction in the comfort of your own home. No one ever needs to know how much you crave these salty little bites of heaven. Ok, now I sound like the little devil on your shoulder telling you to do the really bad things. I’m really just trying to help you here! I promise I am. You will thank me after you make these just once! They are as close to the original as it can get from home. Give this recipe a try and let me know how they come out for you!
When it comes to food, we love trying to recreate our favorite restaurant dishes at home. That also includes fast food and snack ideas as well. Like Copycat Taco Bell Loaded Potato Grillers and McDonald’s Shamrock Shake.
One of our absolute favorite snacks, hands down, has to be the iconic Auntie Anne’s Pretzels. Slightly sweet with a golden, buttery pretzel crust. Making these delicious pretzels is easier than you might think. Sure, they do take a little time. Trust me, they are so worth it. Here is how you can make our version of Copycat Auntie Anne’s pretzels right from home.
Copycat Recipe: How to Make Auntie Anne’s Pretzels
Helpful tools used to make this recipe:
Kitchen Aid Stand Mixer | Glass Baking Bowls | Baking Sheet Pan | Kitchen Timer
Ingredients for Auntie Anne’s Pretzel Recipe
- 1 Cup whole milk (you can also use a whole milk substitute if you are out)
- 1 packet active dry yeast
- 3 Tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 2 1/4 Cups flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 Tablespoons baking soda (or a baking soda substitute)
- 1 1/2 Cups warm water
- Coarse salt
- 2 Tablespoons butter, melted in a small bowl
Directions for Auntie Anne’s Pretzel Recipe
- Warm the milk in the microwave or on the stove top for about one minute to 110º. If it’s too hot it will kill the yeast. You should be able to comfortably keep your finger in it.
- Stir in the yeast and let it sit for about 3 minutes
- Add the butter and sugar.
- Add the flour 1 cup at a time and then add the salt.
- Knead the dough for about 10 minutes with a stand mixer, or by hand until smooth and elastic. Sprinkle with flour as you knead if the dough is too sticky
- Place the dough in a greased bowl turning once and cover with plastic wrap.
- Let it rise for 1 hour in a moist, warm place until doubled in size.
- *TIP: preheat your oven on the lowest “warm” setting while you are mixing the dough. Turn it off before you begin kneading the dough. Place the covered dough in the warm oven for 1 hour.
- Remove from the warmed oven
- Preheat the oven to 400º.
- Combine the warm water and baking soda in a bowl and set aside.
- Punch down dough and turn it out on to a lightly floured surface.
- Divide into 12 – 16 equal pieces
- Roll the dough all out into logs as thin as you can.
- Shape each piece of the dough into pretzel shapes (see the video above), then dip them in the baking soda water.
- Place on a greased baking sheet and sprinkle with coarse salt.
- Bake for 7-11 minutes or until browned.
- While hot, brush each pretzel with melted butter. Serve with The Perfect Cheese sauce (recipe below).
Recipe Note:
Makes 6 large pretzels or 12 – 16 small pretzels
Check out the video above to see how easy it easy to shape your pretzels!
Ingredients for Auntie Anne’s Cheese Sauce (perfect for dipping!)
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1 C milk
- 8 oz extra sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
- pinch of salt
Instructions for Auntie Anne’s Cheese Sauce
- In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter.
- Whisk in the flour and cook for 30 seconds, whisking constantly.
- Slowly whisk in the milk until no lumps of flour remain.
- Stirring constantly, bring the milk to a simmer over medium-low heat until it thickens, about 3-5 minutes.
- Remove the pan from the stove and stir in the shredded cheese until all of the cheese has melted.
- Add a pinch of salt, if needed.
- Serve warm. Leftovers can be reheated in the microwave on medium power at 30-second intervals.
If the sweeter version of these perfect pretzels is more your taste, try dipping them in cinnamon sugar mixture once they come out of the melted butter! Delicious!!
Copycat Recipe Auntie Anne's Pretzels with Cheddar Dipping Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 Cup whole milk
- 1 packet active dry yeast
- 3 Tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter melted
- 2 1/4 Cups flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 Tablespoons baking soda
- 1 1/2 Cups warm water
- Coarse salt
- 2 Tablespoons butter melted in a small bowl
Instructions
- Warm the milk in the microwave or on the stove top for about one minute to 110º. If it's too hot it will kill the yeast. You should be able to comfortably keep your finger in it.
