These super easy homemade vegan soft pretzels are super chewy, salty, and buttery! With an easy gluten free option and naturally dairy free, these vegan pretzels make a perfect game day snack or holiday appetizer!

homemade soft pretzels with sea salt

What gives pretzels their flavor?

So shockingly enough, the traditional way to make soft pretzels (and what gave them their distinctive taste) was the use of lye. Aka, the ingredient found in soups. ICK!

Thankfully, there’s an alternative way to give homemade soft pretzels their classic and distinctive flavor: baking soda.

Science lesson: baking soda in the boiling water creates the alkaline solution that reacts with the dough, creating not only the lovely brown color once baked but also that distinctive flavor, since the pH level of the dough has changed.

vegan pretzels

This is why pretzels are known to have more chew and texture, not to mention a darker color, than bagels. If we skipped the “baking soda bath,” the pretzels would look and taste more like bagels!

Easy pretzel recipe ingredients

Much like our homemade vegan bagels (both gluten free and regular), we only need a few simple plant based ingredients in order to make these amazingly soft vegan pretzels:

Regular Vegan Pretzels:

  • Flour
  • Yeast
  • Water
  • Coconut sugar
  • Dairy free yogurt
  • Sea salt

Yeast Free Vegan Gluten Free Pretzels:

  • Oat flour (homemade or store bought- homemade will give these pretzels a more rustic look, but they’ll still taste amazing!)
  • Baking powder
  • Water
  • Dairy free yogurt
  • Sea salt
soft pretzels

Once you’ve gathered your ingredients (the full measurements are found down below in the recipe card) and you’ve decided which pretzels you’re making (gluten free or regular!), it’s time to make these vegan soft pretzels!

How to make homemade vegan soft pretzels

First, we’ll go over the standard yeasted homemade vegan soft pretzels. Again, the full recipe instructions are found down below in the recipe card. However, let’s go over a few key steps to make the soft pretzel dough:

  1. You can use either instant yeast or activated yeast: instant yeast will be a much quicker rise time than activated, as long as the environment is warm. You can use either here, but just make sure that you’re aware of the time difference for rising. Instant will take between 30-40 minutes for the first proof, and activated will take about 1 hour.
  2. Use all purpose flour or bread flour: I have not yet tested this recipe with whole wheat flour so I cannot speak to the results.
  3. When rising the dough for the first time, grease a clean boil with oil: this helps the dough not stick to the walls of the bowl. Otherwise, you’ll be scraping your dough out of the bowl and will consequently lose a lot fo dough.
  4. Use a nut-free dairy free yogurt if needed: you can use a plain unsweetened dairy free yogurt, like cashew yogurt or coconut yogurt. Either works here!

Once your homemade pretzel dough is prepared, it’s time to shape the pretzels!

soft pretzel dough

How to form homemade pretzels

To get the classic pretzel shape, let’s go over how to shape homemade pretzels before we boil them in a baking soda bath. Each step aligns to the numbered image below.

Please refer to these photos when shaping your homemade vegan pretzels (gluten free or regular).

  1. Punch down the dough and divide the dough into 8 even sections.
  2. Roll each sectioned dough into a long strip, about 20-22″ long.
  3. Take the two ends of one strip and twist them twice together.
  4. Pull the ends towards you and lightly press them into the bottom of the pretzel dough.
  5. Repeat for the remaining pretzels.
vegan pretzel dough
how to shape pretzles
how to shape pretzles

Once the pretzels are shaped, you’ll cover them once more and allow them to rise a second time while you prepare the baking soda bath. This just means boiling water with baking soda.

baking soda bath and boiling pretzels

You’ll then boil each pretzel and place it back onto the baking sheet. Brush each with vegan butter and sprinkle with coarse sea salt. Then bake!

Yeast Free Gluten Free Pretzels

Making yeast free gluten free pretzels is similar to how we make the same version as a bagel.

The only difference is that we’ll shape the dough like a homemade soft pretzel rather than a bagel. But to make the dough, the steps are similar (more details in the recipe card below):

  1. Whisk together the dry ingredients.
  2. Then add in the water and dairy free yogurt. Mix together until a large dough ball forms and allow the dough to rest.
  3. Then shape the dough into pretzels, like the above section!
vegan pretzels on cooling rack

You will also boil the gluten free pretzels in a baking soda bath, much like the regular version. Then you’ll bake them just the same!

Do I need to boil pretzels?

Yes, you absolutely do if you want these homemade pretzels to taste like pretzels!

While we’re boiling them in a baking soda bath, this is still a very straight forward and easy pretzel recipe.

Don’t let the baking soda bath discourage you- it’s a worthwhile step that only takes a few extra minutes between the forming step and the baking step! You’ll be so happy that you boiled the pretzels in a baking soda bath- just wait!

homemade vegan gluten free pretzels

How to enjoy soft pretzels

I personally love enjoying these vegan pretzels as is, with a bit of sea salt!

However, you can get fancy and make some fun dips or sauces to go with these pretzels:

vegan soft pretzels

I hope that you love these homemade vegan soft pretzels as much as I do! If you make them, be sure to let me know how they go in the comments section below, as well as giving them a rating so that others may find them.

As always, I absolutely love to see your beautiful creations on Instagram and Pinterest, so be sure to tag me there!

Happy vegan pretzel making!

Want to save this recipe for later? Add it to your favorite recipe board on Pinterest!

