No more longing for mall style pretzels! The soft texture and buttery flavor of these gluten free Auntie Anne's pretzels will satisfy your craving 🥨
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I've always loved the texture of a soft pretzel, the way they have that distinctive chew. When you "rip" them apart and they kind of resist a little bit. Texture is such an important thing when it comes to food, especially gluten free food. And getting that right can be difficult.
I originally posted these as "mall-style" pretzels a few years back. But, as I do, I was tinkering around with the recipe because it didn't quite meet my expectations of a true "mall pretzel," particularly Auntie Anne's. In my opinion, Auntie Anne's Pretzels were some of the BEST pretzels I'd ever had. Super soft, fluffy, perfectly salty, and buttery. Yes, they were bathed in melted butter. And they were heaven. They're still around, of course, but I speak of them in the past tense because that's what they are to me--in my past. I seriously doubt a gluten free pretzel will ever grace the pages of their mall menu.
When I finally finished tinkering around, THIS is where I landed. THIS pretzel is, oh my God, dare I say the BEST pretzel I've ever had in my entire life?!?!?! YES! I would go so far as to say it. After I took that initial bite, I told my husband, who is a soft pretzel fanatic, and the only thing he kept saying over and over was "WOW" as he took his second, third, and fourth bite. So when the non gluten-free people react this way, you know you've got it right!
Here's What You'll Need
- Kim's gluten free bread flour blend - my flour blend does amazing things. Without it, you will NOT get the same texture that I demonstrate in my video.
- Milk - not a typical ingredient in pretzels necessarily, but the milk helps to make the pretzels softer.
- Baking powder - baking powder added to the dough produces a lighter and3 fluffier pretzel, just like those famous mall pretzels.
- Baking soda - dipping the pretzels in a baking soda bath creates a chewy crust that pretzels are known for.
How To Make Gluten Free Auntie Anne's Pretzels
Make dough, cover, and refrigerate until chilled. Knead and divide into 6 equal pieces.
Roll each piece out into a long rope that's about 26-28 inches long.
Make a large "U" shape with rope of dough.
Twist the ends of the dough rope twice.
Fold down twisted ends of dough onto the bottom of the "U" and press to adhere them to the dough.
To make pretzel nuggets (bites), cut long rope of dough into 1-2 inch pieces using a bench scraper or sharp knife.
Mix baking soda and warm water and stir to dissolve baking soda. Dip each pretzel in this baking soda solution, spooning the solution over the top of the pretzel (so there's no need to flip it).
Gently blot pretzel on kitchen or paper towels before placing them on a parchment or silicone mat-lined baking sheet.
Repeat with pretzel bites.
Sprinkle Maldon flake sea salt (affiliate link) or coarse salt onto pretzels and/or nuggets. Bake at 400 degrees F for 15 minutes, or until golden brown.
Immediately upon removing from oven, dip pretzels (on both sides) in melted butter.
Auntie Anne's Pretzels FAQs
They're not the usual Bavarian style pretzels with a deep and dark crust. They are dipped in a melted butter bath after they come out of the oven, which helps to keep them soft on the outside, while they are fluffy on the inside.
While they aren't boiled, they are dipped in a baking soda solution before being baked, which creates that same familiar chewy crust that's common for all pretzels.
While they are best served fresh and hot from the oven, these pretzels are still soft for a few days after baking. To refresh them, pop them in a 450 degree F oven for 5 minutes.
More Gluten Free Snacks
- gluten free Olive Garden breadsticks
- gluten free Ritz style crackers
- gluten free sourdough soft pretzel recipe
- gluten free spicy cheese bread
- gluten free pizza monkey bread
- crispy gluten free coconut shrimp
- tomato crostini with bacon
- gluten free fresh tomato tart
Substitutions
Dairy free? Try using dairy-free milk and butter in both the dough and in dipping the pretzels.
Egg free? You're in luck because the recipe is already egg free!
What to Dip Pretzels In
- Mustard - just good 'ole yellow mustard.
- Gluten free beer cheese dip - it's so easy to make our own beer cheese and it's so good you'll forget all about that "plastic cheese" found at pretzel shops.
- Ham or spinach dip (found with my Hawaiian bread bowl recipe).
- After rolling around in the butter bath, dredge in a cinnamon sugar mixture and serve with cream cheese frosting. Like a cinnamon roll in pretzel form. So good!!