- Stir in the yeast and let it sit for about 3 minutes
- Add the butter and sugar.
- Add the flour 1 cup at a time and then add the salt.
- Knead the dough for about 10 minutes with a stand mixer, or by hand until smooth and elastic. Sprinkle with flour as you knead if the dough is too sticky
- Place the dough in a greased bowl turning once and cover with plastic wrap.
- Let it rise for 1 hour in a moist, warm place until doubled in size.
- Remove from the warmed oven
- Preheat the oven to 400º.
- Combine the warm water and baking soda in a bowl and set aside.
- Punch down dough and turn it out on to a lightly floured surface.
- Divide into 12 - 16 equal pieces
- Roll the dough all out into logs as thin as you can.
- Shape each piece of the dough into pretzel shapes (see the video above), then dip them in the baking soda water.
- Place on a greased baking sheet and sprinkle with coarse salt.
- Bake for 7-11 minutes or until browned.
- While hot, brush each pretzel with melted butter.
Nutrition
Just look at that golden, buttery crust. They are incredible! Don’t just take my word for it, try making up a batch of these for yourself and see.
Check out our entire guide of copycat recipes. And let us know what you want us to do next!
More Copycat Recipes
Chick-fil-A Mac and Cheese
Wingstop Ranch Dressing
Chili’s Cajun Chicken Pasta Recipe
Chipotle Fajita Veggies
KFC Copycat Coleslaw
Red Lobster Stuffed Mushrooms
Featuring tomorrow at Bacon Time!
Im super excited to be featured! (my first) Thanks Mindie
The pretzels came out amazing. My children absolutely loved them!
So glad you enjoyed then Adrienne. They are a family favorite for sure.
These pretzels look FANTASTIC !!!
I’d love to try your recipe
Thanks for sharing 🙂
I hope you try them .. you wont be disappointed. We like to make the pretzel sticks and nuggets as well. Easy to dip 🙂 Enjoy!
I just made these!!! O M G!!! They were delicious and tasted just like them!!!! I will be making these again and again!!!!!! Thank you
I’m impressed! Your pretzels look amazing. Pinned. Lou Lou Girls
Thank you! So worth the time to make them at home. Always a hit with the kids
If I made these, they would be the jalapeno ones. The last 3 times I’ve gotten them at Annie’s they’ve been raw in the middle so I’m done with that kiosk. I guess with this recipe I’ll have to make my own. 🙂
Ohhh I don’t think I have had the jalepeno ones! I haven’t been to an auntie anne’s in 2 years. and that was a fluke thing at the airport. I like making them at home myself, the kneading is a stress reliever! Thanks so much for stopping by!!
You should not call them auntie anne’s copycats if you haven’t been to the kiosk in so long. I made these last night. They were OK, sure. But NOTHING like auntie Anne. Texture, flavor, elasticity of the dough, presentation of color and mottle. Not one thing in common. Very disappointing. Like thinking a glass has water in it and it actually has sprite or vice versa. Not what I spent over an hour of work to get. Also, the only option to rate the recipe is 5 stars? That you can’t remove?
I made these today, they were delicious. Easy to follow recipe – thank you for posting. 🙂
So glad you liked them! They are one of our favorites! Thanks for stopping by 🙂
Great recipe! I cant find frozen pretzels anywhere in the UK and I love a pretzel breakfast. One quick question , there is only 1 of me and although I could eat the whole batch in one sitting I’m not sure its a great idea, can these be frozen before baking and if so when should they go in the freezer?
Hi Hayley, gosh I have never tried to freeze it. With 2 teenage boys, I never have a chance LOL I have however frozen regular bread dough before, so I dont see why not. Just make sure they are completely thawed before cooking. You might want to try baking them and then freezing individually too.
Does it matter whether or not you if you use all purpose flour or should I use bread flour? Can’t wait to try these out! Thanks!
Hi Erica! I use regular AP flour. Hope you’re able to give them a try .. so yummy!
