Sharing is caring!

Crescent Roll Pretzels are a quick and easy appetizer, side dish, or snack. These soft pretzels are made with a can of crescent roll dough, an egg wash, sea salt, and butter. Dip them in cheese sauce or melted butter to punch up the flavor. Everyone in your family will love these soft pretzel bites.

Crescent Roll Pretzels

Long strips of crescent dough sheets are twisted into pretzel shapes, boiled in water and baking soda, baked, brushed with butter, and sprinkled with kosher salt. Making these homemade pretzel bites with crescent rolls reduces the processing time and eliminates the need to make your own pretzel dough. This lets you quickly make these tasty soft pretzels for an afternoon snack.

For a more traditional pretzel, such as Auntie Anne’s pretzel recipe (made with a bread machine), visit my blog friend Tikkido. These pretzels are giant, pillowy soft, but not at all dry, more tender than your classic soft pretzel, sweeter than your average pretzel, and brushed with butter after baking.  They are exceptionally delicious.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Heat the water and the baking soda in a large pot over high heat until it begins to boil, then reduce heat to medium.

Unroll the crescent roll dough and separate it into 8 triangles.

Starting at the large end, tightly roll up the dough.

Continue rolling the dough on the work surface until it becomes a long rope, around 12 inches long.

Form the pretzel shape by twisting the two ends together, then folding the twist over on top of the bottom loop.

Continue this process until all the triangles have been formed into pretzel shapes.

Place the pretzels in boiling soda water two at a time.

Cook for around 30 seconds, then carefully remove them with a slotted spoon and place them on a paper towel-lined plate.

Repeat with remaining rolls.

Place the pretzels on the prepared baking sheet and reshape the dough, if needed.

Whisk together the egg and water and lightly brush the top of each pretzel with egg mixture.

Bake for 11 to 13 minutes or until deep golden brown.

Brush each pretzel with melted butter and top with coarse salt before serving.

Tips for Success and Variations

Here are some tips and variations to help you make the best homemade pretzels you’ve ever tasted.

• Some additional toppings include cinnamon sugar, sesame seeds, caraway seeds, fresh chives, and everything bagel seasoning.
• Use fresh pizza dough instead of crescent dough to make these pretzels.
• Dip them in beer cheese dip, dijon mustard, spicy beer mustard, honey mustard, or spread with cream cheese.
• Make pretzel pigs with lil’ smokies by wrapping the dough around the sausages before baking.
• Bake air fryer pretzel bites by twisting the dough into a pretzel shape and baking them in the air fryer.

How to Serve

Serve these crescent roll pretzels with other appetizers for a party like jalapeno popper crescent rolls, sloppy joe crescent rolls, ham and cheese crescent rolls, or pizza crescent rolls.

How to Store

To refrigerate: Store leftover pretzels in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days.

To freeze: You can also freeze this appetizer to use later by allowing them to cool completely, placing them in a large freezer bag, and storing them in the freezer for up to three months.

To reheat: If they’re stored in the microwave, you can allow them to come to room temperature or heat them in the microwave until just warmed through.

Allow frozen pretzels to thaw in the fridge overnight, then heat them up in the microwave.

FAQs

Why are my pretzels soggy?

Your pretzels will be soggy if they’re not dried enough before baking them. Remove them from the water with a slotted spoon, and place them on a paper towel-lined baking sheet before brushing them with the egg wash.

What kind of crescent rolls are best to make pretzels?

Pillsbury makes great crescent roll dough that is consistent and flavorful every time.

Do I need to boil these crescent roll pretzels before baking?

 You must boil them in the baking soda and water mixture if you want that chewy pretzel texture. If you skip this step, the pretzels will have a flaky crescent roll texture.