- Easy cheesy pizza dip
- Store bought honey mustard dipping sauce (or make your own with mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, and honey).
Want an Auntie Anne's pretzel that's gluten free? We'll just have to make them ourselves since that'll probably never happen. And boy, oh boy, these pretzels could put Auntie Anne's out of business, they're THAT good!
Gluten Free Auntie Anne's Pretzels Copycat Recipe
Ingredients
- 240 milliliters whole milk (or dairy-free milk)
- 120 milliliters water
- 5 grams whole psyllium husks (or 3 grams psyllium husk powder) (to make without psyllium husks, please see notes below)
- 6 grams instant yeast
- 28 grams butter, melted (or dairy-free butter)
- 67 grams brown sugar
- 410 grams Kim's gluten free bread flour blend
- 6 grams kosher salt
- 4 grams baking powder
Baking Soda Solution
- 480 milliliters warm water
- 34 grams baking soda
Finishing
- Maldon flake salt (or coarse or pretzel salt)
- 84 grams butter, melted
Instructions
- In the bowl of stand mixer, add dough ingredients in the order in which they're listed. Using the dough hook, start mixer on low until dough comes together. Turn speed up to medium and mix for 5 minutes.
- Remove bowl from mixer and cover bowl. Refrigerate for at least 3-4 hours, or up to 4 days.
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Line two baking sheets with silicone mats (preferable to parchment as pretzels tend to stick to parchment paper).
- Knead dough on a lightly floured surface. Divide into 6 equal. Roll one piece at a time into a rope about 26-28 inches long. Shape into a "U" shape on the counter. Twist ends twice and fold down onto bottom. Press ends firmly into bottom portion of pretzels so they will stick. Repeat with remaining pretzels. For pretzel nuggets (bites), roll into long rope shape and cut into 1-2 inch pieces.
- Pour hot water into shallow bowl (I use a pie pan) and add baking soda to water. Whisk until the baking soda dissolves completely. Dip each pretzel and nugget into the baking soda solution, using a spoon to splash the tops of each pretzel (which prevents you from having to turn over the pretzel while in the solution). Carefully remove and blot on a paper towel before placing onto prepared baking sheets.
- While still slightly wet, sprinkle each pretzel/nugget with Maldon flake salt, coarse sea salt or kosher salt, or pretzel salt.
- Bake for 15-17 minutes, or until golden brown and puffed dramatically. While pretzels are baking, fill a shallow bowl or pie pan with melted butter and set aside.
- Remove from the oven and immediately dip each pretzel (both sides) in melted butter while still hot. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Elisabeth H. says
I used this recipe to make pretzel bites this past weekend, and they were a huge hit ! Very easy to make, too. I used Bob's Red Mill GF baking flour, since that is what I had on hand, and while I had to use way more flour, it worked great. However, I made the previous version of this recipe a while ago, and I remember loving it even more ! If it is at all possible, I'd love to have the previous recipe. I'll also look into whey protein powder substitutes, so I can make the pretzels using the recommended flour blend. Thanks Kim !!
Elizabeth says
Oh my word! These pretzels are AMAZING! Like others, my dough was too wet to work with (after having carefully weighed all the ingredients and letting the dough rest overnight), so I had to add a large amount of flour to shape the pretzels, but the end result was incredible! Thank you so much for all the work you invest in creating these recipes and for your wonderful generosity in sharing them with us!
Kim says
Oh, I'm so glad you liked them! Usually a sticky dough is due to not using the right ingredients in the flour blend, namely a rice flour that is not finely ground enough (superfine or ultrafine).
LJ says
Love your pretzel recipe. I have been searching for a good gluten pretzel recipe for a long time. Finally found one. I also took the dough and made pretzel bread for hamburgers. Was a big hit with my family best ever. Thank you so so much for sharing your recipe with us. Was wondering if i could freeze them for a later date to reheat as well.
Kim says
Absolutely! I do it all the time and then usually just pop them in a toaster oven to re-crisp.
Amanda says
Didn’t you used to have a pretzel bite recipe? I feel like it was just specifically pretzel bites, and it didn’t need to chill in the fridge. Am I remembering that incorrectly? It’s been a couple of years since I’ve made them, but I could’ve sworn you had one.