These look great! Does it matter which fat content of milk is used?
Thanks Kathy. I used whole milk, I’m sure you could use what ever you have on hand.
These were very tasty. However, I did experience a few issues that might plague other bakers. 1) the dough is very wet and sticky–I don’t know how you would kneed it for 10 minutes by hand. I made mine with a dough hook in my mixer, then turned it out on the counter to give it a couple kneeds by hand, which was a huge, messy mistake. 2) my first couple of pretzels puffed up into solid rolls when baked, loosing their pretzel definition. By the last batch, I had figured out to roll my pieces of dough very long and thin, then let them rest for a few minutes before shaping, then rest again before dipping and baking. Regardless of their appearance, they all tasted good.
Oh no! I’m sorry you had trouble with these. Glad they tasted good anyway. I need to remake them, but waiting for this humidity to break. Weather may have been a factor. Thanks for commenting and letting everyone know.
Mine ended up not very sweet and tasted very floury and I think it may need more brown sugar. They dough also wasn’t smooth after rising and so my pretzels look lumpy. What could have caused this?? I was really hoping it would work really well.
also seemed raw inside but burnt on bottom
What kind of butter do you use ? Salted or unsalted? I know some recipes for baking call for unsalted so just want make sure.
These look so good. I have never made pretzels before and I love how the video shows me just how to twist them. I am going to try it! Thanks.
I am going to try this recipe too. Yours look so good that I must make them for my family. I pinned it for later too.
I will for sure be making them! Looks so yummy!
I made these and like others have said they were so sticky. Are you sure the milk to flour ratio is correct? I ended up adding almost an additional cup of flour to the recipe just so I could knead it and they turned out better but not much like Auntie Anne’s.
Oh my goodness I love these pretzels!! I’ve made them several times and I love them and everyone who has tried them loves them. Nice work on this recipe! Super simple, even for someone who has never made pretzels before 🙂
Super yummy recipe, but I agree with others that the dough was too sticky. I ended up using 380g of normal plain white flour (I think that’s roughly 3 1/4 cups) and made them into 12 pretzels. I also reduced the brown sugar to 2 tablespoons. So light and fluffy inside and a beautiful crisp outside layer. Will definitely be making these again.
I have a question, how come you add brown sugar to the dough? I am very curious as to why that is added in many copy cat recipes.
Auntie Anne’s pretzels are slightly sweet .. That is why it is added in this recipe. I can’t answer for others, only this one. I am sure you can omit it or substitute with another type of sweetener, I have just never tried that before.
I’m trying this recipe as I write this. So far it’s been easy and I can’t wait till they are out of the oven. Thank you for sharing this recipe.
I made these yesterday and they were amazing! It was my first time making pretzels, so I was really nervous! They turned out really well! I followed your recipe exactly!
Thank you!
First attempt… delicious! My artistic skills-not so great! 🤗 looked strangely shaped, taste qas amazing! Ty! 👍🏻
Great recipe! Like a lot of the other commenters, I did have to add almost a cup of extra flour to lose the sticky consistency. It’s rainy and humid here today though! Not sure if that has something to do with it.
I just made these and followed your instructions. They turned out AMAZING! So delicious and they really do taste just like auntie anns!! My husband loved them. Will def be using this recipe again! Thank you!!
Holy Moly!! These are the best! I made them with my daughter after trying other recipes for pretzels that didn’t taste good. But these, are amazing and taste exactly like Aunti Ann’s. We didn’t have any problems with the recipe and we live at 7,000 ft. Thank you so much for posting this recipe!
These were a fail on two levels. 1. I don’t have a kitchen aid with a dough hook so I hand kneaded these for 10 min. Used all the flour recipe said. Was elastic and smooth. Put in oven to rise.
2. When I rolled out the dough for pretzels, it went fine until I dipped them in the baking soda & water mixture. Then they disintegrated into a puddle on the baking sheet and wouldn’t hold together. Baked what I could get to the baking sheet. Smell good. Taste good. Just not pretzel shaped.
Oh no!! I have never had that happen I am sorry they didn’t work out for you.
Love these! I use this recipe every time. They are so good!
