Pretzel Bites With Mustard Cheese Sauce Recipe

You need 1 1/2 pounds of pizza dough and about 45 minutes to get a tray of warm pretzel bites on the table. The dough gets a quick bath in baking soda water first. That step is what gives the bites their brown shell and that faint pretzel tang.

The sauce is a small roux with milk, honey mustard and cheddar. It thickens in a few minutes and takes the salt and vinegar well. Serve it hot, because it sets as it cools.

One thing to know before you start: keep the dough balls smaller than a golf ball. Bigger ones puff up and stay doughy in the middle while the outside browns.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Heat the oven

Set the oven to 425 F and line a sheet tray with parchment paper. Give it 15 minutes to come up to temperature while you roll the dough.

2. Roll the dough balls

Tear the pizza dough into pieces slightly smaller than a golf ball and roll each one smooth. Keep them on the counter under a towel so they don't dry out.

3. Simmer in baking soda water

Bring a pot of water to a gentle simmer and stir in the baking soda. Drop in a handful of dough balls and cook them for 30 seconds, then lift them out and set them on the lined tray. Work in batches so the pot doesn't crowd.

4. Brush and salt

Brush every dough ball with the whisked egg and sprinkle coarse salt over the tops. Don't skip the egg, or the salt slides right off.

5. Bake until deep brown

Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until the bites are a deep brown. Check at 10 minutes. Ovens run hot, and these go from golden to burnt fast.

6. Start the sauce

Melt the butter in a saucepan over low heat, then whisk in the flour and cook it for 1 minute. Pour in the milk while whisking so no lumps form.

7. Thicken the milk

Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring now and then, until the milk starts to thicken slightly. It should coat the back of a spoon.

8. Add mustard and cheese

Stir in the honey mustard, cheddar, cider vinegar, salt and pepper. Whisk until the cheese melts and the sauce is smooth.

9. Bubble and serve

Let the sauce bubble gently for a few more minutes to thicken, then taste for salt. Serve it hot next to the pretzel bites.

Tips & Tricks

• Roll the dough balls smaller than a golf ball. They nearly double in the oven.
• Simmer, don't boil, the water. A hard rolling boil can tear the dough balls apart.
• Shred your own cheddar for a smoother sauce. Bagged shreds often turn grainy.
• Pull the sauce off the heat before you stir in the cheese if it looks like it's about to break.
• Serve the sauce in a warm bowl. Cold ceramic makes it seize up fast.

How to Store Pretzel Bites With Mustard Cheese Sauce

Frequently Asked Questions

Pretzel Bites With Mustard Cheese Sauce Recipe

Chewy baked pretzel bites brushed with egg and coarse salt, served with a warm cheddar sauce sharpened with honey mustard and cider vinegar.

15 minPrep time30 minCook time45 minTotal8Servings

Print RecipePin Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 ½ lb pizza dough
• ¼ cup baking soda
• 1 egg (whisked)
• coarse salt
• ¼ cup butter
• ¼ cup flour
• 2 cups milk
• 1 ½ tablespoons French’s Honey Mustard
• 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
• 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
• 1 ½ teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper

Instructions

1. 1Heat the oven — Set the oven to 425 F and line a sheet tray with parchment paper. Give it 15 minutes to come up to temperature while you roll the dough.
2. 2Roll the dough balls — Tear the pizza dough into pieces slightly smaller than a golf ball and roll each one smooth. Keep them on the counter under a towel so they don't dry out.
3. 3Simmer in baking soda water — Bring a pot of water to a gentle simmer and stir in the baking soda. Drop in a handful of dough balls and cook them for 30 seconds, then lift them out and set them on the lined tray. Work in batches so the pot doesn't crowd.
4. 4Brush and salt — Brush every dough ball with the whisked egg and sprinkle coarse salt over the tops. Don't skip the egg, or the salt slides right off.
5. 5Bake until deep brown — Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until the bites are a deep brown. Check at 10 minutes. Ovens run hot, and these go from golden to burnt fast.
6. 6Start the sauce — Melt the butter in a saucepan over low heat, then whisk in the flour and cook it for 1 minute. Pour in the milk while whisking so no lumps form.
7. 7Thicken the milk — Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring now and then, until the milk starts to thicken slightly. It should coat the back of a spoon.
8. 8Add mustard and cheese — Stir in the honey mustard, cheddar, cider vinegar, salt and pepper. Whisk until the cheese melts and the sauce is smooth.
9. 9Bubble and serve — Let the sauce bubble gently for a few more minutes to thicken, then taste for salt. Serve it hot next to the pretzel bites.

Cook's note: Keep the dough balls smaller than a golf ball. They puff up a lot in the oven, and bigger ones come out doughy in the middle.

Servings: 8

Cuisine: American

Course: Appetizer

RecipesCooker15 minutes30 minutes45 minutes

Written by Darnell
Darnell covers air fryer recipes and slow cook meals, with a steady side of eggs and breakfast casseroles for people cooking on a tight schedule. He writes in a blunt, test-it-again voice and flags the mistakes that ruin texture, from soggy fries to rubbery eggs. Every post gives timings, temperatures, and a fallback if your machine runs hot.