I’m using this one and I know it will be absolutely dynamite as are all your recipes! Just wondering if that one was ever a thing and if so, if it still exists somewhere. 🙂
Amanda says
Made them! They ROCK!
I’m not celiac, but my husband and my two sisters are. My brother in law and I can both attest that these were equally as good as any gluten filled pretzel bites.
A little sticky after being in the baking soda solution, but still held their shape. So soft and light inside! Absolutely delicious! Another slam dunk recipe!
Kim says
Yay! Thank you so much 🙂
Kim says
Yes, it was this post and I changed it a little bit to make it a little softer yet still chewy and include the whole pretzels as well. There was really no need for a separate recipe for the bites and it didn't do well so it was updated. I hope you're just as satisfied with this one (my family liked these so much better) 🙂
Colleen m says
67 grams of brown sugar seems like a lot, are these pretzels sweet? Or are they like Mall pretzels? Thank you
Kim says
No, they aren't sweet. The sugar is there to feed the yeast and add a malt like flavor without the malt.
Autumn says
Does baking the baking soda make give the pretzels less of a baking soda aftertaste since it is more like the lye?
Kim says
Yes, that's the idea behind it. Baking it makes it more alkaline, but not quite as alkaline as lye, which makes it much less dangerous to use.
G says
Can these be frozen?
Anne Robinson says
Kim what is the maximum time that you can leave the dough in the refrigerator before forming and baking pretzels?
Susan says
Wow! These came out beautifully! The inside of these pretzels are so nice and soft!
When I took the dough out of the fridge after almost 20 hours, it was very wet and I added a significant amount of flour to be able to work with it. My kids and I formed 3 full sized pretzels and the rest was made into pretzel bites.
We also added cinnamon sugar after the dip into the melted butter after baking! Delicious!
Can’t wait to explore more recipes!
Deb says
I loved all your recipes that I’ve made so far!! These pretzels are amazing, but my dough was sooooo sticky when I took it out of the frig. I just added a bunch of the bread flour as I kneaded it to make it work but was wondering if you had any advice? Thanks
Kim says
Did you allow it to sit in the fridge for at least 3-4 hours? Refrigeration is really key, but also if you substitute anything within the flour blend you may have this problem.
Hailey Stadeli says
Hello Kim,
I just made these and had the same problem with stickiness. I over-nighted my dough and made sure to do exactly as the directions stated with the flour blend. Ended up butter my fingers to roll out the pretzels and that worked but wondering if you had any other tips for stickiness?
Regardless these came out wonderful and were super delicious!
Kim says
What brand of rice flour are you using in the flour blend?
Anna Weigel says
Have you made bagels yet with this recipe? Is it better as well? Am I correct that there is no rise time now? I was making bagels a couple times a month with your last one.
Thank you!
Kim says
I'm so sorry, Anna! I realized after I updated my pretzel recipe that the bagel recipe was tied to that one. I have since corrected the bagel recipe with the original recipe. I again apologize for that mistake.
Patricia Haught says
Hello Kim, I just want to let you know you are like a magician. I make your English muffins all the time as my daughter is celiac and they are so delicious. I love your flour blends and you are my hero with the best bread recipes out there. I’m so fortunate to have found your site. Please keep up the good work as you are like a kitchen mad scientist.🤗 my daughter appreciates the tasty foods, and so do family members. The Mac and cheese is the bomb, and friends and family cannot believe all is gluten free! Bless you and your family.
Patricia
Kim says
Awe, thank you so much for your kind words!! You don't know how much I appreciate comments like yours 🥰🥰🥰
Shelley Smith says
Hi Kim- this will be my next recipe to try. Miss soft pretzels something fierce! Would you use the heat-activated baking powder for this recipe? Just curious bc I have only seen it used in your sourdough bread recipe.
Kim says
I use it only when I want a more open crumb.
You're gonna absolutely LOVE these pretzels! My husband and son say they're better than Auntie Anne's (they are not gluten free).
Maria says
I don’t see an option in the notes for replacing the psyllium husks. I know it is a key ingredient in many gf bread recipes, but I can’t seem to locate a “safe/lead-free” brand (I am open to any recommendations). The pretzels look amazing and I would love to make them for my family!
