Warm, soft, chewy, and with that perfect kick of salt, every bite of these homemade pretzels feels like heaven. The only thing better is when you dip it in a scrumptious cheese sauce made from scratch.
This homemade soft pretzel recipe, made from canned biscuits, beats out store-bought soft pretzels by a mile in my opinion. They’re the perfect chewy yet soft pretzels with that much-needed kick of salt. Every bite truly feels like pretzel heaven. Me and Katy try to reserve them for special occasions when the whole family is here because we can hardly be left alone with them! These are not just a “good substitute” for a soft pretzel in a pinch. After you taste these, you’ll find yourself reaching to make these over anything you could buy. They are that good!
Fortunately, they’re pretty easy to make. Besides the canned biscuits mentioned, the only other ingredients you need to make homemade biscuit pretzels are baking soda, butter, and coarse salt. Then you’ve got the homemade cheese sauce, which is SO good, folks. It’s a creamy and cheesy combination of sharp cheddar cheese, milk, flour, butter, and salt and pepper. One bite and you’ll be going back for more… and more.
Recipe Ingredients
Homemade Pretzels
- Can of Pillsbury Grands Southern Homestyle biscuits
- Baking soda
- Butter
- Coarse salt
Homemade Cheese Sauce
- Freshly shredded sharp cheddar cheese (from a block)
- Milk
- Flour
- Butter
- Salt and pepper to taste
How to Make Homemade Pretzels
Now we get to use those kindergarten play-doh skills. Roll each biscuit into a rope, about 12-15 inches long. Then, fold the rope into a pretzel shape, as shown, pinching the overlapping pieces together.
Place these on a parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze for 1-2 hours. You don’t need to cover it, just put it in the freezer like this.
Now, if you don’t want to make these right away, after that 1 to 2-hour freezing time, remove them from the parchment paper, place them in a zipper seal freezer bag, and return them to the freezer until you want to make your pretzels.
Bring to a boil about 3 to 4 cups of water in a medium-sized saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir in the baking soda. It will foam up and then go clear again and that is how you know you’re ready.
Popping the pretzels in this baking soda bath before baking is going to help them brown fully without having to cook for very long, which allows the inside texture to be nice and chewy.
Drop the pretzels, one at a time, into boiling water and let boil for just one minute, no longer. Remove with tongs and put back onto the parchment-lined cookie sheet. Brush with melted butter and sprinkle pretzels with coarse sea salt.
Bake these at 450 for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown.
Oh my, look at those beauties!
How To Make Cheese Sauce from Scratch
Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat.
Stir in flour and cook for about a minute, stirring the entire time. Whisk in milk, salt, and pepper, and stir constantly until thickened (about 3-5 minutes or so).
Remove from heat and stir in cheese until melted. If it’s too thick for your liking, you can stir in more milk to thin it a bit.
Serve pretzels warm with homemade cheese sauce.
Oh goodness, gracious!
All the soft chewy warmth of a pretzel made easy! Yum!
Enjoy this fun and easy treat!
Storage
- Store leftover pretzels, covered with plastic wrap, at room temperature for up to 3 days. To reheat, I recommend popping them in the air fryer for a few minutes.
- You can freeze either unbaked or baked pretzels for up to 3 months. Thaw before following the directions from the baking soda bath if unbaked or reheat as above if already baked.
- As for the cheese sauce, store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheat either in the microwave or on the stovetop.
Recipe Notes
- You want to buy this cheese in a block and shred it yourself. Pre-shredded cheese is coated in cellulose, which prevents it from sticking together but also prevents it from being as smooth as it could be in a sauce. It will certainly work if you want to use what you have on hand, but shredded from a block is the ideal.
- Want to make a spicy nacho cheese sauce instead? Go ahead and add 2 tablespoons of hot sauce and 1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper when you stir in the other ingredients. You can add or subtract these ingredients depending on how much heat you like.
