Auntie Anne's Pretzels: Copycat Recipe (2024)

Auntie Anne's Pretzels: Copycat Recipe (1)

I don't know about you guys, but the last few times I have been to the mall there has been NOTHING cool to speak of. I mean, seriously, nothing is even worth trying on. Last time, my sister and I drove almost an hour to get to a decent mall and didn't get a single thing. Stopped at Target on the way home- found a dress within eight seconds. Not to mention the Target sunglasses, purse, books, dinnerware, make-up, chocolate, and etceteras that I am currently basking in. Seriously, it just gets better and better every time I go there.

Auntie Anne's Pretzels: Copycat Recipe (2)


I have to say though, there is no way that any lack of coolness could ever completely keep me away from that wasteland. You know why?


Auntie Anne's Pretzels: Copycat Recipe (3)

Mall pretzels. That's why. They're just SO GOOD. So buttery and warm. So chewy and soft. So salty and delicious. But, since I'm not wasting my life there so much these days, I decided I would have to make my own. If anything, they could only be better. I mean, I hate when they hand you one that's been sitting there five hours and you just want to say, "Excuse me, my good sir, but I just spent my last few bucks on this instead of buying a pair of earrings on clearance. The least you could do is give me one that's been made this century."

Anyways, they WERE better. They were just like Auntie Anne's only you can eat them right out of the oven. So hot that you burn your fingers. Plus they take less than two hours to make. Can't beat that.

It starts out with some dough.

Auntie Anne's Pretzels: Copycat Recipe (4)

You must roll them thin. Very thin. The more Auntie Anne-ish you want them to be, the thinner you will roll them.

Auntie Anne's Pretzels: Copycat Recipe (5)

Then dip them in some baking soda and water. That's what really makes it into a pretzel. It gives it that chewy brown crust.

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Someone was hungry. That's what the bowl says. And it was true. So I worked fast.

Sprinkle on some salt. The bigger the better. I had Kosher which worked marvelously.

Auntie Anne's Pretzels: Copycat Recipe (7)

Then the big secret is dipping them in butter at the end. Now you know they must be as good as I'm making them out to be.

Auntie Anne's Pretzels: Copycat Recipe (8)

Like seriously good. And if you want cinnamon sugar ones, just mix together a little cinnamon and sugar and dip the pretzels in in right after you dip them in the butter. If you want something to dip them in, I just used the extra dipping butter and mixed it with a handful of powdered sugar and a splash of milk to make a little icing. Waste not want not.

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Then serve them on your really cute Target plate as seen above.


Auntie Anne's Pretzels: Copycat Recipe (10)


Auntie Anne's Pretzels: Copycat Recipe
Makes 12 Adapted from Food Network

2 cups milk
1 1/2 tablespoons (2 packets) active dry yeast
6 tablespoons brown sugar
4 tablespoons butter, melted
4 1/2 cups flour
2 teaspoons fine salt

1/3 cup baking soda
3 cups warm water
Coarse salt
8 tablespoons butter, melted in a shallow dish

Warm up the milk in the microwave or on the stove for just about one and a half minutes. It should be about 110º. If it's too hot it will kill the yeast. You should be able to comfortably keep your finger in it. Stir in the yeast and let it sit for about 3 minutes. Add the butter and sugar. Add the flour about 1 cup at a time and the add the fine salt. Kneed for about 10 minutes with a stand mixer, or by hand. Put it in a greased bowl and cover with greased cling wrap. Let rise for 1 hour in a moist, warm place until doubled in size. Preheat the oven to 450º. Punch down dough and divide into 12 lumps (I like to divide it in half, then divide each half into three, and then divide each remaining one in half again). Roll them all out as thin as you can. Combine the warm water and baking soda in a wide bowl. Form the dough into pretzel shapes, then dip in the baking soda water. Place on a greased baking sheet and sprinkle with coarse salt. Bake for about 7-11 minutes or until browned. Dip each in the melted butter while hot. Serve with cheese sauce.

For Garlic Cheese Sauce:
(A Yammie original)
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
3 cloves minced garlic
1 cup milk
1/8 teaspoon smoked paprika
a pinch cayenne pepper
8 oz. cheddar cheese, shredded (Not pre-shredded. Do it yourself.)
In a saucepan, combine the butter, flour, and garlic over medium heat. Whisk until lightly browned. Whisk in the milk, paprika, and cayenne pepper and continue whisking until thickened. Add the cheese and whisk until melted. Can be reheated in the microwave.

Note: Some people have said in comments that they needed to add 3/4 cup more flour. I have made these several times and have never found this to be the case, but if your dough is way too wet, you should probably try it.

Now if you liked these, you'll love these pretzel buns which sprouted from the same recipe!

