yeast Archives • A Sweet Pea Chef

Are you looking for the perfect soft pretzel bites recipe? Look no further because these Homemade Sweet Potato Soft Pretzel Bites are a delicious, clean-eating wonder! Low in carbs and high in nutrition, they are so easy to prepare that you’ll want to make them over and over. What are your favorite fair foods? Mine are definitely pretzels. Or pretzel bites. Pretzels are not good for you, Lacey. I know, I know. I’m glad you’re looking out for me. But don’t worry, no matter how much I love the classic soft pretzels and classic pretzel bites, I still love clean eating so I’m aware that pretzels are basically refined carbs that give you an overdose of salt and no real nutritional benefits. My pretzel bites are different though. For realz. These sweet potato pretzel bites are made with sweet potato dough, they are baked in the oven and they are super healthy and good for you. And, since pretzel bites are not pretzel bites unless you dip them in sauce, I have 2 different dipping sauces for you. Both of them are healthy and both of them are YUMMY. Before we start talking about this soft pretzel recipe that will teach you how to make pretzel bites and how to make homemade soft pretzels (the regular size version), let me tell you a few things about the soft pretzels. These homemade pretzels… Have a crunchy exterior and a soft interior. Are very easy to make so don’t be intimidated by the sweet potato dough or the recipe steps. This is an easy pretzel recipe. I promise you that. Are as cute as they can be. Plus they are perfect for October. Orange is the perfect color for October, am I right? These munchable pretzel bites are an excellent snack. I love to snack on something that I know is good for me. So much so, that I have written a post about it! Take a look at the list of satisfying snacks here: My Fave High Protein Snacks for Weight Loss. Sound good? Alright. Let’s begin the easy pretzel bites adventure then. HOW TO MAKE SOFT PRETZEL BITES If you thought learning how to make pretzel bites is hard, you couldn’t be more wrong, my friend. It’s actually easier to learn how to make pretzel bites than to learn how to make homemade pretzels. No twisting into pretzel shape involved. However, if you prefer pretzels to pretzel bites, you can totally do it. For now, let’s focus on the making of the soft pretzel bites. To make them you have to: Make the dough. Roll the dough. Cut the dough. Dump the bites in a baking soda bath. Bake. See? Easy. WHY I USE SWEET POTATO DOUGH If you’re wondering why I use sweet potato dough, it’s because I want my soft pretzel bites to be healthy and packed with nutrients. Also because I love my sweet potato recipes a lot. In case you didn’t know, sweet potatoes are: Rich in fiber A good source of vitamin B and vitamin C Rich in minerals including calcium, iron, and selenium High in beta-carotene, an antioxidant that converts to vitamin A when consumed Plus they're naturally dense and sweet, making them the perfect add-in for homemade dough. CAN YOU MAKE SOFT PRETZEL BITES GLUTEN-FREE? It’s super easy to transform these tasty bites of goodness into a gluten-free delight! Simply swap the whole wheat flour for gluten-free flour. Try: Almond flour Cassava flour Amaranth flour Arrowroot flour Chickpea flour HOW TO MAKE SWEET POTATO DOUGH To make sweet potato dough, you'll need: Warm water Pure maple syrup Coconut oil Sea salt Quick (AKA Instant) rise yeast Cooked and mashed sweet potatoes Whole wheat pastry flour Coarse sea salt As for the steps required to make this potato dough, we will need to: Mix warm water, pure maple syrup, coconut oil, sea salt in a bowl. Stir until combined. Add active yeast and let sit for approximately 8 minutes. Add whole wheat pastry flour and the sweet potatoes in the bowl. Stir once again until everything is fully combined and the dough is no longer sticky in your hands. Flour a surface. Lay the dough and knead for 3 to 5 minutes. Model the dough into pretzel bites. Cut into bites! Bonus tip – if the dough is very sticky and wet after you mixed all the ingredients together, you can add more flour. Start with a tablespoon and stir. Repeat until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl and you are able to model it in your hand without it sticking to it. That’s it, folks. Now