Soft pretzels are just the best snack. You can enjoy them as soft, salty bites, or dunk them in mustard, cheese, and more. But who has time to make dough, boil, and bake them anymore? So, now I make frozen pretzel bites in the air fryer to satisfy my pretzel bite craving!
Why Make Frozen Pretzel Bites in the Air Fryer
Starting with frozen pretzel bites takes the hard work of actually making the pretzels out of the equation. Instead, they’re already formed and all you need to do is add salt and bake, or in this case, air fry!
Your air fryer delivers a nice crunch to the outside (but not too much) while keeping the inside hot and soft, just the way you want your pretzel bites to be. It’s much faster than the oven, and gives you a better texture than the microwave, which is why it’s my favorite cooking method!
Choose to roll your pretzel bites in cinnamon sugar for a sweet treat. Dunk them in cheese sauce or mustard. Or, get the stuffed frozen pretzel bites with cheddar cheese, pizza, mozzarella, or even jalapeno cheddar!
Pretzel bites come in a ton of great flavor options to please your whole crew, and you can find them at grocery stores all over thanks to national brands like Super Pretzel, Costco, Bistro, and Auntie Anne’s.
Katie’s tip
Not digging the bites? Soft pretzels also come in larger sizes! Check out my frozen pretzels in the air fryer recipe for the classic big, soft twists!
What You’ll Need
- Frozen soft pretzel bites (any brand or flavor)
- Dipping sauce (optional)
- Additional toppings (optional)
Ingredient Notes and Tips
- Any brand of frozen soft pretzel bites work just fine! I have SuperPretzel pizza stuffed here, but plain and cheese filled frozen soft pretzels are great too. I’ve also used Appetito’s (Aldi), Auntie Anne’s, Bistro, Pretzilla, Costco, and Craft House Creations brands with equal success
- Dipping sauce is optional (especially if you’ve gotten stuffed pretzel bites). If you want to add a sauce though, mustard, nacho cheese, or beer cheese are my favorites. You can go a little spicy with queso, or go sweet with frosting as a dip as well!
- Most frozen soft pretzel bites come with sea salt for topping them, though the pizza stuffed SuperPretzel bites have cheese on them instead of salt! You could also swap salt out for cinnamon and sugar, or top with shredded cheese, pepperoni, or jalapenos instead!
How to Cook Frozen Pretzel Bites in Air Fryer
- Preheat your air fryer to 350°F
- While the air fryer is preheating, wet the tops of the pretzel bites with water or melted butter (you can use a pastry brush or just your finger). Then, sprinkle the sea salt on. You can skip this step if you don’t want to salt your pretzels
- Place the frozen pretzel bites in the preheated air fryer basket in a single layer, allowing air space between each one for even heating
- Cook on the air fry setting for 5-6 minutes at 350°F until pretzels are warmed through. I do not shake the basket during cooking, to prevent the loss of salt from the top
- If additional time is needed, add in 1-2 minute increments to prevent overbrowning
- Serve with your favorite dipping sauces (or plain is delicious as well)!
Good Dips For Pretzel Bites
- Honey mustard
- Spicy mustard
- Ranch dressing
- Marinara sauce
- Garlic sauce (or garlic butter)
- Horseradish sauce
- Cream cheese
- Pub cheese (or other soft cheeses)
- Nacho cheese or queso
- Beer cheese
- Jalapeno popper dip
- Crab dip
- Sausage dip
- Spinach artichoke dip
- Buffalo chicken dip
- Bacon dip
- Peanut butter
- Caramel sauce
- Frosting
- Nutella
As you can see, there are a lot of great options for dips for pretzel bites. Choose your favorite, or try a bunch out and see what you like best. Whether you go sweet or savory, it’s sure to be delicious.
Try your frozen pretzel bites with easy Microwave Garlic Butter or this tasty Air Fryer Buffalo Chicken Dip for the perfect snack!
Also you can never go wrong by learning how to make creamy Air Fryer Queso Dip!
Recipe FAQs
Can You Cook Frozen Pretzel Bites in an Air Fryer?
Yes, you can cook frozen pretzel bites in an air fryer. No defrosting is required, they cook from a frozen state.
The air fryer produces a soft, warm interior and a slightly crunchy exterior on a soft pretzel.
How Long to Air Fry Super Pretzel Bites?
You should air fry most Super Pretzel bites for 5-6 minutes at 350°F. The extra long cheese filled pretzel bites may take an additional 1-2 minutes to heat through.
They are done when the middle is warmed through, and will give easily under pressure to indicate the center is not frozen.
How Do You Reheat Pretzel Bites in an Air Fryer?
To reheat pretzel bites in an air fryer, heat for 3 minutes at 350°F, or until warm to the touch.
Since you don’t need to defrost or cook them, it requires less time to reheat a pretzel bite.
Do I Need to Preheat the Air Fryer for Frozen Pretzel Bites?