Homemade Vegan Soft Pretzels (Gluten Free Option)
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soft pretzels

Homemade Vegan Soft Pretzels Recipe

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  • Author: thebananadiaries
  • Prep Time: 40
  • Cook Time: 18
  • Total Time: 58 minutes
  • Yield: 8 1x
  • Category: Snack
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: German
  • Diet: Vegan
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Description

These super easy homemade vegan soft pretzels are super chewy, salty, and buttery! With an easy gluten free option and naturally dairy free, these vegan pretzels make a perfect game day snack or holiday appetizer!

Ingredients

Scale

Regular Vegan Soft Pretzels Ingredients:

  • 1 packet instant yeast
  • 1 1/2 cups hot water, 110F
  • 1 tsp coconut sugar
  • 4–4 1/4 cups all purpose or bread flour, plus more for kneading
  • 1 tbsp arrowroot powder
  • 1/2 tsp sea salt
  • 1/2 cup dairy free yogurt, room temperature
  • Toppings: 1 tbsp vegan butter, melted, 2 tsp coarse sea salt

 

Vegan Yeast Free Gluten Free Soft Pretzels:

  • 4– 4 1/4 cups oat flour (or 5 cups oats ground into flour- see note)
  • 1/4 cup arrowroot powder
  • 1 tbsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp sea salt
  • 1 1/2 cups warm water (does not have to be 110F, just warm to touch)
  • 1/2 cup dairy free yogurt, room temperature
  • Toppings: 1 tbsp vegan butter, melted, 2 tsp coarse sea salt

Instructions

Homemade Vegan Soft Pretzels Recipe:

  1. In a large bowl, mix the water, coconut sugar, and 1 tbsp of flour. Add in the yeast, and use a wooden spoon to mix. Cover with a towel and place in a warm area to activate for 10 minutes. It should start to bubble/foam and smell yeast-like.
  2. Once the yeast is activated, add in the remaining of the 4 cups of flour (you can add more at the end if the dough is too sticky/tacky), arrowroot powder, sea salt, and dairy free yogurt. Use either a dough paddle on a stand mixer or knead the dough on a clean surface with extra flour with your hands. Whether or not you use the stand mixer, you’ll finish knead the dough once it’s mixed. You want to get the dough to a point where it isn’t very sticky and can easily peel off of your hands without leaving any dough (about 5 minutes). You can add more flour here if it’s still too sticky, kneading it lightly. 
  3. Grease a clean bowl with olive oil and lightly grease the dough, place the dough ball into the bowl, and cover with a clean dish towel. Place in a very warm place (at least 85F) for 30-40 minutes, or until the dough has doubled in size.
  4. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  5. Once the dough has doubled in size, lightly punch down the dough and divide it into 8 even sections using a pastry cutter or large knife. Roll each section into a long strip (about 20-22″ long). Take the two ends of the and twist them twice together (see photos in the blog post). Bring them towards yourself and press down into the dough to form the pretzel shape.  Place the pretzel dough onto a parchment paper and repeat for the remaining pretzels. Cover the pretzels with a clean dish towel on the parchment paper.
  6. While the dough is rising for a second time, bring a large pot with 4 cups of water with 1/4 cup baking soda to a boil. Preheat the oven to 425F.
  7. Once the water is boiling, use a spatula or large spoon with holes to carefully transfer one pretzel into the water. Cook for 1 1/2 minutes on each side, then transfer back to the parchment paper. You can add up to 2 pretzels at a time to the pot, cooking for 1 1/2 minutes on each side. 
  8. Once all pretzels have been boiled and transferred to the baking sheet, lightly brush the bagels with melted vegan butter and sprinkle with coarse sea salt.
  9. Place the pretzels into the oven to bake for 15-18 minutes, or until the tops of the pretzels are golden. 
  10. Remove from the oven and allow the pretzels to cool for 10 minutes. Enjoy!

Yeast Free Vegan Gluten-Free Pretzels Recipe:

  1. Preheat the oven to 425F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. Before making the dough, start to bring a large pot with 4 cups fo water to a boil with 1/4 cup baking soda. The water will start to boil as you finish making the dough.
  3. In a large bowl, whisk together the oat flour, arrowroot powder, baking powder, and sea salt. Add in the water and dairy free yogurt, and mix until the dough is thick and not sticky. If it’s still too sticky, you can add in the additional oat flour.
  4. Let the dough rest for 5 minutes. Then divide the dough into 8 even sections and roll each section into a ball. Roll each section into a long strip (about 20-22″ long). Take the two ends of the and twist them twice together (see photos in the blog post). Bring them towards yourself and press down into the dough to form the pretzel shape. Place the pretzel dough onto a parchment paper and repeat for the remaining pretzels.
  5. Once the water is boiling, use a spatula or large spoon with holes to carefully transfer one pretzel into the water. Cook for 1 1/2 minutes on each side, then transfer back to the parchment paper. You can add up to 2 pretzels at a time to the pot, cooking for 1 1/2 minutes on each side. 
  6. Once all pretzels have been boiled and transferred to the baking sheet, lightly brush with vegan butter and sprinkle with coarse sea salt.
  7. Place the pretzels into the oven to bake for 15-18 minutes, or until the tops of the pretzels are lightly golden. 
  8. Remove from the oven and allow the pretzels to cool for 10 minutes. Enjoy!

Notes

Oat flour: you can make your own homemade oat flour here, but note that it won’t be as fine as store bought flour. Homemade oat flour will make the outside of the bagels slightly more rustic, but they will still be amazing pretzels!

Baking Soda Bath: this step is crucial for achieving that classic pretzel flavor. Bring the water to a boil with 1/4 cup baking soda, swirl the water and boil the pretzels.