you know all my sweet potato dough secrets. HOW TO COOK PRETZELS You know me - I'm all about making things as easy as possible. I don’t like to have secrets so I have to tell you how to cook pretzels in the easiest way possible. And pretzel bites, of course! First things first – preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Prep the baking soda bath. The baking soda bath is an essential step in our soft pretzel bites recipe. So don’t skip it. Essentially, a baking soda bath is boiled water with baking soda in it. When the water mixed with baking soda is boiling, drop the pretzel bites into it top-side down. Let them soak for about 20 seconds and remove them with a slotted spatula. Transfer the pretzel bites to the baking sheet. Sprinkle some coarse salt on top of each of them. Bake for 7-9 minutes. MAKING A GREEK YOGURT DIPPING SAUCE FOR SOFT PRETZEL BITES While our freshly baked pretzel bites are cooling on the wire rack, it’s time to work on our 2 dipping sauces. Most people buy cheese sauce for pretzels. Or they make pretzel cheese sauce at home. Not me. I love cheese and all, but cheese sauce is not the healthiest option. So I chose a Greek yogurt dipping sauce instead. Two sauces, actually. One is tangy and savory. The other one is sweet and cinnamony. The first dipping sauce is a honey mustard dip made with: Greek yogurt Yellow mustard Raw honey Lemon juice All you have to do to make the sauce is to: Combine all the ingredients. Mix until smooth. The second dipping sauce for our soft pretzels is a sweet cinnamon dipping sauce made with: Greek yogurt Pure maple syrup Vanilla extract Cinnamon I bet you already know how to make this dipping sauce, right? You guessed correctly, all you have to do is to: Combine all the ingredients. And mix until the sauce is smooth. CAN YOU FREEZE SOFT PRETZEL BITES DOUGH? Absolutely! You know how much I love to meal prep so the answer to your can you freeze pretzel dough question had to be YES. You know what that means? More delicious sweet potato pretzel bites in your future. OMG yum! To freeze, wrap the dough in plastic wrap and transfer to the freezer where you can store it for up to 3 months. CAN YOU FREEZE SOFT PRETZEL BITES? Yes, you can freeze these tasty bites of flavor! Let the homemade sweet potato soft pretzel bites cool Place them on a baking sheet – don’t have them touching Freeze about an hour until they are solid Place in reusable freezer bags in whatever serving size you want Freeze for up to 3 months. To reheat, place in a 300F degree oven for 10-15 minutes. Microwaved, they get soggy – so I don’t suggest that. HOW TO STORE SOFT PRETZEL BITES How to store soft pretzels and soft pretzel bites – I'm betting this is another question you might have. You have 2 options to store the pretzel bites for eating within a day or so. Here’s how to store pretzel bites: Place the pretzel bites in a paper bag and store them in a cool place. Put the pretzel bites into a plastic container and store them in the fridge for 1 day. RECIPE SUBSTITUTIONS FOR SOFT PRETZEL BITES If you want to change up your homemade sweet potato soft pretzel bites, there are a few things to try. Switch the sweet potato dough for plain dough made with whole wheat flour Use a keto dough made of cream cheese, mozzarella cheese, flour, and eggs Change the topping from sea salt to Homemade Everything Bagel Seasoning Try them with Sweet BBQ Sauce or Healthy Pesto Sauce MORE HEALTHY SNACK RECIPES If you’re like me, having good-for-you snacks around the house is the best way to stick to my healthy lifestyle. That way, there is no temptation to stop at the grocery store on the way home from an outing to buy chips and other processed stuff. Try these snack recipes: Baked Pita Chips Parmesan and Sea Salt Popcorn Healthy Baked Zucchini Fries Flaxseed Apricot Bars Dark Chocolate Cherry Energy Bites Dark Chocolate Covered Coconut Bites Sweet Potato Soft Pretzel Bites Homemade Sweet Potato Soft Pretzel Bites Are you looking for the perfect soft pretzel bites recipe? Look no further because these Homemade Sweet Potato Soft Pretzel Bites are a delicious, clean-eating wonder! Low in carbs and high in nutrition, they are so easy to prepare that you’ll want to make them over and over. For the Sweet Potato Dough1/4 cup warm water1 tbsp pure maple