Kim says
I'm so sorry, Maria! I forgot about that when it went live. I've since corrected it. Thanks for alerting me 😊
Silvana says
Hi there from Romania! I was just wondering if I can use melted coconut butter instead of regular butter…or maybe sunflower oil? Thanks
Kim says
I'm sure either of those would work great!
JL Johnson says
Any chance you can add the active yeast measurement on the recipe I .e. OR 3 1/3 tsp proofed active dry yeast? Also, I read conflicting answers as to whether to use sugar or not. Advice?
Kim says
I created this recipe, so I'm not sure what your other "conflicting answers" mean. My recipe uses sugar, so if you don't like using sugar, I guess you'd need to find another recipe. There are reasons for using sugar other than sweetness (feeding yeast in particular). I also use and recommend using instant yeast. You can always Google the measurements you need if you would like to stray from that. Sorry I can't be of more help.
Sarah Thieben says
I loved these, but even though I made these the correct weight and size, I had to take them out after 10 minutes. They were very, very brown and the bottom was burnt. I was using a good, heavy weighted baking sheet so my next move is to check my oven temp. They would never have made it to the specified baking time - weird.
Otherwise they were great, definitely the best recipe I have come across so far!
Patty says
Just made them! I missed soft pretzels. My dough was very sticky when I went to actually shape them so I had to add in flour. Weirdly, this also always happens to me when I make regular soft pretzels! They came out awesome and now going to make some gluten free beer cheese!
Kristen says
YUM!! 😋
Becky says
What temperature should the water be that goes into it? Doesn't that affect the yeast? I have made both the pretzels and bagels, they were delicious, but didn't get a grwat rise or proof.
Kim says
When using instant yeast, it really doesn't matter what the temperature of the water is. That's more for active dry yeast. They won't noticeably rise much, but will puff up when boiled and then baked even a little more.
Dana Bart says
Soft pretzels are what I miss most about being gluten free. This recipe is amazing! I made it for the first time today, and I'm in love!!
Kim says
That's wonderful, Dana! So glad you loved them 🙂
Karen H says
Dough was too dry to work with..had to add oil to it and still couldn’t shape pretzel without breaking.Made sticks out of dough and they turned out. Need to make modification to dough recipe.,
Kim says
I'm sorry it was too dry for you, Karen. Did you use my flour blend? I've never had a problem with rolling it out or the dough breaking.
Shellene says
This happens to me as well I just add more water about a 1/2 cup and it turns out great
Melissa Ioannidis says
Can you make these without the extra xanthan gum? That’s the only ingredient I’m missing. Can’t wait to try them!
Kim says
Yes!! You can use psyllium husk powder in place of it, or you can try to make them without anything extra. You may not get quite the same stretch as you would, but they'll still taste terrific 🙂
Colleen Moskalyk says
I would really like to make these for my son but do not have a stand mixer, Kim do you think these can be made by hand? and how long do you think I should knead the dough for?
Thanks
Tejal Kaji says
Kim, I only have dry active yeast right now. Can I use that? And is it 1:1 or does the measurement need to be adjusted?
Thanks!
Tejal
Kim says
Yes, you can! Here's a link to a great article on how to do just that: https://www.thespruceeats.com/baking-yeast-dry-and-fresh-yeast-measurements-1446706 🙂
Elizabeth Woods says
I think I did something wrong! The dough did not rise at all and it's just about to come out of the fridge now and it is crumbling. Any ideas? I followed the recipe SO closely!
Kim says
Hmmm. The first thing I'd ask is were there any substitutions for any of the flours within the bread flour blend? Sometimes if you use something other than what I recommend, it won't work or you may need to add more liquid. You might be able to salvage it by putting it back on the mixer and adding 1/4 to 1/2 cup more liquid and mixing it again until it comes together.
K Hanson says
Followed the recipe with the exact ingredients, but cut in half. My pretzels turned out amazingly. These were awesome texture and flavor. My partner had an Annie’s last week and said the taste was nearly identical but the texture was a bit different. I call that a total win! They were absolutely ready to come out at 15 minutes at sea level. This is my 6th or so recipe from Kim. So happy to have found you. Your pizza is a staple in my house. Thank you!
Kim says
So glad you liked them (and the pizza)!!!
Maryellen says
Can I freeze them? So excited!
Kim says
Yes, you can! Just wrap them up individually and store them in a ziptop freezer bag. Reheat them in a 350 degree F oven for about 5-6 minutes.
