Make these mouthwatering Jalapeño Cheddar Pretzels for your next game day or gathering. Perfect for almost any occasion this simple appetizer recipe brings the heat with jalapeno, freshly grated sharp cheddar cheese, and a pillow-soft pretzel.
There’s nothing like a good throwback recipe to remind you of the good ol’ days. This Jalapeño Cheddar Pretzels recipe is so nostalgic for me because it takes me back to Auntie Anne’s pretzels in the mall.
I probably sound old saying that, but going to the mall used to be the hot spot when I was younger. Especially when you’re in middle school and high school, there’s practically nothing else to do. So, everyone always went to the mall!
I have fantastic memories of piling into the car with my sisters to go shopping and every single time we went, we saved the best for last: Auntie Anne’s pretzels. I would always get the jalapeño cheddar with the cheese salsa, and my sisters would always get the cinnamon sugar and the almond crunch pretzels.
We would all take a little piece of our pretzels and give it to each other. We’d swap and do a little trade-off, and it was the best savory and sweet snack. You would have driven by to see us sitting at the bench right in front of the store with all of our shopping bags and literally just stuffing our faces with these pretzels!
I was at the airport once more recently and was absolutely craving their delicious, soft, spicy and savory pretzels. Unfortunately, I came to find out the hard way that they stopped making them because it wasn’t a popular menu item.
My jaw must have dropped on the floor! Back when they were still selling them, it seemed like everybody loved them, especially with the cheese and salsa dip. After that disheartening moment, I knew I would have to figure out how to make them myself.
Around the holidays, I tend to miss my sisters a little extra so maybe that’s why around Christmas last year, I started craving these Jalapeño Cheddar Pretzels so bad.
I’ve done a lot of trial and error with this recipe, especially with the amount of dough. I made it two or three times to experiment with different measurements and found that what I have below is the perfect amount.
It may seem like a lot of dough when you’re making it, but just remember that you are going to roll out each of the eight sections of the doubt into long strips. By the time you twist them into a pretzel shape, it ends up being a much smaller serving, so don’t worry too much about the amount of dough you have when making these pretzels.
However, if you don’t wanna do the classic pretzel twist, you can definitely cut them into smaller, bite-sized pieces just like Auntie Anne’s does. They make for a great snack-on-the-go dish.
The best part is when you’re kneading the dough, you’re going to get the same smell and experience as you would if you were walking past an Auntie Anne’s pretzels shop! Something about the melted butter, brown sugar, and flour really brings that nostalgic smell back.
Plus, with a foolproof recipe, all you really have to worry about is what shape you’re going to make these in. And even with that, you don’t have to worry too much because the taste is so much more wholesome inside than how it looks on the outside.
These Jalapeño Cheddar Pretzels pair beautifully with my Jalapeño Garlic Queso, which you can find on my Stuffed Poblano Peppers recipe or my Hatch Chili Cheddar Queso, but any salsa or cheese dip of your choice will work just as well.
If you really want the original cheese salsa dip that Auntie Anne’s has, you can use my Taco Bell Fiesta Potatoes cheese sauce and add a tablespoon or two of your favorite salsa mix. You’ll be shocked at how almost exact it tastes to the original.
How to Make the Best Jalapeño Cheddar Pretzels
The pretzel dough recipe itself if pretty simple, using milk, sugar, and flour as a base. The key to getting the perfect consistency and texture on your pretzel is to dip the shaped pretzels ini baking soda water.
Although this sounds intimidating, it’s quite straightforward. Once you drop a pretzel in there, in under a minute, it will float to the top and that’s when you know it’s done. This trick helps to make your pretzels fluffy on the inside and crispy on the outside in addition to that signature pretzel-y flavor.
For this recipe, I used my homemade Pickled Jalapeños, but you can use any store-bought variety as well. The key is to try and make sure that they are fully dry before you put them on the pretzel. You don’t want to take them out from the jar and place them right on top of the pretzel or it will create a soggy pretzel (rather than a crispy one!).
If you really want to take the flavors up a notch, you can add freshly grated sharp cheddar and even some pepper jack cheese to the top of the pretzels. Additionally, brushing on garlic butter after these pretzels come right out of the oven is a great way to get that delicious, salty coating right on the pretzel.
In a bowl, combine the warm milk, melted butter, sugar and yeast. Stir to combine and let it rest for 5 min, until the yeast is bubbly and foamy.
Add the flour into the yeast mixture and combine everything together until it starts to form into a dough. Knead the dough for 1-3 mins until everything is well combined and no trace of raw flour is left. Place dough in a greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap or tea towel. Set aside in a warm area for 20 mins.
Preheat oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a sauce pan over med heat, add the water and baking soda and bring to a low boil.
Punch down the dough and roll it out onto a lightly floured surface. Form it into a log and cut into 8 equal pieces. Roll each piece of dough into 1 and half feet long rope. Dip rope into the baking soda water mixture and twist to form a pretzel shape onto the baking sheet. Repeat for the remaining pieces.
Top each pretzel with 3-5 pretzels and sprinkle on the cheddar cheese. Bake at 400°F for 8-10 mins until golden brown. In a small bowl, mix the melted butter and garlic powder together. Remove the pretzels from the oven and brush on the garlic butter and enjoy!
Notes
Store in air tight container, will last up to 4 days.
Just an East/West coast girl living the southern life. I love sharing all my tested and perfected recipes here, along with some travel guides and a little bit of my lifestyle