- Instead of melted butter, you can brush each with an egg wash consisting of one or two beaten eggs. I prefer the buttery flavor though (it’s how Auntie Annie’s does it).
- Make soft pretzel bites by cutting the biscuit dough into small pieces rather than twisting it into pretzels.
- Instead of cheese sauce, serve your pretzels with mustard, ketchup, or buffalo chicken dip.
- To make cinnamon sugar pretzels, substitute the salt for a mixture (simply mix together cinnamon and either or white in a small bowl).
- You can also enhance the cheese flavor (because there’s no such thing as too much cheese), and sprinkle some extra shredded cheese or parmesan cheese on top before baking.
You may also like these recipes:
How To Make Homemade Doughnuts
Broccoli with Homemade Cheese Sauce
Pimiento Cheese Dip Good N Gooey
Ingredients
- 1 8 count can Pillsbury Grands Southern Homestyle Biscuits
- 3-4 cups water
- 3-4 tablespoons baking soda
- 2 tablespoons melted butter
- 1 tablespoon coarse salt
Instructions
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Spray lightly with cooking spray. Roll each biscuit into a 12 to 15-inch rope. Twist into a pretzel shape, as demonstrated in photos. Arrange on the baking sheet and then place the uncovered baking sheet in the freezer for 1-2 hours.1 8 count can Pillsbury Grands Southern Homestyle Biscuits
- Bring 3-4 cups of water to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir in baking soda. Place pretzels, a few at a time, in the boiling water and boil for one minute. Remove and return to the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with each remaining pretzel until all are done.3-4 cups water, 3-4 tablespoons baking soda
- Brush pretzels with melted butter and sprinkle pretzels with kosher salt. Bake at 450 for 12-15 minutes or until nicely golden brown. Serve warm and enjoy!2 tablespoons melted butter, 1 tablespoon coarse salt
Nutrition
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese freshly shredded from a block
- 1 cup whole milk
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons butter
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a small saucepot over medium heat. Add flour and cook, stirring constantly, for about one minute. Slowly whisk in the milk, salt, and pepper, and cook until thickened, stirring often, for 3-5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in cheese until smooth.1 cup whole milk, 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, 2 tablespoons butter, salt and pepper to taste, 1 1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- If the sauce is too thick, add a little extra milk. Enjoy!
Nutrition
This post was featured on Meal Plan Monday and Weekend Potluck!
Can I make these into pretzel sticks instead of pretzel shape?
I have made pretzels using refrigerated deli pizza dough but takes a bit longer to divide n deal with the dough, the canned biscuits are excellent and much easier. Will keep both on my dinner list.
Lovely half-time treat during the college football championship game….. I failed to realize I should use a fresh piece of parchment to bake them – mine stuck horribly. Of course, I’d also accidentally bought the cheap parchment. Grrrr. BUT! The pretzels were divine, husband gobbled them up. Easy, affordable and tasty. A winner in this house!
I am so glad you liked them Debbie!! Hate you had issues with your parchment paper though.
If I freeze these for longer than the 1-2 hours do I thaw at all or drop into boiling water still froze solid?
If I freeze these for longer than the 1-2 hours do I thaw at all or drop into boiling water still froze solid?
I was about to make these and after reading the instructions on my printable, I am confused lol. Is there maybe a mistake there? It says to roll the biscuits in ropes and make pretzel shape and THEN it says to take one of the biscuits and squish into a tube shape and roll into a long rope and arrange on baking sheet?? I’m just going to make all the biscuits into pretzels instead of leaving one in a long rope? They will be perfect for this cold, snowy night. 😀
Sure was! That sentence should have been taken out. I appreciate you catching that and letting me know! It is fixed now. 🙂
Thank you so much for answering. These were delicious! I’m making them again this week lol I am reprinting it. Of course, everyone wants your recipe so I am sharing 🙂 love your recipes and tips for many years now.
That just made my day Lorri!!