Emily K. says
I'll have to try these sometime!
Coral Pimm says
These were delicious! Although the dough was too dry to roll at all. I used Namaste Gf Flour Blend. My daughters and I just made pretzel bites instead - they were beyond tasty.
Kim says
I'm so glad you liked the pretzels, Coral! Thanks for the comment!!
In the future, if you want to be able to roll the dough, using my flour blend as recommended will allow just that. It won't be too dry at all. I understand right now it may be hard to get the different flours required to make my blend, but once we are beyond all of this and we're able to shop like normal, I promise if you can make my flour blend you'll be surprised at just how easy the dough is to roll out 😊
Laura Chelsen says
Thank you for this recipe. We make pretzels every Lent and these are the best gf pretzels we have ever made! We said a prayer of gratitude for you. You have blessed us! Hope you and your family are well.
Kim says
Aww, thank you so much!!! I'm so happy you and your family really like the pretzels 🙂
We are hanging in there, and I hope you all are doing well also. Please stay safe and God bless you!!
Nicole Canipe says
We made these last night for the Super Bowl and they were delicious!!! The whole family approved and raved about them! Thank you for a wonderful gluten free & egg free recipe.
Kim says
You are so welcome, Nicole!! I'm so glad your family loved them 🙂
Danielle says
In a pinch could I boil these without the molasses? I am craving soft pretzels so bad but I am out of molasses. Thanks, can’t wait to try these!!
Kim says
Sure! It just adds a little more color to the pretzels and a little flavor, but I think they'll still be great without it 🙂
Kelley says
I made this into pretzel rolls and they were so delicious!
Kim says
Yay!! That's a clever thing to do. I need to try that!
Tejal Kaji says
Kelly, how did you make these into pretzel rolls? I've been looking for a recipe, and was thinking I could use this one...but just want to know what you did, temp, and how long you baked for, etc.
Thanks!
Tejal
Mary-Lyn Vandolder says
I'm wondering the same! I was just scrolling the comments to see if anyone had successfully made pretzel buns. I'd love any advice!
Mars says
Turned out great! Halved the recipe so we wouldn't eat too many in one sitting and dipped in nacho cheese sauce. Amazing!! Thank you for another successful gluten free recipe!
Kim says
You are so welcome!! I'm so glad you liked them as much as I did 🙂 I wish I had nacho cheese to dip them in when I made them, so I'll have to make them again soon just for that reason 😉
JR Kus says
YES ... THIS! I was just saying to my SO how much I missed the big soft pretzels! Now I know what I'm doing today = ) Do you think this recipe could be made up to the point of boiling the pretzels and then frozen to bake later? I'm afraid if I made a whole batch of them I'd eat them all ... not that that's a bad thing. Thank you for creating this recipe and thank you Kristen for asking about it!
Kim says
They are so, so good!! I'm actually not sure about the boiling and then freezing, but what you could do is make the dough to the point of refrigerating it and when you're ready, boil a little bit of water and maybe half or 1/3 the amount of molasses and baking soda and shape and boil just one pretzel and freeze it. Then you wouldn't have to waste the whole batch if it didn't turn out. Another option is shaping them all and freezing them. Then when you're ready to boil, thaw them on a baking sheet and boil and bake per the recipe. Let me know either way 🙂
Mary Ocamb says
Those look absolutely amazing!
Kim says
Thanks!!
Renee G says
Absolutely delicious. We used the pea protien to make your bread flour . Works wonderfully. Love your recipes ❤️ Thank you , Thank you , Thank you . You made my 15 year old newly gluten free happy 😊
Kim says
Awe, that's awesome!!! It's my pleasure and I'm so glad y'all liked them 😍
Anna Weigel says
Have you continued to to have success with the pea protein? Which one do you use? Besides gluten, I also have a dairy and soy allergy. I’ve been using this one that was recommended. https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B06X92NGVM?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title But sometimes the recipes come out super gummy. Has that happened to you before?
Anna Weigel says
If you’re able to handle the goat whey protein, definitely do that! Once I switched out the pea protein for the naked goat whey, game changer!!!
Jeri Weston says
I am trying this recipe for the first time. This is the first gluten free recipe I’ve done in about 15 years . I am excited to have it finished later today and will share results. I want to thank you Kim for all the hard work you go to in developing recipes and sharing them with us. You are great.