It’s a fact: We all need more pretzels in our life. Thankfully today is National Pretzel Day, here to remind us to eat more pretzels. Sure, there are bound to be freebies from Auntie Anne’s, which you totally should grab, but there’s something more rewarding about making pretzels at home (making a whole batch and eating as many as you want is one such reward). Plus, you can show off your creative side with savory fillings in your stuffed bread. You can even put a pretzel on top of a pretzel to make a pretzel pop. For more pretzel inspiration, try these 17 sweet and savory baked treats.
1. Steak and Cheese Stuffed Pretzel Bites: Looking for a pretzel that also doubles as dinner? Thought so. These steak-and-cheese-stuffed pretzels are like the conclusion to a wild night out in Philly. (via Perpetually Hungry)
2. Kringla Sweet Pretzels: Bring a little bit of Scandinavian culture into your kitchen with these sugared treats that are somewhere between a sweet roll and a pretzel. Snack on them with a cup of coffee for a very special Pretzel Day breakfast. (via Bake to the Roots)
3. Cardamom Sugar Soft Pretzels With Orange Flower Water Glaze: Don’t tell Auntie Anne about these fancy dessert pretzels. These doughy treats have a Mediterranean twist thanks to the citrus and floral flavors of cardamom and orange flower water. We’re calling it: Cardamom sugar might be the new cinnamon sugar. (via The Baking Bird)
4. Pretzel Crust Pizza: If you’re one of those people who doesn’t eat their pizza crusts, your life is about to change. This pizza has a pretzel crust! Try dipping this ‘za in ranch dressing if you’re feeling really wild. (via Creme de la Crumb)
5. Mozzarella Stuffed Rosemary and Parmesan Soft Pretzels: Move over, cheesy breadsticks — these stuffed pretzels are the bee’s knees. The crusty outer layer and gooey cheese inside make this a truly addictive appetizer. Serve with marinara dipping sauce for best results. (via Baker by Nature)
6. Spinach, Artichoke and Bacon Stuffed Soft Pretzels: This is the ultimate #LazyGirl pretzel. It’s filled with a spinach, artichoke and bacon dip, so you don’t have to actually dip anything. This pretzel might be the greatest invention yet. (via Half Baked Harvest)
7. Hot Buttered Rum Apple Pie Stuffed Cinnamon Sugar Soft Pretzels: You had us at “hot buttered rum.” These pretzels taste like a cross between boozy cider and a satisfying apple pie. Try it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for the ultimate dessert. (via Half Baked Harvest)
8. No-Churn Caramel Peanut Butter Cup Soft Pretzel Ice Cream Sammies With Hot Fudge: Sweet and salty fans: Meet your new favorite dessert, the pretzel ice cream sandwich. See you later, salted caramel — just kidding, we’ll drizzle some of that on top too. (via Half Baked Harvest)
9. Caramelized Apple and Cheddar Cheese Soft Pretzels With Apple Cider Dipping Sauce: Apple pie and cheddar cheese go way back — like, before-the-United-States-existed way back. That’s how tried and true this flavor combination is. If you’ve never had the opportunity to try it, why not do so in pretzel form with a delicious apple cider sauce to boot? (via Baked by Rachel)
10. Homemade Hard Pretzel Rods: Why DIY pretzels when you can buy a giant bag at the store? Because they taste better *and* you get to tell everyone you made ’em from scratch. These pretzels are a little labor intensive, but probably take just as long as a trip to Costco — so get pretzeling! (via Girl Versus Dough)
11. Cinnabon Soft Pretzels With Cream Cheese Glaze: When you pass by the Cinnabon at your local mall, the smell can be tempting. Reward yourself for all those times you didn’t make a stop with a homemade imitation of a Cinnabon pretzel. (via Averie Cooks)
12. Chocolate Covered Cinnamon Sugar Pretzels: It might be hard to wait for the chocolate to cool on these dipped pretzels, but it’s well worth it. Hold out for the hard chocolate shell, or heck, go the chocolate fondue route — either way, you’re getting a chocolate-covered pretzel, and that’s good enough. (via Half Baked Harvest)
13. Stuffed Buffalo Chicken Pretzel Bites With Homemade Blue Cheese: These chewy, spicy buns are the ultimate game day snack. This recipe combines the two most delicious pub foods — buffalo wings and pretzels — for one amazing snack. Serve with blue cheese dip and/or spicy mustard. (via Cooking and Beer)
14. Ham, Swiss and Jalapeño Stuffed Pretzels: Meet the pretzel you can have for lunch. This stuffed concoction is like a toasty sandwich baked into a pretzel, *and* its fillings are totally contained inside. Hello, lunch on the go! (via Baker by Nature)
15. DIY Pretzel Bar: You can’t please everyone, but you can sure as heck try! A DIY pretzel bar is just the trick you need to feed a crowd on Pretzel Day. Try fixings like mustard, queso, relish and cinnamon sugar butter. The towel rack-turned-pretzel display isn’t required, but it’s definitely an impressive touch. (via Brit + Co)
16. Everything Pretzel Bites With Beer-Cheddar Dip: You better double up on pretzel bites to go with this beer cheddar dip. Once the pretzels are gone, people will start grabbing spoons, and things could get ugly. (via Broma Bakery)
17. Bratwurst, Beer and Cheddar Pretzel Pot Pie: Give your individual pot pie a new hat — puff pastry is so passé. Bonus: You can tear off some of the pretzel and dip it in the creamy pot pie. Since you won’t be sharing, go ahead and double dip — we won’t tell. (via The Candid Appetite)
