15 Pretzel Dip Recipes Ideal for Dunking (2024)

FAQs

What should I dip my pretzels in? ›

There is no hard and fast rule with dips so if you love a good hot crab dip, French onion dip, ranch dip or even hummus, go ahead. Food Network Kitchen's Giant Spinach Dip-Stuffed Pretzel, as seen on Food Network.

Traditional Bavarian pretzels are dipped in a lye solution before they are baked. Lye, also known as sodium hydroxide, is essentially the same stuff that's used to make soap and clean drains.

Dijon mustard or a spicy brown mustard are the typical go-tos, as they add an extra kick to your pretzel snack. However, you can also get the best of both worlds by choosing a cheesy mustard dip. All you need is spicy brown mustard, a cheese spread, and Worcestershire sauce.

In addition to dip, you can also add toppings to your pretzels. Common toppings include parmesan, cinnamon sugar, raisin, jalapeno, ranch, garlic, and almond crunch. While most of these toppings are added before baking, you can also add them after.

Choices include Cheese, Hot Salsa Cheese, Sweet Glaze, Caramel, Honey Mustard, Marinara, and Light Cream Cheese.

Lye. The dough is simple; take a basic yeast-risen dough that can be readied in an afternoon. But the trick to great pretzels is dipping the pretzels in a liquid wash before baking — and not just any wash, but a combination of water and lye. That's what gives pretzels their terrific color, texture and flavor.

According to King Arthur Baking, lye and caustic sodas are used in the process of baking pretzels because lye's reaction to the pretzels, much like baking soda, gives them that chewy texture, light interior, and brown crust.

If you live in Pennsylvania, congratulations, you are part of the state that is home to 80% of the nation's pretzel production! And not only do we make them, but Pennsylvanians are also responsible for most of the consumption of pretzels!

Soft pretzels can usually be baked in 15 minutes; hard pretzels, meanwhile, must be baked for up to an hour. The longer baking time further dries out the pretzel. And, as we have discussed, the lack of moisture is what gives the hard pretzel its brittle texture.

One of Germany's best known dishes is arguably Bavaria's much-loved second breakfast: a soft pretzel accompanied by weißwurst (a white pork and veal sausage flecked with parsley and flavored with lemon, onion, and spices), sweet mustard, and a tall glass of wheat beer.

How do you serve pretzels at a party? ›

Create an Appealing Display: Use decorative serving platters, tiered stands, or rustic wooden crates to display your pretzels and toppings. Add small chalkboard signs or labels to identify the different pretzel varieties and dips.

Ways to Enjoy Your Homemade German Pretzels

While salt's usually the go-to topping, a typical pretzel will see a side of cheese sauce or mustard to dip. Other toppings for pretzels have expanded to include cinnamon, powdered white/brown sugar, glazes (typically sweet ones), seeds, and nuts.

According to her, spreading mustard on pretzels-which is the way Philadelphians eat them-started in the 1920s with the selling of pretzels from hot dog carts. The mustard provided a disguise for the blisters that salt forms on humid days.

The popular toppings of authentic bavarian pretzels are:

Sesame, poppy, sunflower, pumpkin or caraway seeds, cheese sauce and bacon bits. Bavarians especially enjoy their pretzels in the late morning with Weißwürst, sweet mustard, and a Beer.

Pretzels in America

Besides covered in salt, hard American pretzels commonly come dipped in chocolate or yoghurt, while soft ones are served with mustard or liquid cheese. Different flavors and toppings are popular lately including nuts, seeds, cheese, veggies and glazes.

What Gives Pretzels Their Pretzel Flavor? You have baking soda to thank for that distinct pretzel flavor. Baking soda is highly alkaline and imparts that subtly metallic taste onto the dough before your pretzels go into the oven. Some recipes call for a lye bath, which does the same thing.

This is when shaped soft pretzel dough takes a dip in boiling water and baking soda, a quick step that provides the iconic chewy pretzel texture and adds a deeper, richer color to the baked pretzels. The boiling water also locks in the shape so the pretzels don't over-puff in the oven.