I started to make these pretzels then just before rolling them out my boys came in and started complaining there were no bagel bombs in the freezer ( I make tons of them for the boys to snack on) So I thought why not Pretzel bombs. I divided the dough into 16 pieces patted them into disc’s and in half of them I put a tiny bit of pizza sauce a bit of diced pepperoni slices and some mozzarella pulled the edges up and sealed them and rolled into balls, in the last 8 I put a dab of Alfredo sauce some diced grilled chicken a bit of broccoli and some smokey provolone cheese sealed these. Rolled them all into balls on the counter then dropped them into the water bath and finished as directed only I used everything Bagel mix on the pizza ones and salt on the chicken ones baked them off brushed them with butter and they disappeared before I could even get them to the freezer!! I ended up making 2 more batches of Pretzel bombs to freeze. It is a great way to use leftovers while feeding your family healthy snacks lunches or really fast dinners on busy nights. I do Breakfast bombs as well for a quick grab and go morning. They never stay in the freezer long and you can stuff them with anything you happen to have on hand. Money, saving no wasted food, delicious and healthy
This sounds amazing!! So happy it worked out for your family. I will be trying this in the future for sure
Made these with my husband today and WOW they were fantastic. Our daughter was ecstatic that she could now get these at home! Everything worked out exactly as described. We did our own cheesy beer dip which was perfect with this recipe. This will be a regular in our house moving forward. Thanks so much.
I am so glad you all enjoyed them!
Big win with my family
I loved them. First time making them and my kids loved them. Thanks!
So glad you enjoyed them!
These are perfect! I love it!
Hello, I want to make this recipe on Saturday but I’m doubtful about the dipping in water and baking soda part; how do you dip the pretzels without messing them? would it be okay just to brush them with the mixture or how wet would they have to be?
It would be really helpful if you answered as I’m really excited to make them!
Thanks.
Hello, you can certainly skip the baking soda bath if you wish. Dipping the pretzels in the baking soda water before cooking gives the pretzel that chewy texture on the outside. They just won’t be quite as chewy. Brushing it on may do the trick, but I can’t say for certain since I haven’t done it. If you do it, I would love to hear how they come out.
I feel you need to dip, because what makes the pretzel texture great is the bottom crust that forms from the baking soda. Make sure the water is very hot so the baking soda dissolves into the water and then use two spatulas to dip in so you don’t burn yourself.
Made these for the first time today. It was the the first time I’ve ever made pretzels. Figured this would be a great afternoon activity for my 3 year old and I to do together. Made a couple tweaks because of what we had on hand. Used skim milk cuz that’s all we had, used swerve brown sugar (we always use swerve products for sugar substitutes) and as others mentioned I also had to add extra flour (almost a cup) because it was super sticky and tacky). Did everything else per the recipe and they turned out amazing!!! My 3 year old had a blast rolling all our pieces into long snakes and then I twisted them into pretzel shapes. We used everything seasoning on half and plain salt on the other half. They were so yummy!! Hubby said they tasted better than Auntie Ann’s!! Definitely making these again!!
These turned out AMAZING! So soft and the perfect mix of sweet and savory. Can’t wait to make these again! Thank you for the recipe ❤️🥨
First timer with this recipe and apart from my less than admirable job in the art of pretzel knotting, they turned out fabulously well! Should have made two batches cuz they were a raving hit!!!🤤
The cheese sauce is a bit bland with sharp compared to what you get at Auntie Anne’s. Next time I will try some seriously sharp cheddar instead. I used 2% milk and it had good consistency, but I think whole milk would be a bit thicker.
How many grams has 1 package of yiest?
I made these for my family and they were a HIT, one batch wasn’t enough to last the day and they’ve been requested ever since! Might make a sweet batch next time 🥰
Came across your recipe and whipped up a dozen. DELICIOUS! My son says they taste just like Auntie Anne’s. Thanks for sharing.
Absolutely amazing!
I made mine with half whole wheat and half all purpose flout . I used an egg wash and everything toppings .
Great with cheese sauce and peperoncini ( I was out of jalapenos )
2 and 1/4 cups flour only?
Still delicious!!!!
Everyone loved these. Amazing!!