Auntie Anne's Pretzels: Copycat Recipe (11)

Auntie Anne's Pretzels: Copycat Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the secret solution for Auntie Anne's pretzels? ›

Whisk together 2 cups (454 grams) of warm water and the 1/3 cup (90 grams) baking soda in a shallow dish. Dip the pretzels into the baking soda bath. Flip and dip the other side. Place the dipped pretzels onto a parchment-lined baking sheet.

What are the ingredients for Auntie Anne's pretzels? ›

ENRICHED WHEAT FLOUR (WHEAT FLOUR, MALTED BARLEY FLOUR, NIACIN, REDUCED IRON, THIAMINE MONONITRATE, RIBOFLAVIN, FOLIC ACID), WATER, BROWN SUGAR, CONTAINS 2% OR LESS OF THE FOLLOWING: DOUGH CONDITIONERS (WHEAT FLOUR, MALT BARLEY FLOUR, ASCORBIC ACID, ENZYMES, SALT, VEGETABLE PROTEIN [CORN-BASED]), YEAST, CALCIUM ...

What is the secret ingredient which makes a pretzel taste like a pretzel? ›

The answer lies in a brief dip in an alkaline water bath before baking. This bath essentially gelatinizes the outside of the pretzel, preventing it from fully “springing” during baking (as bread does) and giving pretzels their signature chewy crust. It also gives them their unique and indelible “pretzel” flavor.

What makes Auntie Anne's pretzels different? ›

Our Original Pretzel only contains 5 grams of fat, and, yes, it is lightly dipped in butter. Since Auntie Anne's Pretzels are made fresh in our stores, you can request your pretzel without butter for a lower calorie option or order your pretzel without salt.

Does Auntie Anne's use lye or baking soda? ›

Well, the cheery ladies were very clear with me: they do NOT use lye. No sodium hydroxide/poison/caustic soda—none whatsoever—in their pretzels. (They do, however, dip their pretzels in a baking soda solution.)

Why boil pretzel dough in baking soda? ›

As noted above, baking soda is a staple ingredient for making homemade pretzels. Dunking your pretzels in a baking soda bath prior to baking is what enables them to develop their distinctive color and crispy-on-the-outside, chewy-on-the-inside texture.

What is the lie for making pretzels? ›

Lye is primarily used to make pretzels, and it's the reason for their unmistakable shiny, mahogany color. To prepare, shaped pretzels are dipped in a lye bath, then baked in the oven. This method can also be used with rolls or buns. Once lye-dipped pretzels are baked, they're totally safe (and delicious!) to eat.

Why do my homemade pretzels taste weird? ›

If your pretzels have any sort of a metallic, bitter taste, it all comes down to the baking soda bath.

What gives pretzels their distinctive taste? ›

Lye. The dough is simple; take a basic yeast-risen dough that can be readied in an afternoon. But the trick to great pretzels is dipping the pretzels in a liquid wash before baking — and not just any wash, but a combination of water and lye. That's what gives pretzels their terrific color, texture and flavor.

Does Shaq own Auntie Anne's pretzels? ›

Shaq was the franchise owner of 17 Auntie Anne's Pretzels restaurants. This Aunt Anne's investment made him about $300,000. Shaq has recently sold this franchise due to the lack of people not wanting pretzels according to the Earn Your Leisure interview.

Why does Auntie Anne's taste so good? ›

A big part of the Auntie Anne's appeal is how fresh the pretzels are. A lot of massive chains of this kind rely on shipping frozen items to be reheated in the store but not Annie. The employees receive a "signature flour mixture" that they combine with yeast and water on site.

How to get free pretzels from Auntie Anne's? ›

GET TWISTED. GET REWARDED.

250 points earned = Free Pretzel Item! Order in the app for delivery to your door or pick up at the store! Enjoy a free pretzel after your first $1 spent, a free pretzel on your birthday when you spend $10+ annually, and other exclusive member offers.

What solution are pretzels dipped in? ›

Lye is primarily used to make pretzels, and it's the reason for their unmistakable shiny, mahogany color. To prepare, shaped pretzels are dipped in a lye bath, then baked in the oven.

What is the water solution for pretzels? ›

In a large, wide pot, bring 6 cups water and 2 tablespoons baking soda to a boil. Then, transfer one shaped pretzel to the bath using a slotted spatula and let sit for 1 minute. Then move the pretzel to a cooling rack on top of parchment paper. This allows any excess solution to drip away.

What does a lye bath do to pretzels? ›

It imparts that unique pretzel smell and taste by inhibiting the creation of typical baked-good aroma compounds while spurring the formation of others and also adds unmistakable mineral flavor. And it gels surface starch, so the pretzels bake up smooth and shiny.

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