While preheating is not always necessary, doing so can help ensure that the pretzel bites cook evenly and achieve a crispy texture. Preheating the air fryer for a few minutes before adding the pretzels is recommended.
If you do not preheat your air fryer, plan to add an extra 1-2 minutes to cooking time, and give the basket at least once additional shake during cooking to promote even heating (you may lose some salt, though, if you’ve added that to the tops).
Can I Use Oil When Cooking Pretzel Bites in the Air Fryer?
Adding a light spray of oil can help enhance the crispiness of the pretzel bites, but it’s not required.
The air fryer does a great job of circulating hot air to create a crispy texture without needing much oil.
Are Air Fryer Pretzel Bites Healthier Than Oven-Baked Ones?
Air fryer pretzel bites are often considered healthier because they require little to no oil, reducing the overall fat content compared to deep-fried versions. However, when compared to an oven-baked version, they are about the same.
The air fryer does cook faster than in a conventional oven, though, which saves you time and energy.
Recipe Pro Tips For Frozen Pretzel Bites
- There’s no need to apply any oil for cooking with frozen pretzel bites
- If you are using stuffed pretzels without salt, then you can shake the basket once during cooking to promote even heating. If you’ve applied salt, don’t flip or shake the pretzel bites or you’ll lose your salt
- You can also apply butter and the salt after cooking if you prefer (especially if you lost salt during cooking)
- My Super Pretzel frozen pretzel bites were perfect after 6 minutes in a Ninja Dual Zone air fryer. They are about 1-1.5” in size. Other sizes of pretzels and other air fryers may take slightly different amounts of time
Pretzel Bite Storage and Reheating
- Store leftover pretzel bites in an airtight container or zippered bag in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Note that the salt on top tends to absorb into the pretzels during storage
- To reheat pretzel bites, place them back in the air fryer at a lower temperature of 350°F for 2-3 minutes, or until they are warmed through and crispy again. This method also works for restaurant leftovers as well
More Bite Sized Frozen Air Fryer Appetizers
Final Thoughts
This frozen pretzel bites in air fryer preparation method turns out perfectly cooked soft pretzel bites in less than 10 minutes! They’re great for an appetizer, snack, or even a side dish. Pair these poppable bites with your favorite dips and sauces for even more flavor.
Regardless of what brand and flavor pretzel bites you have, they all work great. Popular brands include Super Pretzel, Bistro, Costco, and Auntie Anne’s. Feel free to try a few out and see what you like best!
I always serve cheese stuffed pretzel bites as part of my game day snack table. They’re easy, delicious, and everyone always loves them!
Frozen Pretzel Bites in Air Fryer Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 13 Ounce box frozen soft pretzels (any brand or flavor)
- Dipping sauce optional
- Additional toppings optional
Instructions
- Preheat your air fryer to 350°F
- While the air fryer is preheating, wet the tops of the pretzel bites with water or melted butter (you can use a pastry brush or just your finger). Then, sprinkle the sea salt on. You can skip this step if you don’t want to salt your pretzels or if they have a topping already13 Ounce box frozen soft pretzels, Additional toppings
- Place the frozen pretzel bites in the preheated air fryer basket in a single layer, allowing air space between each one for even heating
- Cook on the air fry setting for 5-6 minutes at 350°F until pretzels are warmed through
- If additional time is needed, add in 1-2 minute increments to prevent overbrowning
- Serve with your favorite dipping sauces (or plain is delicious as well)!Dipping sauce
Notes
- Any brand of frozen soft pretzel bites work just fine! I have SuperPretzel pizza stuffed here, but plain and cheese filled frozen soft pretzel bites are great too. I’ve also used Appetito’s (Aldi), Auntie Anne’s, Pretzilla, and Craft House Creations brands with equal success
- Dipping sauce is optional (especially if you’ve gotten stuffed pretzel bites). If you want to add a sauce though, mustard, nacho cheese, or beer cheese are my favorites!
- Most frozen soft pretzel bites come with sea salt for topping them, though the pizza stuffed SuperPretzel bites have cheese on them instead of salt! You could also swap salt out for cinnamon and sugar, or top with shredded cheese, pepperoni, or jalapenos instead
- There’s no need to apply any oil for cooking with frozen pretzel bites
- If you are using stuffed pretzels without salt, then you can shake the basket once during cooking to promote even heating. If you’ve applied salt, don’t flip or shake the pretzel bites or you’ll lose your salt
- You can also apply butter and the salt after cooking if you prefer
- My Super Pretzel frozen pretzel bites were perfect after 6 minutes in a Ninja Dual Zone air fryer. They are about 1-1.5” in size. Other sizes of pretzels and other air fryers may take slightly different amounts of time
- Exact nutritional values will vary based on brand of ingredients, any toppings or sauces, and quantity consumed, so please consider this a guideline only
Nutrition