syrup1 tsp coconut oil, (melted and cooled)1/4 tsp sea salt2 1/4 tsp Quick Rise (AKA Instant Rise) Yeast ((1 1/4-oz package))1 cup cooked sweet potato, (mashed*)1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour, (plus more as needed)1 tbsp coarse sea salt, (as needed for topping)For the Baking Soda Bath:3 cups water3 tbsp baking sodaFor the Honey Mustard Dip:1/4 cup plain greek yogurt1/2 cup yellow mustard1/2 cup raw honey1 1/2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juiceFor the Sweet Greek Yogurt Dip1/3 cup plain greek yogurt1 tbsp. pure maple syrup1/4 tsp. vanilla extract1/4 tsp. cinnamon To proof the yeast, in a large bowl, add warm water, maple syrup, melted coconut oil, and sea salt, and stir this together until everything is dissolved.Sprinkle active yeast over the top, and let it set for about 8-10 minutes or until the yeast turns frothy. This means the yeast is working and ready to go.Into our proofed yeast bowl, add whole wheat pastry flour and mashed sweet potatoes. Carefully stir this together to get everything fully combined. If the dough is still very wet and sticky, you can continue to add in a little more whole wheat pastry flour, a tablespoon at a time, until the dough begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl and no longer sticks to your hand.Lay the dough out onto a well-floured surface, and knead for 3-5 minutes or until the dough springs back most of the way when you gently press it with your finger. Let the dough rest for 5 minutes.Divide the dough in half with a sharp knife or a kitchen scraper. Then, divide that half into half until you have 8 total small wedges.Working with 1 wedge at a time, roll it into a skinny rope about 8-12 inches long.To divide into pretzel bites, just press down to pinch off the bites using your knife or kitchen scraper every inch along the dough rope. Then, repeat with the remaining dough. Look to make the bites about 1 1/2 - 2 inches long. (To form a pretzel, take the same rope, then cross the dough the top, then cross it again, and then bring the ends down over the bottom to shape the pretzel.)Lay a clean, dry towel over the top of the shaped pretzels or pretzel bites, and allow to rise for about 20 minutes to increase in size.Start preheating your oven to 425 degrees F, lining a baking sheet with parchment paper, and prepping your baking soda bath.To prepare the baking soda bath, add 3 cups water plus 3 tablespoons baking soda to a small pot or deep skillet, and bring the water to a boil.Once the pretzels bites have risen, carefully take a few and place them top-side down into the boiling baking soda bath. Boil for 12-15 seconds, carefully flipping using a slotted spoon halfway through.Carefully transfer the pretzels to the prepared baking sheet using slotted spatula, and then sprinkle with some coarse sea salt. Repeat with the remaining pretzels. (If you are making sweet potato pretzels instead of the pretzel bites, I recommend brushing the formed pretzels with the baking soda water instead of boiling it. While this process works for regular flours, the combination of the sweet potato and less refined flour makes it a little tricky to hold together when completely boiled and submerged in the water.)Now, place the baking sheet into the oven and bake at 425°F for 7-9 minutes, or until the pretzels are golden brown and cooked through.Remove the pretzels from the oven and let cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a dry wire rack to cool completely.While the pretzels are cooling, we can make our honey mustard dipping sauce. In a small bowl, combine the plain Greek yogurt, clean yellow mustard, raw honey, and freshly squeezed lemon juice. Whisk until this is very smooth.If you want something a little sweeter and less tangy, instead you can make my sweet cinnamon greek yogurt dip by combining plain greek yogurt, pure maple syrup, vanilla extract, and ground cinnamon in a small mixing bowl. Both dips are great with these baked sweet potato pretzel bites, just either sweet or savory. The sweet potato can be cooked from roasting, boiling, or steaming. I remove the skin for this recipe. Bread, Quick Snack, SnackEasybdo sweet potato dough, soft pretzel bites, sweet potato dough This post contains affiliate links for products I use regularly and highly recommend.